Michigan has among the nation’s worst resource gaps between wealthy and low-income school districts. The Legislature is proposing historic investments. Here’s how lawmakers can do even better.
To ensure that Michigan’s vulnerable students and families receive the support they need and deserve, we urge Michigan leaders to invest immediately in the most effective, highest leverage research-based strategies to begin to address troubling inequities.
This is the time to commit to a fairer funding system that moves Michigan from its position as one of the least fair states for educational opportunity.
We need to address the discrepancies in equitable funding that lead to less opportunity and fewer supports for students with the greatest need. To get there, the authors suggest three important steps.
Michigan can learn much from other states, where student achievement is better overall and a Zip code doesn’t limit opportunity – thanks in part to education funding focused on opportunity for all.
Michigan is already far behind leading states. So why is the state considering measures that reduce accountability and funding while making it harder for parents to get honest information on school performance?
The state must hold charter school authorizers accountable when their schools persistently underperform, a responsibility that leading education states take more seriously
Michigan’s African-American and white students are performing dismally compared with their demographic peers across the country. We must adopt bold strategies that are working in leading states.
The Michigan Department of Education is being pressured to avoid using achievement gap data in its state rankings of schools. If we are to improve academic success for our most vulnerable students, the state must resist such pressure.
It makes little sense to expect that Michigan students will meet more rigorous college- and career-ready standards without supporting teachers in implementing them and measuring whether students get there.
