Contents of this issue:
- House approves K-12 funding
- Magnet school test fee questioned
- Homeschooling gains popularity in Lenawee County
- DPS could cut 800 teachers
- New Catholic high school to open in Detroit
HOUSE APPROVES K-12 FUNDING
LANSING, Mich. — The state House of Representatives approved a
K-12 budget that would allocate between $55 and $110 more per-pupil for the 2008-2009 school year, according to The Grand
Rapids Press.
The House approved the measure 61-48, but will have to work out
a compromise with the Senate, whose proposal would allocate
additional funds ranging from $71 to $142 per-pupil. Districts
with the lowest per-pupil allowance would receive the larger
increases, The Press reported.
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Michigan House approves K-12 education
spending," June 11, 2008
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/06/michigan_house_approves_k12_ed.html
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "A Michigan School Money
Primer," May 30, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8534
MAGNET SCHOOL TEST FEE QUESTIONED
SAGINAW, Mich. — A magnet school run by the Saginaw School
District is facing opposition over a fee it charges prospective
students for an entrance exam, according to The Saginaw News.
Handley Elementary School charges $25 for the test, The News
reported. A 1970 Michigan Supreme Court decision, however,
forbids public school districts from charging for courses or
internal tests. Schools can charge for external tests, such as
the ACT or SAT.
"Our fee is a screening fee for the external test taken by the
student," Safiya Mosley, district spokeswoman, told The News.
"It's an assessment of ability and achievement, and we have
never had an issue with someone not being able to pay. But if we
did, we would work with them."
Martin Ackley, spokesman for the Michigan Department of
Education, disagrees.
"Even though we can't give school districts legal advice, it
could be argued or construed that this admissions fee for this
test is an internal test and the school probably would not be
able to charge for this," Ackley told The News.
SOURCE:
The Saginaw News, "State, magnet school leaders weigh in on
Handley Elementary School admissions test fee," June 16, 2008
https://www.mlive.com/saginawnews/news/index.ssf/2008/06/state_magnet_school_leaders_we.html
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Limited Educational Choice
(Intra-District Choice, Inter-District Choice, and Charter
Schools)," in "The Case for Choice in Schooling," Jan. 29, 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3272
HOMESCHOOLING GAINS POPULARITY IN LENAWEE COUNTY
ADRIAN, Mich. — Homeschooling is on the rise across the country,
and Lenawee County is following suit, according to the Adrian
Daily Telegram.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates as many as 2 million children
are home-schooled nationally, up from 1.1 million five years
ago. Rachel Huff, of Onsted, told the Daily Telegram the group
she founded, Homeschooling Our Children, has grown by 20 members
in the past year. LIFE, Lenawee Involved in Family Education,
has had 125 families join over the past decade.
"In Lenawee County, over the last four years, there have opened
wonderful opportunities for home-school families," Huff told the
Daily Telegram. "Not only have there been more and more home-school support groups, but also more co-op classes, music
classes, drama classes, sports and even speech is offered to
home-school families in Lenawee County."
SOURCE:
Adrian Daily Telegram, "Homeschooling a growing trend,"
June 14, 2008
https://www.lenconnect.com/news/x849707426/Homeschooling-a-growing-trend
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Fifteen years later, home-school
parents say legal battle was worth it," May 27, 2008
https://www.educationreport.org/9483
DPS COULD CUT 800 TEACHERS
DETROIT — Detroit Public Schools could lay off about 800
teachers as it faces a nearly $300 million overspending crisis
for fiscal 2009, according to The Detroit News.
The district is still trying to correct a $63 million
overspending problem in the current $1.2 billion budget, The
News reported. The district's state aid will drop about $90
million next year as 12,000 students assigned to DPS chose to
attend school elsewhere during the 2007-2008 school year.
"I think the notion of cutting 800 teachers is completely
ridiculous," Keith Johnson, a teacher at Finney High School,
told The News. Johnson is running for president of the Detroit
Federation of Teachers union, which has about 8,000 members.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "In the red, DPS may cut 800 teachers,"
June 13, 2008
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080613/SCHOOLS/ 806130371
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "DPS loses 12,000 students, $90
million in revenue," April 22, 2008
https://www.educationreport.org/9418
NEW CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL TO OPEN IN DETROIT
DETROIT, Mich. — When the freshman class at Detroit Cristo Rey
High School gathers for the first time this fall, students will
be allowed to choose their own school mascot.
Principal Susan A. Rowe wouldn't mind if they voted for the
phoenix, an "up-from-the-ashes" image that she uses herself to
describe this new foray into Catholic education in Detroit.
"How many people get a chance to start a school, right from the
beginning? I'm really excited. You're bringing life to
something," the longtime Catholic educator said.
After several years of research and groundwork, Detroit Cristo
Rey will open in August in the center of Detroit's Mexicantown
community. The school will combine a college preparatory
curriculum with a work-study program that essentially allows
students to gain on-the-job experience while also paying off
about 70 percent of their tuition. It will join 19 other high
schools in the national Cristo Rey Network, which focuses
exclusively on low-income students in inner cities.
SOURCE:
Michigan Education Report, "Detroit Cristo Rey: A new option in
Catholic education," June 17, 2008
https://www.educationreport.org/9537
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Detroit area Catholic schools look
to the future," Nov. 21, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/8028
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org),
an online newspaper
published by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
(
https://www.mackinac.org),
a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan
research and educational institute.
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