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Sponsor urges constitutional change to let governor appoint state superintendent; committee hears mixed views
Summary
Representative Schutte presented House Joint Resolution E, which would allow the governor to appoint the state superintendent. Committee members debated whether appointment would improve accountability or increase partisan swings; several organizations registered opposition on the record.
Representative Schutte testified in support of House Joint Resolution E, proposing a constitutional change to allow the governor to appoint the state superintendent. "This resolution... allows for the governor to appoint the state superintendent," Schutte said, arguing Michigan's education outcomes warrant a change and that appointment by the governor would improve accountability. He said Michigan is "one of the only states that has a so called independent head of its education department," and he called for restoring accountability by having a superintendent who answers to an elected governor.
Committee members pressed the sponsor on potential risks. Representative Weiss asked whether appointment could increase partisan swings given that Michigan's governorship has changed parties over time and whether that could make the superintendency more partisan. Schutte replied that the current system can be "hyperpartisan" because candidates for the state board are nominated by party conventions and that a governor-elected official would have clearer accountability to voters.
Representative Weiss later warned that frequent changes in education leadership tied to partisan shifts could be harmful to classroom stability, saying "constant change is not good when it comes to education." Representative Paquette offered historical context in support, referencing the state's first appointed superintendent John D. Pierce and saying a return to that model could be constructive.
Several organizations registered opposition on the record (Michigan Education Justice Coalition, Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, 482 Forward and others). No committee vote on the resolution was recorded in the transcript excerpt; the hearing concluded with cards and no formal referral recorded in the provided text.
Why it matters: The proposal would change constitutional governance of the state's education executive and could alter lines of accountability for statewide education policy; committee members expressed both support and concern about the potential for increased partisanship and frequent policy changes.
