Opinion: To fix public schools, Michigan must do these 9 things

Our children and grandchildren are facing a true public education crisis.

Michigan’s overall student performance is falling farther and faster than leading education states, tumbling in key subject areas such as third grade reading. The pandemic has exacerbated long-term trends, and the results have been most dire for students who long been the most underserved: rural students, students from low-income backgrounds, students of color and students with disabilities.

The results have real consequences for our students’ success and our state’s future.

Yet in times of great crisis throughout history, great leaders have stood up in the face of turmoil to make lasting transformation, especially for Americans with the greatest needs.

When our nation confronted one of its darkest moments, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said this: “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”

We, the leaders of the Michigan Partnership for Equity and Opportunity, think the moment is now to strongly advocate for ― and partner with our state leaders to support ― those who have had too little, and who have been unjustly underserved for too long.

Our statewide coalition is focused on advancing opportunity and improving learning outcomes for all of Michigan’s students, especially those who have been most underserved. We care deeply about the future of Michigan and our students, and we are encouraged that many state leaders, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have named public education as a key focus of their agenda to address inequities that have endured for decades.

In the spirit of partnership, we are proposing an evidence-backed, solution-driven agenda with a relentless focus on closing achievement and opportunity gaps by ensuring every student has access and opportunity to the educational resources and support that they need to achieve, from pre-K through postsecondary.

A key proponent of our proposal includes revamping Michigan’s school funding formula to become a fair funding system that follows the example of the nation's leading education state for both performance and fair funding, Massachusetts. Our plan also calls for a robust new system of fiscal transparency and accountability to ensure that new dollars truly reach and benefit current students ― and parents and other stakeholders have a clear view of how those dollars are advancing outcomes for their children.

To truly make a difference for our students with the greatest needs, we propose Michigan pursue these immediate opportunities that advance an opportunity agenda.

Create a truly equitable and fair school funding system

Research shows money matters in education. In fact, when used effectively, increased spending has led to gains in student achievement and educational attainment and higher wages. Yet, providing equal supports to all students isn’t enough to close longstanding opportunity gaps.

In Michigan, our education system acts like an engine of inequality that limits opportunities for students to reach their highest potential. For instance, too often, students who live in communities with significant poverty do not grow up with the funding and supports they need to thrive in school and in life. Michigan is underfunding our students with the greatest needs at devastatingly low levels.

To address these inequities, Michigan should invest significantly more in the students who have additional needs and who are historically underserved so they thrive academically.

Funding for students of color and students living in poverty

We propose Michigan look to Massachusetts as a model of how to close opportunity gaps for students. Massachusetts is phasing in a new weighted school funding system for students from low-income backgrounds. Massachusetts provides up to 101% more funding for students with greater needs, significantly higher than Michigan’s current 11.5%

Creating a weighted system here ― or additional funding on top of our base funding amount ― for concentrations of poverty would address troubling and persistent funding inequities across the state.

Specifically, we recommend an “Opportunity Index” to address significant inequities across the state. Instead of a flat weight of just 11.5% for students who qualify for “at-risk” funding, students in districts with higher rates of poverty should receive a significantly higher weight to support their needs ― ranging from 35% to 100%, spread across twelve bands determined by concentration of poverty.

Michigan’s 11.5% is unacceptable, and drastically below what research and best practices suggest will support students with the greatest needs. We have a great opportunity now to transform our model, and finally prioritize those who are historically underserved.

State policymakers have made small but notable strides on fair funding, including some progress for students with the greatest needs in Michigan. But far more needs to be done.

Support our English learners by providing funding for their needs

Michigan also woefully underfunds English Learners, allocating only between 1% and 11% additional funding toward to support their needs. Meanwhile, Maryland is phasing in a weight of 85% more, and Georgia now allocates 159% more for English Learners.

Rigorous empirical research recommends English Learners receive at least twice as much funding as native English speakers to provide the additional resources and instructional supports necessary for language acquisition. We propose increasing the weights to 80% to 100% for English Learners based on language proficiency so they have the opportunity to thrive.

Fully fund support for students with disabilities

Additionally, Michigan has historically underfunded services for students with disabilities. Only 63% of special education students obtain a traditional diploma ― leaving them at a disadvantage after high school. Yet Michigan’s partial reimbursement system leaves districts ― many with varying capacities ― to shoulder most of the funding responsibility to cover the costs for students with disabilities. As a result, all students have been shortchanged.

Instead, schools need sufficient resources to address the learning needs of all students for them to meet their greatest potential. In last year’s budget, the governor and Legislature made investing in students with disabilities a priority and began addressing the disparity by increasing special education reimbursements. However, there remains an annual shortfall of over $343 million, and more needs to be done.

We propose increasing weights and reimbursements to fully fund students with individualized education programs (IEP), including funding for special education expenses and specialized transportation costs. This will address the remaining shortfall and ensure students with the greatest needs receive the education they deserve.

Address the transportation needs of rural students in isolated communities

Additionally, students in rural and isolated communities often face significant challenges, and their schools are often under resourced. Recent data shows that many rural students were disproportionally impacted by the pandemic and are falling behind at an alarming rate.

We also support investments in rural education transportation costs, particularly for high-needs remote school districts.

Create a strong system of fiscal transparency and accountability

To ensure investments for students actually reach them and their classrooms, any new investments should be paired with strong, evidence-based systems of accountability and transparency, not simply for student outcomes but also for fiscal outcomes and accountability.

We propose a thoughtful statewide system of fiscal transparency and accountability based on the best practices and lessons learned from states that have overhauled their school funding systems over the last decade.

Commit to accountability for student outcomes

Along with supporting a more fair and equitable funding system, we are also committed to transparency and accountability for student learning outcomes. Every student should be supported through a single accountability system that is easy to understand, focused first on student learning and outcomes, and is regularly updated to inform parents, educators, community leaders and policymakers.

Student learning should be assessed and publicly reported so that parents understand whether their child is reaching national college- and career-ready standards – and so that parents, guardians, educators, and policymakers can ensure resources are directed where they are needed most.

Ensure equitable access to effective and diverse teachers and school leaders

Additionally, every student deserves highly effective teachers and principals who reflect the community and state’s diversity, and who provide standards-aligned, culturally responsive instruction. Black students, Latino students, and other students of color especially need educators who look like them and reflect the great diversity of their local communities, families, and all of Michigan. We are supportive of investments and strategies that advance these goals.

Create opportunity for all

We know the challenges before us are great.

Yet, we are also confident that our state leaders will rise to the challenge to drive real change and true transformation for all Michigan’s children, particularly those with the greatest needs. We commend our many state leaders who have named education as a top priority, and we are committed to working hand in hand with them along the way to do what’s right for our students.

Alice Thompson is chair of the NAACP education committee, CEO of BFDI Educational Services, Inc., and former CEO of Black Family Development. Mike Jandernoa is founder and chair of 42 North Partners and policy chair for the West Michigan Policy Forum. Amber Arellano is executive director of The Education Trust-Midwest. They are the newly-named co-chairs of The Michigan Partnership for Equity and Opportunity.