The wall in a school. A grid of faceless digital portraits of people with the would encouraging placed in the grid.

A vision for tomorrow

MAPSA’s united and diverse coalition of parents, educators, and citizens
advocate for policies that will best shape student success. Students thrive in
dynamic and enduring learning opportunities designed to meet their unique
needs, and their learning ranks first in the nation.

Regulation

Less regulation, not more will improve academic quality. We do not see expansion
of regulation as a means of improving student achievement in schools.

Accountability
We believe in transparency, and holding every school to the same performance measurement standards.

Parental Choice
We believe every child matters and every student deserves a multitude of quality education options.

Talent Workforce
There is a need for high quality educators to supply quality schools. They must be educators who best
meet the needs of all students.
A photo of two female students taking notes on a presentation.
An artistic photo of a paint palette.
A photo of a female student typing on a computer in a K12 classroom.

We need a systems evolution

and a little bit of disruption

We’ve adapted, overcame some of the biggest challenges, and learned new things - but things simply won’t be as they were. 

In 1994, charter schools set out to deliver education in a way that put the needs of students and families first - it’s in our DNA to do things like support the whole child, treat educators like professionals and collaborate closely with parents. And yet, Michigan still ranks near the bottom when it comes to academic achievement - and we are just as responsible for that as the traditional public education system.

The public education sector can continue to learn from those outside of the education silo to see how systems change has been successful. A recent poll showed that support for charter schools is up 5% from 2022, to 64% total, and only 22% of Michiganders have an unfavorable opinion of charters, down from 3% since 2020 (Marketing Research Group, 2022). 

Demographically, the poll showed that 54.3% of Democrats, 78.3% of Republicans, and 62.8% of Independents support charters - those numbers are up in every category since 2020. Simply put, Michigan families want choices in K-12 education, and charter schools are an essential piece of that puzzle. 

As traditional districts continue to discover how to provide more autonomy and flexibility to schools and how to shape teaching as a professional career, it is clear that this two-sector strategy in education is succeeding.

So how do we get there?

Grit & collaboration
1

Foster innovation

Continue to push the boundaries of innovative education; pilot dynamic pedagogies, build unique school campuses, empower educators, and uncover the best strategies for students.
2

Break barriers

Continue to advocate for equal funding and equal accountability standards. Raise the collective bar of public education across the state, in both traditional and charter settings.
3

Implement success

Identify strategies that lead to the most successful student outcomes; academic performance, student growth, college preparedness and post-secondary enrollment.
A photo of two female students practicing math equations at their desks using white paper and markers.

Find out how charters are driving our vision

Learn more about Michigan's charter schools.
Learn more