Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on April 25, 2007

Click here to view bill details.

Finally, finally, finally!!! At last we'll be able to do something about the parents who enroll their children in kindergarten and then let their attendance be horrible. It is not unknown for some of the kindergarten children in my building to be absent for 40 or more days. As of right now, there is nothing we can do about it until the kid is 6. The kid then ends up way behind academically and the parents act like it is the school's fault. Finally, the parents will have to accept some responsibility.

Good initiative. But can we please focus our direction on the Edu ation Funding Crisis. To date we are looking at $125 cut this year. Where will some schools find the room or the resources to have another mandate put on public education.

"we are looking at $125 cut this year" Here's a novel idea... Let the schools cut some waste.

The required date (December 5th) is not in sinc with the required date for other states. Before the state of Michigan can consider mandatory K, it needs to consider the age requirements for K attendance in other states--many of our people with young children are moving. Please consider spending more time on trying to resolve the school funding issues.

"Please consider spending more time on trying to resolve the school funding issues." Please consider removing your booger-hooks from my wallet. Abolish the dole schools. We can't afford (on sooo many levels!) those wretched wastes anymore.

Anyone who advocates the mandatory sentencing children to government incarceration at such an early age, deserves to be incarcerated herself. Make school optional. Make government school illegal.

These guys can't wait to get started with the indoctrination process. The sooner we can do away with government schools the better. "Let me control the textbooks and I will control the state." -- Adolph Hitler P.J. O’Rourke, “Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink.” "[State-run] education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed." --Joseph Stalin

Here's a truly novel idea -- Let the legislature stop putting mandate after mandate (almost always unfunded) on the schools. Here's another novel idea -- Let those who constantly complain about and belittle teachers/schools actually come into a school and see what we deal with every day. It is amazing that those who haven't been in a school for years and years seem to have the most griping to do. Here's yet another novel idea -- Let the people who actually spawned the children raise them. I'll teach my offspring about respect, honesty, hard work, etc. I would appreciate it if you would do the same with yours. In the past month I have had: a student tell the substitute to f*** off (8 years old by the way -- parents did nothing when informed), parents totally unconcerned that their child was doing nothing in class, parents get offended when I suggested that they should read with their child at home, and a child (7 years old) throw something at me and try to run out of the classroom (again, parents did nothing). Without parental support, these behavioral difficulties will never improve as teachers have been stripped of all of their disciplinary powers -- the worst I can do to a student is suspend them from school.

"actually come into a school and see what we deal with every day." Most of what you teachers complain about is policies put into effect by liberal/socialist politicians and your no good union. Quit letting your union protect the bad teachers and the rest of you will regain all the respect that you have lost.

What year is this? Are we the ONLY state not requiring it? WOW.

105 Peavey Rd, Suite 116, Chaska, MN 55318 952-361-4931 www.edwatch.org - edwatch@lakes.com February 9, 2007 Print A Minnesota House Committee heard five different full-day kindergarten bills this week (HF 2, HF 78, HF 140, HF 597, HF 637). Are legislators looking at what improves education, or are they pursuing another agenda? All-Day Kindergarten Failing as Education Reform All-day kindergarten fails to improve Stanford 9 reading, math, language arts scores [Published at EducationNews.org.] PHOENIXA report published today by the Goldwater Institute examines Stanford 9 test scores and finds Arizona kindergarten programs initially improve learning but have no measurable impact on reading, math, or language arts test scores by fifth grade. The study, Putting Arizona Education Reform to the Test: School Choice and Early Education Expansion, by Matthew Ladner, Ph.D., vice-president for research at the Goldwater Institute, is the first of its kind to empirically test the relationship between Arizona kindergarten programs and later school achievement. Governor Napolitano has made expanded kindergarten a key piece of her education reform strategy, saying: The data is simply overwhelming that the combination of quality childcare and full-day kindergarten will reap rewards many times the financial investment we make now. Our childrenwill have higher academic achievement if we start them off on a stronger footing. Darcy Olsen, president of the Goldwater Institute, says, "This report demonstrates that all-day kindergarten is not an education reform strategy that policymakers can hang their hats on. All-day k delivers short-term benefits at best." The study analyzes test score data from schools throughout Arizona that offered all-day kindergarten or preschool programs during the 1999-2000 school year. In those schools, reading and math test scores for third graders are higher than those without all-day or pre-k. By the fifth grade, however, there is no difference in test scores between schools with and without these programs. Dr. Ladner controls for the percentage of students in English Language Learner programs, students eligible for free and reduced lunch, student ethnicity, teacher experience levels, among other variables. The Goldwater Institute also examined the impact of all-day kindergarten on AIMS passing rates and found passing rates did not improve. The study also measured the impact of competition from charter and private schools on public school test scores. Building on a 2001 study by Harvard University economist Dr. Caroline Hoxby, which found schools in Maricopa County facing competition for students from charter schools had faster student achievement gains, Dr. Ladner applied a similar methodology to schools in Pima County. Stanford 9 test scores show that during the 2001-2004 school years, students at Pima County public schools facing competition moved up in their Stanford 9 rankings faster than schools not facing competition. Schools facing competition made gains twice as large on the Stanford 9 math test than those not facing competition. In Stanford 9 reading scores, competition group schools gained an average of four national percentile points, while the non-competition group averaged less than one. "This report is not an indictment of kindergarten as an institution. It just makes clear that if policymakers are looking for an education reform strategy that has been proven to work, the search is over. Early education programs like all-day kindergarten and preschool do not deliver long-term academic improvement. Competition for students, however, increases achievement in the short-term through higher test scores and in the long-term through greater year-over-year achievement gains," explains Dr. Ladner. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 105 Peavey Rd, Suite 116, Chaska, MN 55318 952-361-4931 www.edwatch.org - edwatch@lakes.com EdWatch is entirely user-supported. The continuation of our research and distribution work depends upon individual contributors. Click here to contribute to our work. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this EdWatch e-mail service, mail to: edwatch@lakes.com. Put "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the SUBJECT of the message. EdWatch shopping cart here.

Few people realize all the cuts many districts have made. If there is the perception of waste, it comes from the fact that there were over 200 new pieces of unfunded legislation passed last year alone. Whenever we implement a cost saving measure, there is usually legislation passed shortly afterward that bans it. Also consider that school districts must pay into a retirement fund for all staff that is decided by the state, not the school districts. We are looking at 17% next year. Since proposal A, the state has not kept funding in pace with inflation. Bussing is mandatory, unless you want to cut primary or secondary. When you talk about schools cutting waste, you might want to do your homework first.

With a December 1 cut off date, you are suggesting that 4-year olds attend all day every day kindergarten. The current trend in teaching is "differentiated learning". It really addresses the idea that all kids don't fit the same mold or learn the same way. This sounds like the debacle of phonics vs. whole language that was adopted in California years ago and was a complete failure. Also, the research is strong for economically challenged children. However, there is no research available for the middle class children. I strongly oppose this legislation. I gave birth to my children and have the right to choose when and where they attend school. At this rate, it will not be in Michigan.

The text of this bill does not require all day kindergarten. It mandates that districts provide kindergarten to children who turn 5 by December 1.

Research doesn't support that forced early kindergarten makes a difference in the long run. How will we pay for it when many districts are cutting teachers now? The option is there already for kindergarden if parents want to take advantage of it, but I'm concerned that this will cause incredible problems at the upper end if kids who don't want to be there are forced to attend until age 18. (Have you checked out what happens in other states? Do we really need this headache in our schools? Don't you understand that it's impossible to teach those who don't want to learn?)

Research doesn't support that forced early kindergarten makes a difference in the long run. How will we pay for it when many districts are cutting teachers now? The option is there already for kindergarden if parents want to take advantage of it, but I'm concerned that this will cause incredible problems at the upper end if kids who don't want to be there are forced to attend until age 18. (Have you checked out what happens in other states? Do we really need this headache in our schools? Don't you understand that it's impossible to teach those who don't want to learn?)

Because the nanny state needs to get control of the kids before any evil conservative parents can teach them that the state as a nanny is a very scary thing. As far as I'm concerned they shouldn't start school until about 7 years old and the state should not be in the education/indoctrination business. Give us back our exorbitant school taxes and let us decide where our kids get their education.

A 5 year old does not need to be in a desk - he needs to be finding out about the world the way that 5 year olds do, which can't happen in most classrooms. He needs to spend time with his family, not be raised by other 5 year olds. This law takes away the rights of the people who really know and care about what is best for that child - his parents. All districts provide kindergarten already, and parents know whether their child would benefit or not. Many parents are putting off sending their child to kindergarten an extra year because the child is not ready (emotionally or socially).

to get those little ones into the idoctrination camps before the evil parents can teach them that the state isn't the mommy.

I will make the choice for my child. I will either homeschool her for Kindgergarten, or I will send her to a private school for her first year. Don't let this stress you. Don't let THEM get you upset. YOU are in control. YOU can do what you want with YOUR child. They will never win, no matter how much they try. Other parents will not be forced into this either.

FYI: public school is actually not mandatory in Michigan--for any student. If you don't like the policies and you are a bright or hardworking (or both?) parent, why not home school? What do you have to do in Michigan to home school? Send a note to your child's school saying you are home schooling (unless you like truant officers). The next day? Keep the child home and start teaching them. Period. Like the specials at school? Send the child in to school for art, P.E., media, etc. By Michigan Law, a home schooled child cannot be denied enrichment activities that a parent may not be able to provide on their own. Wouldn't be fair. You may have to wrangle with the office staff (as we did), but the schools have to abide by Michigan state law (as my DH, the lawyer, pointed out to our middle school principle). May not be for everyone, but we love being able to have our kids go to orchestra, art, etc. at school and still actually teach them the core subjects at home. Caveat: you can't pick and choose which core subjects to teach. Either you teach them all, or you enroll in school full-time. But you can pick and choose the specials. Just a thought.

This bill does require parents to enroll their children in Kindergarten if they meet the age requirement. Or home school them.

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. --Albert Einstein Question: Does attending a mediocre school at age 5 make you smarter than attending a mediocre school when you are 6?