House committee hears proposal for governor to appoint state superintendent

Yahoo

12-03-2025

State Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland) answers questions during a March 12, 2025 meeting of the House Education and Workforce Committee after testifying on his proposal to allow the governor to appoint the state superintendent. | Kyle Davidson
Members of the House Education and Workforce Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a recently proposed state Constitutional Amendment supporters say would bring additional accountability to the state's public education system.
House Joint Resolution E, introduced by Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland) would amend the state constitution to allow the governor to appoint the state superintendent, whereas the position is currently appointed by the eight members of the State Board of Education.
'This resolution, it's letter E, but I think it's appropriate. If you think about the grade our state is receiving in public education, it should be an F, a failing grade, our third grade, reading scores, our math and our testing results, they do not measure up,' Schuette said.
According to a report from Kids Count, an annual report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Michigan placed among the bottom ten states for education. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nation's Report Card, raised similar concerns, noting that 25% of fourth graders and 24% of eighth graders were considered proficient in reading.
'By adopting this resolution and having a superintendent who was appointed by the governor, who is elected by the people, we can restore some form of accountability to that department,' Schuette said.
Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) raised concerns that directly tying the superintendent to the governor's office could make the position more partisan and less consistent, noting the state tends to go back and forth between Democratic and Republican governors.
However, Schuette argued that allowing the State Board of Education — whose members are nominated at each political party's convention before they are elected by Michigan voters — is already subject to a hyperpartisan selection process.
'I think having a governor who is elected by the people every four years improves the accountability of that process, because when we're looking at how are the metrics of how our public schools are performing, or if we have a governor who wants to implement reforms or changes, and [the superintendent] has a mandate directly from the people and the governor, I think that is a better way to execute that accountability and make sure that it's starting from the top with the governor, and the buck stops there,' Schuette said.
The resolution would also alter the constitution so the superintendent reports to the governor rather than the state board of education, Schuette said, noting that he would also support eliminating the state board of education entirely, or allowing the governor to appoint those positions as well.
Rep. Brad Paquette (R-Niles) noted that Michigan's first governor appointed the state's superintendent, suggesting the state could benefit from returning to that model.
Schuette agreed, noting that the states ranked highest by the National Assessment of Educational Progress have a governor-appointed head of education.
However, Weiss emphasized her concerns on the stability of changing the process, warning that when lawmakers create systems where things are constantly changing in education, it's hard to adapt to those changes.
'My concern really here is you're setting up a system in which you'll have, because of the, again, the purpleness of our state, a Republican governor appointing someone, and then a few years later, a Democratic governor, and then the constant push and pull, I think, would be detrimental for outcomes in our state. And again, whether or not I agree with the change, constant change is not good when it comes to education,' Weiss said.
Schuette responded noting that Michigan is 42nd in the nation for education, saying a change is warranted.
While members of the committee did not vote on the resolution, they voted on other policies on their agenda, including an effort from Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan) seeking to improve representation from the state's various regions, telling the committee that the partisan nominating process used in selecting candidates for the Board of Education leaves northern Michigan and the rural areas of the state vastly underrepresented.
'What this bill does is simple. It divides our state into four districts, ensuring that when political parties nominate candidates for the State Board of Education, those candidates represent every corner of Michigan, not just a few cities,' Cavitt said. 'It mandates that parties nominate candidates from all four districts on a rotating schedule, guaranteeing that rural, northern and less populated regions have a fair shot at representation.'
'Our schools in Northeast Michigan face vastly different challenges than those in Wayne County. Our rural districts struggle with transportation funding, declining enrollment and broadband access, challenges that are rarely front and center in discussions at the State Board of Education. By requiring that nominees come from different regions. This bill ensures that the lived experience of students and educators in all parts of the state are represented at the table,' Cavitt said.
Additionally, the bill would force party leaders to recruit and elevate voices from northern Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, and rural Michigan rather than defaulting to candidates from major metropolitan areas, Cavitt said.
Cavitt's House Bill 4148 was referred back to the House floor in a 7-4 party line vote.
Schuette's resolution, meanwhile, has an unlikely path to becoming reality. It would have to pass through committee and then receive approval from two thirds of both the House and the Senate, before being placed on the ballot where Michigan voters would have the final say on whether the change would be implemented.
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