This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
On Tuesday, the House K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee heard presentations on the theme of CTE opportunities for students and, though the three organizations that presented were all private companies promoting their specific CTE initiative (one focused on advanced manufacturing and two pitched virtual reality-based instruction), the questions from subcommittee members indicated more of a general interest in and support for CTE programs rather than just focusing on the limited-scale efforts highlighted in testimony.…
Senate PK-12 Approps Reports 2025-26 Budget Recommendation
The Senate PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee has reported out their proposal for the 2025-26 School Aid Budget. Overall, the budget looks remarkably similar to the executive recommendation put forward by Governor Gretchen Whitmer's office almost three months ago. The major highlights include a $10,008 per pupil foundation allowance (a 4.2% increase), 25% increases to At Risk and ELL funding, 4.2% increases to other weighted funding line items (CTE, rural/isolated, Early On, ISD general…
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
On Tuesday, the House K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee took testimony from MASSP's Bob Kefgen highlighting how outdated and overly rigid state policies, particularly with regard to pupil accounting, are obstructing educational innovation and limiting schools’ ability to meet student needs…MASSP urged MDE and lawmakers to follow the example of other states that have removed policy barriers and encouraged schools to adopt innovative learning models and instructional strategies that better serve today’s learners (you…
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
On Tuesday, the House K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee continued budget hearings this week, taking testimony from members of the Michigan Personalized Learning Taskforce: Dr. Rebekah Redmer (Executive Director of Innovative Programming, Jenison Public Schools) presented on shared time, Mitch Cummings (Director of Offsite and Alternative Learning, Berrien Springs Public Schools) spoke to the ways in which current state accountability systems discourage alternative education programs, and Lisa Sitkins (President and CEO, LSS Connections and…
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
The Michigan Legislature returns from spring recess this coming week, with lawmakers expected to resume work on the state budget and the House Education and Workforce Committee likely to pick up where it left off before the break, having been busy moving and hearing several education bills. Just before recess, the Committee approved a series of bills including HB 4155 (requiring MDE to create a vetted list of curriculum and assessment vendors),…
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
This week, the House Education Committee continued their work on the House Republican Education Plan and advanced HJR E (which proposes a Constitutional amendment to make the State Superintendent of Public Instruction a gubernatorial appointment rather than a position hired by the State Board of Education) and held testimony on five education bills—HB 4155, HB 4156, HB 4157, HB 4158, and HB 4159—that include things like modifying graduation requirements and overhauling the…
Implementing Threat Reporting & Response Systems Under HB 5549
By Tom Lietz, MASSP Associate Director for Training and Development, and Bob Kefgen, MASSP Associate Director for Government Relations. Michigan’s new Behavior Threat Assessment and Management Team (BTAM Team) requirements, established under HB 5549 (Public Act 272 of 2024), go beyond simply forming a team—they require clear systems for identifying, reporting, and responding to potential threats. In our previous article, we defined the statutory requirements of HB 5549 and suggested some first steps districts…
This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)
On Wednesday, the House Education and Workforce Committee advanced HB 4150, HB 4151, HB 4152, and HB 4153, moving forward bills that would eliminate teacher licensing fees (but also create an $8 million revenue shortfall for MDE), allow teachers to add subject-area endorsements to their teaching certificates without additional coursework if they pass the appropriate Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC), and empower local school districts to award limited teaching certificates. These…
What Schools Need to Know About HB 5549 and Threat Assessment Teams
By Tom Lietz, MASSP Associate Director for Training and Development, and Bob Kefgen, MASSP Associate Director for Government Relations. A package of school safety laws that passed during the 2024 lame duck session are going to require some advanced planning and implementation work from Michigan's school leaders. Over the next several weeks, MASSP will be doing a deep dive into the details of these new requirements from a principal's perspective and covering…
Governor Whitmer’s State of the State: Key Education Takeaways
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s 2025 State of the State Address touched on several issues that impact Michigan’s secondary schools, including student mental health and wellness, school accountability, and postsecondary opportunities. Proposed incentives for limiting cell phone use, a call for additional vaping regulations, and a focus on engaging young men with the state's scholarship programs all found a place in Wednesday's speech and all could have direct implications for high school administrators. With…