Politics & Government

Gov. Snyder's Latest Education Plans Questioned

Rep. Townsend finds some good points, but wonders about how to pay for them while Royal Oak parent wants more answers.

State Rep. Jim Townsend can quickly list the positive attributes of Gov. Rick Snyder's latest plan to reinvent the state’s educational system, which he revealed Wednesday morning.

Townsend (D-Royal Oak) mentions early childhood initiatives, anti-bullying legislation, annual reviews and providing academic access to children who are able to do college-level work. But, he said, the real issue comes down to dollars. “Whether the ideas are worth the paper they are printed on is if we are able to fund them properly,” Townsend said Wednesday.

Townsend’s reaction came after Snyder outlined his education plan during a speech at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan headquarters in downtown Detroit.

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Snyder conveyed an overall plan to move toward viewing education as an integrated system, involving early education through advanced degrees. In a press release issued following his speech, the governor stated, “This plan is about moving away from the outdated model of the past and giving teachers and students the tools they need to succeed in the future.”

Snyder’s plan includes:

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  • funding following the student;
  • virtual learning;
  • expanding schools of choice to require districts to accept out-of-district students;
  • teacher tenure overhaul, including evaluating teachers based on student growth and financially rewarding teachers to keep them in the classrooms;
  • more charter schools;
  • incorporating college credits into public education; and
  • financially rewarding districts producing high academic results.

School districts that demonstrate student growth in reading, math and other subjects would receive a bonus under the governor's plan.

The issue of rewarding high-performing districts is complicated, Royal Oak parent Pam Shewchuck said. “Many high-performing districts are also in communities with higher socio-economic levels,” she said. “These districts usually have a very involved parent community, which means they are involved in their kids' education.”

Townsend pointed out that the governor’s plan does not address the battle outside of the classroom: socioeconomic challenges often found in a child’s home, which impact learning.

Shewchuck said she additionally questions how “high performance” would be measured, adding she would not want to see that based on MEAP scores.

“We need to build a system capable of measuring teacher and school success,” Shewchuck said. “However, we don’t have a true tool to do this.”

Snyder also discussed performance-based teaching as being at the heart of the reform. "As parents, we expect a lot from teachers and that's exactly the way it should be," Snyder stated in the release. "To see our students succeed, we must expect the best, and we must provide the tools, support and environment students need to reach the high expectations we have set."

Snyder said the changes would not be easy, but are needed to improve Michigan schools.

Townsend agrees in theory, but is concerned the governor is working in reverse order by defunding education and then proposing changes. Many of the initiatives detailed in the plan require a commitment to fund education, he said.

“Positive reinforcement is a good thing,” Townsend said. “Student achievement is the bottom line and ultimately the thing to care about, but we want to make sure we are giving schools the tools they need to be successful.”

Wednesday, Snyder discussed creating dashboards as a way to evaluate and measure student outcomes, school accountability, culture of learning, value for the money and post-secondary education. Snyder said these dashboards would serve as a statewide report card and would help parents make better-informed decisions about their children’s education. Snyder also said the dashboard and other measurements would help tie a portion of the state school aid to academic growth.

The education reform outline comes after Snyder delivered messages of major cuts and changes in education funding in February. The proposed Michigan budgetary changes mean an estimated $5 million net deficit in state funding for Royal Oak schools for the 2011-12 school year.

As a result,


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