A new poll of 600 Michigan residents conducted in June reveals that 63% believe state schools are not funded fairly and 70% believe they are underfunded.
Month: August 2018
Poll: Likely Michigan voters support giving schools more of this
Nearly 70 percent of Michigan residents who participated in a June poll support a plan that would boost school funding, giving backers of that plan some strong ammunition as they look to influence the November elections.
Poll: Most residents want Michigan to change the way it funds schools
Most Michigan residents believe the state’s current method of funding schools is both insufficient and unfair.
Those were the findings of a new statewide poll that was conducted in June by the School Finance Research Collaborative, a prominent group of Michigan educators, policymakers, and business leaders that has called for major changes to the way schools are funded.
PRESS RELEASE: New statewide poll shows public support for reforming Michigan’s school finance system
LANSING, Mich. — A new poll commissioned by the School Finance Research Collaborative and performed by nationwide research company Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, shows widespread support for changing the way we fund Michigan’s schools to make it fairer and meet the individual needs of all students.
“This important statewide survey shows that Michiganders of all political stripes agree the way we fund Michigan’s schools is unfair and needs to change,” said Dr. Wanda-Cook Robinson, School Finance Research Collaborative member and Oakland Schools superintendent. “Our new poll should be a wake-up call for policymakers on both sides of the aisle, and both current policymakers and those seeking elected office need to use the poll and the School Finance Research Collaborative study as a roadmap for a new, fairer school funding system.”
“It’s time for a new school funding system that meets the unique, individual needs of all students, whether they are enrolled in special education, live in poverty or attend school in geographically isolated areas,” said Dr. Michael F. Addonizio, School Finance Research Collaborative member and Professor of Education Policy Studies at Wayne State University. “This survey shows that voters across Michigan want us to replace Michigan’s current one-size-fits-all school funding system with a more individualized approach that serves all students, and the School Finance Research Collaborative study provides the building blocks to do that.”
“Our research also shows us that Michiganders want a new approach to school funding that helps prepare all students for successful careers – and not just those who go on to a four-year college,” said Matt Gillard, School Finance Research Collaborative member, and president and CEO of Michigan’s Children. “A new, fairer school funding system will ensure all students have the opportunity to go on to technical school or apprenticeships, as well as college, and get good-paying jobs right here in Michigan.”
The poll found that:
• 70 percent believe Michigan’s schools are underfunded
• 67 percent support a new school funding system that meets all students’ needs
• 63 percent believe Michigan’s current school funding system is unfair
Read a memo summary of the poll here.
Earlier this year, the School Finance Research Collaborative completed Michigan’s first comprehensive school adequacy study that determined the true cost of educating all students to make the way we fund schools more fair.
The School Finance Research Collaborative is a diverse group of business leaders and education experts, from Metro Detroit to the U.P., who agree it’s time to change the way Michigan’s schools are funded.
The final report provides a base cost for student achievement in Michigan, with additional funding considerations for special education, English Language Learners, Career and Technical Education programs, students living in poverty, preschool, geographic isolation, district size, cost of living differences and student transportation.
Read the full report here.
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For media inquiries, contact Christopher Behnan, Byrum & Fisk Communications, at (517) 333-1606, ext. 1
New statewide poll shows public support for reforming Michigan’s school finance system
Lansing, Mich. – A new poll commissioned by the School Finance Research Collaborative [fundmischools.org] and performed by nationwide research company Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, shows widespread support for changing the way we fund Michigan’s schools to make it fairer and meet the individual needs of all students.
Opinion: School library media specialists critical to student achievement
As a library media specialist in Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, I wear multiple hats on any given day. Much more than just managing the library collection and being the reading expert in my building, I teach students how to research, critically evaluate information, use digital resources responsibly, and prepare for college and 21st century careers.
PRESS RELEASE: U.P. school administrators learn about need for new, fairer school funding system
ESCANABA, Mich. — It’s high time for a new, fairer school funding system that meets the unique needs of all students and prepares them for successful careers, regardless of where they attend school, representatives of the School Finance Research Collaborative said at this week’s 2018 U.P. Administrators’ Academy in Escanaba. The U.P. Administrators’ Academy brings school superintendents and administrators together to explore current issues in school administration and leadership.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to educating our kids, and a new, fairer school funding system is needed that addresses the needs of all students, whether they attend school here in the U.P., West Michigan, Southeast Michigan or the Thumb,” said Dr. Dan Reattoir, a School Finance Research Collaborative member and superintendent of the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District. “By funding our schools fairly, we can ensure all students, regardless of their circumstances, go on to college, technical school or an apprenticeship program and get good-paying jobs here in Michigan.”
“The way we fund Michigan’s schools is broken, and without a new, fairer school funding system, our students will only continue to fall behind in an increasingly competitive economy that demands a skilled workforce,” said Ron Koehler, co-chairman of the School Finance Research Collaborative Public Education Committee. “All students must be prepared for the real world and have an opportunity at successful careers, not just those who go to a four-year college.”
Earlier this year, the School Finance Research Collaborative completed Michigan’s first comprehensive school adequacy study that determined the true cost of educating all students to make the way we fund schools more fair. The School Finance Research Collaborative is a diverse group of business leaders and education experts, from Metro Detroit to the U.P., who agree it’s time to change the way Michigan’s schools are funded.
The final report provides a base cost for student achievement in Michigan, with additional funding considerations for special education, English Language Learners, Career and Technical Education programs, students living in poverty, preschool, geographic isolation, district size, cost of living differences and student transportation.
Read the full report here.
###
For media inquiries, contact Christopher Behnan, Byrum & Fisk Communications, at (517) 333-1606, ext. 1