“Growing up, I struggled in school and it was unlikely I’d graduate high school, let alone go to college. My story didn't end that way because of public schools and public school teachers that changed the course of my life. Today, I’m concerned that my story is less possible because of disinvestment in the classroom and one-size-fits all educational approaches that politicians in Lansing have enacted. As State Representative, I’ll support our public schools and our teachers so my story isn’t just a thing of the past.” - Ethan

  

 

• Fully funding our public schools. According to the adequacy study conducted by the School Finance Research Collaborative, the base cost of educating a student is $9,590 per pupil BEFORE factoring in costs like food service, capital expenses, and pension costs above 4.6% of wages. This means that we are under funding most students in the 21st District by $1,479 per pupil at a base cost. I’ll fight for full funding for our public schools! 

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• Fair and equitable funding for Van Buren Public Schools, Plymouth-Canton, and Wayne-Westland Community Schools. Our school funding formula simply doesn’t work for the communities within the 21st District. Right now, neighboring school districts receive several thousand more dollars per pupil in funding which makes it harder for our school districts to offer school staff competitive salaries and limits their ability to expand our schools’ fantastic programs for students. We need to enact common sense reforms to our school funding formula to ensure that the schools in our communities aren’t among the lowest funded in the state! 

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• Enact a weighted funding formula because different students have different needs. For instance, there needs to be additional funding per-pupil for students in poverty, students utilizing special education services, and ELL (English Language Learners) students. 

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• Lower class sizes by giving school districts the resources needed to do this and increase more individualized instruction. 

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• Take the profit motive out of education. I’ll take on Betsy DeVos to hold for-profit charter schools accountable and make sure that education funding is going to teach students, not increase the profits of shareholders.  

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• Improve literacy rates by increasing the number of literacy coaches and reading interventionists and improving access to quality school libraries. The solution IS NOT through punitive mandatory retention laws that force students to be held back based on the result of one, high-stakes standardized test like Michigan’s new third-grade reading law. In Lansing, I will fight vigorously to repeal this outrageous law! 

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• Respect teachers and school staff. I believe that supported teachers and school staff result in successful students. We need to respect their work by giving our districts the support needed to offer compensation packages and make sure they have a seat at the table to help craft education policy in our state. 

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• Reduce standardized testing as a means for determining student outcomes and success. 

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• Allow all children to get a strong start regardless of income by passing universal preschool. 

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• Increase student support staff like counselors, social workers,and school nurses. 

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