We are providing a template letter for you to send to your state Legislators on behalf of Detroit Public Schools Community District. It calls for equitable funding for K-12 education. 

 

Let's advocate for our students and staff by sending this letter to your Legislators today. 

 

Supporting this effort is as easy as 1-2-3:

 

Read and copy the text and letter below:

1. Identify your legislative representative in the provided chart.
2. Email your letter today!

 

Letter Template

Date:

Dear Honorable [Name of Elected Official],

As you may be aware, in September, Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti submitted a 4-page memo to Michigan Elected Officials including Governor Gretchen Whitmer to offer clear and practical solutions to the K-12 funding challenges that still exist in Michigan, with obviously Detroit Public Schools Community District at the center of those much-needed solutions. Dr. Vitti offered four recommendations to improve equal or equitable state funding:

• Remove all restrictions on State Categorical funding
• Establish reoccurring facility funding for school districts
• Provide additional funding for students with greatest needs through weighted student formula, including ESE, ELL, and At-Risk through poverty status.
• Address hold harmless associated with local millage funding or increase per pupil funding to the highest generating per pupil amount.

A step toward DPSCD receiving equitable and adequate school aid is having current budget language changed to lift restrictions on state categorical funding. Currently, the language says that funds must be used on at risk programming and cannot be used for teacher salaries and other district needs. Lifting these restrictions will give DPSCD flexibility to use funds in ways that directly address all student needs. The district cannot continue to recruit and retain teachers with greater flexibility without teachers, the district will not continue to improve.

Unfortunately, in Michigan, the current base per pupil funding levels do not provide adequate funding to provide equal or equitable exceptional core instruction to all students. Supplemental funding only allows districts to hire tutors, aides, counselors, behavior specialists, but it does not allow funding to increase teacher salaries which assists with recruiting and retaining teachers. An exceptional core teacher is the principal factor in improving outcomes for At-Risk students and English Language Learner (ELL) students in which the funds were designed to support.

Unless we change the funding model, and fund all schools equal to this highest level, wealthier school districts will continue to offer higher wages to attract teachers, offer supplemental programming for students, and have the funds to better maintain their facilities. In the absence of equal or equitable school funding, allowing school districts to use supplemental At-Risk and ELL funds to fund core instruction is a critical and practical solution to meeting the needs of targeted students without increasing state funding.

The solution to this issue is to remove all restrictions on state categorical funding and allow all districts with higher concentrations of at-risk students with greater flexibility to use these dollars.

Please continue to make Detroit Public Schools Community District Students and families a priority, they deserve what other students deserve across our great state of Michigan.

Sincerely,

(Include your name here)

 

District	Party	Sen/Rep	First Name	Last Name	Office	Phone	Email	Leadership
4	D	Senator	Dayna	Polehanki	S-310 CB	517-373-7350	sendpolehanki@senate.michigan.gov	Chair Senate Education Committee
5	D	Representative	Matt	Koleszar	786 HOB	517-373-085	MattKoleszar@house.mi.gov	Chair House Education Committee
21	D	Representative	Joe	Tate	164 CB	517-373-0857	JoeTate@house.mi.gov	Speaker of the House
22	D	Representative	Abraham	Aiyash	153 CB	517-373-6990	AbrahamAiyash@house.mi.gov	Majority Floor Leader
6	D	Representative	Laurie	Pohutsky	251 CB	517-373-1530	LauriePohutsky@house.mi.gov	Speaker Pro Tempore
76	D	Senator	Winnie	Brinks	S-102 CB	517-373-1801	SenWBrinks@senate.michigan.gov	Senate Majority Leader
28		Senator	Sam	Singh	S-8 CB	517-373-3447	senssingh@senate.michigan.gov	Majority Floor Leader
10	D	Senator	Jeremy	Moss	S-132 CB	517-373-7888	senjmoss@senate.michigan.gov	Pro Tempore
	D	Governor	Gretchen	Whitmer		517-373-3400	Gretchen.Whitmer@michigan.gov	Governor
	D	Lt Governor	Garlin	Gilchrist		517-373-3400	Garlin.Gilchrist@michigan.gov	Lt. Governor