The Michigan Civil Rights Commission (MCRC) held a regularly scheduled meeting virtually on Monday, March 22, where they heard updates from leaders in education and voted to remove language from the Education Equity Report regarding charter school funding.
The following speakers presented at the meeting:
Dr. Wilson provided a one-year update on the role race played in the COVID-19 pandemic disparities and in vaccine distribution. Dr. Pugh discussed concerns and challenges students, teachers and/or administrators have faced with the re-opening of schools earlier this month. TJ Bucholz provided an overview of a comparative funding analysis of charter schools and traditional public schools which the Commission requested at their Nov. 23 special meeting. Former state legislator Buzz Thomas reiterated his concern with the proposal in the Education Equity report that called for charter schools to be funded at 75% of the amount allocated to traditional public schools.
After discussion, the Commission voted to remove language from the Education Equity Report that proposed a 25% reduction to foundation grants for charter schools (page 35, Section b. Change Proposal A). The Commission voted 6-0 in favor of removing the language.
The Commission also created three committees to further guide their work in the coming months - Administrative Rules (Chair Clayton, Vice Chair Elhasan and Commissioner Roberson), Education Equity (Chair Clayton, Vice Chair Kosaraju and Commissioner Lara), and Economic Equity and Contract Compliance (Commissioner Combs, Commissioner Roberson and Commissioner Lara).
The next regular meeting of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission will be held on Monday, May 24.
