Overview: Michigan's future depends on the quality of education it provides for learners of all ages.

Education reform has taken a center stage on both the state and federal level.

One thing remains clear: educators, parents and other stakeholders want a quality education for all students, and recognize that this means supporting "what works" in public schools. They want schools with high standards and high expectations; where all students are safe and secure; where there are small class sizes; where there are highly qualified teachers and support staff; and where schools ensure post-secondary education and career readiness. Toward that end, AFT Michigan has identified the following priorities for Michigan's public schools. These priorities consider state policy changes and initiatives within the context of reform.

AFT Michigan has always advocated for accountability, transparency, and meaningful research based initiatives. Unfortunately, these same principles have been used to justify a narrow view of educational reform that assumes that the only factors that impact a child's education are within the four walls of a school. Accountability and transparency must encompass all educational stakeholders from students to teachers to administrators, and not just be used as a political tool to attack a particular group. Reforms must be meaningful, proven and based on the findings of quality research, and not just the result of trendy "silver bullet" solutions. Otherwise we are gambling with our children's future by implementing policy that ignores the research and is not based on the evidence of impact.

Michigan has seen a series of reforms emerge in the name of theses principles: accountability, transparency, and research-based.

Unfortunately too many are supported only by popular belief and personal agendas. AFT Michigan has identified a broader scope of priorities for Michigan public schools, policies and programs drawn from educational research. By name, some of these priorities mirror state and federal reforms. However, reforms, like books, should not be judged by their "covers," but by the research behind them. These measures call for:

Ensuring a Well-rounded Curriculum

Cultivating Quality Teaching and Learning

Using Research-Based Best Practices

Providing Safe and Supportive Learning Environments

Enhancing School Infrastructure

Early Childhood and Pre-school Programs

Small Class Sizes

Academic Assistance for Struggling Students

Supporting Effective School Improvement Strategies

Strong Special Education Programs

Community Responsibility

Necessary School Funding

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