Lansing - Attorney General Jennifer Granholm met with area education and community leaders Tuesday to learn the “hot button” educational issues in her quest for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
Granholm, flanked by Lansing Mayor David Hollister and Lansing Community College President Paula Cunningham, moderated a roundtable discussion at LCC’s Herrmann Conference Center.
Early education and promoting responsible parenting are Granholm’s main concerns.
“Preparation for a child’s learning and for life is critical to success,” she said. “It really goes back as far as in utero.”
“Parents need to sign a contract with the school system that says, ‘I will give X number of hours - that’s my responsibility as a parent.’”
Former Lansing state Rep. Lynn Martinez said an early focus on students is crucial.
“We pay more for animal control than we do for early childhood development for our younger children,” the Democrat said.
By facilitating the discussion, Granholm hoped to put a finger on the pulse of the community’s educational concerns.
Marcus Jefferson, director of Closing the Gap, which refurbishes older computers for low-income families, expressed interest in receiving more state support in providing every child with a computer.
Granholm said one key to the success of public schools is making sure every institution is technologically advanced.
MSU Provost Lou Anna Simon attended the forum and stressed the importance of research and extension to the group.
“It’s very important that students play an active role no matter what their political leanings,” she said.
“It’s important that students have a voice.”
Although the forum focused on the early stages of education, Granholm expressed interest in making higher education more affordable after the meeting.
“When my husband and I graduated, we had joint debt of over $80,000,” she said. “It limits your choices. It’s basically a 20-year mortgage.”
LCC spokesman Brian Jackson said Granholm approached the college in setting up the forum, but the college has since extended an invitation to all gubernatorial candidates to hold similar discussions.
The campaigns of both Democratic gubernatorial candidates David Bonior and James Blanchard,were not familiar with the offer.
Blanchard spokesman Erik Mueller said early education also is a top priority for the former governor.
“He hopes to increase parental involvement in children’s education,” Mueller said. “He also supports putting funding behind early development, once the Michigan budget isn’t so screwed up.”
Bonior spokesman Mark Fisk said Bonior hopes to improve technology at schools, ensure adequate funding for after-school programs and fund school-health clinics.
