For many months, Michigan legislators have battled over education. Often, it’s been over the "Common Core" curriculum standards that Michigan and more than 40 other states will adopt soon. The ongoing dispute has taken a number of turns in the past week.
First, the Republican majority legislature made millions in school funding contingent on continuing the Michigan Education Assessment Program, or MEAP tests, for K-12 students. The Michigan Department Of Education had been planning for several years to drop it and move to the web-friendly "Smarter Balanced" Assessment.
Then on Wednesday, fed up GOP Representative Bob Genetski filed a measure that would transfer oversight of student assessments from the state Department of Education to the Treasury Department. He and other fellow Republicans say they’ve been frustrated by claims from the Education department that there isn’t time to revise the MEAP test for next school year.
The Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, Republican Phil Pavlov says lawmakers want a fair and open conversation about what assessments should look like in Michigan.