We believe all Michigan children should have an equal opportunity for quality education. Education at all levels must meet the constantly changing needs of society. We support legislation that would:
We further support:
In cases of school district consolidation, existing FFA and agriscience programs in any of the consolidating districts should be maintained as part of the curriculum of the successor consolidated district.
We encourage the Legislature to review the foundation funding grant for education. We support aid, limited to the rate of inflation, to districts operating under caps. School districts must exercise fiscal responsibility and look for efficiencies that will maximize the use of financial resources.
We support Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, (STEM) education in K-12 and acknowledge that agricultural education is an effective vehicle to deliver this programming. We encourage county Farm Bureaus to highlight opportunities for school districts to meet STEM requirements through agricultural concepts.
We encourage Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers, Michigan Farm Bureau, and other stakeholders to work with legislators and the Department of Education on flexibility within the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) to allow students to enroll in CTE classes. We urge county Farm Bureaus to work with local school districts to increase MMC flexibility acceptance. MMC standards must be balanced to recognize the importance of CTE and provide more opportunities for students to enroll in vocational training programs and mentor-based programs.
A well-rounded education containing basic curriculum, including college-prep or vocational/technical courses, should be an attainable and achievable goal for all students. We urge school counselors and faculty to be aware of and inform students about opportunities in the field of agriculture and vocational training. Furthermore, we encourage counselors’ continuing education courses encompass CTE opportunities.
We oppose Common Core State Standards.