Lansing Legislative Update

There are several pieces of legislation that are coming up for a vote shortly. Please let your legislators know you are there!!!! See their names to the left? Click, write, and send!

The first is the HB 4285 and SB 0255. These bills would change the calculations for retirees to .0 2 % from the .015 % that it is currently. Now this may sound like a new proposal, but there is a precedent, as they did this before in 2002. The legislators need to hear from you about this proposal. Only 60 % of the people who could retire, did so at the last raising of the calculator. This could mean hundreds of positions opening up for many new teachers. They would not have to go out of state to acquire a job that Michigan trained them for. We have states coming to MI to recruit our young people, why not keep them here and have them buy homes, cars, and send their kids to schools in MI. Help spur our economy.

Secondly: Brian Calley, has proposed legislation to change the Merit Curriculum as it was passed. He wants them to ease up the requirements so that more students will be able to graduate. New figures from Lansing are stating that over 35 to 40 % of the state's seniors in 2011 will not graduate as the Merit Curriculum stands now. He is not trying to "dummy down" the curriculum, just to adjust it so that more students can actually graduate rather than obtain a certificate of attendance. He also feels that many programs that would benefit students are being eliminated in order to meet the new requirements, that were passed in haste.

Let your legislators know how you feel, let them know you care about some of these topics.

Thanks,
J. Hewitt, KEA Political Action Chair