Educators often repeat the adage: “You must inspect what you expect.” The best teachers know the importance of intentional oversight and checkpoints to make sure that students stay on track. The best administrators work with educators to systematically ensure that required material is appropriately emphasized in the classroom. These efforts are intentionally prioritized because simply put, oversight fosters compliance.
The same principle applies to the Michigan Legislature shaping academic expectations for K-12 students. In statutes like this one, the Legislature establishes the Michigan Merit Curriculum and sets guidelines for how academic standards for core subjects are to be developed and enforced. In this case, the Legislature tasks the Michigan Department of Education (Department) and State Board of Education (Board) with specific criteria and processes for meeting that criteria. However, currently, there is no checkpoint for the legislature to ensure that the standards crafted by the Department and approved by the Board meet legislative expectations. Indeed, there is no real system of checks or balances between these branches of government. HB 5364 fixes this creating a system of legislative oversight to ensure that academic standards adopted by the Board and used to guide instruction for millions of Michigan children meet with the expectations of both houses of the legislature.
SLG’s Professor Wagner and Great Lakes Justice Center Senior Counsel David Kallman testified in support of the bill, sponsored by Representative Gina Johnsen. Professor Wagner and Attorney Kallman educated legislators about good governance, the separation of powers, and the legal precedent for legislative review of education standards. Additionally, Professor Wagner and Katherine Bussard presented the following written testimony: