LANSING – A Michigan House committee largely dropped the idea of starting school before Labor Day, bowing to the tourism industry’s concerns, as it approved more key bills Tuesday that are part of the state’s effort to compete for $400 million in federal “Race to the Top” funding.

The House Education Committee also reported legislation requiring students to remain in high school until the age of 18. And it softened legislation that originally would have made student performance 60 percent of teachers’ evaluations to instead say student performance would carry “significant” weight with the definition of significant left to local school districts.

The legislation (HB 5623 , HB 5636 ) encompasses a number of other components, including establishing teacher and administrator evaluation requirements, phasing in compulsory attendance to starting at age five, creating a data system tracking student performance to teachers and requiring districts to provide teachers with basic instructional supplies.

The House Education Committee’s votes come months after the chamber acted on another component of the federal program application: addressing failing schools.

Sticking points remain, but union officials said they were comfortable with moving the bills to the floor as amendments were adopted tying merit pay only to instructional staff and allowing the local district to determine what guidelines comprise student achievement.

There was also movement toward compromise in terms of another contentious issue: the start of the school year. Tourism officials belabored the point that allowing schools to start before Labor Day Weekend would mean a huge hit to their industry.

As reported, the legislation only allows the bottom 5 percent of schools to begin their school year before Labor Day although those schools still could not hold school the Friday before Labor Day. Chair Rep. Tim Melton (D-Auburn Hills) said that falls more in line with federal guidelines and other proponents said that would still support the state’s tourism industry.

The committee also began its discussion of Senate measures that are part of the education reform package (SB 925 and SB 926 ), which would create Schools of Excellence.

Melton said the legislation isn’t intended to “bust” the state’s cap on charter schools, but the bills require more tailoring to match federal Race to the Top guidelines.

Charter school proponents said they agree with lawmakers on expanding quality charter schools, but the head of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies was hesitant to support a provision closing underperforming charter schools until he saw an amendment in writing.

Melton said the Democratic caucus has been clear on wanting more accountability from charter schools and that if a charter school falls into the bottom 5 percent of school performance, the superintendent of public instruction should be able to shut it down. Dan Quisenberry said his group believes the current law embodies that concept as 38 charter schools have closed in recent years due to academic and financial problems.

It appears Democrats will also seek revisions to the bills when it comes to what grade levels charter schools go after.

Melton said charter schools make more money on K-5 or K-8 programs, but kids get lost when they enter high school. He said the reforms provide a “huge incentive” for charters to add high schools and he urged charter school authorizers to push future charters to add those schools.

Jim Goenner, chair of the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers, said high schools have been a challenge for charter schools and the thought was those schools should start with the lower grades and build themselves up. With the state cap on charter schools, Mr. Goenner said it’s been difficult for enough elementary and middle schools to be built in one area that would then feed into a large high school.

Democrats have challenged charter schools because they get to set enrollment limits, while public schools can’t, and on their governing structures.

Brad Biladeau, director of government affairs for the Michigan Association of School Administrators, said the legislation does not fulfill the charter school requirements under the federal program and needs to include more quality spot checks before allowing more charter schools to open in the state.

EDUCATION BOARD: The State Board of Education, in a unanimous resolution, supported much of the legislation under consideration as part of the Race to the Top application: HB 4787 , SB 981 , HB 5623 and HB 5596 .

“In a bipartisan way, we have endorsed legislation to put in place the reform conditions that should be in place,” said board Vice President John Austin (D-Ann Arbor). “This is an opportunity for us to articulate what is right for our students, but it’s the right thing to do for our students regardless of Race To The Top.”

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com

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