MichiganRadio

Changes may be coming to teacher tenure in Michigan LANSING, MI (MPRN) -

House Democrats are debating proposed reforms to teacher tenure laws at the state Capitol. Party leaders are trying to convince reluctant rank-and-file Democratic lawmakers to support measures that would make it easier to fire teachers in underperforming classrooms. Teachers unions are opposed to the bills.

Representative Tim Melton is a Democrat who chairs the House Education Committee. He says Democrats and unions should make a deal. He says that's because the Democrats are in a stronger position to negotiate now then they will be when the new legislative session begins next year.

"We're at the table," says Melton, "We're negotiating a common sense reform, and a month from now, we're not going to be at the table with a a Republican House, a Republican Senate, a Republican governor, and what they could do is something that's not as thoughtful as the bills we have today."

The Republican-led state Senate has already adopted the reforms. Today (Thu.) is expected to be the last day of the Legislature's lame duck session. © Copyright 2012, MPRN