MAPSA statement on NEW MDE rule regarding cyber schools

LANSING, Michigan (August 29, 2018) – The Michigan Department of Education has adopted a new regulation regarding cyber school enrollment, stating, “a cyber school cannot enroll a pupil if, at the time of enrollment, less than 1,098 hours remain in the cyber school’s schedule.”

Sen. Phil Pavlov (chairman of the Senate Education Committee) and Rep. Tim Kelly (chairman of the House Education Reform Committee) have co-signed a letter to the MDE opposing the new regulation, saying it violates the intent of legislation regarding cyber school enrollment.

Below is a statement on the new regulation that can be attributed to Dan Quiseberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA), the state charter school association.

“Bureaucracy should never stand in the way of a child getting a quality education, but unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s happening here,” Quisenberry said. “Circumstances change throughout the school year – whether it’s bullying, a health issue or something else – and students should never be prohibited from enrolling in a new school in the middle of an academic year. MDE is clearly interpreting the law incorrectly, and we look forward to working with both the Legislature and MDE to correct this.”

The Michigan Association of Public School Academies advances quality education through choice and innovation. MAPSA has been the unified voice of the public charter school movement in Michigan since 1996. MAPSA represents more than 150,000 students, 10,000 teachers, dozens of authorizers and more than 50 education service providers working in 295 charter public schools in the state. MAPSA assists the state’s charter schools in their mission to deliver achievement, choice and accountability through advocacy, communications, technical assistance and professional development services.