Great Lakes Education Project

Great Lakes Education Project
Name	Great Lakes Education Project
Formation	2011
Type	Advocacy organization
Headquarters	Michigan
Region served	Great Lakes
Leader title	Executive Director

Great Lakes Education Project

The Great Lakes Education Project is a Michigan-based advocacy organization focused on K–12 school choice policy, charter school expansion, and education reform initiatives. Founded in 2011, the organization engages in campaign activity, policy research, legal strategy, and communications across Michigan political cycles in coordination with allied groups and political action committees. It has been active in state legislative debates, ballot campaigns, and litigation involving teacher unions, state legislatures, and governors.

Overview

The organization operates within the Michigan policy ecosystem alongside entities such as the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Great Lakes Leadership Academy, Detroit Public Schools Community District, Epic Charter Schools-related networks, and the statewide Michigan Education Association opposition. Its activities intersect with high-profile figures and institutions including Rick Snyder, Jennifer Granholm, Gretchen Whitmer, John Engler, Deborah Simon and networks tied to the Koch network, Walton Family Foundation, Bill Gates philanthropy, and national groups like Americans for Prosperity, Stand for Children, StudentsFirst, Center for American Progress opposition partners, and the National School Boards Association. The group coordinates messaging across legislative sessions in the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate, engages with the Michigan Supreme Court on litigation tangential to funding and constitutional issues, and contests positions with AFT Michigan and NEA affiliates.

History and Founding

Founded in 2011 during post-Great Recession policy debates, the organization emerged amid a wave of advocacy for education reform modeled after campaigns in states such as Wisconsin and Arizona. Early formation involved allies with ties to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, American Legislative Exchange Council, and statewide political operatives who had worked on the campaigns of figures like Rick Snyder and John Engler. Its founders and early board members had connections to nonprofit funders and super PAC structures that were active in Michigan politics during the 2010s. The group quickly became involved in high-profile disputes over school funding formulas, Proposal 1 (Michigan, 2015), and legislative measures touching charter school oversight and municipal control, interfacing with municipal entities such as the City of Detroit and districts including Grand Rapids Public Schools.

Mission and Activities

The stated mission centers on promoting policies that proponents argue increase parental choice and improve academic outcomes through alternative governance structures such as charter schools, education savings accounts, and performance-based accountability tied to assessments like M-STEP and SAT. Activities include political advertising, testimony before the Michigan Legislature, collaboration with think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and Brookings Institution when policy briefs align, and legal support coordinated with law firms that have represented clients in cases before the United States Supreme Court and the Michigan Court of Appeals. The organization runs public campaigns during gubernatorial and legislative elections, produces reports comparing district performance in Kalamazoo Public Schools and Flint Community School District, and advocates for school funding formula changes that implicate statutes like the Michigan Constitution’s provisions on public education.

Funding and Governance

Funding sources reported in media and campaign disclosures include donors and foundations involved in national school choice philanthropy such as the Walton Family Foundation, donors linked to the DeVos family, and politically active funders associated with the Koch network. The organization has coordinated with political committees including Michigan Freedom Fund-linked entities and general election independent expenditure groups. Governance has involved a board with business leaders, former state officials, and education activists who have served on advisory panels alongside figures from Michigan State University and University of Michigan policy centers. Disclosure practices have been scrutinized in the context of Michigan campaign finance laws administered by the Michigan Secretary of State.

Political Influence and Advocacy

The group has influenced legislative debates on bills regarding charter school authorizing, funding caps, and teacher certification, pressing for policies championed by advocates of school choice. It has supported candidates in elections for the Michigan House of Representatives and statewide offices, run television and digital advertising in key races for governor and state senate seats, and intervened in ballot campaigns including tax proposals and Proposal 3 (2018). Its advocacy has intersected with litigation strategies used by national partners in cases challenging funding restrictions and regulatory oversight; allies have coordinated messaging with national organizations such as The 74, Education Commission of the States, and legal advocates who have filed amicus briefs in high-profile cases concerning voucher programs and constitutionality of aid to charter schools.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics including the Michigan Education Association, AFT Michigan, and civic groups such as Progress Michigan and Michigan League for Public Policy have accused the organization of prioritizing privatization and weakening public district accountability. Controversies have included disputes over campaign disclosure linked to dark money debates, conflicts with elected school boards in districts such as Detroit Public Schools Community District and Flint, and scrutiny of donor influence from prominent funders tied to the DeVos family and national philanthropy networks. Legal challenges and investigative reporting by outlets covering state politics have highlighted alleged coordination with super PACs and raised questions about impacts on teacher employment standards, union contracts, and urban school funding models such as those litigated after Milliken v. Bradley and in state funding lawsuits analogous to Lawn v. Merton-type disputes.

Category:Organizations based in Michigan