Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on October 18, 2007, to revise a law that allows a school district to offer part of its curricula to a private school or home-schooled student, including at a non-public school location. Under current law, nonessential elective courses can be offered by the school district within whose jurisdiction the student resides, or by a contiguous district under a cooperative agreement with permission of the home-district. The bill would change this to establish that if the home district cannot or will not provide all or some of the instruction, a contiguous district may do even if there is no cooperative agreement and no release by the home district

The vote was 34 in favor, 0 opposed and 4 not voting

(Senate Roll Call 77 at Senate Journal 19)

Click here to view bill details.

I'm opposed. Private and public schools must stand on their own merits. whas the point of separate forms of education if each can pick and choose what they want ?

A couple of things to consider. I pay for public education now so I should be able to use whatever pieces I choose. From the sound of your post, it appears you don't think people should be able to choose how they educate their children. Do you think the government should choose for us?

The idea of charter, voucher, private etc., was never about "separation", it is about "choice". It appears that our legislature is thankfully continuing in that direction - "Power To The Parents"!!!

This bill only opens up nonessential elective courses, not core curricula. A private school has enough struggles just to recruit and pay teachers for core curricula. There are often not enough students nor funds to outfit a marching band. A home-schooled child, who can not have a choir or band in his/her living room, can now have access to that specific type of instruction. This legislation stops a local superintendent who is hostile towards non-public schools from blocking their access to OTHER schools outside of their district that may be friendly and more than willing to help those students. The true need is for legislation that forces the local school to allow the student into their class NO MATTER what. Those students pay taxes just like everyone else!