State Board continues to ponder school funding reform

 

Faced with the fact that sustainable K-12 funding is falling faster than Michigan's struggling economy, State Board of Education members are working to come up with a plan to present to the Legislature within the next month to six weeks that will at least stop the bleeding in the short run and hopefully provide predictable sustainable funding for education in the long term.

After hearing from groups, including SOS Michigan coalition leader, Tom White, the Board agrees that the answer has to be a combination of greater cost efficiencies, revenue enhancements and education reforms.

This week’s presenters included:

John Bebow, executive director of Center for Michigan, suggested sustainable education revenues through a reworked tax system in return for "educator performance, school district consolidation, a longer school year and longer school days" to help students succeed. He also called for the encouragement or requirement of consolidation of services at the ISD level.

David Hecker, president of the American Federation of Teachers - Michigan, called for the implementation of research-based reforms removal of “bad tenured teachers” and professional training programs for administrators.

Iris Salters, Michigan Education Association President identified a need for collaboration and sharing of ideas so that struggling schools can turn themselves around and called for education to be a priority for the Legislature. She was also critical of some schools "hoarding" their fund balances.

Mike Murray, Suttons Bay Area Schools superintendent, representing the Consensus for Change Think Tank, stressed the need for early childhood education and called for a change in teaching methods so that a "school fits the individual instead of the individual fitting the school."


Sabrina Keely, CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan outlined a 10-point legislative agenda that includes a two-year budget cycle with independent public-private revenue forecasting; removing barriers to increased efficiencies, consolidating school administrative functions, making changes in state employee wages, health and pension systems, reducing the state work force and bringing correction system costs in line with other Midwest states, as well as reforming the state's business tax structure.

In a 3-hour retreat following Tuesday’s board meeting, State Board members came to some agreement on possible solutions. While not naming specifics, board members have agreed the recommendations need to cover the continuum of education from pre-school through post-secondary education, although not be limited to community college/university education alone.

During the discussions investment versus proficiency versus local control collided to varying degrees. There also was board agreement that the role of Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) should be put on the table.

"Should we put them in charge and eliminate ourselves?" was a question posed by Board member John AUSTIN.

Board member Carolyn CURTIN thought a better approach was to get the ISDs to buy into the State Board and Department of Education's efforts.

"In many respects, ISDs are an arm of the department now," State Superintendent Mike FLANAGAN responded. "But there is room for pushing them a lot more, especially to do more in the consolidation of services. However, we don't need direct control of ISDs."

Source: MIRS Capitol Capsule, 3.9.10