The House and Senate remain on summer break, so rather than votes this report contains a selection of K-12 education related bills introduced in the current Legislature. None of these bills have received a vote at this time.
Senate Bill 56: Eliminate student outcomes in annual school teacher effectiveness assessments
Introduced by Sen. Kenneth Horn (R), to eliminate a requirement that school districts perform annual assessments of teacher effectiveness in which the progress of the students taught by a particular teacher is a factor.
Senate Bill 68: Require race, gender and ethnicity in certain public school discipline reports
Introduced by Sen. Sean McCann (D), to revise a law that requires public schools to submit annual reports containing details of each student expulsion during the past year, so as to also require they report the number of students who were truant, chronically absent, or subject to disciplinary absence, with details of the race, gender and ethnicity of each. Also, to prohibit suspending or expelling a student solely for being truant or chronically absent.
House Bill 4156: Mandate school counselor-to-student ratio
Introduced by Rep. Felicia Brabec (D), to mandate that public schools have at least one counselor for every 450 students.
House Bill 4262: Ban union bargaining over school calendars and schedules
Introduced by Rep. Pamela Hornberger (R), to add school calendars and schedules to the list of prohibited subjects of collective bargaining between school districts and public employee unions.
Senate Bill 218: Restrict gender assertions in school sports team participation
Introduced by Sen. Lana Theis (R), to place in the state school code a requirement that only biological males may compete for a position on and compete on a boys' high school team in an interscholastic activity and only biological females may compete for a position on and compete on a girls' high school team in an interscholastic activity.
House Bill 4564: Mandate kindergarten
Introduced by Rep. William Sowerby (D), to mandate that parents send their five year olds to kindergarten, and revise the public school funding formula to pay school districts the same per student amount for a year of kindergarten as a year of primary and secondary school instruction. Provisions that permit homeschooling and non-public school options in other grades would apply to kindergarten also.
House Bill 4663: Mandate schools employ librarians
Introduced by Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D), to mandate that all public schools hire one or more library media specialists, and provide instruction on literacy, information research, and technology standards. Very small schools could petition state officials for permission to not do this.
House Bill 4810: Remove assessment scores from public school transcripts
Introduced by Rep. David Martin (R), to repeal a requirement that public schools must include in a high school transcript a student’s score on a Michigan merit examination, and also repeal a requirement that this exam include a writing test.
House Bill 5097: Prohibit public schools from promoting race or gender stereotyping
Introduced by Rep. Andrew Beeler (R), to prohibit public schools from teaching that because of their race or gender individuals comprising a racial or ethnic group or gender all act in certain ways, hold certain opinions, are born racist or sexist, bear collective guilt for historical wrongs, or regard race or gender as a better predictor of outcome than character, work ethic, or skills. Also, to ban teaching that the cultural norms or practices of a racial or ethnic group or gender are flawed and must be eliminated or changed to conform; that racism (or sexism) is inherent in individuals from a particular race or ethnic group (or gender); that a racial or ethnic group or gender is in need of deconstruction, elimination, or criticism; or that the actions of some individuals serve as an indictment against their race or gender.
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