(Source: MIRS.news, Published 10/11/2023) The Governor's Growing Michigan Together Council was slated to consider some controversial measures from one of its subcommittees on Thursday, including giving the Governor the authority to appoint the state school superintendent.
The subcommittee on PreK-12 workgroup was also expected to propose an additional $3 billion for education. The state is slated to spend $21.5 billion on K-12 education in Fiscal Year 2024, meaning this would be a 14% increase.
The $3 billion funding level was a compromise of sorts after a proposed $6 billion increase was rejected, as was the idea of giving no increase at all.
The workgroup was also considering going with a diploma endorsement system, in which graduates can earn a special designation of specialty on their high school diploma.
Given the option to re-open the state constitution to institute changes, the group decided against that, but described it as a "possibility on the table," according to one source familiar with the closed-door debate.
The decisions were reportedly reached at a meeting last Monday and are part of a call for the full council to "consider" all of them.
The PreK-12 workgroup got staff input from Public Sector Consultants (PSC) and representatives of the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE).
Up to now, getting information on the Growing Michigan Together Council -- the Governor’s independent creation to come up with ways to keep younger workers in Michigan – has been a challenge.
A call to one of the 28 members resulted in this conversation.
This source said, "I talked to one of the members of that subcommittee (which will go nameless) but that person did not share very much with me. I wish I had been able to get more information out of (him or her)."
MIRS called another source who has been sitting in on another work group and privy to all the give and take.
"So, what are they talking about?" was the seemingly obvious question, which was met with an unexpected answer.
"I can't tell you."
"Come on. How come?"
This source said that commission members have been instructed on several occasions to not talk about any of the internal discussions and where they may or may not be headed.
"You gotta be kidding me,” the reporter said.
"No. They are serious about this,” was the response.
