Testimony on a package of bills to update Michigan’s high school graduation requirements was taken by the state House Education Committee this week, and on hand was state Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan.
Griffin’s contribution to the package specifically requires students to complete at least three courses in any combination of foreign language, visual or performing arts, computer science, or a career technical education program to graduate. She tells us “hundreds of jobs in our state go unfilled because there aren’t enough qualified individuals,” saying this legislation is intended to help change that.
Other bills in the package would allow the foreign language course requirement to be met by completing a CTE program, allow completion of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration training program to fulfill a health education requirement, and allow a statistics or financial literacy course to be an alternative to Algebra II.
Griffin was joined for her testimony by Van Buren County Intermediate School District Superintendent Jeffrey Mills.
