• Governor Applauds Congress for Extending Unemployment Benefits
• Governor Hails New W.K. Kellogg Foundation Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship
• Michigan Working to be Wind Manufacturing Center, Governor Says
• K-12 Funding Efforts Continue

Governor Applauds Congress for Extending Unemployment Benefits

On Thursday the governor issued the following statement regarding congressional passage of an extension in unemployment benefits:
 
"I want to thank Congress, especially members of the Michigan congressional delegation, for extending unemployment benefits.  Almost 100,000 Michigan workers who would have exhausted their benefits by the end of this year will receive help while the economy recovers and we continue to focus on creating jobs and diversifying our economy.

"I am grateful Congress has taken this action, I am thankful the president will sign this bill, and I am pleased that we will be able to continue to protect the unemployed during these difficult economic times while injecting more resources into the Michigan economy."

Governor Hails New W.K. Kellogg Foundation Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship

In her radio address this week, the governor said Michigan has been chosen for a new teaching fellowship program that will benefit almost 20,000 Michigan public school students in high-need schools.

The program will train 240 new math and science teachers to teach in middle and high schools that desperately need teachers in these subjects.  Over a period of five years, almost 20,000 Michigan public school students will receive high-quality education in science, technology, engineering and math from these new teachers.

The statewide teaching fellowship program is made possible by a $16.7 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.  The result is the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship.

Key messages:

Vulnerable students in high-need schools are going to receive innovative, high-quality instruction that otherwise they wouldn't have gotten.

The Michigan teaching fellowship is an investment in the future of our children, the future of our workforce, and the future of our state.  It will transform education for both children and teachers, and it will prepare 21st century minds for 21st century jobs.

This fellowship will be transformational not only for teachers and students but also for the Michigan universities that will educate the new math and science teachers.  That's because participating universities will first have to agree to overhaul their teacher education programs.  Existing math and science programs will be replaced with new ones based on collaboration between the schools of arts and sciences and education.

Many details remain to be worked out.  In January, the participating universities will be announced as will the Michigan school districts where the new teachers will be placed.
 
Michigan Working to be Wind Manufacturing Center, Governor Says

The governor said Michigan is working to become a world center for wind and clean-energy manufacturing, which is part of her strategy to grow the state's economy and create jobs.  The governor's remarks came during her address on Wednesday to the American Wind Energy Association's Small and Community Wind Conference & Exhibition in Detroit.

Michigan is well-positioned to be a leader in wind energy manufacturing given the state's manufacturing talent and infrastructure, and its geographical location which enables wind products to be shipped via the Great Lakes, the governor said.  She added that the state is helping the wind industry in areas such as capital acquisition, job-training, and research.

Key messages:

Michigan is home to one of the world's greatest 20th century manufacturing industries, automobile manufacturing.  But our goal is to also become the home of one of the world's greatest 21st century manufacturing industries: wind and clean-energy manufacturing.

Detroit and Michigan served as the Arsenal of Democracy during World War II.  Today, as our nation faces the challenges of combating climate change and reducing our dependence on foreign oil, Michigan again is ready to serve.  We are ready to be the arsenal of clean energy for the United States and the world.
 
There are already more than 70 companies in Michigan involved in wind manufacturing.  Wind companies looking for a great place to invest need to come to Michigan.
 
K-12 Funding Efforts Continue

This week the governor traveled to Saginaw, Traverse City, Macomb County and Monroe to participate in roundtable discussions with local school board officials, superintendents, educators and parents about the impact of cuts in funding for K-12 schools.

Efforts continue to find revenues to restore cuts in school aid.  The governor wrote an op-ed on K-12 funding that appears in today's The Detroit News.  Following is a link to the article:

 http://www.detnews.com/article/20091106/OPINION01/911060345/1008/opinion01/Stop-school-aid-bleeding

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