Rick Snyder May Be Recalled for His 'Unconstitutional' Takeover of Schools

By Casey Quinlan, ThinkProgress

09 February 16

ichigan officials have approved the circulation of a petition seeking to recall Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) — but not over the Flint water crisis that has been dominating the headlines in recent weeks. Instead, the petition focuses on his decision to take control of schools.

At issue in the petition is Snyder’s executive order to bring the Office to Reform Schools under the control of the state’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget. That decision gives the governor’s office more power to close schools, turn traditional public schools into charter schools, or replace school staff. The Board of Education says that move violates the state constitution, which does not provide the governor with direct control of the schools.

Benjamin Lazarus, a member of the Warren Consolidated Schools Board of Education, submitted the recall petition regarding the governor’s control of the Office to Reform Schools. Now that it’s been approved, organizers have 180 days to collect the 789,133 signatures needed to allow for a ballot measure recalling the governor.

The Board of State Canvassers unanimously approved Lazarus’ petition — and rejected six other petitions seeking to recall the governor over his handling of the Flint water crisis, which has led to elevated levels of lead in residents’ bloodstreams.

They cited errors in the language of the other petitions — such as incomplete sentences and spelling errors — and pointed out that the governor did not admit to personal failure for the crisis in his most recent state of the state address, as the petition writers claimed, because he said “the government failed you,” the Detroit News reported. As of 2012, state law requires the board to look out for these kinds of errors in petitions.

This recent development is a reminder that anger over the state of Michigan schools has coincided with outrage over the Flint water crisis.

Last month, Detroit teachers called in to protest the poor conditions of Detroit schools, which they documented on social media by posting photos of dead rodents, warped floors, moldy and rotten food, and malfunctioning bathroom facilities. Detroit Public Schools attempted to take legal action to stop the protests. In turn, the teachers union sued DPS, saying students were being deprived of a “minimally adequate education,” according to the Detroit News.

The Detroit teachers protesting school conditions have demanded the ouster of both emergency manager Darnell Earley and Gov. Snyder. Earley, the former emergency manager for Flint, was appointed to oversee Detroit schools just last month — and his involvement in the Flint water crisis further stoked outrage over school conditions. Subsequently, Earley announced he would step down by the end of this month.