Michigan Senate approves restructuring of Detroit schools

(AP) — The Michigan Senate approved a $720 million restructuring plan on Tuesday that would divide Detroit's ailing school district in two, creating a new district in which new traditional or charter schools could automatically open only if they replicate a school with top marks in an A-to-F accountability system.

[...] majority Republicans and Democrats have been at odds over details, such as how quickly an elected school board will be handed decision-making authority and whether to create a commission that can open and close traditional schools and independent publicly funded charter academies.

The legislation also would create of a seven-member education commission — fully appointed by Detroit's mayor — to make recommendations about the location of current and future schools and to determine the fate of proposed and some existing publicly funded charter academies.

Any new charter or traditional school could not open without the panel's approval unless it would replicate a school given an "A'' or "B'' on a new grading scale that would be based on factors such as state standardized test scores and students' improvement over time.