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| Race to the Top Fund; Detroit News- November 12, 2009 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 12 2009, 12:54 PM (4,836 Views) | |
| Administrator | Jan 19 2010, 10:43 PM Post #81 |
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Michigan hopes reforms will win up to $400M in school aid Karen Bouffard / Detroit News Lansing Bureau Lansing -- Michigan filed its application for federal funds to launch education reform with strong support from school districts but a dearth of union backing. Michigan sent Monday its request for a slice of the $4.35 billion in Race to the Top money with hopes that its plan is strong enough to win based on significant education reforms passed by the Legislature in December and the Obama administration's commitment to improving education in Michigan and especially Detroit. While about 750 Michigan school districts and charter schools signed the state's application, only 48 union locals did so. The reforms passed by lawmakers raise the high school dropout age to 18, link teacher evaluations to student performance, allow state takeovers of failing schools and open more charter schools. "We had some very bold legislative changes that were signed into law to improve our application and more than 750 school districts signed, so we feel very confident that our application will be one of the strongest that the U.S. Department of Education will have to consider," said Martin Ackley, spokesman for the state Department of Education. Like Florida, Louisiana, California and other states with tough reform packages, Michigan won few signatures of support from unions, a shortcoming that could cost it points when up to 30 states send in their forms. Still, one expert says the strength of Michigan's tough legislation and its refusal to water it down to win union support could make the state's application hard to turn down. "(The lack of union support) might not hurt Michigan as much as you think," said Joe Williams, executive director of New York City-based Democrats for Education Reform. "It looks like Michigan is the poster child for how Race to the Top was supposed to work. "Michigan goes in and does this sweeping reform plan. It's raised the bar for a lot of other states." Some states, including Colorado, which had been considered a frontrunner in the race, passed weaker reforms than initially proposed to garner support from unions, Williams said. The Obama administration will weigh the value of collaboration with local unions against its desire for states to adopt tough education reforms. Application forwarded The American Federation of Teachers-Michigan, which represents Detroit Public Schools, sent a blanket letter of support over the weekend, but stopped short of issuing agreements from its roughly 50 local bargaining units. The Michigan Education Association, the state's largest teacher union, issued a statement last week recommending locals not endorse Michigan's application. Gov. Jennifer Granholm, state schools Superintendent Mike Flanagan, and State Board of Education President Kathleen Straus signed the application over the weekend, and it was forwarded to the U.S. Department of Education on Monday afternoon, Ackley said. The state won't publicly release the final application online until tonight to prevent other states from reading and matching it, he added. Ackley wouldn't say how much funding the state applied for, though the U.S. Department of Education estimates Michigan could win about $400 million or more. The first round of winners will be announced in April. Those who didn't apply this time will have another chance in June, with Phase 2 winners announced in September. The applications were due as President Barack Obama was expected to announce plans to expand the program next year by $1.35 billion. "We want to challenge everyone -- parents, teachers, school administrators -- to raise standards, by having the best teachers and principals, by tying student achievement to assessments of teachers, by making sure that there's a focus on low-performing schools, by making sure our students are prepared for success in a competitive 21st century economy and workplace," Obama said. Added Secretary of Education Arne Duncan: "This competition has generated an overwhelming response from over 30 states in just the first round of funding. By continuing, we have an opportunity to create incentives for far-reaching improvement in our nation's schools." Union support lagging Michigan is among several states that have struggled to win union support. Teacher unions in Florida and Minnesota urged their locals not to sign onto to their states' plans. One of Rhode Island's two teacher unions, the Providence Teachers' Union, agreed Monday to support that state's application. But the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals' 10 other locals declined to sign on. The National Education Association of Rhode Island, which represents most of the state's suburban and rural districts, also has declined to endorse the plan. "We're not going to send in a local union signature without analyzing every final word," AFT-Michigan President David Hecker said. "If we had three days to look at the final plan and analyze it, we would have sent in the final (memoranda). It's understandable, but the timing did (cause) a little bit of a dilemma." The Obama administration has used Race to the Top funding to push states to link teacher pay to student performance, open more charters and adopt other fundamental education reforms. Some states lifted the cap on charter schools, while Michigan will allow its best charters to become "schools of excellence" that will no longer count against Michigan's cap of 150 university-authorized charters. Michigan's reform package includes a new fast-track teacher certification process -- an idea favored by the Obama administration but which several other states abandoned after objections by teacher unions. kbouffard@detnews.com (517) 371-3660 Read more: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100119/SCHOOLS/1190371/1026/rss06#ixzz0d7IDTKiD |
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| Administrator | Jan 19 2010, 10:48 PM Post #82 |
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Michigan seeks $526M in school aid Karen Bouffard / Detroit News Lansing Bureau Lansing -- Michigan's pitch for federal Race to the Top funding includes a request for more than $526 million, according to the state's application released this evening. The document -- which was seven months in the making and propelled historic reforms in state education laws -- was sent to the U.S. Department of Education on Monday. The state didn't post it until after today's 4:30 p.m. deadline to keep other states from viewing the report. The application includes details of how state officials plan to implement the five-bill education reform package passed by lawmakers in December, as well as a detailed budget and letters of support for the plan from Gov. Jennifer Granholm, legislative leaders, universities and state education associations. The $4.35 billion Race to the Top program has spurred education reforms in states nationwide. About 30 states were expected to meet today's deadline to apply for the first phase of funding. "Even without the funding, the reforms will go a long way to improving education in Michigan, not only in cities like Detroit, Flint and Pontiac, but in the whole state," Matt Marsden, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, said of the bipartisan package. "We're proud of the reforms put in place and we believe we should be competitive when the (Obama Administration) makes the decision, but even if we don't win we still stand by the value of the reforms we passed." If Michigan wins money through the national contest, half of the $526 million would be shared among 756 school districts that agreed to participate in the program. About 90 districts -- including Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham and Northville -- decided not to participate and would not get a share in the winnings. Detroit Public Schools would receive the largest allocation, "It is a very important day for ... education reform in Michigan," said Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb . "We're hopeful Michigan's application is approved because much of the money will go to bolster Detroit's program. "What is more critical when we're successful is that we implement these programs with vigilance to make sure they are student focused and that they go to support children and not adults." Even if Michigan doesn't win in this round, they will have a second chance later this year. The legislation would still go into effect without federal money, affecting nearly all classrooms across the state by raising the high school dropout age to 18, linking teacher evaluations to student performance, allowing state takeovers of failing schools and opening more charter schools. kbouffard@detnews.com (517) 371-3660 Read more: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100119/POLITICS02/1190423/1026/rss06#ixzz0d7Je6YZX |
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| Administrator | Jan 19 2010, 10:51 PM Post #83 |
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Michigan leaders downplay state's Race to the Top chances as Obama announces $1.35 billion expansion of program By Dave Murray | The Grand Rapids Press January 19, 2010, 2:20PM Michigan educators had their Race to the Top application in Washington by today’s deadline, and some state leaders and lawmakers are now downplaying the state’s chances at winning one of the initial grants. The deadline comes as President Obama announces he’ll add $1.35 billion to next year’s budget to expand the reform program, even setting aside some of the money to allow districts to submit plans directly to the federal government. State Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, said state Superintendent Mike Flanagan told lawmakers that Michigan has a good, solid application, but fears that only two states will be selected for the first phase of the $4.3 billion program. Kuipers said lawmakers weren’t aware of that fear when they scrambled to pass the series of reforms needed for the application, including raising the cap on charter schools, lifting the mandatory attendance age and other changes. State Education Department spokesman Martin Ackley said if Michigan’s plan is not selected in the first phase, leaders are confident they’ll have a better chance in the second round, which could come as soon as June. There has been speculation since last month that Michigan’s chances faded when the state cut education funding and then failed to land a planning grant from the Gates Foundation. It also likely didn’t help that Michigan’s teachers unions withheld their support, though the New York Times reports they’re not alone, as labor groups in Minnesota and Florida also balked. The Times reports that 10 states did not submit applications, including Texas, which was eligible for a $700 million slice of the pie. Kuipers said the reforms passed last month will happen — and are worthwhile — even if the state doesn’t get a dime of federal Race dollars. He likes the law that essentially lifts the state’s cap on university authorized charter schools and the focus on lowest-performing schools. “Charter schools make everyone better,” said Kuipers, who chairs the Senate Education Committee. “Even traditional superintendents tell me that having the charter schools around made everyone more responsive to parents.” A number of superintendents also are fearing that the new reforms are carrying a hefty price tag that will linger long after the federal money is spent -- if the federal money arrives at all. E-mail Dave Murray: dmurray@grpress.com http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/01/michigan_leaders_downplay_stat.html |
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| Administrator | Jan 19 2010, 10:52 PM Post #84 |
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Obama to announce Race to the Top part two, spend additional $1.35B By Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times January 19, 2010, 8:41AM States that don’t make the cut in April for the federal Race to the Top education reform project will have a second chance for the possible dollars. Tomorrow, President Obama will announce Race to the Top part two, requesting $1.35 billion to continue the program. The initial program will dole out more than $4 billion across the country for education reform. Michigan is eligible to receive up to $400 million if chosen as a winning state. Bay City Central High School could see upwards to $900,000. Obama says extending the plan offers further incentive for states to revise, strengthen and implement their plans for education reform. In the first round alone, the Race to the Top program is the country’s largest investment in history for education reform. All school districts across Bay County signed on with the state’s memo of understanding after the first of the year to implement the new education reform and secure any shot at receiving the federal funds. Several Saginaw-area schools also signed on. All school districts across the state, however, have an opt-out clause in the understanding, meaning they could back out if Michigan isn’t chosen. School officials in Bay County said the Race to the Top package had many unknowns and signed it reluctantly because they didn’t want to miss out on any possible dollars. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Race to the Top program emphasizes the following reform areas: • Designing and implementing a national standard for public education • Creating a fast-track to teacher certification • implementing more data use for evaluation purposes • Give the state control to take over the lowest performing school districts • Expand school district collaboration with business leaders, educators and other stakeholders. • Create more charter schools across the country. http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2010/01/obama_to_announced_race_to_the.html |
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| Administrator | Jan 19 2010, 10:55 PM Post #85 |
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Letters: Will state reforms help schools? Test scores should count The Bloomfield Hills School District has declined to support the state application for federal funds under the Race to the Top competition. Apparently, there was not enough money at stake ($43,533) for the district to participate. Incredibly, officials specifically objected to provisions in the law in which teachers evaluations, pay, promotions, tenure and employment will be based, in part, on their students' test scores. Is it any wonder that the district, with three of the last four most recently elected Board of Education trustees having accepted union money to finance their campaigns, would side with the union by objecting to this common-sense requirement? J. S. Roach, Bloomfield Hills Teachers sacrifice, too I am not a teacher, nor is anyone else in my family. I agree that they have to take some cuts in benefits. But when some residents argue that school employees have to take cuts or get fired, that is totally out of line. Many public employees have made sacrifices. Pete Kier, Ortonville Don't meddle in Detroit The state Legislature has crafted a reform education plan authorizing the state superintendent to appoint an emergency academic manager -- in addition to an emergency financial manager -- in failing school districts. This state official has the resources to make a judgment about the appropriate remedies for the problems in the failing school districts. The Legislature should not enact any legislative change that would grant academic control to Detroit Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb. With the exception of an actual criminal act, no matter what happens at the school board meetings, if we believe and support a democratic system of government, it is the right of the electorate to choose the form of governance for our public schools. Arthur J. Divers, retired educator, Detroit Unions before kids The Michigan Education Association will not support Michigan's Race to the Top application and is urging union locals not to participate. The MEA is again on the side of protecting their own interests instead of those of the students they are educating. When are they going to take the word "me" out of the MEA? Wade Leja, Milford Federal funds sabotaged It is disheartening to hear that the Michigan Education Association may have sabotaged the Race to the Top funds application by not signing on to the memorandums of understanding. This union exists solely for itself and not for the students or teachers of this state. Perhaps a new governor next year will resurrect a voucher plan. We should revamp the way we pay for education. Ned Kleinke, Essexville Rewarding maturity At 18 years of age, you're considered an adult. With that age comes responsibility and the reward of being able to make your own choices. I'm glad the governor signed into law a package of bills that includes changing the dropout age to 18 instead of 16. At 16, you think you know what you want and you may know what you want, for now. But a few years later, you might not be so happy with your decisions. This was a smart move by Granholm. Becky Smith, Troy Read more: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100119/OPINION01/1190312/1007/rss07#ixzz0d7L3cjlf |
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| Deleted User | Jan 21 2010, 02:48 PM Post #86 |
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January 21, 2010 Northville district passes on 'Race to the Top' funds Scott Spielman Editor The Northville Public School District became the first in western Wayne County to opt out of the federal Race for the Top funds. The board voted at a special meeting last week not to sign the memorandum of understanding required to apply for the funds. The main reason for the vote, according to school officials, was that it could negatively impact local rights in the collective bargaining process. Board President Marilyn Price said the district still believes the legislation could have positive impact on student achievement in the state. “We commend the Legislature for passing these laws which have the potential to positively affect student learning,” she said. “We sincerely hope the state is successful in its bid for Race to the Top funding.” The state Legislature recently approved several measures related to the Race for the Top initiative, which is a federal program put in place to help students. Michigan could receive up to $400 million in federal grants. The legislation includes: House Bill (HB) 4787, which raises the school drop-out age to 18 and HB 5596, which provides for alternative means for new teachers to gain certification, as well as Senate Bill (SB) 981, which provides for the expansion of charter and cyber schools and sets a mandatory certification process for school administrators. Because they won’t take part in the Race for the Top funding, the district loses out on $27,041. http://www.journalgroup.com/Northville/10588 http://www.journalgroup.com/Northville/10588/northville-district-passes-on-race-to-the-top-funds Northville declines Race to the Top January 21, 2010 Following a careful review of the most current information regarding Michigan's Race to the Top plan, the Northville Public Schools Board of Education voted not to sign the Memorandum of Understanding requested by the Michigan Department of Education at a Special Call Board of Education meeting on Jan. 11. The primary concern with signing the Memorandum of Understanding is the possibility that signing the memorandum could negatively impact management rights in the collective bargaining process. From the Board's perspective, this factor outweighed the potential benefit of receiving the $27,041 that Northville Public Schools would be eligible for if Michigan is awarded Race to the Top funding. Despite taking this action, the Board of Education voiced support for the underlying principles of the Race to the Top initiative and the potential for a positive impact on student achievement. “We commend the legislature for passing these laws which have the potential to positively affect student learning,” said Board President Dr. Marilyn Price. “We sincerely hope the state is successful in its bid for Race to the Top funding.” http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20100121/NEWS12/1210387/1029/Northville+declines |
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| Administrator | Jan 21 2010, 04:06 PM Post #87 |
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State Superintendent Flanagan: "bold and innovative" Race to the Top application will make Michigan schools "best in the world" By Dave Murray | The Grand Rapids Press January 20, 2010, 2:52PM Michigan’s Race to the Top application is “bold and innovative” and will create the “best educational system in the world,” state Superintendent Mike Flanagan says. The cloak of mystery covering the plan was finally lifted Wednesday, the day after it was submitted to the U.S. Education Department. Flanagan takes his case right to the people offering up an 8:29-minute video on the state Web site. The video covers the high points, with lots of praise for teachers, not so much for groups he says are using the application to “propagandize” and stir up fear. “We didn’t do this just for the money,” he says in the video. “We did this because it’s right for our students, it’s right for our state. “We can’t let another generation of Michigan’s children slide under the radar because change is uncomfortable for adults. “We won’t fail another generation of teachers by not giving them the data and support systems they need to teach our children successfully.” The entire 631-page application is available. But a five-page executive summary hits the goals and a framework of the changes, many of which will happen whether or not Michigan lands a chunk of the $4.3 billion Race to the Top package. E-mail Dave Murray: dmurray@grpress.com http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/01/state_superintendent_flanagan.html |
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| Administrator | Jan 21 2010, 04:10 PM Post #88 |
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Editorial: Teacher union obstruction strengthens Michigan in Race to the Top competition The Detroit News Michigan has delivered a sound, strong application in the federal education grant competition called Race to the Top. Teacher union objections to the plan should be seen by the Obama administration as a sign of the proposal's rigor and strengthen the state's case. Worth more than $400 million to Michigan, Race to the Top is the president's major education initiative, promising a large carrot to states that undertake policy changes to improve faltering student achievement. The state's application, completed Tuesday, has much to recommend it. Michigan is one of just 11 states that passed legislation to allow for state leaders to intervene to improve chronically failing public schools. The plan allows for high-quality charter schools to expand. Other reforms include the creation of a data system to track student and teacher performance. Such changes will allow for greater teacher accountability. Advertisement The application also had one of the nation's toughest roads to fruition. The Michigan Education Association's lobbying held up required state legislation for months. Then, after the union promised to support the legislation in December, it led a campaign to hurt local support. That obstruction now makes Michigan vulnerable to failure. The MEA urged its local leaders not to sign the application's required local memorandums of understanding. The union's game-playing worked: Only 48 school districts from more than 700 in Michigan turned in a signature of local union support. Now state leaders worry that this development may hurt Michigan's application so much the state may lose altogether and have to reapply for the second round of Race to the Top aid. "We're competitive, for sure," says Mike Flanagan, state school superintendent. "But only a handful of states are expected to win in the first round." Flanagan adds that if Michigan and another state are neck-and-neck to win, Michigan would be at a disadvantage because of its lack of local union support. How Michigan will fare will depend upon the judging. The Obama administration will grade applications on both their legislation's merit and local support. States with the most competitive Race to the Top applications are being hardest hit by union attacks. In Florida, which has set the competition's gold standard, five local unions signed on among 67 school districts. Meanwhile, Ohio, where lots of districts signed on, has a weak application, according to Jamie Davies O'Leary and Eric Ulas at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a nonprofit education think tank. The Obama administration should weigh the rigor of the applications more than local union buy-in and view union opposition as a positive indicator. From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100121/OPINION01/1210344/1007/rss07#ixzz0dHOK3oAH |
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| whycantjohnnyread | Jan 22 2010, 10:26 AM Post #89 |
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The MEA has shown its true colors with the Race The Top bid. Vouchers will have a good chance if they come around again. |
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| Deleted User | Jan 26 2010, 01:32 PM Post #90 |
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EDITORIAL: Race to the Top not right for Northville EDITORIAL: Race to the Top not right move for Novi January 21, 2010 Teachers all over the state are saying no thanks to the federal Race to the Top legislation designed to improve schools. Educators shouldn't be blamed for failing to support the legislation because they don't know exactly what is in it, through no fault of the of their own. The state Legislature hastily crafted the legislation in time to hold its collective hat out for an estimated $400 million in federal aid, most of which will go to the poorest districts in the state. Michigan didn't want to be left on the sidelines of a $100 billion national makeover of schools design to: # Create new charter schools, referred to as “schools of excellence.” # Raise the drop out age from 16 to 18. # Allow merit pay for highly effective teachers. # Require annual teacher and principal evaluations. # Allow removal of ineffective educators. # Allow for high school curriculum flexibility. # Allow appointed chief executive to run multiple schools. State Superintendent of Education Mike Flanagan said he will process the application without the approval of union reps but conceded the lack of cooperation could damage Michigan's chances of approval. The Northville Public Schools district didn't expect to gain a huge amount of money from the program -- just $27,041 -- and voted not to sign up. The Novi Public Schools district didn't expect to gain a huge amount of money from the program -- just $27,041 -- and voted not to sign up. But students in poorer districts including Detroit Public Schools may not get extra help if Michigan's application is rejected and that's too bad. Legislators should have done a better job spelling out exactly how teachers and administrators would be evaluated and disciplined under Race to the Top. If the new law is intended to weed out lousy teachers who only keep their jobs because they have the union contract memorized and manage to get by doing the bare minimum year after year, then hallelujah, because school districts — like most businesses — have some employees who are dead weight. That said, the salvation of Race to the Top could be raising the student drop-out age from 16 to 18. Anything that keeps children in school longer is a step in the right direction given the dismal drop-out rates in some districts. One topic that wasn't stressed enough in the Race to the Top legislation is the role of families. If all students are given the tools to succeed and families place the proper importance on education in the home, our school system would undoubtedly improve. Unfortunately, politicians seemingly look to reinvent education every few years without taking a serious look at the role families play in the process. If family expectations and standards are high, a child will more often than not succeed in school. If education is of little importance at the dinner table, the best efforts of educators are often wasted. http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20100121/OPINION/1210347/1202/NEWS12/EDITORIAL++Race+to+the+Top+not+right+for+Northville http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20100121/OPINION/1210313/1201/NEWS13/EDITORIAL++Race+to+the+Top+not+right+move+for+Novi |
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| Administrator | Jan 26 2010, 10:20 PM Post #91 |
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Michigan's Race to the Top competition begins now, 40 states sign on to compete By Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times January 26, 2010, 10:45AM After the final tally, Michigan will compete against 40 of the 50 states for the federal Race to the Top grant competition. Education Week reported that the 40 states will compete against each other for a chance at a piece of $4 billion and leverage to implement education reform. Texas was the most surprising state, with Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, saying his state wouldn’t compete for fear of a “federal takeover” of schools. The next several months will be an evaluation of all applications. Michigan rushed before the new year to pass new education reform laws to better themselves to win. A group of 60 reviewers and alternates selected by the U.S. Department of Education will evaluate applications and score them on a 500-point scale. States will be graded against 30 different criteria — the largest pieces of points are awarded for states that demonstrate significant buy-in from local school districts. More than 700 school districts in Michigan signed on with the application, although their agreements did have an opt-out clause. First round finalists will travel to Wash. D.C. in March to try and persuade the reviewers in a high-stakes interview. In April, the winners are announced. Winning and losing applications will be available on the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site. However, you can visit Michigan’s Department of Education’s Web site and view the state’s application http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2010/01/michigans_race_to_the_top_comp.html |
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| Administrator | Feb 16 2010, 10:16 PM Post #92 |
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Lansing Proposes, the MEA Disposes By Paul Kersey | Feb. 11, 2010 (This commentary is an edited version of an Op-Ed that appeared in The Detroit News on Feb. 4, 2010.) There was something just a bit sad as Michigan's Legislature, Board of Education and school districts scrambled to make reforms in order to qualify for federal "Race to the Top" funds. It wasn't just that the state is in dire economic shape; the really distressing fact was the extent to which the state's drive for school reform could be stalled by an intransigent union. In a Jan. 17 editorial, The Detroit News stated "Michigan Shirks." The sentiment was understandable, but not exactly correct. The Legislature worked hard, overcoming deep partisan and philosophical divisions, to produce a bill that, while far from ideal, made some meaningful steps toward reform. The resulting law set up a process for overhauling failing schools, going so far as to allow the state to take over the worst schools. The Legislature established alternative certification criteria for teachers and expanded opportunities for the creation of charter schools. The law also assigned to local school boards the task of creating teacher evaluations that include student performance on standardized tests and merit pay criteria under which teachers will be paid according to how well they teach. The reform package took some steps in the right direction: a little more accountability, a little more choice. And it was a reform package that had support across Michigan's political spectrum, passed by a Republican Senate, Democratic-controlled House and signed by a Democratic governor. The measures were something that all the major players in state politics could agree to. Well, all but one. For the Michigan Education Association, this was an outcome to be resisted with all means at their disposal — and those means are formidable. Under the state's collective bargaining law, any major change in teachers working conditions — even those that have across-the-board support from the state's elected officials — must be negotiated with the MEA and its affiliates, making it harder for the state to make reforms and secure a share of the federal funds. When it comes to education, Lansing proposes, the MEA disposes. In Michigan, the Public Employment Relations Act forces local governments and school districts to bargain with unions over wages and conditions of employment. Because the work of government employees is essentially the work of government, and the list of subjects that governments are expected to bargain over is broad, PERA gives unions an effective veto power over what should be policy decisions — like applying for Race to the Top funds and reforming schools to improve the state's chances. The MEA's powers under PERA are why it is so difficult for the state to change its schools even when there is a broad, bipartisan consensus that change is desirable. Michigan is not the only state with this problem. Though Michigan government employee unions are among the strongest in the nation, 29 states have laws that are at least comparable to PERA. Because of this, when the Department of Education issued its rules for Race to the Top, it asked for states to submit Memoranda of Understanding signed by local school administrations and teachers' representatives. Before divvying up the money, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wants to know that unions with the power to do so will not reject reforms. In states like North Carolina, where teachers unions do not wield a veto power, the agreements have been much easier to secure, giving that state an advantage over Michigan in the competition for federal dollars. This is an intolerable situation. When the public clearly supports reforms, unions like the MEA should not be in a position to approve or disapprove. Workers should have a right to join a labor organization, but no government employee union should ever be in a position to thwart the will of the people of Michigan. ##### Paul Kersey is director of labor policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a research and educational institute headquartered in Midland, Mich. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author and the Center are properly cited. http://www.mackinac.org/12095 |
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| Administrator | May 6 2010, 10:58 PM Post #93 |
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State wrapping up second Race to the Top school fund application Mark Hornbeck / Detroit News Lansing Bureau Lansing -- State teachers unions and other education groups will be asked to sign off by Monday on Michigan's second round application for up to $400 million in federal Race to the Top grants, state Superintendant Michael Flanagan said today. Michigan was marked down on its first try for the federal money because it didn't strike a consensus with the Michigan Education Association and some local districts and teacher unions. Michigan's application ranked 21st among the states. Only two states received funding. But Flanagan expressed confidence the entire education community will be on board in round two. Teacher unions, administrators, school boards, principals, charter school officials and others were involved in drafting the application, he said. Advertisement "People really needed to be fully engaged. That's happened," Flanagan said. "We're reaching consensus on issue after issue." Michigan competed for $526 million in the first round. Officials said the round two application is similar, but the scope is reduced and the state's story "is told in a more compelling way." A spokesman for the Michigan Education Association could not be immediately reached for comment. Much of the $400 million would be used for teacher and principal training, should Michigan win the grant. Flanagan said he expects up to 15 states will be winners in this round. He said much of the blowback in the first round was over school employee evaluations and their link to standardized test scores. This application makes it much clearer the scores will be used to shore up areas of weakness and not to fire scores of teachers and principals, Flanagan said. "There was a little bit of panic the first time," he said, adding "in a very small number of cases" would educators lose their jobs if student achievement didn't improve over time. The strength of the state's application is "now, like a laser, everything is centered around student achievement and its growth," Flanagan said. Michigan's application will be posted online Friday night, and the MEA, the Michigan Association of School Boards, the Michigan Association of School Administrators and other groups will be requested to sign off on it by 3 p.m. Monday. Local districts will be asked to sign a memorandum of understanding by May 20. The application will go to the U.S. Department of Education on May 27, ahead of the June 1 deadline. Finalists will be interviewed in mid-August and winners announced by the end of August, state officials said. MEA officials said the union would not endorse the initial application because they were asked to sign off before they could see a copy. "The gift of time (for the second application) has been very, very helpful," said Sally Vaughn, deputy superintendent of the Michigan Department of Education. mhornbeck@detnews.com (313) 222-2470 From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100506/SCHOOLS/5060448/1026/rss06#ixzz0nCzDesc8 |
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| Administrator | May 7 2010, 02:25 PM Post #94 |
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Flanagan: New Race to the Top plan emphasizes teacher training, union buy-in By Dave Murray | The Grand Rapids Press May 06, 2010, 12:40PM Michigan’s new Race to the Top application will do a better job of telling people about it’s core mission: training teachers to become better. State Superintendent Michael Flanagan told reporters during a Thursday conference call that the full version of the application will be available on the Education Department’s website by Friday afternoon, and he expects that this time around he’ll have the support of teachers unions and other local educators. Flanagan said the revamped proposal more strongly tells about plans to help teachers do a better job. He said there were misunderstandings about the how student achievement would be used to evaluate teachers. “If you’re doing a great job teaching fifth-graders to read, but the scores show you’re not doing as good of a job with math, that doesn’t mean you get fired,” he said. “It means we provide professional development to help you in that area. It’s like a sports approach. You understand where you are weak so you can get better. “Twenty years ago, we were saying, “I taught them, they didn’t learn.’ Now we’re taking a different approach.” Flanagan again took responsibility for the state’s middle-of-the pack performance in the first phase of the Obama administration’s education reform plan — though he did say one judge seemed to give the state unfairly low scores. “We had a bit of a Russian gymnastics judge thing going in the first round,” he joked. “But that’s part of the game.” Flanagan also said that the state lost points in the first round by not getting teachers union leaders on board. This time, he said the union and people representing other groups have played a greater role in drafting the application. School boards are expected to start discussing the plan next week, with a goal of getting the needed signatures from all parties by May 20. Flanagan said they union buy-in might land the state enough points to bring it among the finalists for the second round, thinking that the U.S. Education Department will include far more states than the two selected in the initial phase. One reason he thinks there will be more states winning is that the feds are capping how much a state can ask for at $400 million, leaving more cash on the table to spread around. The first Michigan application was for $526 million. Flanagan said cuts are still being sorted out, but some of the money will come from a scaled-down Project Reimagine state grant program, and changes to some of coalitions in which the state was included. Flanagan said the he should know the state’s fate by the end of August. “The feedback we had from reviewers the first time was that we didn’t tell our story in a compelling way,” said Sally Vaughn, the department’s chief academic officer. “The key difference this time is that we’re more focused, telling Michigan’s story in a stronger way.” E-mail Dave Murray: dmurray@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterDMurray http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/05/flanagan_new_race_to_the_top_p.html |
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| Otis B. | May 7 2010, 03:21 PM Post #95 |
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It's not happening. If you look at the application, teacher accountability and charter schools are heavily weighted sections. There's no way the MEA is signing off on anything that may remotely affect their bottom line. |
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| Administrator | May 7 2010, 08:20 PM Post #96 |
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Schools, unions near consensus on 2nd application for Race to the Top funds Officials say second application for funds running smoothly Mark Hornbeck / Detroit News Lansing Bureau Lansing -- Comments by the state schools superintendent and teachers union officials Thursday about Michigan's second round application for federal Race to the Top money indicate there may be consensus on the document. State teachers unions and other education groups will be asked to sign off by Monday afternoon on the application for up to $400 million, state Superintendant Michael Flanagan said. Michigan was marked down on its first try for the money because it didn't strike a deal with the Michigan Education Association and some local districts and teacher unions. Michigan's application ranked 21st among the states. Only two states, Tennessee and Delaware, received funding. Advertisement But Flanagan expressed confidence the entire education community will be on board in round two. Teachers unions, administrators, school boards, principals, charter school officials and others were involved in drafting the application, he said. "We're reaching consensus on issue after issue," Flanagan said. Michigan competed for $526 million in the first round. Officials said the round two application is similar, but the scope is reduced and the state's story "is told in a more compelling way." Officials at the MEA said the second application process "has been much more collaborative" than the first round, but stopped short of guaranteeing the union will sign the document. "We've been involved in all the meetings. We have six people working full-time on this," said Doug Pratt, MEA spokesman. "We're really on the same page this time and as a result, it should be a much better application. "But until we see that final document, we can't say what we'll do." Much of the $400 million would be used for teacher and principal training, should Michigan win the grant. Flanagan said he expects up to 15 states will be winners in this round. Flanagan said much of the friction in the first round was over school employee evaluations and their link to standardized test scores. The second application makes it much clearer the scores will be used to shore up areas of weakness and not to fire teachers and principals, he said. From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100507/SCHOOLS/5070356/1026/rss06#ixzz0nICyjDoW |
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| Administrator | May 7 2010, 11:52 PM Post #97 |
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Schools Have One Weekend To Review Race To Top Application Rick Pluta (2010-05-07) LANSING, MI (MPRN) - Education boards, school associations, administrators, and teachers unions will spend the weekend reading over Michigan's application for $400 million dollars in federal school reform funds. The state board of education is expected to post the draft application to its website today. Michigan failed to win any money in the first round of Race to the Top funding. One of the reasons was teachers unions refused to endorse Michigan's school reform plans. Doug Pratt is with the Michigan Education Association. He says this application will be stronger because the teachers union was brought into the discussions sooner. "We've been very involved in the process this time around. It's been very collaborative and constructive. So, we're very serious about making sure that Michigan's got a competitive application that's actually going to work for Michigan's students and Michigan's school employees," Pratt said. Pratt says the new application addresses union concerns about collective bargaining rights, and giving teachers a stronger role in planning school reforms. State superintendent Mike Flanagan says if unions, school boards, and administrators are not all on board by Monday afternoon, the Michigan Department of Education will drop its effort to apply for the new round of funding. © Copyright 2010, MPRN http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/michigan/news.newsmain/article/0/7/1647102/Education/Schools.Have.One.Weekend.To.Review.Race.To.Top.Application |
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| Administrator | May 10 2010, 10:04 PM Post #98 |
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Teachers throw support behind Race to the Top Karen Bouffard / Detroit News Lansing Bureau Lansing -- The Michigan Education Association and American Federation of Teachers-Michigan today issued letters of support for Michigan's application for $400 million in the second round of a nationwide contest for federal Race to the Top school funds. The unions also agreed to encourage their local memberships across Michigan to issue memoranda of understanding indicating their agreement with the state's plan. Opposition from teachers unions was considered a factor in Michigan's failure to win in the first funding round earlier this year. Just two states -- Delaware and Tennessee -- were named winners, sharing nearly $600 million. "This second application process was markedly different from the first," MEA President Iris K. Salters said in a press release. "The outcome reflects a much more collaborative, useful plan for schools to implement, should they so choose. "Many of the concerns we had with the first application have been addressed because we, along with other professional organizations, were able to participate in the crafting of the RTTT plan," she said. "This meant that the voices of the dedicated employees who work in our schools -- and know best what our students need -- were heard and valued." In the first round, Michigan's application ranked 21st despite significant education reforms enacted by lawmakers in December, included linking teacher evaluations to their students' test scores, opening more charter schools and state takeover of Michigan's lowest performing schools. The state has retooled its Race to the Top application and the new plan has garnered support from the Michigan Association of School Administrators, the Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Association of Public School Academies, the Michigan Middle Cities Association and other groups, according to a statement issued by State School Superintendent Mike Flanagan this afternoon. "While signing the MOU is obviously a local decision, this unprecedented level of support for education reform significantly strengthens Michigan's ... application," Flanagan said. The state Department of Education posted the application online Friday to give local school districts and unions enough time to discuss it before their memoranda of understanding are due to county intermediate school districts May 20. Intermediate school districts are required to forward their local districts' letters of approval to the state Department of Education on May 21. Michigan's application will be sent to the U.S. Department of Education on May 27, according to Flanagan. Applications are due June 1. The U.S. Department of Education expects to announce finalists by about July 26. Finalists will present their applications in Washington, D.C., the week of Aug. 9, with winners announced in late August or early September. kbouffard@detnews.com (517) 371-3660 From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100510/SCHOOLS/5100427/1026/rss06#ixzz0naAMsAM8 |
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| Administrator | May 11 2010, 12:44 PM Post #99 |
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Michigan Education Association changes course, backs state's latest Race to the Top application By Dave Murray | The Grand Rapids Press May 10, 2010, 4:37PM Iris SaltersTeachers union leaders said the state's new Race to the Top application stresses teacher training instead of punishment, and they are urging local union representatives to back the school reform effort. That's a contrast from the first round of the Obama administration's competitive grant plan, when Michigan Education Association brass said they were left out of the loop when the application was drafted, and didn't have enough time to see the plan before asking to sign on. MEA President Iris K. Salters on Monday told state Education Department leaders said that local unions must decide on their own whether to accept the plan, but she supports the effort. The Education Department is asking for local superintendents, school boards and union leaders to sign letters accepting the plan by May 20. If Michigan's plan is selected by the U.S. Education Department, the state could get $400 million to carry out reforms. MEA spokeswoman Kerry Birmingham said the union -- along with other groups -- had a seat at the table as the second phase was drafted. "There were a couple issues in the first draft, but there were problems with the way teachers and schools were evaluated," she said. "The new language is crafted in a way that shows the evaluations would drive professional development and for districts to use student achievement information to find the gaps in student learning and address them." Birmingham said the change sets the state Education Department "in a more advisory role instead of serving as policemen." Leaders from the American Federation of Teachers-Michigan, which represents Detroit and several other districts, also signed on, telling members the union was "instrumentally involved" in the application. "Our union has long advocated for high student achievement using researched based methods and practices," President David Hecker wrote in a letter to members. "While we are not in accord with all aspects of the Race to the Top initiative, many of these policies have been codified into state law." State Superintendent Michael Flanagan last week told reporters there were "misunderstandings" about the evaluations in the previous phase, and that teachers would not be fired if students did not show progress in particular areas. "It's like a sports approach," he said. "You understand where you are weak so you can get better. Twenty years ago, we were saying, "I taught them, they didn't learn.' Now we're taking a different approach." Flanagan said he believes Michigan has a better chance than in the first round, when only Delaware and Tennessee were tapped for the grants. Michigan was not among the 15 finalists, but Flanagan said he believes there will be more states landing a share of the $4.3 billion set aside for the program. Grand Rapids Education Association President Paul Helder said he had not yet read the letter Salters sent to all local districts. E-mail Dave Murray: dmurray@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterDMurray http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/05/michigan_education_association_2.html |
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| Administrator | Jul 27 2010, 10:04 PM Post #100 |
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Race to the Top school funds again skip Michigan Nathan Hurst / Detroit News Washington Bureau Washington -- Michigan has lost out on another round of federal Race to the Top education funding. The news came as Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke today at the National Press Club in Washington, where he named 19 finalists who made the cut for the second round of funding: Arizona; California; Colorado; Washington, D.C.; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Illinois; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Massachusetts; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island and South Carolina. Michigan submitted one of 36 applications for a slice of the $4.35 billion in Race to the Top funds, which seek to reward states that implement sweeping public schools reforms aimed at improving student performance. Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Michigan Department of Education released a statement saying the governor is "disappointed" Michigan wasn't counted among finalists despite broad support from school districts and teachers. Lack of union support was a factor in Michigan not winning in a first round of funding earlier this year. "We are disappointed that Michigan's efforts to strengthen our public schools and ensure that every child is successful were not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education," Granholm said. "We felt our strong application effectively detailed our efforts to improve instruction and student performance, and had extraordinary support from local school districts and the labor unions." Duncan wouldn't elaborate on what factors figured into the winning 19 applications, saying scoring for the states' plans wouldn't be released since the selection process is ongoing. He also noted states that didn't make this cut would be eligible for other funds, including more from the Race to the Top program, in coming months. There is $3.4 billion in this fiscal year's Race to the Top funding; an additional $1.35 billion has been requested by the White House for the 2011 budget. The foundation of the state's Race to the Top application was the state's new education reform laws enacted in January. The state hoped for nearly $400 million to implement the reforms. Those new laws provide a statewide structure to turn around low-performing schools; improve instruction by providing supports to teachers and administrators whose students are not showing academic improvement over time; expand quality charter schools; align curriculum and assessments with new common core standards; and provide alternate routes to teacher and administrator certification. "We are in the process of implementing those reforms and we are committed to moving Michigan schools forward to give every child in Michigan the highest quality education and prepare them for the jobs of the 21st Century," state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan said. Panels will evaluate the 19 finalists next month, Duncan said, and winners will be announced in September. Michigan was shut out of the first round of funding as well, but the Obama administration hasn't sidestepped addressing deteriorating conditions in the state's schools. President Barack Obama delivered the commencement address at Kalamazoo Central High earlier this year, while Duncan has made public comments throughout this year on reforms being driven in the fiscally-challenged Detroit Public Schools system. nhurst@detnews.com (202) 662-8738 Detroit News Staff Writer Karen Bouffard contributed From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100727/SCHOOLS/7270396/1026/rss06#ixzz0uwFwXslf |
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