Senate Education Committee Chair Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair) and other Senate Republicans introduced a package of seven bills this week, including measures to eliminate boundaries on schools of choice and remove the cap on charter schools. Senate Bills 618, 619, 620, 621, 622, 623 and 624 are based in large measure on the content of Governor Rick Snyder’s April special message on education.
One of the most anticipated measures in the reform package is the language on schools of choice. SB 624 eliminates the language in current statute that restricts schools of choice options to those within the resident’s intermediate school district; however, only requires districts to accept nonresident students if the district has determined they have the space.
SB 618 is the legislation that removes the cap on university-authorized charter schools and urban high school academies. The measure also permits school districts to authorize charter schools; however, employees at the new charter schools would not be subject to the districts labor agreements.
Likely the most controversial portion of the package is an effort to allow schools to hire teachers from private 3rd party employment agencies. The rationale here appearing to be a reduction in teacher retirement benefit costs as the teachers hired through a private company would not be placed under the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System.
Other items in the package include an expansion of cyber charter schools, and reform to allow private school students to dually enroll at a local community college.