Governor Gretchen Whitmer spoke Thursday in Midland about the importance of early childhood education. She addressed the most recent decision of the State Board of Education, challenging the constitutionality of a newly formed state department.
Last month, Whitmer issued an executive order to establish the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential, or MiLEAP (my leap).
MiLEAP is responsible for strengthening pre-K and higher education in Michigan. The State Board is requesting a formal opinion from the state Attorney General on the constitutionality of the new department. Whitmer says she received her own Attorney General opinion when creating the department, and is confident in her decision.
“I’ve created this new department so that we can pull all the pieces of the lifetime of education out of a variety of different departments and have one real focus,” she said.
Whitmer says the new department is imperative when it comes to improving outcomes for Michigan’s children.