Frequently Asked Questions about the Education Achievement Authority (EAA)
1. What is the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan?
2. How was the EAA of Michigan established and empowered?
3. Who is the EAA of Michigan administrator?
4. What is an EAA of Michigan school and when will they begin operating?
5. How does the EAA of Michigan work?
6. What type of teachers is the EAA looking for, and what will be their role?
7. Is the EAA of Michigan a permanent entity?
8. Will EAA of Michigan teachers have the right to organize?
9. How long is the school day and school year?
10. Does each school in the EAA of Michigan establish its own curriculum?
11. My question has not been answered here. Where can I get more information?
1. What is the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan?
The Education Achievement Authority (EAA) of Michigan is a new statewide system of schools that will assume operation of the lowest 5 percent of the Persistently Lowest Achieving (PLA) schools in the state of Michigan. The EAA's mission is to develop a new approach to educating children who are growing up in a 21st Century digital environment.
2. How was the EAA of Michigan established and empowered?
The EAA of Michigan was established through an inter-local agreement between Eastern Michigan University (EMU) and Detroit Public Schools (DPS). While both of these "parent organizations" were necessary to form the authority, it is an independent, free-standing entity.
The EAA of Michigan has an 11-member board, with two members appointed by DPS, two members appointed by EMU and seven members appointed by the Governor. Five members of the board make up the Executive Committee, which is chaired by Roy Roberts, Emergency Manager for DPS and is made up of one board member selected by DPS (Roberts), one board member selected by EMU, and three board members selected by the Governor.
3. Who is the EAA of Michigan administrator?
The 11-member board hired Dr. John Covington to be the first Chancellor of the EAA of Michigan. Dr. Covington is an education innovator and creative problem solver with a track record of success in urban school districts. Prior to serving the EAA of Michigan, Dr. Covington served as Superintendent in Kansas City, Missouri; Pueblo, Colorado; and Lowndes County (Montgomery), Alabama.
4. What is an EAA of Michigan school and when will they begin operating?
34 DPS schools were ranked among the lowest 5 percent of the Persistently Lowest Achieving (PLA) schools in the state. The 15 lowest performing of these DPS schools were assigned to the new EAA of Michigan schools.
The EAA of Michigan will begin operating its first schools in September 2012.
5. How does the EAA of Michigan work?
The EAA of Michigan schools will provide personal learning plans for each of its students and individualized instruction for each student. It plans to eliminate the traditional model in which students progress through school based on their age and grade levels or the required time a student must spend in a class to receive official credit for the year. Students will receive instruction based on their learning levels rather than by grade levels based on age.
6. What type of teachers is the EAA looking for, and what will be their role?
The EAA of Michigan will hire proven leaders and personnel to work in the schools that are brought under its jurisdiction. Principals will be empowered to assemble their staff, hire the best teachers and support them in a multitude of ways to improve individual student academic growth. The EAA of Michigan will direct 95 percent of the resources to the school classroom level.
7. Is the EAA of Michigan a permanent entity?
Yes. The EAA of Michigan has the ongoing responsibility of facilitating the improvement of Michigan's lowest performing schools.
8. Will EAA of Michigan teachers have the right to organize?
Yes.
9. How long is the school day and school year?
EAA of Michigan schools will be in session for a minimum for 170 days with flexibility to expand through technology and/or funding. The school day and school year will vary from school to school based on the school's vision.
10. Does each school in the EAA of Michigan establish its own curriculum?
No. An online learning platform will support the teaching and learning process. It will provide both teachers and students with curriculum resources and real-time reports which allow for the ongoing evaluation of student progress.
11. My question has not been answered here. Where can I get more information?
This PDF document contains a great deal of additional information about the EAA. Read through it and if your question is still not answered, you may contact us using the link on the left side of this page.