Legislation

On Tuesday in Kentwood, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the 2021-22 K-12 education budget, which invests a record $17.1 billion in schools and equalizes the state’s foundation grant funding for districts at $8,700 per pupil. MEA President Paula Herbart joined Whitmer at the press conference announcing the signing.  See her remarks in this WLNS news coverage of the event (at 24-minute…

On Wednesday, the State Senate passed the 2021-22 K-12 school budget, adding additional funding to what was already the largest proposed investment in K-12 public schools in the state's history. The Senate made changes to HB 4411 that added $300 million to the amount agreed to last week by the Governor and the House, putting the new figure for historic investment in Michigan…

EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart in response to today’s passage of the 2021-22 K-12 school budget by the Legislature: “Equalizing the state foundation grants for our children’s education is a major step in the right direction for school funding. We appreciate the leadership from Gov. Whitmer to bring forward this important…

The State House passed bipartisan legislation reducing the time spent on standardized testing last week by eliminating the mandate that all students complete the ACT WorkKeys test. The legislation, which now goes to the State Senate for their consideration, allows districts and students who want to take the test to “opt in” instead.  This would save time and money on…

Last week, the State House passed HB 4411, the K-12 school budget for 2021-22.  At $16.74 billion, it represents the largest ever investment in K-12 public schools in Michigan history. More importantly, it finally closes the gap in the per-pupil foundation allowance that has existed since Proposal A passed in 1994, bringing all districts to $8,700 per pupil (an increase…

Darrin Camilleri Seven years ago, Darrin Camilleri was a fresh college graduate and newly hired as a teacher with no textbooks, no curriculum, and a big job on top of his teaching duties: department chair. Now he’s a state representative hoping to be part of making “transformational change” in the education profession. Camilleri (D-Trenton) and other Democratic House lawmakers on…

UPDATE – June 15: The Senate took quick action this morning, unanimously passing a substitute version of HB 4421 that primarily does what we’ve been requesting for months – send federal COVID relief funding owed to districts immediately.  This is a BIG win for Michigan schools – if the House concurs with the Senate’s version of HB 4421, more than $4 billion in…

EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart in response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposals for how to use additional state revenue to fund public education: “Gov. Whitmer’s recommendations are in line with the new MI Blueprint for Comprehensive Student Recovery, which heeded the voices of frontline educators about what’s needed to help students continue…

State economic experts agreed last Friday that tax revenue is stronger now than previously anticipated – to the tune of $2 billion more for this year and $1.5 billion next year.  That’s in addition to federal pandemic relief funding from the American Rescue Plan, which totals more than $4 billion for public education alone. This news should prompt budget action…

On Monday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel led a coalition of 23 attorneys general from across the country urging the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice to reinstate and expand 2014 guidance designed to help public schools meet their obligations under federal law to administer student discipline equitably. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and U.S.…