From Steven Norton, Executive Director of Michigan Parents for Schools:
FLASH: As you can see . . . they have re-introduced the EAA legislation.
Tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. the House Education Committee will begin to receive testimony on House Bill 4369 - a bill that would codify the controversial Education Achievement Authority (EAA). Committee convenes in room 519 of the House Office Building and is open to the public. I encourage you to attend and be engaged on this important issue.
The bill was just made available today, and they are holding hearings on it tomorrow [Wednesday March 6th] afternoon at 2:30pm. (That meeting is in addition to the regular one at 10:30am on the 3rd floor of the HOB, which will be about early childhood education.) It will be important to show that Michigan parents are still opposed to this measure, which makes takeovers the preferred method of "helping" struggling schools.
This time, a number of members of the House Education Committee are listed as co-sponsors, so they may be better able to line up votes. This bill is essentially identical to the last-ditch compromise offered in December (the H-6 sub of HB 6004, for those keeping track). Key features: limits EAA to running 50 schools, limits chartering authority to a 2-mile radius around EAA takeover schools or in districts with an emergency manager. There are also clearer standards for entry into, and exit from, the EAA's care. They also retained language that would require the chancellor to create a school advisory panel if at least 25 parents requested it.
We're still opposed to this bill, even in its current form. 1) State takeover is not an effective, long-term strategy for improving struggling schools - successful efforts involve working with the local community and existing staff to make lasting change. 2) The bill still smacks of empire-building: why on earth would the EAA need to be able to create brand new charter schools less than 2 miles from a school they are supposedly trying to "help"? 3) All their protestations to the contrary, the technology-driven techniques they are using in the classroom are experimental and have not been shown to work anywhere. We should not be experimenting with the most vulnerable children without giving families a full understanding of what might or might not work. In particular, we should not be turning the EAA into a state-wide "recovery" school district with a one-semester track record.
Please come and make your concerns clear tomorrow!
We're still opposed to this bill, even in its current form. 1) State takeover is not an effective, long-term strategy for improving struggling schools - successful efforts involve working with the local community and existing staff to make lasting change. 2) The bill still smacks of empire-building: why on earth would the EAA need to be able to create brand new charter schools less than 2 miles from a school they are supposedly trying to "help"? 3) All their protestations to the contrary, the technology-driven techniques they are using in the classroom are experimental and have not been shown to work anywhere. We should not be experimenting with the most vulnerable children without giving families a full understanding of what might or might not work. In particular, we should not be turning the EAA into a state-wide "recovery" school district with a one-semester track record.
Please come and make your concerns clear tomorrow!
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