For the FY ’16 Budget, GLEP recommends investing an additional $263 million in the foundation grant, which would increase the MINIMUM foundation grant by $250 per pupil, to $7,501, which would reduce the equity funding gap to $598 per pupil. Alternatively, these funds could be used via the 2x formula to increase the BASIC foundation grant by $100, to $8,199 per pupil and the MINIMUM foundation grant by $200, to $7,451, which would reduce the equity funding gap to $748 per pupil.
You can click here to download the full presentation made by GLEP, or here for a simple one-pager with budget highlights
Karen McPhee Appointed New Education Policy Advisor for Governor Snyder
The long-time Superintendent of the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District, Karen McPhee, has been appointed Education Policy Advisor for Governor Rick Snyder. McPhee will advi
se the Governor on all education issues and represent the administration in working with stakeholder groups. McPhee, who begins work on April 6, is replacing Craig Ruff, who recently retired from the same position. GLEP looks forward to working with Ms. McPhee in continuing to make improvements to the state’s K-12 education system.
SBE Identifies 6 Candidates in Search for Next State Superintendent
The State Board of Education met on Tuesday with their search firm and selected the following 6 semi-finalists from a pool of 54 applicants to be the next Superintendent. Click on each name for a recent media link for each candidate:
These candidates will be interviewed in Lansing next week on March 10 and 11. These interviews, which begin at 9:30 am, will be open to the public and live streamed on the internet. Finalist interviews will be held on March 18.
Union-Run Charter School Forced to Close Due to Poor Performance
The promise of charter public schools is that poor performance can lead to sanctions, including closure. Well, the American Federation of Teachers took up the challenge of starting their own charter school in New York, and despite their promises, the school has been plagued by sub-standard performance. The situation has gotten so bad that theschool has been ordered closed by their authorizer. Something to remember the next time people say we should simply put the teachers’ union in charge of public education.
MiWeek Talks Charter Authorizers with Nolan and Stephen
The MiWeek team takes a look at the scores from a recent advocacy group report card for authorizers and examines whether all schools are being held accountable for results. Debating the issue is Nolan Finlay, Detroit News (supports charters) and Stephen Henderson, Detroit Free Press (opposes charters). Finley makes some interesting comments about the future of education in the city of Detroit, and you won’t want to miss them. Click here for the broadcast.
DPS Emergency Manager Announces Reorganization Plan
Darnell Earley, recently-appointed Emergency Manager at DPS, announced on Tuesday a 10-Point Management Plan designed to guide the district toward financial stability and educational competitiveness, and ensure that the district can achieve long-term sustainability and be poised to exit receivership by the end of his 18-month tenure. Click here to access the DPS plan.
Job Opportunities
Education Reform News Clips
GLEP in the News
Monday, March 9
Tuesday, March 10
Wednesday, March 11
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Friday, March 13
Do you support what GLEP is doing to improve education in Michigan? Please consider making a donation to help us continue our efforts, and all contributions are very much appreciated!!
Respectfully,
Gary G. Naeyaert