Sheltrown fights Lansing to change core curriculum
by John Morris

EAST TAWAS - Not every child is a college prep student.

That is the premise behind House Bill 5943 introduced recently by state Rep. Joel Sheltrown (D-West Branch) in response to the state’s 2006 passage of the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC).
“To be clear, this is not an issue of whether certain students can or cannot be taught Algebra II or chemistry or physics,” Sheltrown said. “This is an issue of whether or not it is appropriate to require every student to complete a college-prep curriculum in high school when our job market will never require all working people to have a bachelor’s degree.”

Sheltrown said while he initially supported the new statewide graduation requirements, which begins with the Class of 2011 - those students who have just completed their freshman year in high school, the more he looks at the MMC requirements and speaks with parents and educators, the more he’s finding fault with it.

“Many parents and teachers have come forward with serious concerns,” he said. “They question whether this cookie-cutter approach is the best way to give our students the opportunities and options they need.

“It’s a classic example of Lansing making a decision and not going back and correcting it.”

After talking with parents and educators, Sheltrown decided he’d take the bull by the horns and introduce legislation aimed at students who take career-technical classes have them count toward graduation credits.

Currently, in order to graduate, the state requires that a student must obtain at least the following 13 credits: four credits in English, three credits in social studies, two credits in math, two credits in science, one credit in computers, one-half credit in physical education and one-half credit in health.

The remaining credits are classified as electives. For example, Tawas Area High School requires students to have successfully completed 22 credits for graduation, which means nine of the credits are elective classes and the remaining 13 are state requirements

Beginning with the Class of 2011, MMC will require for 17 credits for graduation including four credits in math (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and math in the senior year), four credits of English, three credits of science, three credits of social studies, one credit of physical education and health, one credit in visual, performing and applied arts, two credits of a language other than English and an online learning experience.

Under HB 5943, which has remained in the state House Education Committee since it was introduced on April 8, a student who opts not to go to college, would be required to take three credits in math including Algebra I and Geometry, four credits in English, two credits in science, two credits in social studies, two credits in a language other than English, one credit in physical education and health, three credits in a career and technical prep sequence, one flexible credit in the above areas and an online learning experience.

Sheltrown admittedly says he’s bucking the administration in Lansing with the proposed legislation. But he says he doing it for the right reasons.

The remaining credits are classified as electives. For example, Tawas Area High School requires students to have successfully completed 22 credits for graduation, which means nine of the credits are elective classes and the remaining 13 are state requirements

Beginning with the Class of 2011, MMC will require for 17 credits for graduation including four credits in math (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and math in the senior year), four credits of English, three credits of science, three credits of social studies, one credit of physical education and health, one credit in visual, performing and applied arts, two credits of a language other than English and an online learning experience.

Under HB 5943, which has remained in the state House Education Committee since it was introduced on April 8, a student who opts not to go to college, would be required to take three credits in math including Algebra I and Geometry, four credits in English, two credits in science, two credits in social studies, two credits in a language other than English, one credit in physical education and health, three credits in a career and technical prep sequence, one flexible credit in the above areas and an online learning experience.

Sheltrown admittedly says he’s bucking the administration in Lansing with the proposed legislation. But he says he doing it for the right reasons.

First, Sheltrown said he is concerned about the dropout rate MMC potentially creates.

“Recently, we have seen signs that these requirements may drive many kids away from school causing a disastrous increase in the dropout rate,” he said. “There are no pathways for students who can’t pass Algebra II.

“Dr. Derrick Fries of Eastern Michigan University predicts that our state will see a 300 percent increase in this area over the next few years as students quit school rather than struggle through a curriculum that seems irrelevant to their futures. Already Macomb County is reporting that 25 percent of ninth graders have failed one or more of the core classes required for graduation.

“If this trend continues as Dr. Fries predicts, it could mean up to 60,000 Michigan children leaving school without a diploma every year. Especially in today’s labor market, 60,000 dropouts every year will spell disaster for both our children and our state.”

Additionally, Sheltrown said he wonders about the relevancy of the MMC: “Do we really need high-level math skills to get a good job?”

He also sees the MMC as a way to eliminate career-technical education.

“Some in Lansing say we should wait to address the problems created by MMC,” Sheltrown said. “By this, I can only assume they mean we should wait until thousands of students have failed and dropped out before we take action.

“I believe, however, that we have a moral obligation to ensure that our students receive a high school education that is relevant and useful to them. If we fail to provide that education, they are the ones who will pay the consequences.”

Some local educators agree with Sheltrown. Last week, the Tawas Area Schools Board of Education approved writing a letter to Sheltrown in support of his proposed legislation.

“Certainly, we’ve sat around this table and had similar discussions,” said Tawas Area Schools Superintendent Don Thwing at last week’s school board meeting. “It’s nice to see our legislator is sharing those concerns.”

“We were doing fine on our own before people started making decisions for us,” added Elaine Brown, the school board’s president.

Fellow board members added that there’s not just two types of students. “Each community is different,” said John Freel, school board vice president. “It’s not just each kid.”

“I don’t think this was an educational decision,” Renee Bird, Tawas school board secretary, said of the MMC. “It was political.”