Michigan public education is in crisis. 

Our schools are failing miserably.  Over the past 30 years spending on Michigan's public schools, and the taxes to fund that spending, have increased dramatically, much faster than the rate of inflation.  Yet the quality of the education our children are receiving has plummeted, by almost any measure you use.  We are spending thousands of dollars more per child for only a fraction of the academic achievement earned 30 years ago.

At the same time, enrollment is plummeting as parents switch to home schools or private schools, or flee the state’s poor economy.  Often it seems the only winners are the teachers’ unions, with their generous salaries and health coverage and months-long summer vacations.

We are wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on expenditures that do not contribute to academic excellence:  Thousands more administrators, not more teachers.  More state oversight, not more freedom for local schools to address local needs.  Costly athletic facilities, not more classrooms.    

With your help, we can improve our children's education.

First, we must focus on academics and teaching, NOT costly “bells and whistles”.  We can dramatically cut the cost of public education by eliminating non-teaching positions, non-academic programs, and worthless state oversight, while preserving what matters -- the academic programs.  Cut administrators, not teachers.  Fund classrooms, not state-of-the-art athletic facilities.  Spend on academics, not community education courses to teach your favorite hobby.

Second, we can increase competition, and quality of public schools, by encouraging parents to home school, use private schools or send their children to charter schools, rather than much more costly taxpayer-funded traditional public schools, by slashing state regulation of home schools, private schools and charter schools.  Eliminate the cap on the number of charter schools permitted.  Studies consistently show home and private-schooled kids are better educated.  Every kid out of traditional public school and into a home school, private school or charter school represents thousands of taxpayers’ dollars saved, and an incentive for traditional public schools to do better.

Third, we need to leave our local schools alone to do their job.  Local school boards, parents and taxpayers know what’s best for their kids – state politicians and bureaucrats don’t.  Eliminate state micro-management of local schools, including course requirements for high school graduation.  Respect local decisions on issues of educational policy.  Free schools from red tape, so they can spend their funds on academics, not reporting.  Let teachers spend their time teaching, not completing forms to send to Lansing.

 Seven out of eight of the current members of the State Board of Education are from the education industry – with experience as teachers, educational administrators or on school boards.  The two Democratic candidates running for re-election this year are part of the Board majority that presided over the last eight years of educational failure.  Isn’t it time we elected to the State Board of Education someone like me, with the experience and qualifications to represent parents and taxpayers on the Board, and not the educational establishment?

You have a choice on November 4.  You can vote to continue an educational disaster.  Or you can vote for me, Bill Hall, an independent State Board of Education member, pledged to defend your rights as a parent and taxpayer.

Best regards,

Bill Hall