Insider Intelligence

Michigan’s plan to implement the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) moved a step closer this week following a phone call between the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and officials from the U.S. Department of Education.  Following months of public input, this past spring MDE submitted its final plan for meeting the requirements of ESSA, […]

Last Friday, Governor Rick Snyder issued Executive Order 2017-5 moving the School Reform Office (SRO) back to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB).  The SRO was created by statute in 2010 and housed in MDE to help turn around the state’s lowest performing schools.  In […]

This week, the House voted to approve a Senate bill that would make changes to the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS).  The plan will close the current hybrid plan and enroll school employees hired after February 1, 2018, into a new defined contribution retirement plan.  All employees would have the change to opt […]

On Thursday, the House and Senate passed legislation reflecting an agreement struck between House and Senate leadership and Governor Rick Snyder, which will reform the current public school employee retirement system.  “Prior to the agreement between leadership, the House and Senate gestured their willingness to withhold completing the budgets until later this summer, or even […]

This week, Representative Thomas Albert (R-Belding) and Senator Phil Pavlov (R-Saint Clair) introduced legislation reforming the Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System (MPSERS).  “In 2010 the legislature passed the current hybrid system in an attempt to get the ever-growing unfunded liability to the state under control.  However, there are current members who don’t believe those […]

This week, a Partnership Agreement was signed with the state superintendent, State School Reform Office, local intermediate school districts, and local district partners, to put the lowest performing schools on a path to increase academic achievement.  Each year, schools in the bottom 5% of all public schools in the state are identified as Priority Schools […]

This week, legislation was reported by the House Workforce and Talent Development Committee that aims to improve career training in Michigan.  Under the legislation, as reported by the committee, state government would be required to share employment information to evaluate programs and improve curriculums to better prepare residents for the job market.  Current state law […]

This week, the Michigan Department of Education submitted the state’s plan to the U.S. Department of Education (USED) for the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  The plan was signed by Governor Rick Snyder and State Superintendent Brian Whiston. ESSA is the new federal law that replaced the previous No Child Left Behind Act.  Under […]