State and Local School Boards Support TCA Call for No Action on Education Bills During ‘Lame Duck’ Session

Lansing — A number of local school boards have joined with the State Board of Education in recent weeks by adopting resolutions in support of the Tri-County Alliance for Public Education’s (TCA) statement that the ‘lame duck’ legislative session is not the time to rush through questionable education reforms. The State Board of Education voted earlier this month to adopt TCA’s position as their own statement of opposition to lame duck action on public education issues and local school boards have are now speaking up on the issue as well.

The Oak Park School Board, the most recent board to unanimously pass a resolution in support of TCA’s position at their meeting last night, stated in their resolution: “The Oak Park School District supports the position of the Tri-County Alliance for Public Education and similarly encourages legislators to leave any legislative action on education policies for the next Legislature and Governor when there is time for thoughtful review.”

Oak Park joined school boards from Walled Lake, Bloomfield Hills, Hazel Park, Ferndale, Redford Union, Wayne RESA, Oakland County Schools and others in passing resolutions of support for TCA’s position. Several other districts, including Dearborn, have a similar resolution on the agenda for their next board meeting.

“Anyone who suggests that fundamental changes to public education policies can be properly reviewed and debated during the chaos of the lame duck session either doesn’t understand or appreciate the complexity of these issues and the unintended consequences that too-often result when changes are rushed through,” said Dr. George Heitsch, TCA President & Superintendent of Farmington Public Schools. “Educators are proud to be joined by our partners on school boards, parent groups and business leaders throughout our communities who are speaking out to say that our kids deserve better than to have unvetted education policies hurried through the legislature at their expense.”

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The Tri-County Alliance for Public Education is a coalition of education leaders committed to fighting for strong K-12 schools across Michigan. Comprised of Superintendents from every district in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, they are collectively responsible for educating over 500,000 students.