Contents of this issue:
Michigan Governor and Senate disagree on higher education budget cuts
Detroit schools to stop granting schools-of-choice waivers
Lansing public school board decides to close five schools
New U.S. secretary of education shows flexibility on NCLB
Michigan legislative subcommittee concludes ISD investigations
Federal departments reduce wait time for student visa approval
MICHIGAN GOVERNOR AND SENATE DISAGREE ON HIGHER EDUCATION BUDGET CUTS
LANSING, Mich. — After receiving negative feedback from university
officials concerning a planned cut in state higher education funding,
Gov. Jennifer Granholm proposed an immediate cut in the higher
education budget that would be restored if tax revenues increased as
projected later this budget year, reported Booth Newspapers.
Gov. Granholm had initially proposed a $30 million cut in the 2005
higher education budget. Her new plan, which would cut higher education
spending now on the understanding it would probably be restored next
May, was approved by the state House, but failed to pass muster in the
state Senate, according to Booth.
Some Senate Republicans pointed to a law passed last year that they
argue promised to keep higher education funding stable if schools kept
tuition increases below 5 percent. "We are going to honor our word,"
said state Sen. Mike Goschka, R-Brant, Booth reported. Goschka also
claimed that some university officials do not believe state tax revenue
will increase enough to restore the funding if cut.
According to Booth, Granholm criticized the Senate for disagreeing with
the new proposal, saying, "The House of Representatives was unanimously
willing to stand with me in making the tough decisions to bring state
spending in line, but the state Senate demonstrated that it would
rather be fiscally irresponsible and continue spending money the state
doesn't have."
SOURCES:
Booth Newspapers, "Deal on college cuts in the works," Feb. 18, 2005
https://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-5/110872500663010.xml
Michigan Privatization Report, "Bringing the Market to the Ivory
Tower," Winter 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6914
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Going Broke by Degree,"
September 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6805
DETROIT SCHOOLS TO STOP GRANTING SCHOOLS-OF-CHOICE WAIVERS
DETROIT — Officials for the Detroit Public Schools announced last week
they will stop granting waivers that allow families who live in Detroit
to send their children to other districts that do not participate in
the Michigan's schools-of-choice program, the Detroit Free Press
reported. The districts decision will affect an unknown percentage of
the 6,000 students who currently attend public schools outside Detroit.
The Free Press noted that this move appears to be one of several to
help alleviate the district's $200 million budget deficit, which
district officials say is due largely to drops in enrollment. Nearly
33,000 students in Detroit attend charter schools, aside from the 6,000
that attend conventional public schools outside the district. The
district has lost approximately 40,000 students in the past decade,
according to the Free Press.
District spokesman Ken Coleman told the Free Press that the elimination
of waivers is due not to fiscal pressures, but to the district's
conviction that its schools are competitive. "We believe that the
Detroit Public Schools offer a wide variety of academic programs and
educational experiences," he said. "We encourage parents to seek
opportunities in our school district."
SOURCES:
Detroit Free Press, "DPS draws line on waivers," Feb. 16, 2005
https://www.freep.com/news/education/dps16e_20050216.htm
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Budgets: A Crisis of
Management, Not Finance," February 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6980
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The $200 Million Question,"
January 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6947
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Ironic Choices," November 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6895
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Playing Monopoly With Detroit's
Kids," July 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6688
LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD DECIDES TO CLOSE FIVE SCHOOLS
LANSING, Mich. — The Lansing State Journal reported that after two
months of debate, the board of the Lansing School District voted last
week to close five schools in order to save $4.6 million annually. The
district is reportedly facing a $10 million to $12 million budget
deficit, and its enrollment is down 13 percent since the 1995-1996
school year.
The board voted on each individual school that had been considered for
closing, and it left just one school open out of six, the State Journal
reported. The closings will reportedly affect about 1,000 of the
district's 16,750 students. "Our hands are tied fiscally," said Board
Vice President Dan Voss, according to the State Journal.
The closings will occur this summer. Officials have asked parents for
help in creating new neighborhood boundaries for the district's
remaining 35 schools. "Our job has just started," said Board Member
Guillermo Lopez, according to the State Journal.
SOURCES:
Lansing State Journal, "Lansing decides to close 5 schools,"
Feb. 18, 2005
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050218/NEWS05/502180333/1006/news05
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Budgets: A Crisis of
Management, Not Finance," February 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6980
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Funding: Lack of Money or
Lack of Money Management?" August 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3683
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Six Habits of Fiscally
Responsible School Districts," December 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4891
NEW U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION SHOWS FLEXIBILITY ON NCLB
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, after
less than a month in her post, has shown flexibility in resolving
conflicts between state and local officials and the federal government
over the No Child Left Behind Act, according to the New York Times.
According to the Times, the Department of Education resolved a dispute
in North Dakota, where 4,000 teachers contended that the Department,
under its previous secretary, had accorded them insufficient
qualification. The department granted those teachers' qualifications in
the first several days of Spellings' tenure. "They did a complete
about-face," said Senator Byron L. Dorgan, D-ND.
Still, Spellings indicated that she would not offer many concessions
with respect to the Act. "I'm not necessarily going to always grant
their requests," she told the Times. "I mean, we'd have everybody down
here." Spellings also plans to balance states' rights to control their
education systems and the federal responsibility to reduce the
achievement gap among races. "That's the most important thing I'm going
to do, to thread the needle of that balance," the Times reported.
SOURCES:
New York Times, "New U.S. Secretary Showing Flexibility on 'No Child'
Act," Feb. 14, 2005
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/14/politics/14educ.html?oref=login
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "How Ideology Perpetuates the
Achievement Gap," February 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6974
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Dancing Around Education: A 170-Year Waltz With Reform," December 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6906
Michigan Education Report, "President signs 'No Child Left Behind
Act,'" Winter 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4082
LEGISLATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE CONCLUDES ISD INVESTIGATIONS
OSCODA, Mich. — The House Subcommittee of Intermediate School District
Reform presented its final report to the state House in December,
reported the Oscoda Press. The report is a summary of the
subcommittee's investigation into ISD practices, which began in June
2002.
The investigation, led by former Rep. Ruth Johnson, R-Holly, probed
practices at the Oakland ISD after letters expressing concern about
internal practices in those districts were sent to the state
Superintendent's office.
Also mentioned in the report was the Iosco Regional Educational Service
Agency. "The whole question of ISD's in Michigan was the result of
actions by the Oakland ISD. The Iosco RESA was brought under scrutiny
because of allegations made by disgruntled former and present
employees," said IRESA Superintendent Thomas Caldwell, according to the
Press.
The report's findings included items that earlier had led to the
conviction of former Oakland ISD chief James Redmond. Caldwell,
however, denies that his district is guilty of all the allegations in
the report. "Some allegations made toward the Iosco RESA by the House
Subcommittee regarding ISD reform are somewhat correct and some are
totally erroneous," the Press reported.
Packages of bills stemming from the subcommittee's findings have either
been passed or wait legislative and gubernatorial approval.
SOURCES:
Oscoda Press, "State concludes ISD investigation," Feb. 12, 2005
http://www.oscodapress.com/articles/2005/02/12/news/news03.txt
Michigan Education Report, "Financial scandals exposed in Michigan
school districts," Fall 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4835
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Eliminate Intermediate School
Districts," August 2003
https://www.mackinac.org/5678
Michigan Education Report, "What Are Intermediate School Districts?"
Winter 2000
https://www.educationreport.org/2709
FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS REDUCE WAIT TIME FOR STUDENT VISA APPROVAL
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The General Accounting Office released a report
last Friday that found the time needed for the State and Homeland
Security Departments to approve foreign student visas decreased to an
average of 15 days after the requisite interview, reported the
Philadelphia Inquirer.
The GAO published a report last year highlighting the problems in the
federal review process for student visa approval, which indicated some
applicants experienced delays of up to 12 weeks before beginning the
process. Many higher education groups and business leaders, including
Bill Gates, said that the delays were causing frustration and lower
enrollment from students abroad, according to the Inquirer.
Graduate school applications from international students were down 32
percent last year, according to a survey by the International Institute
of Education. Peggy Blumenthal of the Institute praised the improved
visa application process but said public relations problems are still a
hindrance. "Even more important than the actual wait times, which have
improved, is combating the perception abroad by students that the
situation is the same as it was shortly after Sept. 11," said
Blumenthal, according to the Inquirer.
SOURCES:
Philadelphia Inquirer, "U.S. streamlines processing of foreign
students' visas," Feb. 18, 2005
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/education/10929079.htm?1c
General Accounting Office, "Border Security: Streamlined Visas Mantis
Program Has Lowered Burden on Foreign Science Students and Scholars,
but Further Refinements Needed," Feb. 18, 2005
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05198.pdf
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Immigration and Open Borders,"
November 1997
https://www.mackinac.org/681
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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