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Reform will help improve student
performance using existing financial resources
As a former educator myself, I
recognize that education reform must focus on the student in
collaboration with informed parents and competent teachers. With the
state’s dropout age increasing from 16 to 18, it is more important
than ever to enact my legislation to give struggling students the
assistance they need for success in school and economic
independence.
Approved by the Senate in July, my
reform provides a model approach and structure without a mandate to
establish key benchmarks for grade-level achievement and strongly
encourages evaluation, intervention and programs in the state’s
lowest-performing 5 percent of public schools. Senate Bill 1284
builds on my SAVE the Children initiative, which allows intermediate
school districts to develop model early intervention programs for
children in kindergarten through third grade.
While struggling students will be
helped more by the landmark reforms we enacted in January than any
one-time federal money boost, the reforms were missing a systematic
program to recognize students starting to struggle, intervene early
and follow them to ensure they succeed.
My legislation will put in place a
proven plan to identify student weaknesses and work to remediate
them in a comprehensive manner. Understanding that kids start to
struggle early on, programs like SAVE have actually reduced costs
and improved student academic performance at the same time. All this
can be accomplished within the framework of existing school
resources. We can help struggling students without federal
assistance.
Bills protecting Michigan auto
dealers signed into law
Legislation that strengthens
Michigan’s auto franchise law and helps protect car dealers was
recently signed by the governor. Public Acts 138-141 of 2010 are in
direct response to the massive wave of dealership closings that
resulted from the Chrysler and GM bankruptcy proceedings. Many of
the thousands of dealership closures nationwide occurred in Michigan
– costing the state thousands of jobs.
Most of the Michigan auto dealerships
shut down were long-time job providers, tax-payers and members of
our communities. Despite a lengthy state and local economic
recession, these family-owned businesses chose to stay here.
These measures add to the list of
actions that manufacturers are prohibited from taking, including
imposing unreasonable performance standards or requiring
unreasonable improvements to a dealership. The new laws were the
result of extensive negotiations between auto dealers and
manufacturers, so as to ensure fairness – not tilt the playfield in
anyone’s direction.
Approve a balanced state budget -
now
Three months ago, Senate Republicans
once again approved a balanced budget without raising taxes.
Understanding the economic and fiscal realities our residents and
the state are facing, we balanced an expected $1.3 billion shortfall
for Fiscal Year 2011 by cutting spending and making structural
reforms.
On July 1, the Legislature approved a
school aid budget to get certainty and additional dollars to our
schools. While that was a positive step, the rest of the state
budget remains unfinished. My Senate Republican colleagues and I
have worked to reduce the size, scope and cost of government,
because we know that continuing to spend like the state has in the
past is unsustainable.
The primary has passed. Senate
Republicans have completed our budget plan. Now is the time for the
House to act. I urge the House to stop stonewalling on the budget.
They must pass the Senate plan or come to the negotiating table with
a clear alternative – not balanced with revenues “To Be Determined.”
This isn’t baseball. Going to extra
innings is not an acceptable option.
For more information, visit my Web
site at
www.SenatorNancyCassis.com. Or contact me toll free at
1-888-38-NANCY. |