Flanagan Says Legislative Action Today Will Have Negative Impact on Kids
Contact: Martin Ackley, Director of Public and Governmental Affairs (517) 241-4395Agency: EducationMay 28, 2013
LANSING - State Superintendent Mike Flanagan today criticized the Fiscal Year 2013-14 state budget for a provision in the bill that will have a negative impact for schools and students.
"In this time, when we need to be focusing on the highest-quality education for Michigan's kids, we get a legislative mandate to go backwards," Flanagan said.
The provision would not allow the Michigan Department of Education to spend funds to implement the Common Core State Standards and the upcoming computer-adaptive Smarter Balance Assessment.
The budget bill was adopted by the joint Senate-House conference committee earlier today and is awaiting final adoption by both bodies.
The Common Core standards, which set rigorous expectations to prepare career- and college-ready students, were adopted by the State Board of Education in 2010, in accordance with its authority set in state law.
The Common Core and Smarter Balance Assessment are strongly supported by Michigan's business leaders and education leaders as good for Michigan schools; good for Michigan's children; good for Michigan businesses; and good for Michigan's economic future.
"When will they stop playing politics with our children's education?" Flanagan said. "Thoughtful improvements to education must be protected from partisan and self-serving politics, where adults should be more concerned about student needs rather than their own."
Flanagan said that the budget now would cause schools to reverse the course they have been on for the past three years: implementing the Common Core standards and gearing up to the computer-adaptive Smarter Balance Assessment.
