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AFT Michigan, MEA praise Education Finance Study; call for Legislative action

Aug 09, 2016

LANSING — For many years, members of both the Michigan Education Association and AFT Michigan — experts on the front lines of Michigan’s public schools — have decried the unstable, inequitable, and inadequate nature of education funding in our state.  In the wake of the $1 billion in public education cuts in 2011, the impacts of our broken school funding system have been felt in communities across the state, at every level of our education system.        

That’s why AFT Michigan and MEA applaud the recently released “Michigan Education Finance Study,” which is being presented today at the State Board of Education meeting in Lansing.  The Legislature commissioned this review, conducted by the experts at Augenblick, Palaich and Associates, to take a deeper look at the state of education funding in Michigan – now it’s time for the Legislature to take action on this report and make needed changes to how we fund public schools.

“The Legislature now has hard data available to make educated decisions about fixing how we fund schools,” said MEA President Steven Cook.  “This study clearly shows a gap in funding of at least $1,200 per child between high-performing districts and those that are struggling.  Addressing that fundamental inequity is essential to providing all Michigan students with the educational opportunities they deserve.”  Read more.