House Passes New Charter School Law – The Livingston Post.com

House Democrats on Wednesday signed two packages of bills requiring public school academies (PSAs), also known as charter schools, to post employee compensation information online and provide credits on their signage and advertising.

Both packages followed party lines (56-54), with Republicans continuing the trend of opposing legislation to further regulate charter schools.

HB 5269 by Rep. Matt Koleszar (R-Plymouth) – a bill to require charter schools, urban high school academies, discipline academies, schools of excellence, and educational management organizations (EMOs) to post salary information on their websites – would require schools to November 1 of each year to meet the requirements.

These include the average salary of both new and experienced teachers, if there are more than five, and the average salary of all employed teachers, if there are fewer than five, along with the average salary of support staff.

The bill was opposed during committee by the Great Lakes Education Project Education Fund and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, with groups that also opposed the second package, which includes Rep. Regina Weiss’s HB 5231 (D-Oak Park) and Rep. Stephanie Young’s HB 5232 (Detroit), HB 5233 by Rep. Samantha Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills), and HB 5234 by Rep. Helena Scott (Detroit), collectively requiring PSAs to include the name of the approver and potential educational management organization on all signage, advertising and promotional materials.

On the panel, Koleszar said the entire package is intended to increase transparency, especially when it comes to new teachers looking to put down roots in Michigan.

He said it is currently extremely difficult to ensure payroll transparency and verify salary information at charter schools.

When looking for information about the author, Koleszar said it took “a lot of time to wade through to find that information.”

“Residents don’t have time,” he said. “It’s a lot easier if it’s just on promotional materials, if it’s just on a sign.”

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