Behind the Headlines

By Danielle Portteus

There is an article in today MEN about the House Education Subcommittee on High School Alternatives public hearing last night.
I was surprised to see the number of administrators and teachers at the event. To be honest, I expected to see about 10. In reality, there were about fifty. Of that number, only a handful were teachers.
There were two concerned parents.
The changes were approved to the Michigan Merit Curriculum in April 2006 and began being implemented last year. I’ve spoken with a number of parents, teachers and even administrators who dislike the curriculum and call it too rigorous.
Only a few people spoke out against the curriculum changes and most of them were high school principals.
A grandmother, who’s grandson isn’t even in high school yet, got up to the podium and with much emotion, explained why she felt her grandson would not be able to graduate from a Michigan high school with the current mandates. He is a special needs student who uses a resource classroom to help improve his scores in core classes. His grandmother said that though he struggles with core classes, he excels in sports and art. She said she doesn’t feel that just because he isn’t a straight A student, doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be given a chance to succeed.
She recommended changes be made to make the curriculum more individualized, especially for special education students, so that each student can be successful in completing the requirements.
She said she would move him out of the state, if she had to, in order of him to receive his high school diploma.
Immediately, people in the audience made comments and whispered to those sitting around them. I’m sure school officials don’t want her grandson to leave the state.

State Reps. Angerer and Hopgood said the comments from the meeting will be taken back to Lansing and could impact future legislation.