12/28/2015

ControversialthirdgradereadingbillpassesHouse,headstoSenateAdvisor&Source

Advisor&Source(sourcenewspapers.com)

News

ControversialthirdgradereadingbillpassesHouse,
headstoSenate
Wednesday,October28,2015
ByERICAN.RAKOWICZ
erica.rakowicz@advisorsource.com
@ericarakowicz

ThecontroversialHouseBill4822,whichstatesthatbythe20192020schoolyearallthirdgradersmustbeatreading
proficiencyinordertoprogresstothefourthgrade,waspassedbytheHouseonOct.15.
Afterthreereadingsthatpromptedchangestotheoriginalbillandwithavoteof5748,thebillmovedtotheSenatefor
discussion.Alsoknownasthethirdgradereadingbill,theoriginalbillwasproposedsothatthirdgradeMichigan
studentsattainaminimumbenchmarkonthestatereadingassessmentbeforegraduatingtofourthgradeinorderto
improvethestatesreadingproficiencynumbers.
MISchoolDataswebsiteshowsthatinthe20132014schoolyearstatewide,61.3percentofthirdgradestudentswereat
theproficientreadinglevel.ThroughouttheMacombIntermediateSchoolDistrict,60.4percentofthirdgradestudents
werereadingproficientlyin20132014.
StateRep.AmandaPrice(RParkTownship)isthesponsorofthethirdgradereadingbill.
Ithinkwehavetokeepinmindthatthisbillisaboutintervention,Pricesaid.Peopleareopposedtotheretentionpiece
becauseifyoureaneducatoryouveseenalotofresearchaboutretainingkidsandhowitreallydoesn'timprovetheir
improvement.
Thatresearchisonlyaboutretainingkidsbutitsnevercoupledwithwhatwevedoneinthislegislationwithintervention
andretention.
Priceagreedthatretentionforretentionsakeonlyisbad,shesaid.
Thislegislationisntthat,Pricesaid.Itsaboutretentionandgettingkidsuptospeed.
Pricesaidsheshappytobethepersonwhohasstartedthisconversationwiththethirdgradereadingbill,butsheknows
thatrepresentativesandeducatorsneedtocontinuetheconversationandmoveforwardwithimplementation.
AnewsreleaseoutofLansingstatedthatMacombCountyDemocraticrepresentativesvotednoonHouseBill4822,
saying,Thelegislatorsdisagreedwiththebillbecauseofthemandatoryretentionwithoutparentalconsent,andbecause
thebilltakesawaylocalcontrolandfailstoprovideenoughresourcestodistricts.
StateRep.SarahRoberts(DSt.ClairShores)isamongthosewhovotedagainsttheproposal.
http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/articles/2015/10/28/news/doc56310bfad989c833324673.prt

1/3

12/28/2015

ControversialthirdgradereadingbillpassesHouse,headstoSenateAdvisor&Source

IreallythinkwhenitcomestoeducationinMichiganweneedtostepbackandhaveamuchbroaderview,Robertssaid.
Shesaidthatwhenthebilladdressesreadingproficiencyandintervention,itdoesntaddressclasssize.
Somekidsareinclasseswith24studentsandothershave33students,Robertssaid.Itmakesitmuchmoredifficultto
providethesamekindofeducation.
Sincethebillpassedwithamendmentstoit,suchasinterventionandprovidingstudentswithliteracytools,Robertssaid
goodprovisionsweremadebutitstilldoesntcutit.
Forthestatetocomedownandsayyourchildisheldback,itsnotright,shesaid.Holdingstudentsbackdoesntsolve
theproblem.Ijustthinkitsreallyshortsighted.
ChangestothebillthathelpeditpassthroughtheHouseandontotheSenateforreviewinclude:requiringthatthe
DepartmentofEducationreleasestheresultsofMichigansEnglishlanguageartsassessmentbyJune1ofeachyear
allowinganIndividualizedEducationalPlanteamforastudenttodeterminewhetherthestudentshouldbeexemptfrom
theretentionrequirementsunderthebillallowingastudents504team(basedonSection504oftheRehabilitationAct
andtheAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct,whichstatesthatnoindividualwithadisabilitycanbeexcludedfromparticipating
infederallyfundedprograms,includingelementary,secondaryorpostsecondaryschooling)todeterminewhetherthe
studentshouldbeexemptfromtheretentionrequirementsunderthebillanddelayingmandatoryretentionuntilthe2019
2020schoolyear.
Aswasthecaseforotherstaterepresentatives,theamendmentschangedtheopinionofstateRep.PeteLucido(R
ShelbyTownship),andhevotedinfavorofthethirdgradereadingbill.
Hesaid,Ifwedonthonestlymakeaneffortanddosomethingnowtohavechildrenread,whatgoodarewedoingour
children?
LucidoalsosaidthathesreceivedamultitudeofcallsfromresidentswonderingwhyhevotedinfavorofHouseBill4822.
Hesaidheheardmanypeoplecomplainingbutheheardnoonegivingsolutions.
Iwasnotwillingtokeeponwaitingandkeeponlistening,hesaid.
LucidowasreadytovoteagainstthebilllikehisDemocraticcounterpartshad,buthewantedtoseeachangemade.
Imnotabigproponentofsettingkidsback,either,hesaid.
AfterworkingtowardbillcarveoutssuchasthedelayofretentionandtheinabilitytosetbackstudentswithIEPs,
studentsspeakingEnglishasasecondlanguage,orstudentswithdyslexiaLucidovotedyesonHouseBill4822.
Lucidoaskedthatparentsstopblamingthelackofreadingproficiencyonteachers.
Theyrenottheretobabysittheyretheretogiveyouinitialbuildingblocks,hesaid.Parents,dontmakeanymore
excuses.Takesometimetoreadwithyourchildbecauseyourchilddeservesthat.
Lucidosaidthedelayinretentioniskeybecauseitwillhelpleaders,officialsandteachersevaluatehowimplementation
isworking.

http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/articles/2015/10/28/news/doc56310bfad989c833324673.prt

2/3

12/28/2015

ControversialthirdgradereadingbillpassesHouse,headstoSenateAdvisor&Source

Itwillforcepeopletowatch,evaluate,testandimplementprogramswhichwillhaveviabilityinthreeyears,hesaid.Ifit
doesnt,werescrappingthisprogram.Whyspendmoneyoncoachesifitsnotworking?
Thesestudentsthatarehavingtroublereadingandnotbeinggivenawellroundedwaytolearntoreadwithteacherand
parenthelparethestudentswhowillonedayberesponsibleforthepublicshealth,wealthandmedicalaffairs,Lucido
said.
Sowhatdidyouproduce?hesaid.

URL:http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/articles/2015/10/28/news/doc56310bfad989c833324673.prt

2015SourceNewspapers,a21stCenturyMediaProperty

http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/articles/2015/10/28/news/doc56310bfad989c833324673.prt

3/3