Beeler Serves as Chair of Taxpayer Protection Caucus

Lansing, MI — Last week, State Representative Andrew Beeler was asked to serve as the Caucus Chair for the newly formed Michigan House Taxpayer Protection Caucus. State Representative Steve Johnson, a Republican from Wayland, MI will be the Co-Chair.

Beeler said, “I am honored to be asked to chair this caucus. The members of our group all share a common belief that the taxpayers of Michigan need a strong voice in the Legislature, perhaps now more than ever.”

The Caucus is made up of State Representatives who signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge which places emphasis on the best interest of taxpayers instead of lobbyists or special interest groups. The pledge comes from a group called the Americans for Tax Reform, an advocacy group in the United States founded by Grover Norquist, and an essential element of the pledge is an opposition to any and all tax increases.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

State Board of Education Wants to Take a Year Off from M-STEP Test

Standardized tests are tricky during a year of virtual classes, quarantining, and social distancing. The Michigan State Board of Education wants to ditch the M-STEP and stick to the tests that districts use at the beginning and end of the year to measure growth. They have pleaded with the U.S. Department of Education and are now calling on the Michigan legislature to back them up.  

In a resolution passed unanimously this month, the State Board of Education recognized the stress of the pandemic and noted that while 83% of schools now have some in-person options, less than half of Michigan students received in-person instruction on “most” days this year. The majority of instruction has been online for the majority of the students.

State Board of Education President Dr. Casandra Ulbrich said, “You cannot give these tests remotely and accurately, in which case the data will lack both validity and reliability. The resulting data will be fundamentally flawed.”

The Board wants the legislature to sign off on waiving statewide testing and let districts use national tests of their choosing to gauge progress and make decisions about how best to allocate resources.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland 

The State Board of Education just passed the following resolution unanimously:

Resolution on Waivers Associated with State Summative Assessments and High-Stakes Accountability Measures in a Pandemic

for the 2020-2021 Academic School Year

WHEREAS, pre-K-12 students, parents and staff in Michigan and across the country have endured tremendous challenges in the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the state, nation, and world;

WHEREAS, 83 percent of school districts indicated last month that they were offering at least an in-person option, but—given parent choice and the enrollments of many of the districts that have been remote most of the year–fewer than half of Michigan students have received in-person instruction most days this school year;

WHEREAS, in recognition of this disruption and the public health threats present amidst the pandemic, the U.S. Secretary of Education approved the requests of the Michigan Department of Education and other states to waive state summative assessments and associated high-stakes accountability requirements tied to those assessments for the 2019-2020 school year;

WHEREAS, Michigan’s legislature passed, and the governor signed, a state law last summer to require public school districts to administer locally chosen, national benchmark assessments to measure where students are academically at the beginning and end of this school year, and for districts to share that information with parents and educators;

WHEREAS, the data gathered from those benchmark assessments have helped and will continue to help local school districts focus resources and determine interventions and supports for students;

WHEREAS, given the presence of benchmark assessments, schools need to continue focusing as much time as possible on the academic and social emotional needs of their students;

WHEREAS, the Michigan Department of Education has a request pending with the U.S. Department of Education to waive the federally required statewide summative assessments for the 2020-2021 school year and associated high-stakes accountability requirements and will continue discussions with the U.S. Department of Education (USED) on USED’s declared offer of flexibility on such issues;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that contingent upon the granting of these federal waivers, the State Board of Education strongly urges the Michigan Legislature to likewise act to relieve added burden on Michigan students and waive all state laws requiring the administration of statewide summative assessments and associated high-stakes accountability requirements for the 2020-2021 school year.

McLaren February Employee of the Month

Port Huron, MI – Georgia Griner has been named the Employee of the Month for February. Griner has worked at McLaren Port Huron for seven years and is currently a registered nurse in the intensive care unit.

Griner was nominated by her peers because she exemplifies the hospital values. She always acts in the best interest of patients and coworkers and goes above and beyond for them. She is professional, compassionate and has the best interest of patients and her team at heart.

Griner is dependable, calm during chaos, professional under stress and compassionate during hard times. She is open, honest and acts without hesitation. Her coworkers say Griner is a phenomenal nurse.

This employee recognition is given to individuals who consistently live the values, mission and performance standards of McLaren Port Huron. Honorees are nominated by a co-worker, physician, volunteer, and/or customer.

To learn more about McLaren Port Huron, visit www.mclaren.org/porthuron.

 

Submitted by McLaren Port Huron.

Bridge Builders Looking for Volunteers

Port Huron, MI – Bridge Builders Counseling and Mentoring strengthens and connects single-parent families, and the organization is currently looking for volunteers to support its programs.

A New volunteer orientation is scheduled for March 20th from 12-2 PM, and those interested in helping can attend the session to learn about opportunities to serve Bridge Builder’s families. A few opportunities include helping youth with homework, helping parents find resources, and providing childcare so parents can attend classes.

Registration for the Volunteer/Mentor orientation is available online at www.bluewaterkids.org or by calling Bridge Builders at (810) 987-8772.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Enter Stage Right Looks to Re-Opening Thanks to MEDC Grant

Port Huron, MI — Enter Stage a Right, a local theatrical production group in Port Huron was recently awarded a Michigan Stages Survival Grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Regina Spain, Executive Director of Enter Stage Right, said that the grant money is segmented into two parts: facility costs and re-opening expenses. Spain said the theatre is using the money to pay rent, utilities, and insurance from January 1st to July 31st of this year. They will use the re-opening grant to ensure safety for their artists and community with improved air handling, a holding area tent, and other modifications.

Spain said that the theatre likely would have been lost without the latest grant money and the one they received from Culture Source last year, as well as money from local donors.

When asked about future plans for the company, Spain said, “Currently, we’re re-igniting our classes and workshops with the intent of keeping them going once we’re able to be in-person. When we re-open, we have a backlog of 8 productions that were in progress at the time of shut down.”

The full schedule of shows can be found at enterstageright.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Leave Behind Naloxone Program Aims to Prevent Overdose Deaths

Local Emergency Medical Services will soon be part of the EMS Leave Behind Naloxone Program. EMS workers will hand out the lifesaving opioid reversal drug for possible future use at non-fatal overdose calls. The program is a partnership between MDHHS and the EMS providers.

St. Clair County is near the top of the list of Michigan counties with the highest rate of fatal opioid overdoses. Overdose deaths leave children without parents and parents without children, and the victims don’t get a chance to try to beat the addiction and turn their lives around. Having the reversal medication on hand could change the outcomes.

Esther Mae Rosner, Program Officer at Vital Strategies, which provides funding for the program, said, “Having naloxone on hand can make the difference between someone living or dying from an overdose. We applaud MDHHS for teaming up with EMS to get this life saving medication to people that need it.”

EMS responses for opioid overdoses have shown a staggering increase since the pandemic began, according to MDHHS. The program is starting out in Macomb, Wayne, Wexford, and St. Clair counties, with plans to expand to sixteen more counties.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland