Sturgis-Coldwater News

Sen. Jonathan Lindsey, a Republican from Allen, Michigan, has expressed his support for a recently introduced legislative package aimed at improving educational outcomes in the state's K-12 schools. Lindsey highlighted the importance of the formative years spent in public schools and emphasized the need for strategic and responsible investments to address the declining educational results.

Lindsey criticized the policies enacted by the Democrat majority last year, which he believes have taken away critical benchmarks and support, resulting in Michigan students falling further behind their peers in other states. He stated, "The state’s K-12 education budget has grown and grown, yet the results have gotten worse and worse. It’s time we look at proven policies, strategically and responsibly invest in those areas, and explore other new ideas on how we can do better."

The legislative package, known as the MI Brighter Future plan, consists of four pillars aimed at improving education standards and outcomes. Lindsey expressed his belief that these bills are just the beginning and stressed the urgency of addressing Michigan's low rankings in critical educational metrics. He stated, "Michigan students rank in the bottom 10 states in a number of critical metrics. We are 43rd nationally for high school graduation rates and reading proficiency, only 32% of our fourth graders are proficient in math, and the average SAT scores are the lowest since the test became statewide in 2015."

Lindsey emphasized the importance of teacher accountability and critical academic benchmarks in driving improvement and success in education. He stated, "Removing teacher accountability and critical academic benchmarks is a failing strategy and always will be. Accountability is critical to improvement and success, and holding those responsible for educating our children to the highest standards is the only acceptable option."

In addition to the education package, Lindsey also introduced a separate reform that would allow parents to claim a tax credit equal to the minimum per-pupil foundation allowance if they do not have a child in a public school. He explained that this reform aims to expand options available to parents and ensure they are not financially penalized for choosing alternatives to public schools. Lindsey stated, "Michigan families are increasingly deciding the school system is not serving the best interest of their children and they should not be financially penalized for that."

Senate Bills 710-715, part of the MI Brighter Future plan, have been referred to the Senate Committee on Education for further consideration. Lindsey's tax reform proposal, SB 556, has been referred to the Committee on Finance, Insurance, and Consumer Protection.

The efforts to strengthen education standards and improve outcomes in Michigan's K-12 schools reflect the commitment of Sen. Jonathan Lindsey to address the educational challenges faced by the state. Lindsey's support for the legislative package and his additional tax reform proposal demonstrate his dedication to ensuring that Michigan students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for success in the future.