RTTT (The Other Shoe)

Funds sought for school takeovers 

$500,000 needed to start state effort

By CHASTITY PRATT DAWSEY

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

State Superintendent Mike Flanagan on Wednesday re quested a $500,000 supple mental payment by April 1 for the Michigan Department of Education to set up a reform office as prescribed by the Leg islature in December.

Flanagan, speaking before the state Senate Appropria tions Committee, said the of fice would need about $1.7 mil lion a year. A reform officer, or deputy state superintendent, is to run the office.

The office would take con trol of the worst-performing 5% of schools — about 200 statewide. Flanagan said the creation of a reform district would mean that the Depart­ment of Education could end up with the largest district in the state. He added that the new laws are the “boldest” he’d ever seen.

The Legislature passed a school reform law in an effort to qualify for about $526 mil lion in federal money from the Race to the Top program.

“This will be the best invest ment this state has ever made. It’s going to profoundly change Michigan’s schools,” Flanagan said.

In response to a question from Sen. Irma Clark-Cole man, D-Detroit, about how the office would affect Detroit, which has a state-appointed emergency financial manager, Flanagan said that the gover nance structure in Detroit Public Schools will be an issue. More than half of the high schools in DPS are on the draft list of the worst-performing 5% of schools that are subject to takeover by a state reform of fice. The decision on whether to take control of those DPS schools — or ultimately close them — will be affected by whether the mayor, school board or state appointee will run the system after 2011, Flan agan said.

He also said he is optimistic about Michigan’s chances to get Race to the Top funding. Regardless of the federal fund ing race, he said, “these re forms were needed.” 

■ CONTACT CHASTITY PRATT DAWSEY: 313-223-4537 OR CPRATT@FREEPRESS.COM