Amazon surprises DPSCD School with $15,000 donation, Celebrates Black History Month Roots. B3
Michigan Chronicle
Vol. 82 – No. 26 | March 6-12, 2019
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Gov. Whitmer’s 2020 budget focuses on roads, education and clean water By Patreice A. Massey MANAGING EDITOR
On Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and State Budget Director Chris Kolb outlined the Fiscal Year 2020 Executive Budget Recommendation to a joint session of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The first budget recommendation from Gov. Whitmer delivers on her commitment to solving problems that will make a difference in people’s lives right now, like fixing our roads, cleaning up our drinking water, and making sure every Michigander has a path to a high wage career. “I’ve heard from people all across Michigan and this budget reflects the priorities they have shared,” Gov. Whitmer said. “People are tired of driving on crumbling and unsafe roads and bridges, they want to turn on their tap and know that the Gov. Whitmer water is clean and safe, and they want a strong educational system that leads to opportunity and a good job.” The budget recommendation totals $60.2 billion, up 3.6 percent from the current fiscal year 2019 budget, which includes a General Fund total of $10.7 billion and a School Aid Fund total of $15.4 billion. Excluding increased funding for transportation needs, the total recommended budget is up just 2.5 percent. “The fact that our General Fund remains at the exact same level it was 20 years ago says a lot about why we are facing some of the challenges we are today,” said Kolb. “Everyone agrees that more revenue is needed to fix our roads and I am looking forward to working with the Legislature to make that happen.” Michigan ranks near the bottom in the nation when it comes to the amount spent on highways per capita and the 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers report gave Michigan a D- on the condition of its roads. Past attempts to improve the state’s infrastructure have been unsuccessful. In 2015, a package was passed by the Legislature that only slowed the decline of road conditions and did not provide enough funding to fix the roads. Gov. Whitmer’s budget proposal provides the necessary funding to fix the roads through three 15-cent motor fuel tax increases from October 1, 2019 through October 1, 2020, with tax relief provided to lower income, working families. The plan generates $2.5 billion in new annual revenue, which will be de-
See BUDGET page A3
WHAT’S INSIDE
Detroit Regional Chamber's 2019 Detroit Policy Conference
Michigan Leadership: Solving State's Education Crisis Critical to Future Success
By Trevor W. Coleman
During a freewheeling exchange Thursday at the 2019 Detroit Policy Conference, a range of local, state, and national leaders shared their vision for Detroit over the next decade and it was a vision anchored by cautious optimism. However, one common theme among Michigan leadership was the need to improve education outcomes for Detroit students in particular as key to the city’s future success. During a much-anticipated interview with Dennis Archer Jr., who facilitated the discussion and was the chairman of the conference, Quicken Loans chairman Dan Gilbert said, it is the most important issue and that the Detroit Public School System is “not where it needs to be.” “it’s certainly no genius revelation here … everybody’s known that for years and decades,” he said. “You pick up a newspaper, go online …” Gilbert recalled searching newspapers online and coming across education stories about DPS from the 1960s, 70s, 80 and being stunned to see that the same problem with the system has existed for generations. “It’s the same, as the same words, we’re almost going to match them word for word, which is crazy now,” he said. However, Gilbert said in spite of DPS challenges he believes after the state takeover and major changes made to the structure of the schools,
school board, and administration; he is optimistic that the school system now has the right people in place to move things forward. “It seems like we have the right people in place when it comes to DPS moving forward,” he said. “It just feels like there’s momentum and people are talking and thinking things are happening.” The conference took place at the Motor City Casino on Thursday and speakers took part in discussions on how to improve mass transit, education, create an inclusive economy in Detroit, and mold the city’s future. Archer Jr., CEO of Ignition Media Group, and founding partner of Archer Corporate Services said the Conference theme was 2030: A Vision for the Future because the need for all stakeholders in Michigan to look beyond the immediate future as they envision what kind of place, they are hoping the state and city of Detroit ultimately will be. “Where do we want Detroit to be in the year 2030, and what do we have to do, to know we will be where we want to be in10 years,” he said. “Just who are the stakeholders? The Chamber? State and local government?” “So, we really went out of our way to make sure that we have representation from all elements of the city,” Archer Jr. said. “And there’s a lot of small business to make sure that we don’t have just have the corporate perspective.”
Although Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lamented the decline in educational achievement in the state as a whole, she said she was determined to raise it. During an interview with Christy McDonald of Detroit Public Television’s One Detroit, She said it is on Michigan’s leaders to make sure that we fix the education system in Michigan. “We used to be the envy of the world, and now our third graders are in the bottom 10 in our country in reading,” Whitmer said. “It’s unacceptable and we’re never going to make sure that this is an economy and quality of life that people come to, if we don’t fix the education crisis in Michigan.” The governor said her budget will have a lot of things in it to ensure that every child was literate by the end of third grade that every child has the opportunity and wraparound support that they need. “That we infuse some common sense and some, some audacious goals,’ Whitmer said. “Michigan was the only state in the Midwest that did not have a formalized post-secondary attainment goal, until I gave the State of the State and set it at 60%. And I chose 60% because that’s where every
See LEADERSHIP page A2
Dr. Curtis L. Ivery Appointed to National Task Force on Community College Apprenticeships
Daylight Savings Time Begins March 10
Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) Chancellor Dr. Curtis L. Ivery has been appointed to a national task force whose mandate is to help train 16,000 apprentices across 80 colleges over a three-year period. The task force is a part of the Expanding Community College Apprenticeships (ECCA) initiative, launched by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Remember to set your clocks forward one hour.
In addition to the AACC and the U.S. Dept. of Labor, the initiative aims to work with large businesses from the private sector to develop new apprenticeship models, or expand existing programs to train 4,000 apprentices over three years. An additional 80 colleges across the nation would be selected to train an additional 12,000 apprentices over the same time period. Vehicles to share the most up-to-date information between business and industry on apprenticeship training and work-and-learn opportunities will also be created.
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Other speakers included Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, StockX’s Josh Luber, and Author and Placemaker, Jay Pitter.
Dr. Curtis L. Ivery
The Task Force on Community College Apprenticeships will identify, validate,
and promote successful apprenticeship models and work-based learning programs that can be rapidly ramped up into full programs across sectors and regions. The task force may further serve as incubators for testing models, programs, and metrics. “I am honored to be appointed to a task force that is focused on expanding access to vital workplace education and creating tens of thousands of rewarding jobs across the nation,” Ivery said. “Our mission has always been to help people create better lives through higher education – this program fits well within that mission, and promises to help provide a highly skilled workforce for our region.” Apprenticeships differ from other forms of workplace educational initiatives as they offer customized, hands-on training that is tailored to the specific needs of industry and business. Apprentice programs tend to result in increased knowledge, tying together classroom training with on-the-job learning, a safer workplace, and enhanced employee retention.
See TASK
FORCE page A2