LANSING — Yesterday, the state House of Representatives passed House Bill 4162 to eliminate the requirement for students to take the ACT WorkKeys Test, a workforce readiness standardized assessment, as part of the Michigan Merit Examination (MME). If signed by the governor, this would free up millions of dollars in school aid funding. In response, state Rep. Padma Kuppa (D-Troy) issued the following statement:
“All Michigan students should be encouraged to follow their passions while being provided the tools they need to prepare for their future. But so long as education continues to be vastly underfunded in Michigan, forcing schools to administer a costly and under-utilized test ends up hurting our schools and our students in the long run. If the WorkKeys testing is optional, it will allow for the funds and time to be shifted towards other effective means of educating our students and preparing them for whatever career path they’re interested in.”
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