Insider Intelligence

On Thursday, Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill aiming to increase reading proficiency in Michigan.  The bill was approved by the legislature at the end of September (see previous article) following over a year of work on the final proposal.  The new law sets forth a plan that is aimed at increasing the reading proficiency […]

Graduation Alliance, a private firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah provides students who have dropped out of school due to personal set-backs, with alternative education methods. The Graduation Alliance sought assistance from MLC to help them propose a monthly count date for returning out-of-school youth. With unevenly-weighted count days for Michigan’s public schools, drop-out […]

On Wednesday, Attorney General Bill Schuette issued an official legal opinion clarifying state law regarding the potential closure of underachieving schools in Detroit.  The opinion states that under current law, schools operated by the Detroit Public School Community District are subject to closure before the end of the current school year if they are amongst […]

This week, the House and Senate approved of legislation aimed at improving reading proficiency in kindergarten through third-grade students.  House Bill 4822 was first introduced by Representative Amanda Price (R-Park Township) in August 2015.  “Since its introduction, the House and Senate Education Committees heard hours of testimony, the content of the legislation has been extensively […]

On Thursday, September 22, the fifth annual Fostering Futures Scholarship Trust Fund Benefit Dinner is being held at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena.  Proceeds from the event benefit former foster care children access college.  Speakers at the dinner include Nick Lyon, director of the Department of Health and Human Services, Senator Marty Knollenberg (R-Troy), and Detroit […]

This week, State Superintendent Brian Whiston called on the legislature to improve funding for Michigan schools.  In June, a state-funded Education Finance Study was released and this week the findings were presented to the State Board of Education.  The Superintendent noted the study showed the disparity in funding between school districts, as well as the […]

On Wednesday, by Executive Order, Governor Rick Snyder created the PreK-12 Literacy Commission.  The commission was created after state government leaders formed a workgroup to review state policies on literacy and determined an independent commission was needed to set literacy goals for the state and provide reports on progress.  The commission will be housed within […]

On Wednesday, Governor Rick Snyder asked the Michigan Supreme Court for an advisory opinion on the constitutionality of a section of the school aid budget appropriating general fund dollars to reimburse certain state-mandated expenses incurred by private schools.  Under the school aid budget recently signed into law, $2.5 million in general fund dollars may be […]