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Listen Tuesdays at 6:45 and 8:45 a.m. on 90.5 WKAR-FMAccording to the Kids Count report of April 2018, 56% of third graders in Michigan are not proficient in English Language Arts. At the same time, some new public school teachers in Michigan are leaving the classroom because they do not earn enough money for a decent living. Virtual and charter schools are on the rise in Michigan. And in some communities there are breakthroughs in raising better readers.Covering education in Michigan is complex, but WKAR is committed to reporting on the problems, searching for solutions, and holding leaders accountable.Listen for Making The Grade in Michigan with WKAR education reporter Kevin Lavery every Tuesday at 6:45 and 8:45 a.m. on 90.5 WKAR-FM's Morning Edition.

MI K-12 Budget May Gain Traction This Week

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Michigan lawmakers are set to review the K-12 budget this week.
michigan.gov

Michigan lawmakers may be moving closer to a final K-12 education budget. 

 

With roads now taking the backseat in Lansing, Republican leaders are focusing on the rest of the state budget.  A joint conference committee is set to review the K-12 figures on Thursday. 

“My Republican colleagues and I are looking at making sure we again have some record funding this year,” says House School Aid Appropriations Subcommittee vice-chair Rep. Pamela Hornberger (R-Chesterfield Township). 

“What I would like to see is, when the money makes it to school districts, that it actually makes it into the classrooms.”

The House plan would add another $200 million to the current education budget.  

Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer favors a weighted spending plan that provides more money for special ed, at risk and career and technical students. 

However, the GOP says that plan is unlikely to pass. 

The final budget is due October 1. 

 

 

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Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.