A Win for Students in Michigan
The Michigan legislature approved a package of sweeping education reforms Thursday night. The measures are now headed to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature. He has indicated he will approve the legislation.
The measures will reform teacher tenure rules and end last in, first out (LIFO), the harmful practice of basing teacher layoffs on length of service and not the quality of an educator's work with students.
The bills also require that teachers and administrators undergo fair and robust evaluations to ensure our educators get the feedback and professional development they want and need and students get the best possible learning environments.
The need for change is glaring. Currently, only a third of Michigan's fourth-graders score "proficient", or demonstrated competency, on the National Assessment for Educational Progress, a national reading test. What's more, a recent report found 47 percent of Detroiters are functionally illiterate.
StudentsFirst, a national nonprofit organization focused on making critical changes to the nation's public school system, has worked closely with lawmakers in Michigan to advocate for the reforms approved by both House and Senate. StudentsFirst members testified at legislative hearings and helped raise awareness for change by sending more that 20,000 petitions and emails urging legislators to end seniority-based layoffs. In addition, the movement launched an extensive ad campaign in the state illustrating LIFO's detrimental impact on Michigan's children.
