Gov. Jennifer Granholm to sign Michigan school law changes Monday

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Associated Press

Sweeping changes in Michigan education policy will be signed into law by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Monday.

The legislation recently passed by the Legislature will allow the state to take over districts that are performing poorly in academics. Charter school operators with good track records will be able to open new locations and the state's dropout age will rise from 16 to 18.

The bills were passed as part of an effort to win up to $400 million for schools through the Obama administration's Race to the Top competition. But supporters of the changes say they are worth making even if the state doesn't get any extra money as a result.

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/12/gov_jennifer_granholm_to_sign.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+michigan-elections+%28Michigan+Elections+News%29

[naaman fletcher]

1. Dropout rate should be lowered, not raised

Some kids ought to be out apprenticing with plumbers and carpenters rather than twiddling their thumbs in school.

[blue_onyx]

2. I really disagree

Everyone should be required to get a minimum amount of education. I think raising the drop out age to 18 is great and should have been done years ago.

[naaman fletcher]

4. That sounds great...

But it in reality some people just aren't interested and/or cut out for it. Having bored kids with the ability to be carpenters sitting around bored, doing drugs, getting into trouble, etc. is not a good thing.

There should be more kids in trade schools and apprentice programs, not less. The idea that we need to force everybody into more and more education has not had a positive effect. In fact, delinquency and crime have only gone up.

[blue_onyx]

7. They can do both

When I was in high school, people could go off campus to take class in nursing, cooking, construction. So they can get skills and get educated on history, math, etc.

[naaman fletcher]

8. They "can", yet for some reason they don't.

Yet we force them to stay in school when they could be learning a trade.

[blue_onyx]

10. And you assume they'll learn a trade instead

I think requiring all citizens to stay in school until they are 18 is a good thing. Like I said, they can learn a trade and finish high school.

[naaman fletcher]

11. They used to..

But we have taken that option away from most of them.

[lostinseganet1]

23. I dis agree

Some kids are just unsavable. Do not mandate that they have to bring down the school. Let them go. Besides I hear plumers actually make good money.

[PassingFair]

24. LOL.

Them plumers dont kneed no edjewkacion no ways.

[Iowa]

3. I agree...

I'd even go further and suggest that much of post-secondary training should be nixed and replaced with paid apprenticeships. Law, for example. Teaching. Nursing. And many more. There's far too much time and money wasted on bullshit.

[janx]

13. I agree with you, Iowa!

:hi:

[naaman fletcher]

5. I meant dropout AGE, not rate, of course. eom.

[LiberalFighter]

9. How many schools still teach trade related classes?

If they don't they should.

If they do then it should be the building block for them transition into a trade.

At the same time these kids need to increase their English and Math skills. Both are critical in the trades.

[TheModernTerrorist]

20. They should make programs

within the school systems to do apprenticeships like that and offer credit and trade school scholarships. I think that would be better than lowering the dropout age.

[MichiganVote]

6. They won't stick around if they don't want to. Besides the Merit HS curriculum is a heart breaker.

The drop out rate is going to soar regardless. Which of course will make people hate teachers and their unions. Blah, blah, blah.

[tonysam]

12. This is all about getting Arne's bribery money.

The destruction of public education is being done by so-called "Democrats."

[janx]

14. Things change, tonysam.

They have to change based on the problems at hand. :shrug: I fail to see how this is the destruction of public education.

[tonysam]

17. Boy, you need to read the education threads.

"Things" don't need to change; this "change" is about destroying a key cornerstone of democracy, public education, in order to destroy the future of millions and millions of people in terms of upward mobility.

Just because politicians have a "D" after their names doesn't mean they aren't fucking neoliberals.

[erinlough]

22. Thanks tonysam for your posts

on the education forum and here. You are right this is all about the bribe money and only because Michigan is broke, not because anyone really wants improvements in education. I have decided most people don't understand and the rest don't care about the result these changes will have. Charters are a way for ex administrators to make a lot of money, that is all.

[placton]

15. Jen's a DINO

the charters are killing MI public schools

[blue_onyx]

16. She is far from a DINO

[kayla9170]

18. Thank you Governor Granholm......

No kids should be allowed to quit school at the age of 16 anyway. I always thought that this was a stupid law to began with.

[kayla9170]

19. Also, Michigan has some of the BEST Trade Programs

Nationwide in the public school system. At my kids local school district, they could take trades in Welding, Aircraft Maintenance, Auto Repair and Painting, Construction Trades and Pre-Nursing Classes.....just to name a few by taking CO-OP classes. These classes are open to 11th & 12th Graders and if some of the courses are taken the entire two years, kids can immediately find a decent paying job, right after high school. The point is they have to COMPLETE the program...if they drop out when they are 16, they do not have the opportunity to do so.

[Kaleva]

21. Lack of funding has killed most trade programs at my local school.

Basic shop is all that is left.