Snyder: Education reforms coming in January

• The governor would not be specific when asked about reforms to the state's charter schools.

Gov. Rick Snyder in January will announce education reforms that will include more transparency and raising the bar for all Michigan schools — including charters — he said Tuesday in an interview with the Detroit Free Press.

Snyder also plans to make a decision about new leadership of Detroit Public Schools before the district's emergency manager leaves next month, though he declined to discuss details.

Broader reforms about the future of education in the city will unfold later with input from a new education coalition.

Snyder, in a wide-ranging interview, would not discuss specifics when asked about reforming the state's charter schools. The Free Press published an eight-day series in June that found the state's roughly 300 charters receive nearly $1 billion a year in state taxpayer money, often with little accountability or transparency in how those dollars are spent.

The series also found academic performance is mixed, with charter schools on average faring no better than traditional public schools in educating students in poverty.

On Sunday, the Free Press reported that National Heritage Academies, the state's largest for-profit charter management company, owns the contents of most of its school buildings, even though those furnishings and equipment may have been purchased with taxpayer money.

Asked whether that is appropriate public policy, Snyder said: "That's something that I need to look at ... I don't have enough data to give you a strong answer on that one at this point, because I haven't looked at that detail."

Snyder also was asked about state schools Superintendent Mike Flanagan's decision to put 11 charter authorizers on notice that they are at risk of being suspended, which would bar them from opening new charters. Their existing schools would not be affected. Some 40 school districts, community colleges and public universities have authorized charters in Michigan.

"He has his own area of responsibility," Snyder said. "And there's constitutional questions on some of this ... What I would say is, is again, I'm not going to give a blanket statement on what I would say is OK or not OK. I have a good working relationship with him, we've worked well together, and I would expect that to continue."

The Michigan Department of Education said in August, when Flanagan announced the at-risk list, that he would make a final decision in November. Some authorizers told the Free Press they want to know whether they're off the list.

The reforms are expected to be announced during the governor's Jan. 20 State of the State address. Whether a specific reform requires legislative approval would depend on the nature of the proposal.

Just days before the address, the term of Detroit Public Schools' third governor-appointed emergency manager, Jack Martin, is set to end.

"We're looking at the options, and we will be taking action before the ending of his term," Snyder said.

A Snyder spokesman said the governor was referring to making a decision about the leadership of DPS as a newly formed education coalition explores options for longer-term reforms.

The Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren, a group of business, civic and education leaders, will study problems regarding education in Detroit over the next three months and make recommendations to Snyder and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. Snyder said he supports the effort and will offer feedback.

"One of the things I like in particular though: it's a community conversation. ... In fact, I'm actually not coming forward with ideas that we might have because I really want to give that lead to that group and see what they come up with," Snyder said. "I really want them to come up with things fairly promptly in the first half of the year because if there's things that we concur with that we think are good actions, then we could potentially do something legislatively in the first half of next year."

Snyder said he's seen various draft plans created by Paul Pastorek, a former Louisiana superintendent of education who has been advising his office on education issues in Detroit and beyond, but stressed he wants the coalition to be at the forefront of education reform ideas in Detroit.

In Louisiana, Pastorek help lead reform efforts to turn around schools in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina during a time when the state Recovery School District expanded and schools within it became charters.

Snyder reiterated his displeasure with how more than five years of emergency management has worked in Detroit Public Schools. The district's deficit tops $121 million.

"I don't think this has been a very good exercise of how the emergency manager law should work, the case of Detroit Public Schools," Snyder said. "We've been there too long."

Along with the new education coalition, a different group of education leaders in Detroit has been studying the possibility of creating a universal enrollment system that would involve both traditional public and charter schools.

Snyder on Tuesday called common enrollment "an interesting idea."

"That could make it easier for parents and young people to understand their options," he said.

Contact Jennifer Dixon: 313-223-4410 or jbdixon@freepress.com