Michigan should make community college free for all and give merit-based scholarships to high school graduates who attend the state's public universities, says a commission formed by Gov. Rick Snyder.
The panel released a report Friday that calls for getting rid of grade levels and instead advancing students only once they master content.
The study also recommends universal access to preschool for all 4-year-olds — not just disadvantaged and poor ones — and state aid to help pay for school buildings in low-income districts and those used by publicly funded charter schools. Another key recommendation proposes seeking a 2018 constitutional amendment to give the governor, whose K-12 powers are limited outside of funding decisions, more sway over education policy by having direct oversight of the state Education Department.
