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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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