LANSING – State Representative Joel Sheltrown (D-West Branch) met with the House Education Committee on Wednesday to discuss his plan that will give students the option to choose Career Technical Education (CTE) coursework with embedded math content as opposed to traditional math classes. The legislation also will create an option for a student to take a financial literacy course instead of algebra two.
"The Michigan Merit Curriculum leaves our students with little or no time in their schedules to take career technical classes," Sheltrown said. "My bill will allow students to complete their math requirements through CTE courses while at the same time offering a much-needed financial literacy option to better prepare them for real-world finance and experience."
Sheltrown's plan maintains rigorous standards that allow students to use a handful of credits to focus on the tailored skills they need to succeed after high school in a career or post-secondary institution.
"The argument here is not whether rigor should be reduced, but how the curriculum should be made more flexible to better accommodate a broader field of post-secondary options," Sheltrown said. "My plan is vital because not all high school students can be expected to follow the same educational path. CTE prepares students for the good-paying jobs that will be available to them after graduation, and it's imperative that we ensure access to it."
Sheltrown was joined in front of the Committee by Eastern Michigan University professor Derrick Fries, who talked about the importance of making Michigan's curriculum more flexible to combat a projected increase in the dropout rate caused by the Michigan Merit Curriculum.
"Ninety-three percent of high school administrators who participated in my research study believe the algebra two requirement will increase high school dropout rates substantially," Fries said. "Eight-three percent believe that algebra two is not even a necessary requirement for employability."