Renaming Charter Schools Office
For Immediate Release
Contact: Gary Naeyaert
June 19, 2012
517-364-9600
Mt. Pleasant, MI – Central Michigan University recently renamed its charter school office The Governor John Engler Center for Charter Schools, recognizing the former state leader who signed Michigan’s charter school law in 1993.
The University held a dedication ceremony May 21 to celebrate the new title, attendees of which included former Gov. John Engler, current Gov. Rick Snyder, Sen. Phil Pavlov and Center for Education Reform President Jeanne Allen, among many other dignitaries and guest speakers.
“This renaming of our organization honors someone who made immeasurable contributions to Michigan’s education reform movement,” said Executive Director Cindy Schumacher. “Governor Engler made it his mission to deliver not only choices, but better choices to Michigan’s students and their families. Twenty years later, charter public schools continue to affirm that commitment through innovation, accountability, and most importantly, superior performance.”
As the first organization in the state, and the first university in the nation, to charter a public school, CMU and the former governor shared a unique partnership and vision for the future of Michigan’s students. Since the establishment of the state’s first charter public schools in 1994, the movement in Michigan has grown to comprise more than 250 schools serving 115,000 K-12 students.
CMU is a state and national leader in charter school authorizing, with 17 years of experience launching, supporting and overseeing charter public schools. CMU currently authorizes 59 schools serving more than 30,000 students in the state. For more information, please visit http://www.thecenterforcharters.org/.
| Governor John Engler pictured with Dr. George Ross, CMU President and Cindy Schumacher, Executive Director of The Governor John Engler Center for Charter Schools at CMU, during the dedication ceremony on May 21, 2012. |
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