LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The House Education Committee altered several new bills that would require heighted transparency for charter schools, as well as regulations and requirements, while public school teachers will not have student performance as part of criteria for evaluations. 

Under Senate Bills 395 and 396 several requirements for teaching evaluations would be changed or removed. 

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In the Senate passed version of the bill, numerous metrics previously held in an evaluation were removed including: student learning objectives, achievement of individualized education program goals, nationally normed or locally developed assessments that are aligned to state standards, research based growth measures, or alternative assessments that are rigorous and comparable across schools within the school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy. Rather, only metrics agreed upon through collective bargaining could be used in teacher evaluations. 

Further, it also alters the classroom observation requirements for teachers to require two across an entire school year, and also eliminates the necessity of one unscheduled visit; rather making that criteria optional. 

A number of educators submitted cards sharing mixed support for the legislation, though on opposing the legislation, Beth DeShone, Great Lakes Education Project Executive Director, asked the committee to reject the bills. 

“The Senate bills all but eliminate student performance as a component of educator evaluations and inserts evaluations into the collective bargaining process between districts and unions,” according to Director DeShone. 

Another bill that was discussed, House Bill 5269, was supported by Representative Matthew Koleszar (D-Plymouth). According to the Chair of the Education Committee, under traditional public schools, teachers can view salaries and see collective bargaining agreements, which this bill would provide for public charter school teachers as well. 

While a House Fiscal Analysis has not determined the precise fiscal impact to the state it did emphasize that there would be many other employees whose salaries would be posted, including: new teachers, veteran teachers, educational management organization, and support staff. For more on the bill’s impact, see here.  

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Representative Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) testified in support of her bill, HB 5231, which would require public charter schools “to make sure their signage and any promotional materials includes information on who their authorizer is and also who their management company is if they have a management company.” 

The bill would require any signage “erected, replaced, or repaired” after the bill goes into effect would require it to show the authorizer and management company, but they would not need to just make a new sign unless it fit the other criteria according to Weiss. 

DeShone also opposed the package of house bills saying that they would target public charter schools with “new costs, regulations and requirements that are not placed on traditional public schools, exacerbating inequalities between Michigan students based solely on the public school parents choose for their children.” 

“Democrats’ charter school package is a Halloween horror show for transparency advocates and parents whose children attend many of Michigan’s public schools,” she said.