Mission Impossible
Desp i te protests, the state Board of Education

"The sad part is that the board
refused to allow more hearings
to allow people in other parts of
the state ... to offer their opin-
ions," said Mr. Durant. Numer-
ous citizens and Republican state
legislators — led by Rep. Ken
Sikkema (R-Grandville) — at-
tended the June 19 public hear-
ing. Although the majority voiced
support for the mission, a num-

rescinds a controversial mission statement.

JULIE WIENER STAFF WRITER

/-'

66

ision: We, the Michi-
gan State Board of
Education, grateful
to Almighty God for
the blessings of freedom, do
earnestly desire to secure these
blessings undiminished for our
children.
A blessing of freedom is to
reaffirm an important truth.
Religion, morality and knowl-
edge are necessary to good gov-
ernment and the happiness of
mankind, so therefore schools
and the means of education
shall forever be encouraged.
Good government entrusts
citizens to conduct a great ex-
periment in freedom to seek ex-
cellence in providing a quality
education for their own fami-
lies and other children in their
communities.
"Philosophy: We, the Michi-
gan State Board of Education,
believe that to teach a child cre-
ated by God is a noble calling;
that throughout life, parents
are a child's first teachers with
the primary right and respon-
sibility for their child's educa-
tion.
A quality education is root-
ed in character and academic
excellence. It seeks to help a
child develop to his or her
fullest potential in heart, mind
and body. It encourages a child
always and everywhere to seek
truth, to know what is good, to
develop a disciplined mind and
a wise, kind and discerning

PHOTO BY G LENN TRIEST

S

upporters said it provided ed the statement, argued it was
important guidance to the necessary because the state con-
state Board of Education. stitution does not provide a spe-
Opponents felt it was un- cific enough mission for the
necessary and infringed upon the board.
separation of church and state.
Mr. Durant added that the re-
"It" was a mission state-
ment adopted two years ago
in a 7-1 vote by the then
mostly Republican state
Board of Education.
At 2:30 last Friday morn-
ing, following a 12-hour pub-
lic hearing, the board voted
5-3 to rescind the statement
and to end further discussion
of the matter.
"My feeling was from the
beginning that [the mission]
was unnecessary. Our mis-
sion is clearly stated in the
[Michigan] constitution," said
state board president Kath-
leen Straus, the lone board
member who voted against
the statement in 1995.
She added that the lan- Cindy Hughey: Out of context.
guage and tone of the state-
ment — which makes
repeated references to God and ligious language under attack
the importance of religion — was merely language lifted from
overstep the line between church the Michigan constitution, and
and state.
he accused the state board of sti-
But Clark Durant, the former fling future debate on the mis-
state board president who draft- sion.

Disputed Statement

Kathleen Straus: Sees no need.

ber of people, including Michigan
Jewish Conference director Cindy
Hughey, spoke out against it.
`The problem is that when you
take a mission statement like
that ... and it filters down to
school districts, how is it going
to be interpreted?" said Ms.

MISSION page 26

heart and to be a self responsi-
ble citizen who leads a full and
good life as a productive and
contributing member of a free
society.
"Mission: We, the Michigan
State Board of Education, unit-
ed in vision and philosophy,
empowered by our Constitution
to respond with leadership,
humbly serve to enable, pro-
mote and inspire a new spirit
and birth of freedom, self gov-
ernment, excellence and ac-
countability in our local
communities for all who are
there involved in the lifelong
education of students.
In working to achieve this
mission, we recognize that a
quality education is first the re-
sponsibility of parents and stu-
dents, then of teachers,
administrators, school boards
and others in the local com-
munity; we support public ed-
ucation; we support school
choices for parents; we encour-
age the development, support
and recognition of quality
teachers; we support local ac-
countability that enhances ex-
cellence in education; we
advocate for the removal of bar-
riers that constrain efforts to
open, sustain and/or expand
quality schools and other qual-
ity educational opportunities
in the marketplace of a free so-
ciety; and we pray for wisdom
in all decisions that impact the
lives of the students we serve."

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