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State Board of Education Considers Court Action Over Snyder's Executive Order

WMUK

(MPRN-Lansing) The state Board of Education (SBE) is considering a court challenge to an executive order signed last week by Gov. Rick Snyder. 

The order takes control of Michigan’s School Reform Office away from the elected SBE and state education officials. It puts the office, which is meant to oversee Michigan’s lowest performing schools, directly under Snyder’s control.

SBE President John Austin believes the order violates the state constitution, giving the board a good reason to take the governor to court over the move. “I cautioned against it for all sorts of reasons,” said Austin, a Democrat from Ann Arbor.

“It’s going to be counterproductive to everyone pulling together to really turn around these failing schools, which the board is committed to.” “We feel we’ve got certainly a good constitutional case as we explore that,” he said.

Gov. Snyder says the move was necessary for him to take a more active role in turning around struggling schools. The executive order was announced as the SBE was in the process of selecting a new state superintendent. Austin says it directly influenced which candidates moved to the final stages of the selection process.

The subject was brought up multiple times during interviews with the three superintendent finalists on Wednesday. Each candidate declined to say whether or not they thought the order was constitutional.

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