LANSING– Both chambers of the Michigan legislature remained in session Thursday night, preparing for four bills lawmakers say are key to Michigan’s educational future.

Four bills are pending in joint House-Senate conference committees. There lawmakers will hammer out the differences between the bills passed in the Democratic dominated House and the Republican majority Senate. Once those differences are hammered out, a conference report is sent to the floor of both chambers where members can vote either yes or no. The legislation cannot be amended.

Meetings of those conference committees are expected shortly after midnight Friday.

Specifically at stake are new standards for teacher licensing, expansion of charter schools and reforms which tie teacher and administrator performance to student achievement. Without these legal changes, the state will be ineligible to apply for as much as $400 million in federal education cash in the Race to the Top program.

Lawmakers and staff are settling in for a long night, and expressing frustration. Particular in light of the political drama which passed as a news conference earlier today.

After failing to meet for hours because Republicans had walked away from the negotiating table, Democrats, in the person of House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Township), called Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland) and asked him to come back to the negotiating table.

Kuipers agreed.

Grand Ledge Republican Rep. Rick Jones told Michigan Messenger in an instant message chat:

I have always been willing to work 24-7 to get the work done. As sheriff I was used to it. But there is absolutely NO sense in the dysfunction here tonight. Everyone knew the Race To The Top legislation had to be done soon. Why not debate the issues last Tuesday. Whenever legislation is done in the middle of the night we get bad law.

Other lawmakers and staffers expressed frustrations as well, but declined to do so on the record.

But Westland Democrat Sen. Glenn Anderson posted the following to his Facebook account:

Glenn Anderson 25 hours and counting, State Senate still in session. Numerous bills still to go. May have breakfast here..