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Published: Sunday, November 15, 2009
By: Glenn Gilbert of The Oakland Press

Is there any question about whether Michigan should join the "Race to the Top?"

Apparently the Michigan Education Association has its doubts.

President Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus bill included $4.35 billion in education grants - the most money a president has ever had for overhauling schools - for which states can compete. The program is called "Race to the Top."

Only Education Secretary Arne Duncan - not Congress - has control over who gets the money. And only some states, perhaps 10 to 20, will actually get the money.

The money has strings attached to it, including removing restrictions on charter schools and merit pay for teachers, and an alternative certification process that would allow nonteacher specialists to offer instruction.

(See the president's remarks accompanying this commentary.)

In backing such reform efforts, Obama and Duncan have won plaudits from conservatives such as former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, but they have run afoul of teachers' unions.

"We're not saying don't go after the money," said Doug Pratt, communications director for the MEA. "But we want to be sure these are good reforms that help the students whether we get the money or not. If we get the money but the reforms don't work, where do we end up?"

There is no credible evidence or research that supports a policy linking teacher compensation to student achievement, the MEA says. The MEA does not support efforts to base pay solely on standardized test scores.

Meanwhile, Rep. Tim Melton, D-Auburn Hills, is trying to shepherd the necessary legislation Michigan needs to adopt to compete for "Race to the Top" money through the House Education Committee, which he chairs.

"There are five items the legislature has to get done," Melton said.

They include: Intervention in the bottom 5 percent of schools in terms of performance; alternative certification allowing nonteachers to offer instruction in their fields of specialty; certification for principals and superintendents; giving high-performing charter schools the chance to expand; and tying teacher performance evaluations to student test results.

The measures "will be controversial," Melton acknowledges, "but we'll get it done."

Melton said Michigan could potentially get between $400 million and $600 million.

"We cannot afford to turn down this money at this time," says Robert Neu, superintendent of Waterford schools.

While Waterford's Neu says the state should take the necessary steps to compete, "that's not to say I don't have concerns," and he questions the value of some of the Obama administration's criteria for the money.

For one thing, Neu says he worries about increased federal control when it has been shown that schools function better when locally run.

Neu also objects to directly evaluating a teacher's performance based on students' achievement. Test data may suggest any number of remedies.

"It's what you do with the data that counts," Neu said.

 Simply blaming the teacher is not necessarily valid.

Alternative certification is a concern, Neu said.

"There is a lot to be said for people in the private sector" having a role in the classroom, Neu agrees. But it should probably be confined to electives and career-oriented areas, not core subjects.

As for charter schools and Obama's advocacy of them, Neu says he knows of no conclusive research concerning their quality. He also questions why there should be a movement toward consolidation in Michigan public schools and a contradictory trend toward proliferation of charter schools.

Oxford Superintendent William Skilling says the state should go after the money "because it could provide $200-million-plus that otherwise wouldn't be available for innovation. ... We need to create lighthouse districts in Michigan."

Skilling said a weak economy should be viewed as an opportunity that "helps us refocus our mission and purpose. This is more important than balancing a budget. It could lead to a leadership role at the global level."

Skilling is a proponent of alternative certification.

"I have done this," Skilling said. "There is nothing magical about certification. We have language teachers with temporary certification."

He also said there is a place for evaluating teachers based on student performance. Skilling said he has had experiences where students have done worse on standardized tests when they have a particular teacher, but the key is that the evaluation needs to cover a period of years.

The state is working toward a Dec. 1 deadline to submit the federal application for the first round of grants; a second round is planned in 2010.

The MEA's Pratt said "we are still engaged in conversations" about the "Race to the Top" application process. It would be nice to have the association's support, but lawmakers need to proceed with or without it.

The proposed reforms seem commendable and - in any case - are not so revolutionary so as to justify passing up the chance to get hundreds of millions of dollars.

Parents, educators and students converged on Lansing last week to demand more funding for schools. Here is a chance to get additional money.

Failure on the part of the legislature to seek "Race to the Top" funding would constitute negligence on the part of lawmakers.

Glenn Gilbert is executive editor of The Oakland Press. Contact him at (248) 745-4587 or glenn.gilbert@oakpress.com.