What a Difference Our Voices Make
This week, the Legislature finished their work on the fiscal year 2013 budget. While it is still possible that funding for specific programs and initiatives, as well as language directing state departments in their implementation, could be vetoed by the Governor in his final budget approval, we can assume what has passed out of the Legislature is pretty close to what we’ll be working with beginning in October.
The state budget, as the single most powerful expression of the state’s priorities, is a tool for either improving equity or widening gaps. Michigan’s Children advocates for many programs, initiatives and strategies during the budget process each year, and this year put some strategic focus on two items that prove critical to improving educational equity:
- supporting an expansion of funding for the state’s preschool program (GSRP) and ensuring that some of those dollars would be directed towards Michigan’s youngest children from birth through age three; and
- reinstating funding for extended learning opportunities (before- and after-school programs) that was once funded at $16 million through the state budget.
Staff worked with partners, local advocates, Legislators and their staff through each stage of the budget conversation to make sure that those investments were included or protected. Countless community allies reached out to their Legislators to encourage them to lend their support.
Here’s the verdict: voices are heard. The Legislature chose to prioritize additional funding for pre-school programming allowing nearly 1,500 more children to be served in the next school year. Even though language was not included in this budget to dedicate some of that new language for programs supporting younger children and their families, Legislators and staff have improved understanding and critical ground work was laid. Another verdict: as advocates always say, this is a marathon, not a sprit.
The Legislature also chose to prioritize extended learning beyond the school day by including $1 million for the kids who need it most, those in families whose income is below twice the poverty line. While this was not the $5 million that was originally proposed by champions in the House of Representatives, nor is it even a fraction of the kind of investment necessary to provide opportunities for all who need them, but it is a victory – again, a marathon.
We thank the Legislature for valuing programs that improve educational equity in our state, and we (of course) ask that the Governor not utilize his line-item veto power to remove those investments before signing the appropriations bills into law.
These investments were made because advocates and Legislative champions persisted. The verdict for this election season: it matters who is elected to office. That leads to the need for all of us to understand where our candidates stand on supporting strategies that lead to better and more equitable outcomes for kids and families all around this state. After the best candidates are elected this fall because of our votes, we continue the marathon.
-Michele Corey