MI Brighter Future plan

Last week, Senate Republicans announced our plan to improve childhood learning and support teachers in the state’s K-12 schools. The MI Brighter Future plan includes measures to help students gain access to additional resources and learning opportunities, requires proven training methods for educators, gives parents more control over their child’s progress, reinstates accountability in teacher evaluations, and provides for performance-based bonuses.

As the Legislature continues to provide record funding for our schools, Michigan’s students continue to fall behind their peers in other states — ranking poorly in reading and math proficiency and near the bottom in high school graduation rates.

Despite these troubling trends, Lansing Democrats have spent the past year sweeping these problems under the rug — lowering learning and accountability standards for students and their teachers. Senate Republicans will not stand idly on the sideline as Michigan’s children are left behind.

The four pillars of the MI Brighter Future Plan are:

Set the bar high: Strengthen key provisions of the third grade reading law, require student progress to be part of every teacher’s evaluation process, and restore the A-F grading scale for parents to easily understand how schools are performing.

The best teachers where they’re needed most: Provide bonuses to highly effective teachers who take positions in schools where they can have the biggest impact.

Give every kid a chance: No student should ever be left behind. Scholarship opportunities will help families afford additional educational assistance and help cover the costs of summer or after-school reading programs.

Back to the basics: Reading is the foundation of a successful education. Our plan will ensure teachers are trained in proven phonics-based reading methods that have worked for decades.

Should you have any questions or concerns about the legislature or state government, please do not hesitate to contact my office by going to www.SenatorAricNesbitt.com. You may also reach out by calling (517) 373-0793 or by email at SenANesbitt@senate.Michigan.gov. My staff would be happy to assist with issues you may be having with state government agencies, and I look forward to listening and learning about your priorities and concerns for our state.