Mich. Board of Education: No Consensus on Proposed Charter School Bills

An unusually divided Michigan State Board of Education couldn’t come to an agreement on how to weigh in on a package of bills in the Michigan Legislature that would in part allow an unlimited number of charter schools to open statewide.

Their inability to come to a consensus -- a rare moment for the typically agreeable board -- leaves Michigan Department of Education officials to figure out how to provide feedback to lawmakers on the sweeping nine-bill package that is making its way through the Legislature.

The board’s legislative committee last week had come up with a draft of an open letter to the Legislature in which they offered support for the expansion of effective and high quality public school choice options but issued a set of recommendations lawmakers should consider before passing the bills.

But two attempts -- including one 4-4 vote -- during a lengthy discussion at today’s monthly meeting couldn’t result in a compromise, not even one that watered down the language.