North Michigan News

Sen. John Damoose has introduced legislation as part of a package aimed at improving education standards and outcomes in Michigan. Damoose, a Republican from Harbor Springs, emphasized the need to take the state's educational standing seriously, citing Michigan's low rankings in reading and math proficiency, graduation rates, and SAT scores.

The proposed MI Brighter Future plan aims to provide students with additional resources and learning opportunities, implement proven training methods for educators, give parents more control over their child's progress, reinstate accountability in teacher evaluations, and introduce performance-based bonuses.

Damoose criticized previous legislation that eliminated third-grade reading benchmarks, ended required annual evaluations of teachers, and removed the A-F grading scale for schools. According to Damoose, these steps have taken Michigan students in the wrong direction and further hampered their academic progress.

In addressing the issue, Damoose highlighted the need for innovative thinking and a departure from simply increasing the K-12 budget without accountability. Despite substantial budget growth and equalized state funding per pupil, Michigan still lags behind in student performance nationally. Damoose stressed the importance of exploring alternative approaches to boost student success, with the current package serving as the initial step towards achieving that goal.

As Damoose works towards improving education standards in Michigan, interested individuals can subscribe to his email list and stay informed about state government updates.

Source: Senator John Damoose