LANSING, MI — Sen. Jonathan Lindsay announced his support for recently introduced legislation aimed at improving educational outcomes in Michigan's K-12 schools.
“Time spent in public schools is a child's most formative years and the time when most meaningful growth occurs,” said Lindsey, an Allen Republican. “Policies enacted by the Democratic majority last year took away important metrics and support, leaving Michigan students further behind students in other states.
“States' K-12 education budgets are increasing, but the results are getting worse and worse. Now is the time to consider proven policies and focus on those areas strategically and responsibly. Now is the time to invest and explore other new ideas to do better.”
The four pillars of the MI Brighter Future plan are:
- Let's set the bar high. Strengthens key provisions of the Third Grade Reading Act, re-requires student progress in all teacher evaluation processes, and restores the AF rating scale to make it easier for parents to understand their school's performance.
- The best teachers where they are needed most. We offer bonuses to highly effective teachers in positions where they can have the most impact in their schools.
- Give all children a chance. No student should ever be left behind because of their income or zip code. Scholarship opportunities can help families obtain additional educational assistance and help cover the cost of summer or after-school reading programs.
- Get back to basics. Reading is the basis for successful education. But reading scores plummeted as too many schools moved away from basic education. Our plan ensures that teachers are trained in phonics-based reading methods that have been proven for decades.
“These bills are just the beginning of what I hope will happen,” Lindsey said. “Michigan students rank in the bottom 10 states on many important metrics. Our high school graduation rate and reading proficiency rank 43rd in the nation, only 32% of our fourth graders excel in math, and our SAT average The score is the lowest since the test was administered statewide in 2015.
“Removing teacher responsibility and important academic standards is a strategy that fails and will continue to fail. Accountability is essential to improvement and success, and we hold teachers accountable for educating our children to the highest standards.” is the only acceptable option.”
In an effort to further widen the options available to parents, Chancellor Lindsay also introduced additional reforms, apart from the education package, that would allow parents to claim a tax credit equal to the minimum basic allowance per pupil if they do not have children. Public school.
“Increasingly, Michigan families are deciding that the school system is not serving their children's best interests, and they shouldn't be financially penalized for it,” he said. “People should not be burdened with taxes for services they don’t use and don’t meet basic standards.”
Senate Bills 710-715 have been referred to the Senate Education Committee, and Lindsay's Tax Reform SB 556 has been referred to the Finance, Insurance, and Consumer Protection Committee.
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