Monday, April 26, 2010
Grand Rapids Students Facing Controversial School Program
Grand Rapids- The Grand Rapids School Board is facing controversy with it's decision to revamp it's high school education program to be completely online. Spokesman John Helmholt says the move will help the district make up for a massive budget shortfall, and that the cost saving would help the schools function more efficiently.
Last week's regular school board meeting had to be cancelled in because 400 angry parents, students and teachers appeared, which was 250 more than the building fire code allowed. The meeting had to be cancelled, and rescheduled at a high school.
Last week's regular school board meeting had to be cancelled in because 400 angry parents, students and teachers appeared, which was 250 more than the building fire code allowed. The meeting had to be cancelled, and rescheduled at a high school.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Lansing Protest for higher Education
By KAITLIN DOYLE
Students from many public universities across the state of Michigan rallied in support of higher education at the Capitol in Lansing on March 25.
The students were protesting against the higher education budget cuts that have taken place in recent years.
Students from Northeastern traveled through the night in order to get to the rally, which started at noon.
The rally started with a march of some schools from the capitol to the Lansing Center, where all schools lined up in order to march back to the capitol together.
Some students had shirts, posters and signs, some of which read things like “We are the future,” “Save education first,” and even “I can’t believe I still have to protest this crap.”
Many also had megaphones and shouts of sayings like “no cuts, no fees, education should be free” could be heard throughout the crowd, which was made up of over 100 students.
When students reached the capitol, some of the many speakers began to take the stage. Many speakers were students who were affected by not only the budget cuts but also the elimination of The Michigan Promise scholarship, but many were also state representatives, senators and local politicians, including the mayor of Lansing.
Worker inside the capitol could be seen watching the protest through windows of the building, but no one came outside.
The rally was followed by an event called “Cram the Capitol” in which the students filled the galleries of the House of Representatives and Senate. Many students watched quietly while the senate and house members proceeded with daily business in an effort to show that students are here and listening to the political process.
Students from many public universities across the state of Michigan rallied in support of higher education at the Capitol in Lansing on March 25.
The students were protesting against the higher education budget cuts that have taken place in recent years.
Students from Northeastern traveled through the night in order to get to the rally, which started at noon.
The rally started with a march of some schools from the capitol to the Lansing Center, where all schools lined up in order to march back to the capitol together.
Some students had shirts, posters and signs, some of which read things like “We are the future,” “Save education first,” and even “I can’t believe I still have to protest this crap.”
Many also had megaphones and shouts of sayings like “no cuts, no fees, education should be free” could be heard throughout the crowd, which was made up of over 100 students.
When students reached the capitol, some of the many speakers began to take the stage. Many speakers were students who were affected by not only the budget cuts but also the elimination of The Michigan Promise scholarship, but many were also state representatives, senators and local politicians, including the mayor of Lansing.
Worker inside the capitol could be seen watching the protest through windows of the building, but no one came outside.
The rally was followed by an event called “Cram the Capitol” in which the students filled the galleries of the House of Representatives and Senate. Many students watched quietly while the senate and house members proceeded with daily business in an effort to show that students are here and listening to the political process.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
State Budget cuts Affect Local Public Schools
By KAITLIN DOYLE
Since the start of 2010, another set of cuts to the education fund in the state of Michigan have taken affect, leaving school districts with $165 less per student.
According the Jeff Morgan, superintendent of the Kearsley School District in Flint, these cuts are having damaging effects on school districts across the state.
“For the past seven years, Kearsley has cut support staff, privatized custodians, eliminated some services and positions not directly related to instruction, reduced sections of students, reinvented alternative education and the gifted and talented programs and shared services,” Morgan said. “Last year we laid-off some teachers as our enrollment shrunk and revenue from the state was reduced.”
Morgan said the district also had to cut education programs to accommodate the loss of funding.
“Elementary KATS gifted and talented was cut five years ago,” he said. “One middle school elective, Money Matters, was cut last year. Two years ago we eliminated the Auto Shop program since students could take that class at the Genesee Area Skill Center and the enrollment for Auto Shop II was low.”
Despite the Michigan Promise scholarship being eliminated, Gov. Jennifer Granholm now proposed the idea of changing the scholarship into a refundable tax credit that would be given to college graduates if they stayed in Michigan and worked for one year after graduation.
Morgan said the new proposal is a creative method to resurrect the scholarship, but believes there is no revenue to fund it.
“I’d like to see it save the shrinking middle class for post secondary opportunities,” he said. “At Kearsley, we’ve seen a big shift in students attending Mott Community College and U of M Flint in lieu of the four-year (away from home) university.”
Morgan also said he believes state legislators and the governor need to fix the school aid funding formula.
“Proposal A does not work in this type of economy,” he said. “Gov. Granholm has only put Band-Aids on the problem which needs a major overhaul.”
Since the start of 2010, another set of cuts to the education fund in the state of Michigan have taken affect, leaving school districts with $165 less per student.
According the Jeff Morgan, superintendent of the Kearsley School District in Flint, these cuts are having damaging effects on school districts across the state.
“For the past seven years, Kearsley has cut support staff, privatized custodians, eliminated some services and positions not directly related to instruction, reduced sections of students, reinvented alternative education and the gifted and talented programs and shared services,” Morgan said. “Last year we laid-off some teachers as our enrollment shrunk and revenue from the state was reduced.”
Morgan said the district also had to cut education programs to accommodate the loss of funding.
“Elementary KATS gifted and talented was cut five years ago,” he said. “One middle school elective, Money Matters, was cut last year. Two years ago we eliminated the Auto Shop program since students could take that class at the Genesee Area Skill Center and the enrollment for Auto Shop II was low.”
Despite the Michigan Promise scholarship being eliminated, Gov. Jennifer Granholm now proposed the idea of changing the scholarship into a refundable tax credit that would be given to college graduates if they stayed in Michigan and worked for one year after graduation.
Morgan said the new proposal is a creative method to resurrect the scholarship, but believes there is no revenue to fund it.
“I’d like to see it save the shrinking middle class for post secondary opportunities,” he said. “At Kearsley, we’ve seen a big shift in students attending Mott Community College and U of M Flint in lieu of the four-year (away from home) university.”
Morgan also said he believes state legislators and the governor need to fix the school aid funding formula.
“Proposal A does not work in this type of economy,” he said. “Gov. Granholm has only put Band-Aids on the problem which needs a major overhaul.”
Monday, March 29, 2010
Granholm Says "Michigan has to Inverst in Education"
BY Kaitlin Doyle
Gov. Jennifer Granholm supported extending sales tax to services on March 29, saying Michigan “has to invest in education” in order to move from a manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy.
Granholm said on MSNBC that Michigan has “a big, hairy audacious goal of doubling our number of college graduates.” In order for this to happen, the state would have to stop cutting education spending, which it did this year by $165 per student.
This announcement comes just days after students from 11 Michigan colleges rallied at the capitol in protest of higher education.
Granholm believes money spent on services is “disposable income” and if one spends money on a service that they don’t necessarily need, such as a manicure, they should have a little more money to spend.
Granholm also proposed to drop the sales tax from 6 percent to 5.5 percent. Neither this idea or that of extending tax to most services has made much headway in Legislature.
According to an article from www.WLNS.com, Granholm said these ideas would put $500 million more into public schools and said she is not going to cut education money anymore.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm supported extending sales tax to services on March 29, saying Michigan “has to invest in education” in order to move from a manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy.
Granholm said on MSNBC that Michigan has “a big, hairy audacious goal of doubling our number of college graduates.” In order for this to happen, the state would have to stop cutting education spending, which it did this year by $165 per student.
This announcement comes just days after students from 11 Michigan colleges rallied at the capitol in protest of higher education.
Granholm believes money spent on services is “disposable income” and if one spends money on a service that they don’t necessarily need, such as a manicure, they should have a little more money to spend.
Granholm also proposed to drop the sales tax from 6 percent to 5.5 percent. Neither this idea or that of extending tax to most services has made much headway in Legislature.
According to an article from www.WLNS.com, Granholm said these ideas would put $500 million more into public schools and said she is not going to cut education money anymore.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Coming up with a New "Promise"
Saginaw will become a “Promise Zone,” part of a new program to offer high school graduates a free college education. The Saginaw Public School District named a board of eleven people to head the program. This board will be responsible for who will receive the scholarships, and where the money will come from. View articleCentral Michigan University officials are hoping to win $2.3 million in federal stimulus money to help make up for the loss of Promise scholarships. The college is applying for federal stimulus funds and would use the money for students who qualify for The Pell Grant.
MLive.com
MLive.com
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Granholm Urging a Speedy Reform for Education
Governor Jennifer Granholm is urging the Michigan legislature to reform the state’s education system by next month. These sweeping changes are necessary in order for Michigan to be able to compete with other states for over $4 billion in federal stimulus money, part of President Barack Obama’s “Race to the Top” initiative.
States need to apply by Jan. 19. However, the Michigan Association of Education is concerned that these reforms would take too much control over education out of local hands. View Video
States need to apply by Jan. 19. However, the Michigan Association of Education is concerned that these reforms would take too much control over education out of local hands. View Video
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