Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) issued an executive order Wednesday that reorganizes the Michigan Department of Education and forms a new agency dedicated entirely to “lifelong learning.”
The newly established Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential will work with the Michigan Department of Education and state Board of Education and is charged with facilitating access to various programs, including child care, after-school programming, and “affordable education” for adults.
The new department will be led by a Cabinet-level director who will be appointed by the governor and will be comprised of three offices: the Office of Early Childhood Education, the Office of Higher Education, and the Office of Education Partnerships.