Partnerships, Not Closures, Set to Begin with Michigan’s Struggling Schools
Earlier this year 38 schools were marked for potential closure.
The state is stepping in to help struggling schools instead of closing them.
Earlier this year 38 schools were marked for potential closure. Those were schools that consistently ranked in the bottom five percent of all public schools in the state.
Now state officials and others are partnering with the school districts that house these low-performing schools to help them improve.
The partnership involves nine school districts and they will work with community partners to come up with a list of goals – and then have 36 months to meet them.
Gov. Snyder said he hopes the legislature will soon update the law with a similar model.
“I think this process has been really constructive, really educational and this is something I would like to see – can we institutionalize it in a more thoughtful fashion going forward,” he said.
If schools do not meet their goals or show significant improvement by their deadlines, the School Reform Office and State Department of Education will step in. This could mean a conversation with the intermediate school district and/or talking with the district about closing or reconstituting a school, said State Superintendent Brian Whiston.
Whiston also said that final decisions are with the schools.
“The partnership model is really to say to local districts you own the issue. You own the problem,” he said. “Whatever the data says is the problem, you own that and you need to come up with some goals to address the issue.”
Some of the superintendents say they were already working on the goals in the agreements, but they appreciate the extra time and resources to help their schools.
