SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ACADEMY - H.B. 4714 (H-2): COMMITTEE SUMMARY
sans-serif">House Bill 4714 (Substitute H-2 as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative David Farhat
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to permit State and Federal funds appropriated by the Legislature for professional development and education to be used for a principal leadership academy, which the Michigan Department of Education would have to establish.
Under the bill, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), in collaboration with statewide associations of school principals, would have to establish a principal leadership academy. The academy would have to consist of training for school principals, conducted by other school principals who had a record of demonstrated success in improving pupil performance. The MDE would have to solicit input from school district superintendents and intermediate superintendents to compile a list of successful school principals who likely would be effective in conducting the training at the academy. The Department then would have to select from the list school principals to conduct the training. The training would have to include all aspects of successful school leadership, including at least all of the following:
-- Strategies for increasing parental involvement.
-- Strategies for engaging community support and involvement.
-- Creative problem-solving.
-- Financial decision-making.
-- Management rights and techniques.
-- Other strategies for improving school leadership to achieve better pupil performance.
Further, the bill would remove a requirement that the Legislature allocate funds to support professional development and education substantially as follows: 20% to the MDE; 15% to intermediate school districts on an equal amount per-pupil basis, based on the memberships of constituent districts; and 65% to school districts on an equal amount per-pupil basis.
The bill would retain all other permissible uses of professional development and education funds, which consist of the following:
-- Professional development programs for administrators and teachers, emphasizing the improvement of teaching and learning the core academic curriculum.
-- A biennial education policy leadership institute for the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the State Board of Education, the State Superintendent, the Legislature, presidents of teacher education institutions, and their staff, to examine the most current public education policy issues.
-- A statewide academy for school leadership established by the State Board.
-- Community leadership development.
-- Promotion of high educational standards across the State.
-- Sabbatical leaves of up to one academic year for master teachers.
In order to receive professional development funding, each school district and intermediate school district must prepare and submit to the State Board for approval an annual professional development plan.
MCL 380.1525 - Legislative Analyst: Claire Layman
FISCAL IMPACT
State: The bill could result in a minor, though indeterminate, cost to the Department of Education due to the costs associated with the planning of the academy, the solicitation of input from principals, and the development of the curriculum to be used in the training at the academy. There also would be some indeterminate administrative costs associated with the operation of the academy. The bill would expand the use of State and Federal professional development funds to include the training academy; however, currently there is no State funding provided for professional development due to budget cuts. Federal Improving Teacher Quality grants could be used for this purpose as provided by Federal law.
Local: It is unknown whether local or intermediate school districts would incur any cost for sending principals to the training academy.
- Fiscal Analyst: Joe CarrascoS0304\s4714sa
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.