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April 10, 2025
LANSING – Michigan’s State Board of Education voted to formally oppose a legislative proposal seeking to take away the board’s constitutional authority to hire the state superintendent and give that power to the governor.
Board members said House Joint Resolution E—if approved by the legislature and voters statewide—would negatively affect Michigan’s public school students by transferring oversight away from an elected board that focuses on education. The State Board of Education resolution approved today says transferring that authority would give too much power to governors, who generally have different motivations than the education board.
State Board of Education President Dr. Pamela Pugh and board member Mr. Tom McMillin noted some of the reasons it is bad public policy.
“Hiring the state superintendent is an important part of the State Board of Education’s role,” Pugh said. “Recommendations from the State Board of Education and the state superintendent are more likely to be in the long-term best interests of children and less likely to be about the politics of the moment.”
The education board approved the resolution opposing the legislative proposal by a 7-0 vote on Tuesday.
“The architects of Michigan’s 1963 constitution were wise to recognize that giving too much power to the governor would be harmful and that providing authority and oversight of education to a separately elected board would be beneficial to Michigan’s children,” McMillin said. “This separation of power should remain.”
The board resolution opposing the legislative proposal gave additional reasons for the board’s opposition, stating that:
House Joint Resolution E to give the governor authority over hiring and replacing the state superintendent would need approval by two-thirds of both the House and Senate to put the constitutional amendment before voters.
The House resolution says the vote would be during the next even-numbered November election, which would be in 2026, when Michigan’s next gubernatorial election will be held. Even if legislators and then Michigan voters approve the measure, the State Board of Education would maintain authority for hiring or replacing the state superintendent until Jan. 1, 2027. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited, with her term as governor ending in January 2027.
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