Michigan Federation of Teachers & School Related Personnel
|
Michigan Federation of Teachers & School Related Personnel
|
|
Capitol Report Archives Go to current Capitol Report for links to complete archive. July, 2003 June, 2003 May, 2003 April, 2003 March, 2003 February, 2003 January, 2003 2002 2001 2000 |
Governor Saves Detroit Funding & Warns About 4-Day School Week Act 175 Provides Service Credit for 1,020 Hours Governor Seeking Agreement on Charter Bill Cell Phone Use Allowed in Schools MDE Road Show 2003 Comprehensive School Reform Grant Program William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Grants may be found on the Legislative Hotline page of this website.  Return to Top Governor Saves Detroit Funding & Warns About 4-Day School Week Before signing the School Aid Act (Public Act 158 of 2003), Governor Granholm used her line-item veto power to keep the $15 million set aside for reform-board administered Detroit Public Schools. The Legislature deleted that amount after FY 2003, but Granholm intends to honor the commitment clearly indicated in the School Aid Act to continue supplemental funding as long as the reform board remains in place. Although Granholm could not use her line-item veto power on language permitting schools to have a four-day week without vetoing the entire bill, she asked the Legislature to revisit the issue. The bill eliminates the minimum 180-day pupil instructional requirement, but retains the 1,098 hours per year mandate. Granholm asked the Legislature to take another look at a provision that would allow a school to go forward with a money-saving technique that could impact student achievement. Granholm also stated that districts can already request a waiver from the Department of Education to the 180-day requirement. Return to Top Act 175 Provides Service Credit for 1,020 Hours Public Act 175 of 2003 (House Bill 4453 (Hoogendyk, R-Portage), requires the retirement board to grant one year of service credit to a member who has been employed and remunerated for services performed for not less than 1,020 hours in a school fiscal year. Currently, the act requires granting of the service credit for services performed for not less than six hours per day and for not less than 170 days in a school fiscal year. In determining whether a member is entitled to service credit under House Bill 4453, the retirement system has to calculate service credit using the payroll cycle reported to the retirement system by the member's employer.
In order to prevent the accumulation of service credit for part-time members and members working only part of a school fiscal year from being accelerated, the bill also specifies that service credit for these employees will be received based on 60 or more hours per bi-weekly period and proportionate credit for less than 60 hours. Note: Public Act 175 of 2003 amends MPSERS and does not change the school code's provision mandating 1098 hours of pupil instruction. Return to Top Governor Seeking Agreement on Charter Bill During the one-day session on August 13, Senate Republicans took a "reconsideration vote" and passed a charter school bill that adds 15 public academy high schools for Detroit. Senate Bill 393 (Kuipers, R-Holland) allows the Thompson Foundation to finance 15 university-backed charters that have a stated goal of increasing high school graduation rates, and that will operate at least grades 9 - 12 within three years of beginning operation. Governor Granholm has said she will veto Senate Bill 393, since it does not deal with the entirety of the charter school issue. However, she hopes an overall charter school plan can still be developed that would expand the number of university-authorized charter schools and also deal with the unlimited chartering authority of the Bay Mills Community College. If an agreement is reached, the Legislature could recall Senate Bill 393, which has not yet been presented to the governor. Once it is presented to the Governor, she has 14-days to sign or veto the measure. Return to Top Act 132 Allows Cell Phone Use in Schools Public Act 132 of 2003 (HB 4218 - Middaugh, Paw Paw) lifts the prohibition against pupils carrying pocket pagers, electronic communication devices, or other personal communication devices in school. Currently, school boards must prohibit pupils from carrying pocket pagers, electronic communication devices, or other personal communication devices in school, unless a board approves their use for health or other unusual reasons. This prohibition applies until the end of the 2003-2004 school year, unless a board or board of directors adopted its own local policy to the contrary. Beginning with the 2004-2005 school year, the board of a school district or the board of directors of a public school academy can adopt and implement its own policy concerning whether pupils could carry these devices and develop penalties considered appropriate for a pupil who violates that policy. Return to Top MDE Road Show 2003 The Office of Professional Preparation Services will conduct statewide regional information meetings providing an update of important information on the No Child Left Behind legislation and other issues impacting teacher and paraprofessioanl preparation and certification, as well as professional development. Agenda items include:
The 2003 schedules is as follows:
Maps to the various locations can be obtained from the following website:
http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-5234_5683-72076--,00.html and clicking on the desired location. Return to Top 2003 - 2004 Comprehensive School Reform Grant Program Comprehensive School Reform is a federal reform grant which focuses on the reorganization and revitalization of entire schools. The purpose of Comprehensive School Reform is to provide financial incentives for high poverty schools to improve student achievement through the implementation of comprehensive school reform programs that are based on reliable and effective practices. Title I & FIE Portion of CSR Program:
Return to Top 2003 - 2004 William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Grants The primary intent of Even Start is to break the intergenerational cycle of illiteracy and school failure by supporting families through interactive literacy activities between parents and their children, training for parents regarding how to be the primary teachers for their children and full partners in the education fo their children, parent literacy training and leads to economic self- sufficiency, and age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experience from birth through age seven.
bk:opeiu42aflcio |
