LANSING – StudentsFirst Vice President of State Affairs and former State Representative Tim Melton made the following statement regarding Governor Rick Snyder’s State of the State speech. During the speech, Gov. Snyder called for the implementation of teacher and administrator evaluation as well as continued efforts to improve pre-school through 3rd grade reading:
“I applaud Governor Snyder’s commitment to implementing meaningful teacher and administrator evaluations. As the Governor said, ‘Let’s finish teacher effectiveness! Our teachers deserve the best tools to be better teachers.’ A highly effective teacher is the most important component of a child’s classroom success, and teacher and administrator evaluations that include meaningful feedback will help educators improve their skills,” Melton said. “Even though there have been improvements to DPS, too many children continue to be trapped in failing schools. There is still a lot of work to do to provide these kids with an education that equips them with the necessary tools to succeed in life.
“It is very refreshing to hear Governor Snyder put early childhood reading high on his priority list,? Melton said. ?Reading is fundamental to a student’s success and we must do a better job of supporting students who are not proficient in reading in first grade and second grade. StudentsFirst Michigan looks forward to working with Gov. Snyder, Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, and Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter to make sure all Michigan children have quality educational opportunities. Our kids deserve nothing less.?
