LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan should make community college free for all and give merit-based scholarships to high school graduates who attend the state’s public universities, says a commission formed by Gov. Rick Snyder.
Should Michigan abolish grade levels and pass students based on mastered skills?
Yes, it would help boost individual achievement. No, it would alienate slower learners.
The panel released a report Friday that calls for getting rid of grade levels and instead advancing students only once they master content.
The study also recommends universal access to preschool for all 4-year-olds — not just disadvantaged and poor ones — and state aid to help pay for school buildings in low-income districts and those used by publicly funded charter schools. Another key recommendation proposes seeking a 2018 constitutional amendment to give the governor, whose K-12 powers are limited outside of funding decisions, more sway over education policy by having direct oversight of the state Education Department.