The Democrat likely to challenge Governor Rick Snyder in November says improving public schools would be his top priority in office.
As The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher reports, former Congressman Mark Schauer unveiled his education plan Wednesday.
Among other things, Schauer wants the state to set standards for maximum class sizes and student-to-teacher ratios. He wants charter and virtual schools to pay into the state’s teacher retirement system. And Schauer says he would reverse what he claims to be a $1 billion cut to classrooms under Governor Snyder.
“What we’re doing today is laying down a marker, that education would be our top priority and will be our top budget priority,” he says.
Emily Benavides is with Governor Snyder’s reelection campaign.
“What he rolled out today is not a plan,” she says. “It’s a campaign brochure.”
She says Schauer’s plan lacks details about how he’d pay for his proposals or implement them. She says Snyder has actually boosted state spending on public schools every year he’s been in office.