Michigan's state superintendent of schools will retire in October
Lansing — Michael Rice, Michigan's superintendent of public instruction and the leader of the state's Department of Education, announced Friday that he plans to retire from his position on Oct. 3.
Rice has had the job since 2019, when the State Board of Education selected him out of dozens of applicants. He was previously the superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools.
Rice's upcoming departure means the state board will have to pick a replacement amid intensifying pressure, from both sides of the aisle, to improve test scores in Michigan's schools. For the average reading score of fourth-graders, Michigan ranked 44th among the 50 states in 2024, according to the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
“It’s been an honor to serve Michigan’s 1.4 million public school children over the last six school years," Rice said on Friday. "It’s been a privilege to work with the State Board of Education and the state’s talented teachers, students, parents, administrators, support staff, Gov. Whitmer, state legislators, education organizations, broader community and the dedicated staff of the Michigan Department of Education, small in number but mighty in battle, to improve education for our children."
A list of Rice's accomplishments, provided by the Michigan Department of Education, included the state reaching its highest four-year graduation rate in history, 82.8%, in 2024.
Pamela Pugh, president of the State Board of Education, said Rice had demonstrated a "steadfast commitment to putting children first"
"From record-high graduation rates to greater investments in public schools, the passage of monumental literacy legislation into law, teacher shortage rectification measures, the advocacy for and expansion of career and technical education, Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, and other forms of secondary school rigor and expanded mental health services in schools, Dr. Rice’s leadership has delivered transformative outcomes and laid pathways for continued improvement to Michigan schools," Pugh said.
But Rice has drawn criticism during his tenure in the superintendent post, especially from Republicans who've contended he hasn't done enough to improve test scores after interruptions in in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a Michigan House committee hearing last month, Rep. Timmy Beson, R-Bay City, asked Rice, "How do we keep going the wrong way and you still have a job, sir?"
Rice countered that chronic absenteeism in Michigan schools had declined and graduation rates had increased.
"Based on a number metrics, we're going in the right way," Rice said.
Rice began his career in education as a high school French teacher and speech and debate program founder and coach in the Washington, D.C., public schools. He spent five years as a school superintendent in Clifton, N.J. before leading the Kalamazoo school district for 12 years.
Rice's tenure also saw Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer create a new and separate state department focused on promoting pre-kindergarten access and higher education in Michigan, seemingly shifting some oversight away from the Michigan Department of Education, which doesn't fall under the governor's powers.
Under the Michigan Constitution, it's the eight-member State Board of Education, currently controlled by Democrats, that has the ability to appoint the superintendent of public instruction.
cmauger@detroitnews.com
Staff Writer Jennifer Chambers contributed.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan's state superintendent of schools will retire in October
