Rep. Paquette outlines "learner-first" statewide district that would let parents hire teachers directly

Representative Paquette presented House Bill 59 19 to the House Education and Workforce Committee as a "learner-first" approach that would create a statewide district with a board appointed by the legislature and allow parents to hire teachers directly.

Paquette said the bill would expand options for educators and families by treating degree-eligible undergraduate coursework as allowable credentialing for teachers, enabling mastery learning that is not tied to seat time and allowing small micro-schools, in-home tutoring and parent-hired instructors to operate as public-school options subject to state law. "This moves away from seat time in very, very distinct ways," Paquette said, arguing the model would "unleash the shackles" on educators and let teachers be compensated for the work they do.

The nut graf: The proposal would alter who hires and oversees classroom instructors in a subset of public schooling, shift accountability to a new statewide board appointed by elected officials and use funding to support parent-directed hiring. That combination drew questions from committee members about board selection, whether the governor's appointments would politicize oversight, and whether the plan would worsen or relieve teacher shortages.

Committee members pressed Paquette on specifics. Representative Colazar asked what qualifications the board's appointees would need and whether they must be Michigan residents; Paquette said appointment criteria would be debated publicly when selections are made and emphasized the process would be transparent. Representative Fax worried the governor's role in appointments could make the board partisan; Paquette said the effort is intended to move beyond partisanship and that vetting would occur in open forums.

Representative Pavlov and Representative Wilson asked about incentives for teachers and the program's effect on staffing. Paquette said the model would allow educators to be better compensated for course design and direct instruction, and that competitiveness would attract talent over time, though he acknowledged an initial adjustment period.

The clerk read a set of registered positions on the bill: cards showed support from organizations such as the Michigan College Access Network and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, and opposition registered from labor and education groups including the Michigan Education Association, AFT Michigan, the ACLU of Michigan, the Michigan Department of Education and several intermediate school administrators and local districts. Paquette told the committee he remained open to collaboration with opponents to refine the bill.

The hearing ended with no vote on the bill. Paquette invited stakeholders to provide feedback and said he would work with colleagues to clarify board duties and implementation details.

What happens next: The committee took testimony and read registered positions but did not hold a vote on HB 59 19 during this session; the bill's sponsors and opponents may continue to brief the committee and submit amendments for future consideration.