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Board presses finalst Koons on Virginia ties, procurement reporting and curriculum neutrality
Summary
Board members questioned Dr. Lisa Koons about her role in implementing elements of Governor Youngkin's agenda in Virginia, a May procurement report, and whether she advocated for specific curricula; Koons denied curricular advocacy, cited a nondisclosure agreement on aspects of her Virginia departure, and said she would not bring partisan agendas into Michigan.
During the board’s questioning, several members pressed Dr. Lisa Koons about her tenure in Virginia and whether she had implemented or advocated for policies that critics called politicized.
Chair (Speaker 1) asked specifically how directly Koons was connected to the Youngkin administration’s "restoring excellence" agenda, which board members described as including contested history standards, rollbacks of protections for transgender students, a parent tip line for reporting ‘divisive practices’ and proposals related to vouchers. Koons responded that some initiatives predated her arrival, that implementing the history/social science standards was among her duties, and that she sought to "non‑politicize education" by convening diverse stakeholders and centering decisions on evidence and educator voice.
When asked about reporting and procurement coverage arising from her Virginia tenure, Koons said she was not provided a copy of a May 19 procurement article, that her chief financial and operations officers had left before she departed, and that she signed a nondisclosure agreement that prevents discussion of some details. "I was not asked about that. I was not given a copy of that report," she said.
Board members also raised concerns about curriculum procurement and whether Koons had advocated for the publisher Amplify or for materials associated with E.D. Hirsch. Koons denied any advocacy: she said a state curriculum process is a community decision guided by rubrics and that she had not spoken with Amplify nor advocated for any specific provider.
Several members asked whether she would support private school vouchers in Michigan despite a constitutional prohibition on using state tax dollars for private school tuition. Koons said she supports "public school opportunities" and public charter options but not the privatization of schools; she reiterated a commitment to transparency about how public dollars are used.
On the question of dual candidacy, Koons acknowledged she had applied for multiple state superintendent roles (including as a finalist in Nevada). She said she would withdraw from Nevada if selected by Michigan, but also noted the practical need to support her family if not selected.
The board’s questions reflected concerns about transparency, curriculum neutrality and the extent to which a superintendent candidate’s prior state‑level work might reflect or import contentious policy choices. Koons repeatedly pointed to stakeholder engagement, evidence‑based practice and local decision making as guardrails against politicization. The board moved next to other topic areas and public comment was scheduled to follow the interview.
No formal actions or votes were taken during the interview.
