Education (Teachers)

This bill prohibits Michigan school districts, academies, and intermediate districts from hiring or retaining individuals who worked for specific federal immigration agencies between September 1, 2025, and January 20, 2029. The affected agencies include Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Citizenship and Immigration Services. The law applies to any role within these educational institutions and targets people who were employed by these organizations during that specific future time frame.

This bill limits Michigan school districts to 15 virtual instruction days per school year, counting these days as regular school days for funding and attendance purposes. It permits virtual learning only for emergencies, student testing days, or teacher training (capped at 30 hours yearly). School districts must get board approval and notify students' families before implementing virtual days. The bill directly affects public school districts and their scheduling decisions for remote learning.

HB 4585 sets a salary cap for school administrators in Michigan, directly affecting superintendents, principals, and other school leaders in public school districts and intermediate school districts. The bill prohibits districts from paying these administrators more than four times the starting teacher salary or three times the average teacher salary in the district, whichever amount is greater. Existing contracts that exceed this cap will be exempt until the contract expires, providing a transition period for current employees. The legislation aims to align administrator pay more closely with typical teacher compensation structures within each school district.

This Michigan bill amends labor law to prohibit public school districts from negotiating with teacher unions about 16 specific topics, including school calendars, staffing decisions, performance evaluations, and classroom observation policies. It directly affects school districts and their employee unions by restricting collective bargaining to only wages, hours, and basic working conditions. Key provisions add these topics to a formal list of "prohibited subjects" in bargaining agreements, meaning schools cannot discuss them during contract negotiations. The bill clarifies that operational decisions like school schedules (for state aid eligibility) and staffing reductions remain the sole responsibility of school districts.