With 11,850 students enrolled in 76 schools, Michigan has the nation's third highest number of charter schools and students. In addition, two out of three citizens said that charter schools improved the quality of education locally. Three out of four said that state-endorsed diplomas have improved the quality of schools. This fall, Mt. Clemens will become the f irst school district in the nation to open a privately run public high school . Edison-run schools feature longer school days as well as a longer school year.
Parental involvement is stressed, and each student receives a home computer.
This charter trade academy is a partnership between St. John Health System and the Detroit Medical Center and will combine practical experience with professional-level training for high school students interested in health care careers. Across Michigan, ten trade academies are already open , and five are expected to open this fall. The charter school is expected to make use of a long-closed Pontiac school building and will open in August with 192 students. Governor Engler called for passage of this legislation in his State of the State message to give the state the ability to intervene and take decisive action to help children in school districts that consistently perform poorly on tests of basic academic skills. Much of the new money will be directed to local Workforce Development Boards for computers, software and networking systems to help establish an electronic statewide reporting system and to expedite the process of matching workers to jobs.