10/14/2002
Welcome to "Michigan Votes: 2002," a weekly electronic newsletter and source guide distributed by the Division of University Relations at Michigan State University.
"Michigan Votes: 2002" connects reporters with MSU faculty experts and resources on a variety of election-related topics. It will be e-mailed to you every Monday afternoon through Nov. 11.
To request a faculty expert on an election topic not covered in the newsletter, call Kristan Tetens at (517) 432-0921.
Here are tips and story ideas for Monday, Oct. 14:
SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING IS ONGOING DILEMMA FOR GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES
Because of the passage of Proposal A in March 1994, local K-12 public school districts have essentially no discretion to raise revenues through higher local millage. Spending per pupil in every district is now determined at the state level. As many districts begin to feel the pinch of the state-imposed revenue cap, the question of whether districts should have access to additional local millage has become a topic of hot debate.
"Even after eight years, many of Michigan's wealthiest school districts still have not really come to terms with Proposal A," says David Plank, professor of educational administration at Michigan State University and co-director of the Education Policy Center.
"They would like to spend more money on their schools, and they can't. The political pressure to find a way around Proposal A is especially strong in Jennifer Granholm's home area of western Wayne and southern Oakland counties, and she has responded by agreeing to look for methods to 'tweak' the way we fund our schools. The problem that she faces is that 'tweaking' Proposal A to make some school districts happier will make other districts unhappy. Pulling on the loose ends of Proposal A could unravel the whole system.
"Opposing changes in Proposal A probably won't win many votes for Dick Posthumus in Jennifer Granholm's backyard, but any specific proposals for change could cost Granholm as many votes as she would gain in Wayne and Oakland counties. At this point in the campaign she is happy to change the subject."
Contact: David Plank, College of Education, (517) 355-3691, dnplank@msu.edu
MICHIGAN VOTERS HAVE LITTLETOLERANCE FOR "ZERO TOLERANCE"
New MSU research reveals that public opinion on "zero tolerance" policies in Michigan schools does not match expulsion patterns. The report, "Little Tolerance for 'Zero Tolerance'" finds that some 38 percent of students are expelled for physical assault while only 9 percent of Michigan residents support expulsion for that reason. Similarly, while 67 percent of residents support expulsion for drug distribution in school, only 4 percent of students are expelled for that offense.
Since the federal Gun Free Schools Act was passed in 1994, the Michigan legislature has enacted a series of "zero tolerance" laws requiring expulsion (or suspension) for a number of offenses, extending far beyond the firearm violations that are the subject of the federal law. In 1999-2000, more than 3,500 students were expelled from Michigan schools in accordance with "zero tolerance" policies. Many of these students were expelled for behaviors that once would have been considered harmless adolescent antics.
"We have found a definite disconnect between public opinion on appropriate punishment for children who break school rules and the offenses for which students are actually expelled," notes Nancy E. Walker of the MSU Institute for Children, Youth, and Families. "In fact, it appears that about two-thirds of the offenses for which students currently may be expelled from school in Michigan likely would not pass if put to a popular vote."
Overall, the responses of Michigan residents suggest that they believe the state's disciplinary school code may be too harsh.
The data were part of the twenty-first State of the State Survey conducted by MSU's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. The complete report is available at http://www.ippsr.msu.edu/ppie/policybrief.htm
Contact: Nancy Walker, ICYF, (517) 353-6617, walkern@msu.edu; Amy J. Baumer, IPPSR, (517) 355-6672, baumeram@msu.edu