Governor Rick Snyder says he won’t give up on switching Michigan to a new student test that’s aligned with the controversial “Common Core” education standards.
As we hear from Michigan Public Radio Network’s Rick Pluta, the Legislature appears poised to send him a budget that would delay those plans.
A lot of Republicans want to hold off on switching to “Smarter Balanced,” stick with the current test – the MEAP – for another year, and develop a new, different test.
But Governor Snyder says that won’t work because other states will be switching to “Smarter Balanced” in the coming school year, and using those standards to measure their students. He says Michigan can’t afford to fall behind.
“It is time sensitive, so sometimes we have to discuss faster than slower so we’ll have ongoing discussions,” he says.
The governor did not say if a veto might be in the works. Schools in Michigan have already begun preparing for the switch, while similar controversies in other states have led several to drop the test.