(AP) -- The Michigan Legislature has approved more than $490,000 to help oversee recent changes in state education policy. A bill approved by the House on a 70-38 vote Tuesday is headed to Gov. Jennifer Granholm for her signature. The legislation allows the Department of Education to hire 13 employees for a school reform office required by state law.
It's part of the state's efforts to win Race to the Top moneyoffered by the Obama administration. Michigan did not win money in the competition's first round but is expected to try again in later rounds.
New Michigan law requires the education department to identify the lowest-performing 5 percent of the state's public schools by Sept. 1. The state eventually could take over some of those schools.
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