Education
As a former high school English teacher, I’ve seen how subpar education policy has a direct impact on students’ lives and futures—and how improving funding and policy can benefit kids in every classroom across Michigan. I’m proud of the work we have accomplished in my relevant appropriations subcommittees: School Aid, Higher Ed, and Joint Capital Outlay, including historic investments in per-pupil funding and special education.
I worked to secure over $200M of state funding for higher education infrastructure projects as Joint Capital Outlay Chair and brought back $11.5M to improve elementary schools in my district. Nevertheless, Michigan continues to underfund education by $3.5-4.5B a year.
I support increasing per-pupil funding and making our funding models more equitable to boost the most under-resourced schools and students with the greatest needs. I also believe we should implement several recommendations from the School Finance Research Collaborative, including reducing class sizes, holding charter schools to the same standards as public schools, and abolishing for-profit charter schools that divert our valuable tax dollars.