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Emmons, Mortimer Propose Moving
Career, Adult Ed Back to MI Dept of Ed
Gongwer News Service, August 17, 2006
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Stacks of old arguments resurfaced Thursday as a pair of House
Republicans proposed moving career, technical and adult
education programs back to the Department of Education. But the
proposal appears to have a good future with at least conceptual
support from education groups.
Rep. Judy Emmons (R-Sheridan) and Rep. Leslie Mortimer
(R-Horton), repeating arguments made in favor of moving the
programs out of the Department of Education in 1999, said their
current home in the Department of Labor and Economic Growth is
too busy to give them proper attention.
"When you get a department the size of DLEG, their efforts are
diluted," Ms. Emmons said.
Ms. Mortimer said currently many of those in charge of career
and adult education are also saddled with other tasks. "We need
this to be their entire focus," she said.
The two said the Department of Education, already focused on
education, would be the best place to house these education
programs. "The fact is education issues should be in an
education setting," Ms. Emmons said. Similar arguments were
raised by the education community to oppose the creation of the
Department of Career Development that initially housed the
programs when they moved from Education.
Though both legislators said former Governor John Engler's
executive order moving them to the Department of Career
Development was, at the time, a good choice. Governor Jennifer
Granholm since combined that department into DLEG.
Leaders of education groups welcomed the proposal, noting that
such a move has been under discussion since the state adopted
new high school standards. Ray Telman with the Middle Cities
Education Association and James Sandy with the Michigan Business
Leaders for Education Excellence both said the move would allow
for better coordination particularly between career and
technical education and traditional high school programs.
"This is a big enough job we have to do relative to preparing
for the new high school graduation requirements (without having
the efforts split between two departments)," Mr. Telman said.
Administration officials had not yet reviewed the proposal and
so had no comment.
"We haven't seen the legislation yet, but we are interested in
seeing what is in it," said Education spokesperson Martin
Ackley.
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