Granholm Marks Fourth Anniversary of Rigorous High School Curriculum

Statement

Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.

There will be something different about the Michigan high school students who graduate next year. They'll have achieved something that none of their predecessors has.

Members of the Class of 2011 will be the first to graduate having completed Michigan's new rigorous high school curriculum.

Next week marks the fourth anniversary of the creation of the tougher curriculum. In my 2006 State of the State address, I called on the Legislature to adopt recommendations for a new curriculum - a college prep curriculum - that were approved by the State Board of Education. Legislation was passed, and I signed it into law on April 20, 2006. The requirements were in place for incoming eighth graders in the fall of 2006.

When members of the Class of 2011 receive their high school diplomas next year, they'll have completed at least four years of math, four years of English, three years of science, three years of social studies, two years of a foreign language and one year of the arts. Rounding out the requirements are an online learning experience and one year of physical education and health.

The more rigorous curriculum is an essential part of our efforts to diversify Michigan's economy and keep young people in our state. Our goal is to double the number of college graduates in Michigan. If Michigan is to compete in a global economy and attract jobs and investment here, we must have a well-educated workforce. What this curriculum does is to help ensure that every high school graduate in Michigan is prepared for college or technical training.

We still need to do more, though, to ensure that high school graduates have received the best K-12 education possible. Earlier this year, we adopted several education reforms. They include authorizing the state to intervene in the lowest-performing schools and expanding the number of high-quality charter schools while closing low-performing charters. Most importantly, the reforms established the importance of student achievement and make student academic growth a key element in evaluating teachers, principals, schools and districts.

Although reforms are important to ensuring a quality education, it's also critical that there be no more cuts to K-12 education. I've made this clear to the Legislature. I will not sign a budget that cuts school funding.

Next week, there will be an education summit in Lansing. Educators from across the state will gather to discuss what more needs to be done to move Michigan in the direction that education reform is headed nationally. While we may differ on how to get there, we all share the same goal: providing Michigan children with the very best education possible to compete in the global economy.

Thank you for listening.

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