PRESS RELEASE: Videos released calling for fresh approach to funding Michigan’s public schools
- Education, Policy, Business, Research and Foundation leaders from across Michigan came together last year to address the state’s school funding system. Many felt the current system wasn’t meeting the needs of Michigan’s student and needed to be studied.
- They commissioned the two leading research firms in the country to answer the question, “What resources are needed to assure all Michigan students acan meet the state learning standards, so they are prepared to be successful”.
- The firms looked at leading educational research and gathered feedback from Michigan Educators to develop their recommendations.
- Recommendations don’t just address cost, but really outline what resources are needed in Michigan schools (i.e. class size; material, professional development; technology; support staff, etc…) that will lead to improved student achievement.
- The report suggests that school systems should receive $9,590 for each student, and added funds beyond this for students who are at risk; English language learners; students with disabilities and career technical programs – to assure ALL students can meet the state standards.
- These funding levels will allow school systems to provide the level of school resources identified through the research (such as added teachers, support staff, teaching materials, etc…).
- The Collaborative wants policy makers and leaders to take the information from this report to change the current school funding system in Michigan.
- For more information about this report, go to www.fundmischools.org
LANSING, Mich. — What does it cost to educate a child? Two new videos released this week explain the School Finance Research Collaborative’s mission to find out. The Collaborative is supporting Michigan’s first comprehensive school adequacy study, expected in early 2018, that will help determine the true cost of providing a high-quality public school education to all students.
“As the videos point out, we don’t know the cost of educating a public school student in Michigan, and that’s why our group of business leaders and education experts is determined to find out,” said Dr. Wanda Cook-Robinson, Oakland Schoolssuperintendent and a Collaborative member. “Our study will help determine how we can rethink our approach so all students, no matter their circumstances, can achieve and succeed.”
“We must know what it costs to educate a student in Michigan to prepare our kids for jobs and success,” said Rob Fowler, Small Business Association of Michigan president and CEO. “The videos make the Collaborative’s mission clear: To reexamine how we finance our schools so each and every one of our students is prepared for the 21st century workforce, whether that means college, apprenticeships, technical training or jobs right after graduation.”
The new school adequacy study is being conducted by the nation’s top two school finance research firms, and will provide policymakers with the best, most complete and most accurate information on the true cost of educating all Michigan public school students.
The new study is using multiple methodologies to reexamine how Michigan’s schools are funded, something that has never been done in a comprehensive way in the Great Lakes State. More than 30 states have conducted adequacy studies over the past 15 years, many conducting multiple studies.
The School Finance Research Collaborative is a broad-based and diverse group of Republicans, Democrats, Independents, business leaders and education experts from Metro Detroit to the U.P. who agree: It’s time to change the way Michigan’s schools are funded.
The Collaborative’s videos can be viewed here: /determining-cost-educating-child.
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