From the State Board of Education

The capability to become a leader for our young people resides in all of us. Whether as a teacher, administrator, or parent, we all play a part in our children’s success. Michigan’s State Board of Education serves the role of leader at the state level, setting policy designed to better prepare our students as life-long learners and responsible citizens.

Even before statehood, Michigan was a leader in public education. In 1809, judicial districts created schools and levied taxes to support them. Twenty years later, The Territorial Council divided the judicial districts into school districts and gave the territory the right to supervise schools.

Michigan's first constitution created a Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1835. John D. Pierce, a frontier missionary, was Michigan's first superintendent and the first independent administrator of education appointed under a state constitution in the United States. The State Board of Education's current responsibilities were established by the 1963 State Constitution. The leadership legacy continues as State Board members lead the way in improving public education through recommendations and actions that have resulted in key legislative changes.

State Board Constitutional Responsibilities

“Leadership and general supervision over all public education, including adult education and instructional programs in state institutions, except as to institutions of higher education granting baccalaureate degrees, is vested in a State Board of Education. It shall serve as the general planning and coordinating body for all public education, including higher education, and shall advise the Legislature as to the financial requirements in connection therewith.” — Michigan Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3 (in part).

That provision of the State Constitution means, in effect, that the State Board has many direct supervisory duties in connection with local school districts and community colleges. Specific state laws and court decisions have detailed the Board's responsibilities and extended its supervisory powers over nonpublic education.

Every member of a school board, be it at the state or district level, works tirelessly to improve the education of Michigan students. All come from different backgrounds and walks of life, working together along side parents, educators, and members of the community to lay the groundwork for a successful future for all students. Formal definitions aside, every state board member is dedicated to a personal goal and commitment to improve educational opportunities for all students.