Jan Maino Wants to Fix Michigan's Schools. Look What Happened to Hers.

Jan Maino is asking voters to send her to Lansing to fix Michigan's schools. Her campaign and the Democratic groups backing her say she has "fought to ensure every student and teacher has the resources they need to succeed."

East Jackson families have already seen what her leadership delivers.

Maino has served on the East Jackson Community Schools board since 2013 and is its president today. Since 2018–19, the district's per-student funding has risen 28%, from $7,871 to $10,050. Money was never the problem.

The results went the other way. On the state's M-STEP test, the share of East Jackson 4th graders proficient in reading fell from 23% to just 10%. Only 6 of 60 students read at grade level, compared with 41% statewide. In math, fewer than 3 of 60 fourth graders were proficient. Statewide, 39% were.

SchoolDigger, which ranks districts using state test data, puts East Jackson 509th out of 613 Michigan districts. That's the bottom fifth of the state.

A board president sets priorities, holds the superintendent accountable, and makes sure the dollars reach the classroom. When funding goes up 28% and 9 out of 10 fourth graders can't read at grade level, the person in charge owes families an answer.

Instead, Jan Maino is asking for a promotion. Before she tries to fix Michigan's schools, she should explain what happened to the ones she already runs.

Sources: MI School Data (Michigan Department of Education and CEPI); East Jackson Community Schools Board of Education; SchoolDigger.