Michigan School Reform Law Signed

Governor Jennifer Granholm signs a package of bills into law to make changes to Michigan school systems.

The new laws affect how failing schools are run.

The bill allows the state to take over the lowest-performing 5% of Michigan schools if it wants to.

Marquette Area Public Schools Superintendent Jon Hartwig says that’s not something parents in Marquette, or anywhere else in the U.P., will have to be concerned about.

He says some of the changes will be new rules that every district in Michigan will have, while others will only concern more urban, more densely-populated districts than what the U.P. has.

Starting with the class of 2016, Michigan’s dropout age will be raised from 16 to 18.

More charter schools will be allowed to open, and new rules for teacher certification will be in place.

Hartwig says the Marquette district hasn’t been officially notified of all the changes from the state yet.

Some of the changes have to do with President Obama’s ‘Race to the Top’ competition with education reform.

The school board is having a special meeting tonight to discuss those.

We’ll have more for you at 10 and 11 about what went on.