Back to school for administrators?
A
voluntary certification program for school administrators would become mandatory
under legislation introduced by Rep. Dudley Spade, D-Tipton, on June 10.
House Bill 6234 would prohibit conventional public school districts and public
school academies from employing a superintendent, principal, assistant
principal, administrator or chief business official unless the person has the
school administrator certification that was created as a voluntary program by
Public Act 335 of 2006.
Current
administrators who are not certified would have to enroll within six months of
the bill’s passage and complete the program within the next five years.
According to
information at the Michigan Department of Education Web site, the voluntary
certification requires completion of an approved master’s degree or higher in
educational leadership or administration.
The bill was
referred to the House Education Committee.
Track this bill
online at:
www.michiganvotes.org/2008-HB-6234
Extend time limit on ‘retired’ employees
Teachers or administrators who return to work in a school district after
retiring would be allowed to collect a salary for up to eight years and
simultaneously collect their full pension benefits under a bill originally
introduced by Rep. Tim Melton, D-Pontiac/Auburn Hills in 2007.
Current law allows retired school employees to return to work in certain school
districts or in certain positions — without a pension reduction — if there is
deemed to be a "critical shortage" in that discipline. The bill would extend the
time limit on such employment from six years to eight.
According to a House Legislative Analysis of the proposal, the hiring district
would have to prove that it tried unsuccessfully to fill the job on its own.
Districts could only hire employees who had been retired at least 12 months.
After three years, the hiring district would begin picking up the cost of that
employee’s health insurance.
The
Michigan Department of Education identified 41 "critical shortage" areas in
2007-2008, ranging from superintendents and principals to varied special
education disciplines to teachers of Arabic.
House Bill 4593 passed in the House of Representatives on a 105-1 vote on June
12.
Track this bill online at:
www.michiganvotes.org/2008-HB-4593
Extra training on reading disabilities
Principals, teachers and administrators would have to acquire additional
training in reading disabilities and instruction under a bill passed by the
state Senate in June.
Originally introduced by Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, in 2007, the initial
version would have required a student to demonstrate basic literacy skills
before being promoted to fourth grade. Students would have been tested after
second and third grades.
But
the substitute bill that was adopted instead requires school staff to take
training on identifying reading problems and selecting appropriate
interventions. In addition, the Michigan Department of Education would have to
develop a model summer remedial reading program for first- through
fourth-graders and a model early intervention program for struggling readers.
The
substitute, Senate Bill 842, passed the Senate by voice vote on June 10 and was
sent to the House of Representatives, which referred it to the House Education
Committee.
Track this bill online at:
www.michiganvotes.org/2008-SB-842
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