Governor Whitmer Establishes Michigan Parents' Council
Council will center parent perspective in the policymaking process, and formalize how parent recommendations are included in governor’s education budgets
LANSING, Mich. – Today, 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. "Today, 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.