Here's Part Two of Contact Your Legislators Now!
Last week we began the list of proposals of the so called school reform legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives. It continues here. The bills HR 4787, HB 4788, and HB 4789 amend the school code, the school employee bargaining law, and the state aid act. Please contact your member of the Michigan House and Senate and urge them to make the changes listed below to these bills.
*Provide that any outside, private educational management organization brought in to manage a school building or charter school comply with all transparency and accountability laws and regulations on the same basis as do public schools and have demonstrated competency in making improvement to underachieving schools with pupils of all types and ability levels. Insist that principals and teachers be part of any evaluation teams that are charged with evaluating "failing schools" and making recommendations for their turnaround.
*Require that the State Department of Education complete all assessments and evaluations of schools that do not make AYP, as currently required by law or regulation. Most schools in danger of being deemed "failing" are not being evaluated or supervised by the Department of Ed. as they should be.
*Establish a provision for schools to be returned to control of the local board of education if the turnaround officer cannot make progress within a reasonable time period or if s/he determines that the turnaround task is complete.
Please remember - don't use school owned equipment or email systems to contact your legislators. Contact information for your legislators can be found here.
