Happy Halloween!! Don’t get “tricked” on Election Day!!
Governor Snyder was interviewed this week about recent bills introduced by House Democrats on charter schools, and his responses was the following: “We shouldn’t create silos of traditional schools and charter schools,” Snyder said. “I’m all in favor of raising the standards of accountability for all schools.” Thank you, Governor Snyder. Keep the picture below in mind when you vote on Tuesday.
Michigan as first state to provide STEM certification?
Michigan could become the first state in the country to give graduating high school students a certification for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) on their diplomas if bills introduced last week become law. Two bills introduced in the Michigan Senate by State Sen. John Proos, R-St. Joseph, set out the requirements for a STEM certification. Rep. Amanda Price, R-Park Township, will introduce two bills in the Michigan House of Representatives in November, which would mirror the Senate bills. Click here for the full MLive article.
Common Sense Education Reforms Work
Often overlooked in the heated national debate of improving education are data and evidence. This week, the “Report Card on American Education: Ranking State K-12 Performance, Progress, and Reform,” grades all 50 states on the common sense reforms that are working for schools and students. Michigan, with a grade of “C” in the report, has a lot to learn from the success of other states, specifically Florida’s student-centered “A+ Plan for Education.”
New Blueprint for College Readiness
Released this week by the Education Commission of the States, the Blueprint for College Readiness provides an abundance of key education information including a first-of-its-kind analysis of the top 10 critical policies promoting college readiness and success and individual profiles for ALL states exploring the extent to which they are pursuing each policy. It unites two driving forces in state and federal policymaking: 1) Improving the college readiness of students preparing to graduate from high school; and 2) Decreasing the need for remedial education and increasing the number of students who earn a degree or credential. Click here for the Michigan profile.
Breaking the Education Monopoly: Two Views
Coming at the issue from different perspectives, both Reed Hastings, founder of Netflix and New York GovernorAndrew Coumo, this week addressed the need to break the historic monopoly of the traditional public school system establishment in order to focus on student achievement. These are interesting and provocative articles.
Meet Kyle Smitley, a passionate school leader in Detroit
It was great to see Crain’s Detroit Business spend some time with Kyle Smitley, leader at the Detroit Achievement Academy, to focus on how this school is addressing issues such as class size and teachers to deliver outstanding results for their students. Click here to read the interview.
Education Reform News Clips
Monday, November 3
Tuesday, November 4
Wednesday, November 5
Thursday, November 6
Friday, November 7
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