Arguing that the old tradition of picking winners and losers in Michigan’s education system, an historic panel of state leaders today is recommending a paradigm shift toward picking winners and winners going forward. They rolled out the plan in Lansing today under the flag of Launch Michigan.
Contending that “Each and every Michigan child deserves access to the opportunities they need to achieve their aspirations, no matter where they live or how much money their family earns,” the diverse panel of state business, education, civic and philanthropic leaders has unveiled their vision for providing stronger learning opportunities to all Michigan children, and outlined a set of phase one recommendations for making that vision a reality.
Today’s announcement kicks off an agenda for change to begin taking shape during 2020.
Tonya Allen, President & CEO of The Skillman Foundation and co-chair of Launch Michigan says, “As a state we’ve been focused on picking winners and losers in the education system. We must turn our intentions to producing winners and winners, making targeted and equitable investments so all Michigan children can achieve their highest aspirations.”
Launch Michigan team members have chosen three simple core priorities to underlie all its work:
- Preparing Graduates
- Ensuring rapid improvement
- Closing equity gaps
Allen’s co-chair, Paul Herbart, the President of the Michigan Education Association, says, “These priorities are going to give us a solid framework for change,” adding, “From here, we can develop a strong, phased-in approach that will deliver results for all our state’s learners over time.”
During the first phase of its work, Launch Michigan plans to focus on boosting elementary literacy and providing all children with the great teachers they deserve.
Co-chair Doug Rothwell, the President & CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan, says, “We’re introducing a new ‘Equity in Literacy’ fund this year, which will provide additional support to early readers in grades K–3,” adding, “The fund will help tackle Michigan’s literacy challenges while providing additional support to students living in poverty, as well as those who are geographically isolated.”
The Equity in Literacy fund will be accompanied by district-driven strategic planning requirements, to ensure dollars are being allocated to areas of greatest need and are tied to evidence-based research and practice.
Herbart suggests, “Together, we have come to recognize the essential link between funding and accountability,” and notes, “It’s important to ensure all dollars spent are maximized in ways that can demonstrate measurable growth in student achievement.”
Rothwell says the additional funding is essential to boost student results over time, particularly for children with greater needs. He says, “As a coalition, we support a student-centered, weighted funding formula that allocates resources to children based on their unique needs and circumstances,” and concludes, “We can’t hope to create a world-class educational system while we continue to under-invest in Michigan’s schools.”
Today’s Launch Michigan recommendations are supported by findings from a March 2019 survey of 17,000 Michigan educators, which identified additional literacy resources as a critical gap in their schools.
To access the full Launch Michigan recommendations online, you can click the link below:
Launch Michigan Partners include:
Steering Committee Co-Chairs
- Tonya Allen, The Skillman Foundation
- Paula Herbart, Michigan Education Association
- Doug Rothwell, Business Leaders for Michigan
Steering Committee Members
- Amber Arellano, The Education Trust Midwest
- Rick Baker, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
- Sandy Baruah, Detroit Regional Chamber
- Tim Daman, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Darienne Driver Hudson, United Way for Southeastern Michigan
- Rob Fowler, Small Business Association of Michigan
- David Hecker, American Federation of Teachers—Michigan
- Ron Koehler, The School Finance Research Collaborative
- Bill Miller, Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators
- Dan Quisenberry, Michigan Association of Public School Academies
- Michael Rice, Michigan Department of Education
- Julie Ridenour, Steelcase Foundation
- Joe Scantlebury, Council of Michigan Foundations
- Kevin Stotts, Talent 2025
- Ray Telman, Middle Cities Education Association
- Chris Wigent, Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators
- Don Wotruba, Michigan Association of School Boards
- The Michigan Parent Teacher Association
- Traverse Connect
Launch Michigan is an unprecedented partnership of business, education, labor, philanthropy, and civic leaders, as well as parents, all of whom care deeply about education and Michigan’s collective future. The committee says, “That is why we want a high-quality, student-centered system–one that helps every student succeed in school, in their careers, and in life. We understand implicitly that a strong, thriving public education system is the cornerstone of successful kids, prosperous communities, and a strong economy.”
