School finance, charter schools and more discussed at education forum in Ann Arbor
Issues facing education statewide such as charter schools, online instruction and the ever-present, enigmatic challenge of school finance were discussed during a community forum held Monday night in Ann Arbor.
Organized by the Washtenaw Alliance for Education, the little theater at Pioneer High School was jammed with teachers and administration from Washtenaw County school districts, residents and a few state legislators. They met with members of the State Board of Education and Lansing policymakers talking about the shifting landscape of education reform.
Larry Cobler, president of Dexter Community Schools’ Board of Education, moderated the event with a panel of guests that included John Austin, president of the state Board of Education; Eilene Weiser, state Board of Education; David Arsen, professor of K-12 education administration at Michigan State University; and Peter Ruddell, an attorney who has helped draft proposed education reform legislation.
Taking center stage during the forum was the draft proposal of the Michigan Public Education Finance Act. The act would essentially reform how state funds are distributed throughout the state’s 550 public school districts thereby disassembling the 1979 School Aid Act, but it wouldn’t address the state’s revenue model.
Organized by the Washtenaw Alliance for Education, the little theater at Pioneer High School was jammed with teachers and administration from Washtenaw County school districts, residents and a few state legislators. They met with members of the State Board of Education and Lansing policymakers talking about the shifting landscape of education reform.
Larry Cobler, president of Dexter Community Schools’ Board of Education, moderated the event with a panel of guests that included John Austin, president of the state Board of Education; Eilene Weiser, state Board of Education; David Arsen, professor of K-12 education administration at Michigan State University; and Peter Ruddell, an attorney who has helped draft proposed education reform legislation.
Taking center stage during the forum was the draft proposal of the Michigan Public Education Finance Act. The act would essentially reform how state funds are distributed throughout the state’s 550 public school districts thereby disassembling the 1979 School Aid Act, but it wouldn’t address the state’s revenue model.
The act would “unbundle” state funding from student population count and focus instead more on performance-based funding. It also would allow for the creation of more online schools and create a pathway for any institution, including corporations, to open a public school.
“Under the proposal, there would be a big increase in online instruction,” said Arsen who argued that PEFA would come as close to a statewide voucher system for public education as they have ever seen.
“It was a draft, and based on what I’ve seen it lacks coherence,” Arsen said. “It doesn’t have the practical implications to accomplish the unbundling.”
Ruddell, who helped write the draft proposal as a member of the Lansing-based Oxford Foundation, said the act would create more freedom allowing each student to pick and choose their instruction rather than being tied down to a single district. With this model, a student could go through a regular 6-hour day of instruction and potentially take classes in six different districts.
“Many students are trapped in the district where they reside...and there is this concept of regular daily attendance. All school finance is based on regular daily attendance. Is that the best standard we can have? Is there actual learning going on just by showing up?” Ruddell said.
The act, House Bill 5923, was the result of Gov. Rick Snyder’s April 2011’s special message to the legislature on education reform. Ruddell said the governor charged his group, comprised of him and two other public policy experts, with finding ways to carry out the themes described in his special message such as allowing students to work more at their own pace and choosing their own instruction delivery model.
“Under the proposal, there would be a big increase in online instruction,” said Arsen who argued that PEFA would come as close to a statewide voucher system for public education as they have ever seen.
“It was a draft, and based on what I’ve seen it lacks coherence,” Arsen said. “It doesn’t have the practical implications to accomplish the unbundling.”
Ruddell, who helped write the draft proposal as a member of the Lansing-based Oxford Foundation, said the act would create more freedom allowing each student to pick and choose their instruction rather than being tied down to a single district. With this model, a student could go through a regular 6-hour day of instruction and potentially take classes in six different districts.
“Many students are trapped in the district where they reside...and there is this concept of regular daily attendance. All school finance is based on regular daily attendance. Is that the best standard we can have? Is there actual learning going on just by showing up?” Ruddell said.
The act, House Bill 5923, was the result of Gov. Rick Snyder’s April 2011’s special message to the legislature on education reform. Ruddell said the governor charged his group, comprised of him and two other public policy experts, with finding ways to carry out the themes described in his special message such as allowing students to work more at their own pace and choosing their own instruction delivery model.
Arsen argued, however, that there are many non-cognitive benefits to regularly attending a brick-and-mortar school, and he fears lawmakers in Lansing are losing sight of the primary goal of K-12 education.
“I worry in the proposals that these fundamental issues are not being fully appreciated,” Arsen said. “We don’t have to guess on where we can find efficiencies in education, we don’t have to throw the doors open and try something else. We have all this research about what’s cost effective, what programs work for the money. “Let’s think about how we move forward.”
House Bill 5923 has sat with the state’s education committee since September of last year.
Several parents and a teacher voiced concerns about the continual springing-up of charter schools. A teacher from the Plymouth-Canton district said the several charter schools that have opened in her district have siphoned much-needed resources away from the district.
Austin said he does envision more innovation when it comes to instruction whether that will be more online schools and/or charter schools, but he expressed concerns about the lack of accountability.
“Are we just going to allow free new school creation without any quality control?” Austin said. “There is a discussion of just how much choice there should be. We don’t need any more bad schools, and we don’t want to be pulling the rug out from under a good, existing school.
Weiser questioned the educational value of online learning saying that studies have shown only about 10 percent of online-only students truly absorb what they are being taught. But, she added, there are many successful models of blended learning where students flex time between the classroom and online instruction.
“Some models are really working in other states,” said Weiser.
Austin reiterated they should be careful, however, about what companies they allow to create online schools.
“Many companies want Michigan to change their laws to allow for more online schools where 100 percent of education takes place, and other states are now closing that door a bit because they have had some bad experiences,” Austin said.
“I worry in the proposals that these fundamental issues are not being fully appreciated,” Arsen said. “We don’t have to guess on where we can find efficiencies in education, we don’t have to throw the doors open and try something else. We have all this research about what’s cost effective, what programs work for the money. “Let’s think about how we move forward.”
House Bill 5923 has sat with the state’s education committee since September of last year.
Several parents and a teacher voiced concerns about the continual springing-up of charter schools. A teacher from the Plymouth-Canton district said the several charter schools that have opened in her district have siphoned much-needed resources away from the district.
Austin said he does envision more innovation when it comes to instruction whether that will be more online schools and/or charter schools, but he expressed concerns about the lack of accountability.
“Are we just going to allow free new school creation without any quality control?” Austin said. “There is a discussion of just how much choice there should be. We don’t need any more bad schools, and we don’t want to be pulling the rug out from under a good, existing school.
Weiser questioned the educational value of online learning saying that studies have shown only about 10 percent of online-only students truly absorb what they are being taught. But, she added, there are many successful models of blended learning where students flex time between the classroom and online instruction.
“Some models are really working in other states,” said Weiser.
Austin reiterated they should be careful, however, about what companies they allow to create online schools.
“Many companies want Michigan to change their laws to allow for more online schools where 100 percent of education takes place, and other states are now closing that door a bit because they have had some bad experiences,” Austin said.
Jeff Katz, a teacher with Ann Arbor public schools, said he had a huge problem with for-profit companies establishing new schools.
“If this is really all about the kids, than there shouldn’t be one drop of money going toward improving a company’s bottom line,” said Katz.
Arsen responded saying he could see a place in the future where corporations are involved in building new schools but there has to be strict regulation.
Despite what competing interests arise between the state’s vision for real learning innovation and parents and teachers’ desire to provide the best educational experience possible, creating the best situation for students seemed to be everybody’s ultimate goal.
“The children are our customers,” said Weiser from the state Board of Education. “Our responsibility is to make sure all of their needs are being met and also to make sure there are alternatives for those whose needs are not being met.”
“If this is really all about the kids, than there shouldn’t be one drop of money going toward improving a company’s bottom line,” said Katz.
Arsen responded saying he could see a place in the future where corporations are involved in building new schools but there has to be strict regulation.
Despite what competing interests arise between the state’s vision for real learning innovation and parents and teachers’ desire to provide the best educational experience possible, creating the best situation for students seemed to be everybody’s ultimate goal.
“The children are our customers,” said Weiser from the state Board of Education. “Our responsibility is to make sure all of their needs are being met and also to make sure there are alternatives for those whose needs are not being met.”
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.