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NBC Nightly News features a Lansing public charter school in this special report.

Lansing, MI – While Michigan voters give generally low grades to public schools across the state, they have a very favorable impression of public charter schools, according to a statewide survey released today.

Results from the Spring 2010 MRG Michigan Poll indicated that 77% of voters support public charter schools in the state, which has increased dramatically from 54% voter support in the 2002 MRG Michigan Poll.  At the same time, opposition to public charter schools has dropped in half from 32% to only 16% of voters during the same time period.

“The positive-negative support ratio for public charter schools has gone from less than 2:1 to nearly 5:1 in the past eight years,” said Paul King, Director of Survey Research at Marketing Resource Group. “This is tremendous movement for any public policy issue, and public charter schools are fast approaching bullet-proof status.”

On average, the state’s public schools earned a 1.97 GPA from voters when asked what grade they would give the schools, which is “C” average. Specific grades were as follows:

• A:    3%
• B:  26%
• C:  41%
• D:  16%
• F:  10%

In addition to strong support for charter public schools, nearly 80% support additional public school options in the state and a majority of voters strongly support additional choices.  Also, 73% of respondents believe more students should have the opportunity to enroll in public charter schools.

“We’re pleased that public perception is catching up with the actual success of public charter schools in closing the achievement gap and delivering results for a variety of students,” said Billie Wimmer, Executive Director of the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers.

On the issue of failing public schools, two-thirds of voters support state intervention or takeover of chronically failing public schools.  For the first time, this type of intervention is being required by federal and state legislation.

“Parents are demanding quality public school options for their families, and our member schools will continue providing choice, achievement and accountability in public education,” said Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA).

Quisenberry commented that release of the MRG Michigan Poll data follows the recent release of 2009 MEAP data, which confirmed students in public charter schools continue to outperform students in similar traditional districts on nearly all tests.

The Michigan Department of Education also recently released their 2009 PSA Report to the Legislature, which confirms the solid performance of Michigan’s public charter schools within the state’s K-12 education community.

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The MRG Michigan Poll was conducted between March 10-15, 2010, which consisted of 600 random telephone surveys, stratified by voter turnout in past general elections.  Given the statewide sample size of 600 and the method of random selection, the statistical margin of error can be reliably set at plus or minus four percent within a 95 percent degree of confidence.  For additional information regarding the MRG Michigan Poll, please contact Paul King at 313-881-3724.

Please click here for a PDF version of this release and charts.

Please click here for a 6-page executive summary of the 2010 Spring MRG Michigan Poll Results.

Please click here to download the draft version of MDE’s 2009 PSA Report to the Legislature.

Please click here to access 2009 MEAP results for public charter schools.

This is the most important announcement for K-12 education in Detroit since passage of Proposal A and the school choice movement!!

Helping Michigan compete to receive up to $400 million from the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” federal incentive program, the Michigan legislature on Saturday, December 19, 2009 passed five bills to expand high quality public charter schools, provide alternative administrator and teacher certification, link student performance data to teacher effectiveness, and mandate state intervention for the persistently lowest-achieving schools.

The cornerstone of the legislative package was the nation’s first “Smart Cap” on public charter schools.  Michigan becomes the first state in the nation to go beyond simply the “quantity” of charter schools and focus on “quality” charters.  For the first time, those existing charter schools that deliver exceptional academic success, especially those with high achievement among at-risk students, will have the opportunity to become “Schools of Excellence” under the legislation, which will allow for the replication of additional high-quality charter schools and will attract the nation’s best charter school models.

Existing charters that become “Schools of Excellence” will no longer count against the legislative cap of 150 university-authorized charter schools.   A limited number of new applicants, and cyber-charter schools, will also be allowed to open under the legislation.

Much of the credit for the new “smart cap” goes to Sen. Buzz Thomas (D-Detroit), the primary bill sponsor, and Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland), Chair of the Senate Education Committee.  Through their strong bi-partisan leadership, Michigan has made a significant contribution to the on-going policy debate regarding the proper place of public charter schools in the education landscape.  Congrats and kudos to these two key public servants!!

Additionally, the state will  be developoing a systemic program to intervene in the those schools meeting the new federal definition of ““persistently lowest-achieving schools” (Those failing to reach AYP for 2 consecutive years; are among the lowest 5% of the state in academic achievement; and/or is a high school with a graduation rate less than 60%).

SB 981 (Kuipers) is the charter expansion bill.