We believe Michigan children should have an equal opportunity for quality education. Education at all levels must meet the constantly changing needs of society.
We support:
- Requiring state foundation grant aid reimbursement be determined annually by June 1.
- Funding special education programs for teacher training, children with special needs and gifted children.
- Fully funding new or revised state mandated programs.
- Funding for state mandated programs should not decrease the basic pupil grant for other students.
- Ensuring the per pupil foundation funding grant follows the student to the school of their choice.
- Requiring state school aid funding to reflect current year enrollment based on average student attendance and eliminate official count days.
- Public schools, private schools, charter schools and home schooling.
- Local school boards having the ability to establish policies such as starting and ending dates, classroom hours in a school year, personnel management, student discipline, and use of local facilities and resources.
- Collaboration between the local school district and the intermediate school district to establish an integrated calendar.
- The utilization of local Farm Bureau members and organizational resources to assist in reviewing classroom curriculum for accurate information concerning agriculture before its adoption.
- Michigan Farm Bureau continue to promote and develop Michigan Agriculture Education Units to increase agricultural literacy among K-12 students.
- Colleges and universities offering dual credit opportunities for high school students,
- Agriscience instructor certification, and
- Standardized programs in specialty fields like agriculture to increase occupational readiness and employability of students.
- Consolidated districts maintaining existing FFA and agriscience programs.
- Review of the foundation funding grant for education.
- Fiscal aid, limited to the rate of inflation, to districts operating under caps. School districts must exercise fiscal responsibility and look for efficiencies to maximize the use of financial resources.
- Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, (STEM) education in Pre-K-12 and acknowledge agricultural education as an effective vehicle to deliver this programming. We encourage county Farm Bureaus to highlight opportunities for school districts to meet STEM requirements through agricultural concepts.
- Funding opportunities for elementary schools like grants or scholarship programs to source agriculture education resources such as the FARM Science Programs.
- County Farm Bureaus working with school districts to increase Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) flexibility acceptance. MMC standards must be balanced to recognize the importance of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and provide more opportunities for students to enroll in vocational training programs and mentor-based programs.
- A well-rounded education containing basic curriculum, including college-prep or vocational/technical courses.
- School counselors and faculty informing students about opportunities in vocational training, agriculture, and related fields.
- Counselors’ continuing education courses encompassing CTE opportunities.