Brighton Charter School Principal, Students Testify Before House Education Committee

The Michigan House of Representatives Education Committee met Tuesday to hear testimony about a package of bills that would lift the cap on the number of charter schools in the state.

The legislation has already been approved by the state Senate. If passed, it could add to the approximately 250 charter schools in Michigan. Charter schools are publicly funded, but are not always subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to public schools. They are opened and attended by choice.

Among those testifying Tuesday were Principal Melanie Laber, FlexTech English teacher Ryan Gillis and FlexTech freshmen Amelia Moorehouse and Lucas Stanesa, all speaking in support of the school.

FlexTech, a charter school in Brighton, opened this year and offers flexible scheduling - not unlike college courses, cutting edge technology and project based learning.

The committee asked Laber questions about how FlexTech accepts students, about transportation and how teachers are employed.

Laber said she supports the bills.

"I was a public school teacher for 12 years — just turned to charter schools this year," Laber said. "My daughter is in a public school. I like having the choice of where to put her. We should have that option.

"If students are leaving traditional schools, we need to look at why they're leaving," she said. "What are we able to offer that they aren't? We want to do what's in the best interest of the kids. And if this program is, let's allow them to do it."

Moorehouse, a Gregory resident, attends FlexTech because it allows her to participate competitively in gymnastics - something she wouldn't be able to do if attending a traditional high school because of the demand on her time. She said that she would also like to see the bills pass.

"I love public schools — I came from public schools, but for kids like me, charter schools are just as important," Moorehouse said. "I think that kids and parents should have the right to choose."

Moorehouse said she learned she would testify only two days before the hearing, and she said she was nervous about it. The freshman said she decided to participate because FlexTech is easy for her to talk about because she loves it so much.

"I love Flex Tech because it is so free and it works with my schedule," Moorehouse said. "I can focus on school work and gymnastics and excel in both."

Moorehouse attends classes at FlexTech twice a week. The rest of her classwork is done online. She said she doesn't feel like she's getting less attention because she doesn't see her teachers on a daily basis. She communicates with them daily through email.

"There's a lot of one-on-one time," she said.

Not everyone favors the legislation

Brighton Area Schools Board of Education President Cheryl Leach spoke briefly during Monday's board meeting about the proposed package of bills and said she was very concerned with the charter schools legislation. Leach said she was afraid that the bills were focused on the problems with Detroit public schools - somewhere that new charter schools could be beneficial to students, and not on Livingston County.

"I think that they're lifting the caps on charter schools, really, with not enough research to back the reasons why they're doing it," Leach said. "It seems like they're basing a lot of it on the issues coming out of the Detroit area. And we know they're tyring to help what's going on in that area, but it doesn't affect everybody. I just think they need more research behind what they're doing before they make these major decisions that will affect everybody."

Leach said she believed that Livingston County does not have the need to increase charter schools. 

"We do have some charter schools in Livingston County already," she said. "I don't know that there is a need for more charter schools right now. We seem to have met all the need of the kids in the county with the combinations of the charter schools, the private schools and the public schools."

Laber said she disagrees.

"What we're doing out here is not based on Detroit," she said. "It's based on offering kids another option different from the traditional 2,000-kid school. Many students don't fit into that factory model of learning. Kids learn all different ways and we're trying to offer them any option that will work for them. And there's always things that need to be taken into consideration. Any school needs to be carefully planned out. So any charter school that would open needs to be very clear on their mission, their vision and how they will be successful to students."