June 8, 2007

LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today marked the conclusion of the 2006-2007 school year by highlighting exciting new improvements to the state's school system and stressing the importance of education to securing a bright future for Michigan.

"Economists and experts across the country agree that education is the single most effective strategy for stoking a state's economic growth," Granholm said. "The kids in Michigan public schools today are better prepared than ever before: we are improving their curriculum, we are pushing them all to shoot for college, and we are making sure that college and technical training are affordable and accessible for every Michigan student."

New, rigorous high school graduation requirements and the Michigan Promise scholarship, which provides $4,000 for high school graduates pursuing post-secondary education, were among the changes the governor detailed in her address. Also, for the first time this past school year, all high school juniors were required to take the ACT, a college entrance examination. Granholm emphasized the critical role that these aggressive new measures play in Michigan's transition to the knowledge-based economy.

The new curriculum includes multiple years of study in mathematics, science, and English, as well as study in the arts and foreign languages, and an innovative online learning experience. Granholm said that these more rigorous curriculum requirements will help ensure that students across the state are prepared to continue their education with college or technical training. Granholm also said that the ACT requirement and the Michigan Promise scholarship will bring these next educational steps after high school within reach of students across the state.

"Together, these requirements move Michigan to the front of the pack for preparing our students to go on to college and to succeed in the jobs of the future," Granholm said. "These steps are laying a strong foundation for our economic future, and our investment in education now will help ensure that Michigan is the best place in the world for us and our kids to live, learn and earn."

The governor's weekly radio address is released each Friday morning and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state through an affiliation with the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.  The address will also be available on the Governor's website on Mondays as a podcast for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers.

Broadcasters Note:  Governor Granholm's radio address can be accessed through Sunday evening exclusively through the Members Only page of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Website.

Publishers Note:  The text of today's address is attached.

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