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Parents are their children?s first and most important teacher, and we need their input to help our kids thrive in school. Yesterday, I was proud to announce the members of the Michigan Parents? Council who will represent the parent perspective and ensure that parents have an empowered seat at the table in Michigan. We need parents? perspectives to help 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.??
The Council will build on the inclusion of the parent perspective in the most recent education budget I signed for the current 2022-2023 school year. The Council represents parents from across Michigan, as well as parents of students with a variety of educational needs. The group will convene a series of regional parent roundtables to gather input.
The Council includes appointees who represent various communities and reflect the wide range of experiences and perspectives from across the state. Appointees include parents of children in public, private, and home school learning environments, children in early childhood learning programs, and elementary, middle, and high school students. They also include parents of children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), children who speak English as a second language (ESL), and children who are in foster or kinship care.??
In the weeks to come, the Council will convene roundtables of parents and family members across Michigan to strengthen partnerships between parents and schools. They will share input from these events directly with my team so that parent ideas and feedback can be incorporated into next year?s state budget recommendations.??
We want your feedback too! Following the regional stops, the Council will host a virtual meeting that?s open to all parents statewide. We?ll also be conducting an online survey for parents in the coming days. Keep an eye on your inbox for the link!?
For four years in a row, I have worked across the aisle to make the largest education investments in Michigan history?without raising taxes. Since taking office, I have tripled the number of literacy coaches, closed the funding gap between schools, boosted state per-student investment to an all-time high, and helped districts hire thousands of teachers and on-campus mental health professionals.? Now, with this Council, I am looking forward to working directly with parents and further improving the lives of students all over the state.
Sincerely,
 Gretchen Whitmer
Governor of Michigan
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