Mich. Lawmakers May Have To OK Learning Standards

LANSING (AP) - Michigan would not be able to spend money to implement new education standards in state public schools unless the Legislature approves it, under a budget proposal approved by a legislative panel Tuesday.

A budget bill for the Michigan Department of Education approved by a Republican-led conference committee would require the Legislature to affirm the Common Core State Standards and the assessment that goes along with it before the department could use any funding to implement the standards.

The bill now heads to the Republican-led House and Senate floor for final approval, where it cannot be amended.
In 2010, Michigan's State Board of Education adopted the Common Core standards, which have been adopted by 44 other states, and they are currently being implemented in the state's schools.

They were developed by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers with the aim of providing clear goals for teachers, boosting student performance and allowing for educational cooperation and comparison among states.

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder supports the standards, but some Republicans in the Legislature say they strip away local control of the state's educational system. Original budget bills passed by the full House and Senate would have completely blocked funding for the standards.

State Superintendent Mike Flanagan said in a statement that at a time when Michigan needs "to be focusing on the highest-quality education for Michigan's kids, we get a legislative mandate to go backwards."

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