Address poverty to improve schools, state board advised

If Michigan is to become a top 10 academically performing state, it must address the issues poverty brings to the schoolhouse.

That was a recurring theme among many of the speakers who offered their thoughts to the State Board of Education this afternoon - as the board and new State Superintendent Brian Whiston launched an effort to improve academic achievement in a state that has been sliding backwards.

A quarter of Michigan's children lives in poverty, and nearly half of the children who attend public schools are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch. Those numbers have been on the rise in Michigan, and there's a strong correlation between low academic achievement and poverty.

"Poverty always matters," said Ray Telman, executive director of the Middle Cities Education Association, who recommended the state boost funding for at-risk children.

The presentations — from speakers representing education, policy, business and research groups — are a priority for Whiston and the state board.

And while addressing poverty was a key part of the discussion, it wasn't the only recommendation given. Nine people spoke, and they offered a range of ideas including expanding school choice, ensuring school staff have proper resources, helping teachers improve, reducing the focus on test scores, having a clear and consistent vision for what's important, and the need to stick with the state's rigorous standards.

"Making Michigan a top 10 state requires a systemic approach," one that will align curriculum, assessment and accountability with a particular focus on instruction, said Wendy Zdeb-Roper, executive director of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals.

"We need to establish a clear vision for where we want to head as a state ... and stop the constant shifts that have put our education system in a state of flux," she said.

Whiston said during the meeting today that he'll also be seeking ideas from staff at the Michigan Department of Education and others in the education community. In addition, another group  will make presentations to the board at its Sept. 8 meeting. All of the ideas will be looked at by the board, which will come back with a plan by the end of the year, Whiston said.

The idea is to make Michigan a top 10 performing state within the next 10 years.

"It's going to take all of us working together to make that happen," Whiston said.

Michigan has fallen behind many other states that have shown consistent improvement on the rigorous National Assessment of Educational Progress, which tests a representative sample of students in every state.

Gary Naeyaert, executive director of the Great Lakes Education Project, said Michigan is already a top 10 state, but only when it comes to spending and teacher salaries.

"What we're sorely lacking is in results," said Naeyaert, who among other things pushed for the expansion of school choice - via charter schools, the ability of students to attend schools outside the geographic boundaries within which they live, education savings accounts, homeschooling and vouchers.

"We think choice should be expanded and not restricted," Naeyaert said. "A ZIP code should never determine the educational outcomes for children."

Kevin Hollenbeck, vice president at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, spoke about a May report the institute released that examined how an upgraded funding system in Michigan could support increased academic achievement.

Among the recommendations he laid out: a competitive grant program for school districts to offer services and interventions that have proven to be effective, increased funding for at-risk students, financial assistance for districts with declining enrollment and an adjustment in the state's per-pupil grant that would provide higher support in grades 1-3 and 9-12.

"We risk worshiping test scores over all other concepts or other measures of student learning," Norton said.

"Parents aren't interested in raising good test takers," Norton said. "We want our children to grow into productive members of our community."

​Contact Lori Higgins: 313-222-6651, lhiggins@freepress.com or @LoriAHiggins