House Approves Common Core Resolution

The Michigan House of Representatives approved a resolution 85-21 Thursday to continue the implementation of the Common Core standards. House Concurrent Resolution 11 is sponsored by Representative Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw) and was passed by the House Education Committee earlier the same day.

45 other states have adopted the Common Core standards, which the Michigan Legislature blocked effective October 1 during the budget process. Multiple legislative hearings including hours of testimony were heard over the summer, resulting in the resolution’s introduction early this week.

Questions remain with regard to the assessment tools for the standards, the “Smarter Balanced Assessment, which were not passed by the Legislature. The Board of Education is instead required to report back to the Legislature with assessment options by December 31^st.

Republicans were essentially split on the vote, as the more conservative and tea party supported members generally oppose the Common Core standards. 37 Republicans supported the Resolution and 21 opposed the measure. All voting Democratic House members voted “yes.”

A timeline for addressing the proposal in the Senate is not yet evident.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, September 27, 2013 12:35 PM
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House Democrats Unveil New Plan to Stop School Dissolution

A Monday Capitol news conference had a few House Democrats announce a plan that would allow struggling school districts to avoid dissolution or being moved to the Education Achievement Authority while providing alternative means for improvement. The goal is to create transparency in the school system and also to allow certain financial and academic issues to be addressed. Under the proposal, a team of professionals will be provided to struggling schools to aid them in developing a plan to improve the school.

State actions in the case of struggling schools have included dissolution, such as the case in Buena Vista or Inkster, or limiting to Kindergarten through 8^th grade and requiring high school students to attend neighboring districts.

Dave Murray, spokesperson for Governor Snyder has said that the Governor currently works closely with the Department of Education and the Department of Treasury to help schools avoid crisis. Mr. Murray says that the EAA is doing its job and it is working.

The Senate Democrats will join the House Democrats in the reform proposals.

The education reform proposals would entail the following:

Require education professionals, parents, community leaders and other experts, through the Michigan School Reform Office, to conduct a review of struggling schools and create an aggressive action plan designed to address the specific issues and challenges of that school
Create a master teacher plan with the goal of preparing the best students to choose to be teachers and mentor those teachers now in classrooms.
Require a comprehensive study of the true cost to educate a child in a Michigan public school
Ensure that specific needs of each school district are addressed and properly funded
Disclose the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on classroom instruction including the cost to provide instruction in a virtual school
Require all schools to have school boards that comply with the Open Meetings Act and hold their school board meetings in their school communities at times and places that are accessible for parents and community members
Require that no group with the ability to authorize charter schools be allowed to authorize new schools if any of its existing schools fall in the bottom 5 percent.

posted by PAA Online , 12:34 PM
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Health Exchange Rates Below National Average

Expected monthly insurance rates for the state’s rollout of the federal health care exchange were released this week, ahead of next Tuesday’s availability for enrollment. The prospective rates show levels in Michigan expected to be slightly below the national average, resulting in praise from supporters of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and no comment from opponents.

The actual rates for each of the companies offering insurance will vary by market and will be released next week for the federally-run exchange. According to the Department of Insurance and Financial Services, Michigan will have 13 companies on the exchange, offering 142 plans.

Available plans are categorized by gold, silver, and bronze – with bronze plans having the lowest monthly rates and the highest out-of-pocket expenses. Conversely, gold plans will have the highest monthly rates and the lowest out-of-pocket costs. Individuals signed up for coverage next Tuesday will not begin receiving the coverage until January 1, 2014, when the majority of the provisions of the federal Act go into effect.

posted by PAA Online , 12:32 PM
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ORV Road-Use Bills Signed

Governor Rick Snyder signed three bills this week that will allow the Michigan Department of Transportation to grant the requests of local governments for off-road-vehicle (ORV) operators to use the shoulders of state roads. Prior to the reform, only a small amount of northern Michigan counties permitted ORV use on road shoulders.

House Bills 4284 and 4299, and Senate Bill 50 (now Public Acts 117, 118, and 119, respectively), also permit the local units to open the shoulders of the roads they control to ORV use. Further, the package expands the list of activities for which an ORV license is not required, provides for ORV license reciprocity with other states, and sets forth requirements for ORV use on the roadway shoulders in question.

The bills were given immediate effect and were sponsored by Representatives Joel Johnson (R-Clare), Jon Bumstead (R-Newaygo), and Senator Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba

posted by PAA Online , 12:31 PM
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September 20th Trivia Results

Last week’s Michigan trivia question was: In most historical settlements, one of the first things built was a church. Michigan’s first Church was Ste. Anne de Detroit, a Catholic parish founded in Detroit in 1701. Where is the next-oldest existing church in Michigan?

Adrian

Detroit

Mackinac Island

Sault St. Marie

60 percent of respondents answered “Mackinac Island.” This is the correct answer.

33 percent answered “Sault St. Marie,” and another 7 percent answered “Adrian.”

The Old Mission Church on Mackinac Island was built in 1829 and is the second-oldest existing church in Michigan.

posted by PAA Online , 12:31 PM
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PAAdvisory Briefs

New Director Named for Legislative Black Caucus

Michigan Legislative Black Caucus Chair Representative Thomas Stallworth III (D-Detroit) announced this week that John Johnson will serve as the Caucus’s Director beginning October 7^th. Johnson is a Detroit attorney who previously worked for the Detroit NAACP, the City of Detroit Law Department and the Legal Aid and Defender Association. The Valparaiso University and Howard University graduate also served as a hearing officer for the Michigan Tax Tribunal.

WiFi Restrictions Loosened for Senate

The State Senate has changed their restriction policies related to WiFi use on their side of the Capitol Building. Previously, users were essentially restricted to use of government and news-related websites; however, the new rules have relaxed the restrictions to include social networking sites, sports, and entertainment. Sites related to illegal activity, gambling, adult content, violence, etc. remain blocked.

Snyder Makes “Significant” TV Ad Buy

Although he has continued to maintain that he is focused on governing, and not running for a second term, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s campaign launched a two-week television ad buy this week. The buy, described by insiders as “significant,” is a 60-second condensed version of the roughly five-minute “One Successful Nerd” video released last week at the Republican Party’s biannual Mackinac Conference. The entire video is available www.onesuccessfulnerd.com.

posted by PAA Online , 12:30 PM
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Question of the Week 9/27/13

posted by PAA Online , 11:16 AM
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