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2000 Election Results

Michigan unions’ largest-ever mobilization efforts paid off in the 2000 election. Debbie Stabenow became Michigan's first elected woman to the U.S. Senate. And Vice President Al Gore's victory in the state was the first time Democratic candidates have carried the state in three consecutive elections since 1960, 1964, and 1968. However, Republicans retained control of the Michigan House of Representatives with 58 members to the Democrats 52 members.

Click here for complete list of new 2001 Michigan Legislators:
Michigan Senators
Michigan Representatives

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Victory over Vouchers!

We want to take a moment to thank our members, as well as our staff, who worked very diligently in opposition to Proposal 1. In an overwhelming victory for voucher opponents and public education, 69.1% rejected Proposal 1, while only 30.9% supported vouchers. Proposal 1 was soundly defeated in ALL 83 MICHIGAN COUNTIES.

The Proposal 1 campaign was the most expensive ballot issue battle in Michigan’s political history. Finance reports show the pro-voucher group Kids First! Yes! raised $12.9 million. ALL Kids First!, the anti-voucher coalition of some 250 groups, raised $6.2 million.

Besides 5,500 individual contributors, the 10 largest contributors were: American Federation of Teachers, Citizens for Education, Detroit Federation of Teachers, Michigan Association of School Administrators, Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Education Association, Michigan Federation of Teachers and School Related Personnel, Michigan School Business Officials, NAACP and SET-SEG.

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A N N O U N C I N G . . . .


Lobby Day 2001
Wednesday, February 7

New Format:

LUNCH WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS

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Teacher Technology Initiative Update

In July 2000, Governor John Engler and the Michigan Legislature approved $110 million in funding for the Teacher Technology Initiative as part of a supplemental bill to the 1999-2000 state school aid appropriation. The goal of the program is to support teaching and learning in Michigan's public schools and public school academies through a significant one-time investment in Michigan's K-12 teachers.

To accomplish this, teachers will be provided with a personal computer, software, remote Internet access (dial-up) and Web-based professional development. The Michigan Virtual University website (http://www.mivu.org) has been updated to include the following:

• Letter of Explanation
  
• Application Instructions and General Program Information
  
• Teacher Technology Initiative Application Form
  
• Sample Board Resolution
  
• Planning Flow Chart
  

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Attention Government/Civics Teachers

The Michigan Civics Institute has been developed to:

• Integrate Michigan government education more fully into high school civics curriculum statewide

• Provide young people interested in state government more extensive and meaningful educational opportunities relative to Michigan governance

• Assist in equipping Michigan’s civics teachers with the educational tools they need to make their curriculums “world class”

1. Virtual Michigan Government Learning Resource Center for Government Teachers
   
2. Two On-Line Michigan Governance Courses
   
3. A Single Semester Internship Program in the Michigan Legislature
   

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Engler Developing M.E.A.P. Review Committee

Under an executive order issued in October, the MEAP tests will still be developed by a panel of educators, but now will be reviewed by a blue ribbon panel of experts in the various subject areas. They will provide their review of the test questions and advice on what students need to learn, know, and do. The new panel will be housed in the Department of Treasury, which currently houses MEAP and the Michigan Merit Scholarship Program.

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"Public School Facility Authority" Package Passes Senate

A unique two-bill package has passed the Senate. Senate Bill 1356 permits private businesses to build or lease public school buildings in Grand Rapids for which they receive a single business tax credit.

Senate Bill 1357 permits a public school district, not including a public school academy, to create a “Public School Facility Authority” that would be allowed to sell public school buildings to businesses and then lease them back after repairs or new construction is completed. The authority could then buy the buildings back after 20 years.

There are two controversial issues surrounding these bills:

1. Private businesses would have an exemption from prevailing wage requirements to build or improve schools, while projects undertaken by schools themselves have to comply with prevailing wage provisions.
   

1. These bills are specific to Grand Rapids, and will benefit no other school districts. If we are to subsidize infrastructure improvements, a better avenue would be with capital outlay provisions covering the entire state.
   

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Reports Question Charter School Funding

Separate reports from the Senate Fiscal Agency and Western Michigan University agree that public school academies have had mixed effects on the education system as a whole. Their findings include:

• Charter schools have on average concentrated on the lower-cost ages and needs when setting up their programs while competing with the traditional districts that must offer the higher-cost programs. (In the 1998-99 school year, 86.29 percent of charter school students were below grade 9. Statewide, 69.64 percent of students were in those lower grades. And 4.18 percent of students statewide were enrolled in a special education program, but only .51 percent of academy students were in special education.)
  
  
• Charter schools have encouraged some new programs in traditional schools, but ha also required those schools to shift some funding for advertising to attract and keep students.
  
  
• Charter schools pay teachers less, with an average salary of $32,000, compared to $47,400 statewide.

• The state consider a differential funding for elementary and secondary students to reflect the different costs for the two age groups. (The size of the foundation grant should be based on average per-pupil costs for each of the three school levels (i.e., K-5, 6-8, and 9-12) rather than the average costs for grades K-12.)
  
  
• Enrollment in charter schools should be restricted to 350 students, transportation should be required, and more funds for startup should be provided to them. (The researchers charged that educational management organizations operating a number of the charters are trying to find ways to shift the populations of their schools to lower-cost, more profitable, students.)