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Court halts demolition of Roosevelt School

Sixth Circuit Court issues temporary restraining order to stop district from tearing down historic school building

… over a convoluted debate on restrictive covenants in property deeds that seek to prevent retired school properties from being used by private or charter schools after public school districts sell them. Although Michigan law prohibits school districts from including such language in property deeds, … more

In Michigan, there are no missing homeschool students

Without evidence, state superintendent has used bully pulpit to target homeschool families

… school. “For the safety of ALL students,” Rice wrote, “it is important to enroll students in the following four ‘buckets:’ public schools (including charter schools), private schools, parochial schools, home schools.” Something changed during the pandemic, Rice said. “The need to count homeschooled students … more

‘No reason to fear a charter school,’ West Bloomfield treasurer told school board

But board voted anyway to tear down Roosevelt Elementary, build new school with millage money

… keep it out of the hands of charter schools. But when Finkelstein … “I see no reason to fear a charter school,” Finkelstein said … Bloomfield had reason to believe a charter school would move in. Finkelstein … Academies, advising that charter schools do not go where they … developers from selling to charter school operators. Rep. Noah … more

Fox2 Detroit misstates impact of declining school enrollment

Some Michigan schools have larger payrolls than current conditions allow

… Van Beek agrees with Wotbruba that enrollment has a big effect on school finances. Districts lose out on potential revenue when parents opt for charter schools, schools of choice, private schools and homeschooling, he said, adding that more parents are opting out of the services conventional school … more

Why do West Bloomfield schools fear competition?

Oakland County school district has drifted from its A+ ways

… Elementary School in Keego Harbor, the building at issue. Despite winning many a school-choice battle with rival districts, West Bloomfield fears charter school competition so much it would demolish literal beauty and history to prevent it. My journey with West Bloomfield School District began when … more

House Bill 5025 does not fix any problems, creates new ones

Measure would let school districts block charter schools and others, from using discarded school buildings

… in Detroit who tried to prevent a charter school from using one of their vacated … Prep was a successful and growing charter school in 2017that needed more space. … types of schools, especially public charter schools, to serve children in Detroit. … vacant buildings solely to prevent a charter school from ever using it. A member … more

Bill would give Michigan public schools veto power over competitors

Some school districts tear down buildings rather than sell to would-be competition

Charter schools and other alternative educators could have a … restriction in an attempt to keep a charter school, Detroit Achievement … wanted to sell it to Smitley’s charter school, but a deed restriction … legislators with information about charter schools and the effect of … tearing down buildings so that charter or parochial schools can’t … more

In Detroit schools, nothing succeeds like failure

Conventional schools get more money to do worse, while charter schools do better with less

Charter schools outperform conventional public schools in Detroit … middle schools in Detroit are charter schools, according to U.S. … list are: Detroit Merit Charter Academy Warrendale Charter Academy Detroit Edison Public … schools in Detroit are also charter schools. They even ranked … more

Detroit Achievement Academy wins $500K Yass Prize as finalist

Competition rewards transformational changes in education

A Detroit charter school won $500,000 in a national competition designed to reward transformational changes in education. The Detroit Achievement Academy was one of 33 semifinalists for the Yass Prize, as previously reported by CapCon. Organizers of the prize announced Dec. 14 that the academy was … more

State superintendent asks Michigan lawmakers for home school registry

Homeschool registry presented as safety issue, though officials cite no data

… letter to lawmakers requesting the state registration. Rice noted there are four buckets of educational programs in the state: Public (including charter schools), private, parochial and homeschools. He says the state should have a record of all children enrolled in all educational programs, for reasons … more

Prior to recall, Green Township board violated campaign finance law

Signs that attacked critics failed to name the source of their funding, as required by law

The board of trustees of Mecosta County’s Green Charter Township is a completely different group from the one that started the year. Before the old board was swept out in a flurry of resignations and recalls, the Michigan Secretary of State found that trustees violated campaign finance law. The penalty … more

In Michigan, central planning is not the path to freedom

If you disagree with elected officials, there is a process for that. Not so much for bureaucrats.

… reason alone a farm owner has to turn away opportunity to make hundreds of thousands of dollars.” What about the farmer?  When the people of Green Charter Township disagreed with their board’s support for the Gotion project, they launched a recall effort. Five officials were recalled and two others resigned … more

Detroit charter network up for $1 million award

Charter schools overcame resistance from Detroit’s school district

A Southeast Michigan charter school organization is in the running for a $1 million prize for educational … Detroit Achievement Academy and Detroit Prep, two charter schools with a shared board of directors, are … the state average of 37%. The schools, whose charter authorizer is Grand Valley State University, have turned … more

Project-based learning, cooperation with school district, sets Isabella County charter school apart

FlexTech High believes that projects and problem-solving will translate to career success

Charter schools are often viewed as competitors to conventional … but as an Isabella County charter school shows, the two can … students. Michigan has 285 charter schools, according to the … unique co-existence between a charter school and a traditional public … foundation opened a different charter school in 1997, but the board … more

Southfield ballot question pits democracy against technocracy

Proposals to amend city charter stem from a belief that democracy is too messy. It isn’t.

… over unelected ones,” Mackinac Center President Joseph G. Lehman told CapCon. “At any level of government.” “Of the 276 other Michigan cities with charters,” explains the city’s fact sheet on the ballot proposals, “only 42 elect these positions with the remaining 234 being appointed.” Bringing Southfield … more

Michigan creates second education department, but the first has failed

MiLEAP and the school aid budget reflect a trend that lowers the quality of education available to Michigan’s neediest students

… it most. At-risk students who attend online charter schools will receive less funding than those enrolled … awarded to all public districts except online charter schools. Many students enroll in online schools … disadvantage because of this policy change. And charter schools, unlike conventional districts, cannot … more

U.S. Treasury Department passes on reviewing Gotion land deal

The federal government won’t review CCP-linked Gotion for national security concerns

… opted for the quicker review, which could be completed in 30 days. It did this by filing a document known as a voluntary declaration. The Big Rapids Charter Township Board emailed Michael H. Johnson, a lawyer representing Gotion, telling him the township was starting the more-involved notice process with … more

In Traverse City, less interest than expected in public broadband

Costs skyrocket as the public displays little interest in the broadband utility in northern Michigan

… could offer the same service as private competitors for little cost. The utility owned fiber offers customers packages from $60 to $90 per month. Charter Spectrum also offers high-speed internet for $50 to $90 per month. “The original business plan,” said local resident Gerald DeGrazia, was “flawed … more

MSU professor peddles ‘catastrophic’ myth against school vouchers

How a criticism of voucher programs actually provides a strong defense

… studied included vouchers in Milwaukee, charter schools in Michigan and charter schools in Arizona. Each of the … the COVID-19 pandemic. States with charter school laws and voucher programs … accounts, tax-credit scholarships and charter schools — give more parents, not … more

Only 5% of Detroit 8th graders read at proficient level

A review of NAEP scores for Michigan’s largest district confirms the need for education reform

… money per student compared to the state and national average since 1994. The district’s revenue in 2021-2022 totaled just under $1 billion. Detroit charter schools consistently receive less funding per student than schools in the Detroit district, and they perform better. More funding does not appear … more

Whitmer budget would slash funding for online charter schools

Whitmer’s 2024 budget proposes a 20% funding cut for Michigan’s online charter schools

… with one exception – online charter schools. Whitmer proposes … time Whitmer has singled out charter schools. Whitmer’s 2023 budget … districts, excluded most charter schools. Charter school teachers are often … exception of students in online charter schools. “Gov. Whitmer’s … more

Michigan will be less free and more regulated in 2023

Expect water rights to be challenged and homeschools to be regulated

… for them. In 2014, Democratic legislators tried to limit the number of charter schools, but were foiled by opposition by charter school parents and allies. The idea could resurface next year, however. … more

Detroit teachers have an attendance problem

40% of Detroit teachers were frequently or chronically absent last school year, according to the Detroit Public Schools Community District

… schools nationally had almost three times the chronic absence rate as their charter school counterparts, according to a 2017 report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Public schools had a rate of 28.3%, compared to charter schools at 10.3%. more

Michigan bill would ban cellphones on school buses, in class

House Bill 6171 would require every Michigan school district to ban cellphones. Why?

… classroom, elsewhere on school property, or on a school bus or other school-related vehicle. Under the bill as Eisen wrote it, Michigan school boards and charter schools would be given a state-mandated homework assignment: Craft a policy to ban cellphones. Regardless whether anyone wants it, or thinks the district … more

Michigan charter schools allege sneak attack, sue feds over grants

Lawsuit claims U.S. Education Department is trying to lessen charter schools’ access to grant monies, not facilitate it

… Public School Academies, a charter school association, sued the … guidelines are a sneak attack on charter schools, and are being used to lessen charter schools’ access to grants … 6, has worked to cut off charter schools’ access to grant funds … are designed to decrease charter school programs, and ensure … more

Charter School Association: Sports Reporter Shouldn’t Have Taken Unfair Swipe At Charter Schools

… news that for the first time a charter school — Michigan Collegiate … game. But McCabe implied that charter schools routinely cheat when … cross-eyed when you mention charter schools and athletics. Many charter schools have checkered reputations … It is believed that some charter schools view Michigan High … more

Conventional School Interests Warned Lifting Cap On Charters Meant A 'Wild West' Expansion

There are 38 more now than the 256 Michigan charters of 10 years ago

Interests opposed to charter schools warned when the 2011 Michigan … 2011-12 school year, there 256 charter schools in Michigan. By the … decrease in the number of charter schools. At the start of … year, there are 294 total charter schools, one more than last … a total of 38 additional charter schools have been added. more

Clearing Up the Record on Michigan Charter Schools

A Response to Misguided Claims in The New Yorker

… was stated that “Michigan’s charters have consistently performed … the achievement of public charter schools with conventional … accounting for demographics, charters as a whole outperform other … parents continue to choose charters.” When asked, parents who … overwhelmingly recommend charters to their peers. The story … more

These Parents And Children Looking For Alternatives After Virtual Instruction Failed Them

Schools’ poor pandemic performance has changed their relationship with parents and the public

… families to look past the usual debates over charter schools and vouchers. They focused instead on … limited the appeal of alternatives, including charter schools. By late summer, she found a K-8 parochial … schools of choice slots. Bailey said the nearest charter school is a half hour’s drive away, meaning she’d … more

49% Of Charter School Kids Black; State Civil Rights Commission Says Fund Them At 75%

… 147,339 children attending Michigan charter schools in 2019-20 were black, a … the Grand Valley State University Charter Schools Office, which found 49.5% of charter school students are black. That compares … recommended giving Michigan public charter schools — which enroll the highest … more

New Buffalo City Council Divides Residents Over Airbnb-Type Rentals

First they impose restrictions, then a moratorium

… permit to operate. The lawsuit claims the moratorium was unlawfully adopted, violates property owners’ constitutional rights, and violates the city charter. “My clients and many other property owners in New Buffalo are trying to comply with the ordinance, register short-term rentals, and obtain permits,” … more

Detroit Schools Get Seven Times More Federal COVID Money Than Other Districts

Flint gets even more: $13,407 per pupil; state average is $1,282

… Detroit school district will get nearly seven times more federal COVID relief money on a per-student basis than the average Michigan school district or charter school. The Detroit Public Schools Community District is set to receive far more extra federal COVID relief money than the average Michigan school … more

State Board Of Education Vice President Repeats Erroneous Charter School Slam

No, they can’t pick and choose from students

… claims about the state’s charter schools during a recent Zoom … Democrat from Saginaw, said that charter schools can pick and choose … special needs children than the charter schools. They have the opportunity … Department of Education, however, charter schools cannot be selective … asks on its website: “May a charter school be selective in its … more

Civil Rights Commission Speaks Erroneously About Charter Schools

Yes, they must follow state and federal laws

… made inaccurate claims about public charter schools. The commission followed … when it erroneously claimed that charter schools do not have to follow some … Public School Academies (PSAs) or charter schools and another for public schools. … system that provides taxpayer money to charter schools without requiring them to … more

Civil Rights Commission: Cut Charter Schools That Serve Mostly Poor, Minority Students

Former Democratic leader: Commission ‘tells half the students in Detroit and Flint they're only worth three-quarters of a person’

… money and and less money to charter schools. The eight-member … minority students — and less for charter schools. In its Sept. 30 … chooses to send its child to a charter school within the geographic … children enrolled in Michigan charter schools in the 2019-20 school … critical of it wanting to cut charter school funding. “So, when … more

More Charters A ‘Complete Assault On Public School System’? Not Quite

Results of 2011 expansion not what school choice opponents said

… of Michigan will have 293 charter schools this school year, … has seen a net loss of five charter schools in Michigan. There were 298 charter schools in 2013-14. In 2011-12, … lifted a cap on how many charter schools could open in the state. There were 256 charters here at the time. The decrease … more

Underfunded? Detroit Is State's 15th Best Funded Larger School District

Gets less from some sources and more from others

… The state average per student revenue for all 827 school districts and charter schools that year was $13,457 per pupil. That means per-pupil funding … three-fourths of the state’s 537 conventional districts and all of its 294 charter schools received the same foundation allowance of $8,111, while only 43 … more

Biden Plan Would Let Nation's Worst School District Shut Down Charter Competitors

Detroit school district has long history of underserving the neediest students

… nominee Joe Biden’s plan for charter schools would likely wipe … withhold federal funding for charter schools, according to his … funding for new, expanded charter schools or for charter school renewals on a district’s review of whether the charter will systematically underserve … more

Five School Options For Parents And Children This Fall

But nothing is certain

… prepared for the different alternatives. 2. Charter schools Charter schools are independently managed public schools … under the same standards as other public schools. Charter schools will be subject to most of the same restrictions … more

Michigan Population Winners And Losers

Surprises include Ann Arbor decline, topped only by last place Detroit

… as Macomb Township, Shelby Charter Township, Auburn Hills, Canton Charter Township, Lyon Charter Township, Washington Township and Orion Charter Township dominate the list. … common. Five of the 10 are also charter townships. Charter townships, … more

Federal Cash Fuels Detroit District’s Teacher Recruiting Push

CARES Act money widens DPSCD per-pupil funding advantage

… neighboring districts and area charter schools. The announcement … public schools. Districts and charters receive their shares based … low-income students. Detroit charter schools, which serve a very … pupil. The Motor City’s charters, which outperform the district … student, or a full 59% more than charter schools located in the city. … more

Congress Should Unlock 529 Accounts for At-Home Learning

Coalition urges expanded use of tax-advantaged education plan

… challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. They opened up the national treasury with CARES Act payments that primarily support school districts and charter schools. But as schoolhouse doors stay shut, any additional federal response should also include direct relief toward families as they support their … more

Now is the Time to Start Downsizing ISDs

Education bureaucracies should take brunt of looming budget hit

… than school districts and public charter schools. For local school districts, … funding plays a larger role. And charters, which disproportionately serve more … would be shifted to districts and charter schools, which operate closer to … many local Michigan districts and charters will face due to revenues curtailed … more

Federal Cash is Coming for Michigan Schools - We Need to Use It Fairly and Smartly

Officials should prioritize student needs with CARES Act education funds

… education department to local districts and public charter schools, based on how much a school already receives … poverty funding formula. Public district and charter schools that serve larger concentrations of low-income … School Aid Fund, on which many districts and all charter schools heavily depend. An influx of federal … more

Michigan’s Personal Income Tax During Pandemic

Pressure on tax revenues and the services the taxes pay for

… law, so they’re going to happen regardless of whether revenues decline. Another 27% of income tax revenue goes to conventional school districts and charter schools, with smaller amounts going to community colleges and state universities. Declines in revenue would mean less money for those institutions. … more

Parents, Teachers Must Collaborate to Help Special-Needs Learners

Distance learning brings both challenges and opportunities

… digital tools, used in a partnership between schools and parents, offer the most likely path forward. The governor’s order urges districts and public charter schools to move forward with formalized plans to complete the academic term using “alternative modes of instruction.” The situation is certainly not … more

Educators Step Up to Fill Distance Learning Gap

District, charter, private schools adapt while state officials wait

… into cyber schools — public charter schools that primarily provide … abound of brick-and-mortar charter schools that have adjusted … Escuela and another nearby charter school, Dearborn’s Advanced … with the Lighthouse Academy charter school to educate and care … advancement. Teachers at another charter school, Ivywood Classical … more

MDE Memo Sends Wrong Message

Families need more flexibility

… coronavirus outbreak will not be counted toward state-mandated instruction hours. The memo sends the wrong message to educators in different district and charter schools who are trying to help families navigate their learning needs in this trying time. If building closures extend beyond the currently required … more

Classical Charter Schools on the Rise in Michigan

Ivywood’s unique partnership may break ground

… more than 25 years, public charter schools regularly have to … function. That’s even truer of charters that provide classical education, … can look like in Michigan charter schools has quickly taken … was one of three Michigan charters to open for the first time … them there isn’t any.” All charter schools are tuition-free and … more

Charter School Profiteering? Don’t Turn That Lens On Larger, Richer District Schools

The really big money is in conventional school districts and all their intermediaries

… progressive blogs and the mainstream media use the political label “for-profit charter school” to imply that public charter schools are somehow uniquely vulnerable to individuals “profiteering” at … more

More Talk, Less Action for Troubled School Districts?

Whitmer’s budget encourages creation of more committees

… five years since any eleventh grader in the district met state standards for college readiness, as more families either enroll their children in charter schools or other districts, or move out altogether. Reports have noted district officials’ prolonged trend of financial mismanagement and sloppy accounting, … more

Doubling Down on Government Preschool

New Whitmer pre-K proposal would further restrict family options

… the service directly, though also with the option to “contract with local governments.” No mention is made of any kind of private entity, or even charter school, as a possible pre-K provider. In other words, Gov. Whitmer is doubling down on her request to increase state preschool subsidies. This despite … more

A Teacher Union Fact Check on School Choice

Nearly everything you read is wrong

… full support, for-profit charter schools continue raking in … taxpayers. In Michigan, all charter schools are nonprofit organizations, … for-profit management companies. Charter schools, by the way, receive … all students succeed. No charter can survive without parents … public educators. For-profit charters operate in a Wild West environment … more

All On Its Own, Flint Was A Financial Basket Case For Years

Evidence from years gone by contradicts current effort to blame past Flint misgovernance on state

… promised to cut payroll and staff, and also place several cost-reducing city charter amendments before voters that coming fall. Seven months later, however, … staff reductions had happened. They also had not submitted the proposed charter amendments to voters. The Mott Foundation did not respond to an email … more

Strong Demand For Government-Owned Broadband – From Government Officials

Two more Oakland cities well-served by commercial broadband looking to enter the business

… service (above 85% in both) in the country. Bill Morand, a spokesman for Charter Spectrum, a primary cable providers in the area, said that virtually all … from existing service providers, he said. And the providers, including Charter Spectrum, have declined to commit to upgrades, LaRussa said. Some government-backed … more

Democratic Minority Voters Overwhelmingly Favor School Choice

Don’t downplay party’s racial divide on charter schools

… the Democratic Party over charter schools. Her Dec. 30 column … the Democratic divide over charters, Berkshire blames it on “politics … Obama — himself a notable charter school supporter — gone from … declining attitudes toward charters, but not the consistent, … continuing to stand up for charters, declaring them “the loudest … more

More Inaccurate Media On Amount Michigan Taxpayers Pay For Schools

Reports do reveal what school establishments want public to think about how much they get

… funding system, the minimum foundation allowance. That is state money which follows each student to to his or her particular school district or public charter school. But it is not all the state money that public schools get. If all state dollars (not including local or federal money) are included, Michigan … more

State School Aid Deal Fits Decade-Long Upward Trend

Reapproved vetoed funds puts final budget above 10-year average

… state’s school aid budget, but some individual schools will be greatly relieved to see the extra money. The supplemental spending deal means public charter school students once again will receive formula funding on an equal footing with their district peers. Further, a handful of the state’s tiniest remote … more

Whitmer Ran On Road Repair Promise, But Will Spend Less To Fix Them Than Last Year

$40 million less; her one suggestion was a steep gas tax hike

… spending across state government. Many of the vetoes were intended to pressure Republican lawmakers, such as a $35 million cut to new money for charter schools. But the reaction of the GOP House and Senate caucuses was summed up a few days later when both the Senate majority leader and the House Speaker … more

Dangers of the Regulatory State: Overly Precise Rules

Meticulous administrative rules can make criminals of the well-intended

… certain types of alcohol. Charter boat companies need to follow … about safety standards for chartered boats. Anyone who violates … misdemeanor. Roughly 600 charter boat captains are members of the Michigan Charter Boat Association and there were 18,000 chartered excursions in 2017. The … more

What the Mackinac Center is Thankful for in 2019

Freedom, fairness and fiscal responsibility

… funding formula simply because their parents choose to send them to a charter school, including an online school. A new state law prevented the Detroit district from using deed restrictions to block a high-performing charter school from opening its doors in a new building. Labor policy The U.S. … more

What You Really Need to Know about Michigan Charter Schools

MLive errs in comparison of academic performance

… to know about Michigan’s charter schools.” It didn’t do that, … that leads readers to see charters in a more negative light … accurate information about charters – namely, that they serve … mentions, correctly, that charters are more commonly located … (the state’s legal name for charter schools). Chief among the … more

Detroit Schools Fiscal Decline Began Before Emergency Manager

Media narrative blames school district’s deficits on state, ignore its previous history

… control of Detroit’s main school district from the locally elected school board for much of the last two decades, while encouraging scores of new charter schools to open and siphon students away.” University of Michigan lecturer Eli Savit wrote in The New York Times: “In the late 2000s, however, the … more

The Bipartisan State Budget

Budgets generate a lot of conflict, but not a lot of partisan spending

… partisan. I wouldn’t have guessed that $25,000 in funding to give state-chartered banks a manual on how to deal with newly legalized marijuana businesses … the governor’s veto of the increase in funding for students who attend charter schools shows that there is some partisanship concerning the state’s different … more

Detroit School District Enrollment Up For First Time This Century

Superintendent says Detroit's conventional school district gained 700 students

… Confidential reported in June 2018 that around 15,000 Detroit residents attend a charter school in a different city, and another 12,000 travel to a different school … of Choice law. As of the 2016-17 school year, 50,460 students attended charter schools in Detroit. more

Charter Schools Targeted By Veto To Protest At Governor’s Detroit Office

Regular district schools get raise but not charters, which have more poor and minorities

Vista Charter Academy in Grand Rapids has received an A on the … backgrounds. As is true with most charter schools, the vast majority … enroll their children at Vista Charter Academy received some type … increase for Michigan’s public charter schools, which was authorized … $240-per-pupil increase. Vista Charter Academy is one of many high-performing … more

Five Unionized Public Schools Don't Get Funding Hike, Union Silent

Employees unionized at just five of 300 Michigan charter schools; all excluded from state aid increase

… management company that runs this charter school. And two years later, … Cesar Chavez is one of five charter schools in Michigan whose … Academies, there are 300 charter schools in the state. AFT-Michigan … exclude those five unionized charter schools from getting a $240 … Chavez Academy Alliance of Charter Teachers Staff. Those teachers … more

Whitmer Targets Charter Students in Budget Veto

Governor’s selective funding hit unfair, incoherent

… line-item veto to deny public charter school students the standard … leave the state’s nearly 300 charter schools (known in law as “public … estimates the total hit to charter schools at $35 million, amounting … affects only students going to charter schools stands directly at … since 75% of the students charter schools educate are low-income, … more

Whitmer Vetoes Funding Hike For Schools That Enroll More Poor Kids

Most at-risk students here attend charters, which mostly outperform district schools

… state funding for public charter schools, according to the … significant because the public charter schools that will be most … state data, 75% of Michigan charter school students are eligible … enrolled in Michigan’s public charter schools make better academic … released a 2015 study that found charter school students in Detroit … more

Despite Bluster And Bullying, 32,208 Left Teachers Union Since Right-To-Work

MEA suffered another legal embarrassment this month

… school employees. Almost all regular school district employees are, as was the case then, in workplaces that have been organized by the MEA. Few charter schools are unionized, however, and Detroit teachers belong to an arm of the American Federation of Teachers. The MEA stated in October 2013 that … more

Website Calls Detroit Charter School ‘Struggling,’ Silent On Failing District Schools Nearby

Charter scored a ‘C’ on income-adjusted school ratings, but its conventional competitors got an ‘F’

The news site Chalkbeat Detroit recently characterized a charter school called the Timbuktu Academy as a “struggling Detroit school.” The school was in the news because it is changing its name to the Barack Obama Leadership Academy. All 436 of Timbuktu Academy’s 2018-19 students were designated as … more

Gary Model Suggests Way Forward for Benton Harbor Students

Effective dual-enrollment school serves similar community

… Michigan: the 21st Century Charter School in Gary, Indiana. The … access college. In 2010, the charter school launched a distinctive … minimum to 24. 21st Century Charter allows students to take courses … graduation from 21st Century Charter. Replicating the model in … to note that 21st Century Charter operates on significantly … more

A Case Study in Anti-School Choice Activist Journalism

CQ Magazine’s bizarre sliming of DeVos, charters

… just released a piece on charter schools and Betsy DeVos. There … would get the impression that charter schools serve students poorly, … results of the research on charter schools “inconclusive.” In … that find positive results: charter schools greatly improving … dollars follow students to charter schools when they choose to … more

Township Wants Higher Taxes to Pay for Optional Employment Benefit

Insurance premiums offered to employees after retirement not fully prefunded

… local governments to report to the state on their retirement systems, we warned that some local officials will abuse this process to hike taxes. The Charter Township of Bloomfield in Oakland County looks like it’s in the process of proving the point. The township is proposing to let some of its property … more

Union’s Rationing Scheme Would Consign Detroit Students To Inferior Schools

Teacher unions don’t want competition from nonunionized charter schools

… process to limit the number of charter schools. David Hecker, the … example of a particular Detroit charter school to support his proposal. … example illustrates why public charter schools are needed in the … pointed to the closing of a charter school called the Detroit … restrict the opening of new charter schools. “If there was a … more

We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident...

With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence

… Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring … more

Inferior Compared To What? Detroit Students Slam Charter School

When adjusted for student backgrounds, this charter outperformed Detroit district schools

Two students who attended a Detroit charter school made the news when they criticized Universal Academy … Altalaqani used their speeches to criticize the charter school for its use of substitute teachers, and … results from 674 Michigan public high schools. The charter school had 728 students in 2018-19, of which 98.35% … more

Overselling Whitmer’s Education Budget

Increase in line with years past, not 'game-changing' and 'historic'

… money for pensions can be used right alongside other school aid dollars to pay for the expenses of running a school district. (By contrast, most charter public schools do not participate in the state-run pension system and receive no state money to offer retirement income to their employees.) The … more

No State Education Board Majority To Take $47 Million Federal For Charters

The schools get the money anyway

… million federal grant to charter schools, with some members … Nearly half of Michigan charter schools that received federal … offer technical assistance to charter schools, especially those … Department of Education. “Charter Schools are public schools … Academies, confirmed that charters schools would receive the … more

Private School Decline May Be Overstated

Families need more, not fewer, education options

… on potential benefits by having less access to an array of educational options. He also makes a case that the availability of tuition-free public charter schools may be drawing many away from private schools. Today, many Michigan families sacrifice to pay tuition, helping to keep many private schools … more

Anti-Choice State Board Rejects Funds from Top-Rated Grant Application

No defense for vote to refuse federal charter school funds

… low-income students through public charter schools. On May 14, four … funds designed to help public charter schools open and grow. Michigan … "the number of high-quality charter schools serving at-risk populations." … taken in by Michigan schools. Charters serve 10% of the students … dollars. Counting all funds, charter schools receive 20% less per … more

Facts Should Matter in the Realm of Education

The NEA should keep its facts straight when it comes to school choice

… declares on slide 41 that charter schools are “private schools … course, that’s nonsense. Charter schools are public schools. … demand exceeds capacity. Charter schools must also abide by … One could even argue that charter schools often are more “public” … NEA would acknowledge that charters are public schools, the share … more

Should Educator Evaluations Trust Data More?

Study raises questions about bias in judging teacher performance

… definitively prove bias, they do raise concerns both about the fairness and validity of classroom observations. According to state law, a district or charter school must dismiss teachers who receive the lowest rating on three consecutive annual evaluations. These cases have become vanishingly rare, however: … more

Regulated Enough? Bill Imposes Licensing Mandate on Hunting, Fishing Guides

Current guides say state should enforce existing rules, not write new ones

… not to be publicly identified, remain skeptical, especially about the state’s commitment to enforcement. Fraley said he also guides inland fishing charters in Alaska, which for many years required regular harvest reports. In 2019, Alaska is dropping the requirement, he said. “I don’t think it worked … more

Beyond the Fight over Social Studies Standards

Michigan families need more educational freedom

… advantage of the flexibility provided by the state's charter school law. The good news is that more progress … Michigan affiliate of Hillsdale College's Barney Charter Schools Initiative. Like all of the state's charter schools, it can be accessed, tuition-free, for … more

New High School Rankings Need More Context

Selective admission campuses top U.S. News’ list in Michigan

… conventional district school in Oakland County, and Black River Public School, a charter school located in Holland. They may be fairly rated as the top two open-enrollment … Meanwhile, the eight highest-rated open-enrollment schools in Detroit are all charters. U.S. News and World Report annually ranks high schools across the country … more

Critique of CAP Report Card Fires Blanks

Report card still valuable despite list of complaints from MSU professor

… claiming that we selectively discussed charters that were doing well and didn't mention charters that weren't. The explanation of … appears to say that we note when charters are in high-performing tables, but … we discussed the representation of charter schools in the rankings when they … more

Charter School Critique Misses the Mark

Different approach needed to enhance student diversity

… gives low grades to Michigan charter schools on diversity." But … sentiment to want public charter schools to significantly alter … ridiculous to imply that charter schools are to blame." The … doesn't put all the blame on charter schools, but does expect them … expectation is daunting, as most charters and other public schools … more

Education Scholarship Proposal Would Open Doors For Parents, Schoolchildren

A new federal plan would help families exercise choice

… education plan; and A single mother in poverty is able to pay for gas money or public transit to get her daughter to a high-performing district or charter school that's miles away. The bill’s proponents have a difficult task ahead of them, but the scholarship proposal could open up opportunities for … more

Financial Disaster for School Districts Hasn’t Come

Number of districts in deficit stands at lowest in 15 years

… imposing a moratorium on any new charter schools. Back in 2013, statewide … something that did not exist in 1988 — charter schools. The state identified 619 … attributable to the growth of public charter schools, of which there were about … a conventional school district, a charter school can go into deficit. A narrative … more

Proposed Cyberschool Cut Doesn't Add Up

Equal funding should follow students to their choice school

… budget seeks to reduce funding for students enrolled in cyberschools, charter public schools that deliver most or all of their instruction online. The … Michigan public schools to provide transportation services, though many charters and nearly all districts do.) Gov. Snyder said cyberschools should be … more

Get Rid of the Teacher Licensing Exam

Let individual districts and principals decide whether certification is necessary

If you want to teach at a public school in Michigan, including at a charter school, you’ll end up taking a lot of tests. Most of these will take place while you’re getting a college degree, but even when that’s done, the state mandates a series of other exams to get and stay licensed. Michigan should, … more

Detroit Charter Opening Doors of Opportunity

Frontier International Academy shines on CAP Report Card

… Nearly every single student at Frontier, a public charter school authorized by Bay Mills Community College, … takes in some learners from higher-performing charter schools like Bridge Academy West and Hamtramck … accomplishment is instrumental in keeping many of the charter school's educators on board. As Davidson said, … more

Despite Government Broadband’s Poor Record, Farmington Hills Considers It

Oakland County city already saturated with competing high-speed private providers

… municipal fiber-optic network in their communities. Residents of Farmington and Farmington Hills can already purchase high-speed home internet from Charter Spectrum and AT&T. But Richard Lerner, a member of the Farmington Hills City Council, believes that current internet service isn’t adequate and the … more

Respected Think Tank Shatters Michigan ‘Teacher Shortage’ Myth

Uncritical media has repeated this false teachers union claim

… a number of education reforms that were not popular with teachers unions. Those reforms included expanding public school choice by allowing more charter schools (which are almost exclusively nonunion) and prohibiting schools from using their payroll systems to deduct union dues from employee paychecks. … more

House Dems: Make Charter Schools Hiring For-Profit Managers Unconstitutional

Proposed change to state constitution could shut down some of the state’s top schools

… some top-performing public charter schools to close their doors … general election. A number of charter schools managed by for-profit … the trade association for charter schools, and the Mackinac … the boards of 42 Michigan charter school high schools on the … evaluating a school. These charter high schools also accounted … more

Charters Top List Of Detroit’s Best Public High Schools

City’s 3 best were charters

… in the city of Detroit are charter schools, according to a Mackinac … schools in the city are public charter schools: Frontier International … selective schools because, unlike charters, they can choose to turn … admission. Under state law, a charter school must accept any student … long as it has space. Many charter schools have a waiting list … more

Government Broadband’s Record Is Bad; Traverse City Going For It

City-owned utility wants a federal ‘energy savings’ loan to bankroll it

… of 15,515, and most residents have a choice in internet service between Charter Spectrum and AT&T. Residents and businesses now have access to internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second through private providers like Charter. Still, the public utility is moving forward with the network.  Patrick … more

Michigan Charter Schools Turn 25

Quarter century later, educational choice needs renewed vigilance

… legalizing the creation of public charter schools. Michigan was the eighth state to adopt a charter law — Minnesota pioneered … results achieved by Michigan charter schools have been consistently … state's lower-funded public charter schools get 32 percent more … where each dollar spent by a charter school is more than twice … more

Law Requires Public Schools To Report Bullying, Not All Do

With 50,000 students, Detroit reports just five incidents

… required to submit to the department under a bill that became law in 2014. There were 200 school districts out of 888 traditional school districts and charter school buildings that reported no incidents of bullying in 2017-18. Some of these reports were inaccurate or erroneous. For example, Grand Rapids … more