Oxford first to back request for stimulus funds
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY
Of The Oakland Press
Of The Oakland Press
Oxford is the first school district to indicate to state Superintendent Mike Flanagan that it wants to support the state’s application for some of the $4.6 billion in Federal Race to the Top stimulus funds.
“That’s great,” said state Rep. Tim Melton, D-Auburn Hills, who was instrumental in getting the Race to the Top legislation passed in Michigan Dec. 19.
“We need a lot more districts to sign up,” said Melton, who represents Auburn Hills and Pontiac in the state House. “The more districts that sign up, the more it helps the (state’s) application” for the federal funds.
“Pontiac has expressed interest and I’m sure will sign up,” said Melton, who said Pontiac Superintendent Thomas Maridada II is supportive.
“They should because they will get a lot more money.”
The federal Race To The Top initiative is a $4.35 billion competitive grant program for states to implement comprehensive and innovative education reforms. If selected, Michigan would receive upward of $400 million for its schools to implement the education reform plan.
Under the broad legislation, the state could add more charter schools and poor-performing schools could be taken over by state. It also raises the state’s dropout age from 16 to 18, ties teacher evaluation to student test scores and provides for more flexibility for schools implementing innovative improvement plans. Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to sign it soon.
“There was a lot of tough legislation that got passed. The hope is it will give schools flexibility,” Melton said.
The Oxford memorandum was signed by Superintendent William Skilling, school board President Colleen B. Schultz, and Oxford Education Association President James Gibbons, said William Ackley, spokesperson. The Oxford Board of Education approved it with a vote of 7-0.
The deadline for local districts to get their signed memorandum to their intermediate school district is Jan. 7, Ackley said. The intermediate school districts must have all memorandums sent to the Michigan Department of Education by Jan. 8.
Public school academies should send their memorandums of commitment directly to the state department by Jan. 8.
“I expect that this is the first of hundreds of (memos) we get from local school districts across the state,” said Flanagan. “I’m not surprised that the first one came from Oxford. They are trailblazers in this state for the direction all districts need to be heading.”
Oxford is one of 14 districts in the state, and the only one in Oakland County, that is a Project Reimagine Recipient Demonstration District and is undergoing major change.
In his transmittal message, Skilling wrote to Flanagan: “There is tremendous support for this initiative and we have strong support from our (teacher union) leadership. There has never been any wavering on Jim’s (Gibbons) part. I am very fortunate to work with such a visionary who is the teachers’ association president.”
“There is no lack of courageous leadership at the local school level, and we will begin to see that unfold over the next several weeks,” Flanagan said.
Skilling said even if the state doesn’t win the funding to support innovation in schools, the legislation will provide flexibility for districts such as Oxford that are providing or want to provide programs that are not traditional. For example, as part of Oxford’s Project Reimagine initiatives, the district will be offering a 24-7 year-round school. Another innovation is a fifth core program that carries a requirement that every student from kindergarten through eighth grade study a world language every day of every year for nine years.
“When they finish eighth grade they will have a pretty high proficiency in listening, speaking, writing and reading a world language. We now have the largest number of students taking Mandarin Chinese — 1,100.”
Next year, the district needs to hire another four to five Mandarin Chinese teachers, which are scarce. The Race to the Top measure contains critical pieces that will help, such as obtaining waivers to allow local Chinese graduate students and others to teach Mandarin while they become certified.
Skilling is also hoping the legislation will help districts like Oxford allow students to study online or elsewhere and still be counted in tabulating per student state aid funding.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact staff writer Diana Dillaber Murray at (248) 745-4638 or e-mail diana. dillaber@oakpress.com.
“That’s great,” said state Rep. Tim Melton, D-Auburn Hills, who was instrumental in getting the Race to the Top legislation passed in Michigan Dec. 19.
“We need a lot more districts to sign up,” said Melton, who represents Auburn Hills and Pontiac in the state House. “The more districts that sign up, the more it helps the (state’s) application” for the federal funds.
“Pontiac has expressed interest and I’m sure will sign up,” said Melton, who said Pontiac Superintendent Thomas Maridada II is supportive.
“They should because they will get a lot more money.”
The federal Race To The Top initiative is a $4.35 billion competitive grant program for states to implement comprehensive and innovative education reforms. If selected, Michigan would receive upward of $400 million for its schools to implement the education reform plan.
Under the broad legislation, the state could add more charter schools and poor-performing schools could be taken over by state. It also raises the state’s dropout age from 16 to 18, ties teacher evaluation to student test scores and provides for more flexibility for schools implementing innovative improvement plans. Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to sign it soon.
“There was a lot of tough legislation that got passed. The hope is it will give schools flexibility,” Melton said.
The Oxford memorandum was signed by Superintendent William Skilling, school board President Colleen B. Schultz, and Oxford Education Association President James Gibbons, said William Ackley, spokesperson. The Oxford Board of Education approved it with a vote of 7-0.
The deadline for local districts to get their signed memorandum to their intermediate school district is Jan. 7, Ackley said. The intermediate school districts must have all memorandums sent to the Michigan Department of Education by Jan. 8.
Public school academies should send their memorandums of commitment directly to the state department by Jan. 8.
“I expect that this is the first of hundreds of (memos) we get from local school districts across the state,” said Flanagan. “I’m not surprised that the first one came from Oxford. They are trailblazers in this state for the direction all districts need to be heading.”
Oxford is one of 14 districts in the state, and the only one in Oakland County, that is a Project Reimagine Recipient Demonstration District and is undergoing major change.
In his transmittal message, Skilling wrote to Flanagan: “There is tremendous support for this initiative and we have strong support from our (teacher union) leadership. There has never been any wavering on Jim’s (Gibbons) part. I am very fortunate to work with such a visionary who is the teachers’ association president.”
“There is no lack of courageous leadership at the local school level, and we will begin to see that unfold over the next several weeks,” Flanagan said.
Skilling said even if the state doesn’t win the funding to support innovation in schools, the legislation will provide flexibility for districts such as Oxford that are providing or want to provide programs that are not traditional. For example, as part of Oxford’s Project Reimagine initiatives, the district will be offering a 24-7 year-round school. Another innovation is a fifth core program that carries a requirement that every student from kindergarten through eighth grade study a world language every day of every year for nine years.
“When they finish eighth grade they will have a pretty high proficiency in listening, speaking, writing and reading a world language. We now have the largest number of students taking Mandarin Chinese — 1,100.”
Next year, the district needs to hire another four to five Mandarin Chinese teachers, which are scarce. The Race to the Top measure contains critical pieces that will help, such as obtaining waivers to allow local Chinese graduate students and others to teach Mandarin while they become certified.
Skilling is also hoping the legislation will help districts like Oxford allow students to study online or elsewhere and still be counted in tabulating per student state aid funding.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact staff writer Diana Dillaber Murray at (248) 745-4638 or e-mail diana. dillaber@oakpress.com.
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