HEAVY LIFTING 101 (Preparations Underway on Way Forward to Acquiring the Loot)

Public schools 

Granholm pushes reform, aims for U.S. grants 

By CHRIS CHRISTOFF

FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU CHIEF

LANSING — Gov. Jennifer Granholm gave strong support Tuesday for measures she said will both improve public schools and qualify Michigan for up to $400 million in federal grants next year.

She called on lawmakers to approve legislation to give the state more power to intervene in academically failing school dis tricts, increase the number of high-quality charter schools, merit pay for teachers and alternative certification for teachers without education degrees.

Those changes are among the criteria the feder al government will use to award $4.3 billion in grants to states to improve schools academically.

Earlier Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee ap proved legislation that would create more charter schools, enable state takeover of failing schools and allow alternative certification of teachers.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, said his caucus supports the changes Granholm endorsed. The House plans to consider similar legislation, which must be completed this month to allow the state to apply for the federal money.

Granholm’s remarks were her most forceful public en dorsement of changes that have long been opposed by teachers unions, which have been her po litical allies and a powerful influ ence in Democratic politics.

“We have to transform education in Michigan; we have to be fearless about it,” Granholm told educators.

Michigan Education Associ ation spokesman Doug Pratt said compromise is possible. But he questioned the need for recruiting non-certified teach ers “when there are thousands of unemployed teachers out there now.”