Contents of this issue:
- Granholm budget deal ties income tax delay to school/local funding
- New school data show many schools have problems with federal testing requirements
- Court issues ambiguous ruling in case involving teacher on-campus political activities
- Federal test will reduce state's accountability, say Kentucky officials
- Phoenix school to install face scanners
- Federal education law denounced at states' meeting
GRANHOLM BUDGET DEAL TIES INCOME TAX CUT DELAY TO SCHOOL/LOCAL FUNDING
LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Jennifer Granholm's budget plan will cut
$330 million from schools, local governments and universities —
but only if House Republicans allow a delay in an income tax cut
scheduled for January. If they do not, they will be blamed for
making the education cuts more painful by $77 million.
Granholm and Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, R-Wyoming,
agreed to the tax cut delay, which would save the state $77
million for six months, or 8 percent of the current deficit of
$920 million. But for many House Republicans the delay is
tantamount to a tax increase. "I haven't agreed to anything
yet," House Speaker Rick Johnson, R-LeRoy told the Ann Arbor
News. Johnson said he'd follow the wishes of his GOP caucus, but
his caucus is split.
Sikkema said he is banking on the tax cut delay to balance the
budget. "I'm also a fiscal conservative and fiscal conservatives
balance budgets," he told the Ann Arbor News. Jerry Griffin of
the Michigan Association of Counties said for local governments,
the tax cut break would be helpful as well. "It's better than a
hot stick in the eye — a little bit," he said.
SOURCES:
Ann Arbor News, "Deal eases pain for schools," Dec. 10, 2003
https://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-6/
1071071116219941.xml
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "2,948 Jobs Won't Be Created
if State Income Tax Cut Delayed, Economic Model Shows,"
https://www.mackinac.org/5824
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "No: Michigan Can't Afford to
Postpone Reducing Taxes, Attracting Growth," Feb. 4, 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4049
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Pros and Cons of Zero-
based Budgeting," November 2003
https://www.mackinac.org/5928
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Six Habits of Fiscally
Responsible School Districts," December 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4891
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Michigan's Budget Challenge,"
April 2003
https://www.mackinac.org/4964
NEW SCHOOL DATA SHOW MANY SCHOOLS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH FEDERAL
TESTING REQUIREMENTS
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The "No Child Left Behind" Act created
enormous amounts of data on schools across the country, which was
surveyed in a progress report by Education Week.
The survey found that many states still have not integrated
local, state and federal testing systems, which has created
delays in score reports and confusion among school officials. New
accountability systems now required by the federal government are
not always complimentary to states' existing systems.
Nevertheless, the overall picture of the impact of "No Child Left
Behind" has been positive. "Our experience has taught us that in
order to get some traction on education problems, you've first
got to grab educators' attention, and No Child Left Behind has
certainly done that," Kati Haycock, president of the Washington-based Education Trust, told Education Week.
Proponents of the law are hoping the problems will soon be sorted
out and that the data can be used to improve education for the
nation's students.
SOURCES:
Education Week, "In ESEA Wake, School Data Flowing Forth,"
Dec. 10, 2003
http://www.edweek.com/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=15nclb.h23
Michigan Education Report, "No Child Left Behind law demands
'adequate yearly progress' and offers school choice options for
parents," Fall 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4846
Michigan Education Report, "President signs 'No Child Left Behind
Act,'" Winter 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4082
COURT ISSUES AMBIGUOUS RULING IN CASE INVOLVING ON-CAMPUS TEACHER
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
OLYMPIA, Wash. — In a split decision, the Washington Supreme
Court has issued a ruling that does not specifically allow or
deny teachers the ability to use public school grounds and
resources to spread political messages. The result is confusion
among union leaders, teachers and free-speech activists.
The Washington Education Association challenged a Washington
state guideline, which states that teachers do not have the right
to advocate for or against political causes on school property.
The court ruled that the guidelines do not have any actual legal
force and that therefore they cannot be challenged in court.
The dissenting opinions said the decision might have detrimental
effects on free speech. According to the Seattle Times, the
ruling "would appear to leave open the prospect that a teacher
disciplined for some form of political activity could sue."
SOURCES:
Seattle Times, "Court rejects WEA in politicking case,"
Dec. 12, 2003
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2001813211_wea12m.html
FEDERAL TEST WILL REDUCE STATE'S ACCOUNTABILITY, SAY KENTUCKY
OFFICIALS
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Some Kentucky school superintendents are saying
that replacing the state's Commonwealth Accountability Testing
System (CATS) achievement test with a new federal test will do
damage to Kentucky school children's academic achievement.
A group called the Kentucky Superintendent CEO Network says CATS
is the reason student achievement in the state has risen over the
last decade. "We want to maintain what we have been trying to do
in the state," Roger Marcum, the group's spokesman told the
Lexington Herald-Leader.
New federal laws require schools to improve scores in just math
and reading, as opposed to seven subject categories in CATS. The
Network published a position paper saying that eliminating CATS
would reduce school accountability and assistance to low-performing schools.
SOURCES:
Lexington Herald-Leader, "Superintendents: Replacing CATS will
harm schools," Dec. 15, 2003
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/local/7494331.htm
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "POLICY BRIEF: Which
Educational Achievement Test is Best for Michigan?" May 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4382
PHOENIX SCHOOL TO INSTALL FACE SCANNERS
PHOENIX, Ariz. — A controversial new security system will soon be
operational in a Phoenix, Ariz. middle school.
The system uses a network of cameras to scan the faces of
everyone entering the school. The cameras are attached to a
database of sex offenders and missing children, which alerts the
police if a camera recognizes a face it captures. "This is a very
interesting and new application of [biometric] technology," said
Rebecca Dornbusch, deputy director of the Washington-based
International Biometric Industry Association.
Privacy groups are concerned that the system may violate the
privacy of innocent people and allow police to monitor the
cameras for criminals not associated with sex crimes or
abductions. But Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says the
system is not set to recognize other criminals.
SOURCE:
Arizona Republic, "Phoenix school first to install face
scanners," Dec. 11, 2003
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/
1211edsecurity11.html
FEDERAL EDUCATION LAW DENOUNCED AT STATES' MEETING
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal and state officials held heated and
lengthy discussions over President Bush's "No Child Left Behind"
Act, and the new federal testing and financial burdens it
imposes, at the National Conference of State Legislatures last
week.
Many state representatives from both parties assailed the "No
Child Left Behind" Act passed in 2001 by President Bush. "I find
it difficult to comprehend how you reach 100 percent
proficiency," said Kansas state Sen. John Vratil, R-11th District,
of achievement goals set by the federal government.
The law aims to improve teaching and student performance with a
reliance on testing and penalties for schools whose students fail
to meet goals. Schools that fail to improve may be required to
let students transfer to other schools, provide private tutoring,
or in cases of repeated failures, let the state take over.
SOURCES:
CNN, "States voice doubts about federal education law,"
Dec. 11, 2003
http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/12/10/states.education.ap/
index.html
Michigan Education Report, "No Child Left Behind law demands
'adequate yearly progress' and offers school choice options for
parents," Fall 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4846
Michigan Education Report, "President signs 'No Child Left Behind
Act,'" Winter 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4082
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org), a quarterly newspaper
with a circulation of 130,000 published by the Mackinac Center
for Public Policy (
https://www.mackinac.org), a private,
nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute.
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