Council will center parent perspective in the policymaking process, and formalize how parent recommendations are included in governor’s education budgets  

Lansing, MI?– On July 15th,?Governor?Gretchen Whitmer?created the Michigan Parents' Council to more formally bring parents into the policymaking process. The council will build on Governor Whitmer’s work to include the parent perspective into the start of the 2022-2023 school year, the education budget, and streamline how parent recommendations are included in Michigan’s education budget. The council will represent parents from across Michigan and host a series of regional parent roundtables to gather input.  

"As a mom, I know that parents are their children’s first and most important teacher, and when parents and schools are close partners, kids thrive,"?said Governor Whitmer. "On July 15th, I am proud to establish the Michigan Parents' Council so we can ensure that parents have an empowered seat at the table in Michigan. We need parents’ perspectives as we head into the 2022-2023 school year and stay focused on helping our kids learn in-person, tackle unfinished learning, and get on track for long-term success. The bipartisan education budget I just signed delivers record resources to our schools, and with the input of Michigan parents, we can help schools implement this historic funding." 

Michigan Parents' Council 

Structure 

Seven parents or family members appointed by the governor will lead the council and convene regional roundtables with families across Michigan to bring in as many voices as possible. Appointees must have children enrolled in PreK-12 and represent diverse student experiences, including special education, English as second language students, and students in foster or kinship care. The council will also include the governor’s K-12 policy advisor and a designated representative of the Superintendent of Public Instruction from the Michigan Department of Education.  

Responsibilities 

The council will convene roundtables of parents and family members across Michigan to strengthen partnerships between parents and schools. They will share input from the roundtables directly with the governor’s team and state superintendent. The council will submit a report to the governor highlighting major themes from the roundtables and summarizing proposals for inclusion in the governor’s budget recommendation by December 9, 2022.  

Michigan parents and family members interested in appointment can apply at www.michigan.gov/Whitmer/Appointments. Click “Apply Now” and select “Michigan Parents' Council” when prompted in the application. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on August 8th.  

The executive order can be viewed by clicking here. 

FY 2023 Education Budget Investments 

The recently signed bipartisan education budget can be divided into six key sections: students, mental health, learning supports, student safety, school infrastructure, and teacher recruitment. 

1) Students 

For our students, the highest state per-pupil funding in Michigan history—$9,150 for every kid, in every public school district. Additional support for the nearly 200,000 special education students and 710,000 at-risk students in Michigan. Expanding funding for career and technical education programs by 27%. 

2) Mental Health 

Dedicated mental health dollars for every student in every school. Increasing funding for teen centers, district mental health grants, and TRAILS, which offers training to school mental health professionals so they can better serve students with evidence-based services. 

3) Teacher Recruitment 

Funding MI Future Educator Fellowships, which pay up to $10,000 in tuition for 2,500 future Michigan educators a year, $9,600 stipends a semester for student teachers, and Grow-Your-Own programs that help districts put support staff on no-cost paths to become educators.  

4) School Infrastructure 

$250 million for school construction and renovations, helping them build or refurbish classrooms, labs, and libraries.  

5) Learning Supports 

An expansion of before and after-school programs to keep kids engaged. The budget offers every kid in Michigan tutoring to help catch up and get on track for long-term success, and resources for districts to develop learning pods for academically at-risk and economically disadvantaged students. 

6) Student Safety 

Dedicated school safety dollars for every student in every school. Funds to hire more on-campus school resources officers, create an intervention system for at-risk students that brings together law enforcement, schools, and mental health professionals, and establish a school safety commission. 

Governor Whitmer’s Education Investments 

For four years in a row, Governor Whitmer has worked across the aisle to make the largest education investments in Michigan history—without raising taxes. Since taking office, the governor has tripled the number of literacy coaches and last year, closed the funding gap between schools, boosted state per-student investment to an all-time high, and helped districts hire thousands of teachers on-campus mental health professionals.  

The Whitmer-Gilchrist administration’s education accomplishments can be found here.