Last May, Michigan’s economy was in dire straits and the state’s revenue picture was bleak. We faced an estimated $1.4 billion state budget shortfall and an unemployment rate of more than 10 percent.

The Legislature knew it had to make some tough but necessary decisions to help strengthen our economy, improve our budget picture and get the state out of its recession.

The simple truth was that we had to act.

Continued delays could have put our children and grandchildren on the hook for immense debt, jeopardizing their future and forcing them to leave our state in greater numbers. Now, 12 months later, jobs are being created by the thousands, our unemployment rate has fallen to a level not seen in almost four years, and we find ourselves with a modest budget surplus.

The Legislature took action because we wanted our kids and grandkids to be able to stay in Michigan to work, not be forced to move out of the state to find a better quality of life.

We believed, and still believe, that a better quality of life should be found in Michigan. And when it comes to education, our priority continues to be the students and parents above all else. Just last week, the Legislature improved educational choice for students by raising the current cap on cyber schools. I voted in favor of the measure because it empowers parents to choose the best education for their children, without negatively affecting our traditional public schools.

Several amendments were added to the measure to increase oversight and protect public schools. Under these new amendments, cyber school enrollment would be capped, enrollment could not exceed 1 percent of the overall public school system student count, and the cyber schools would have to report annually to the state.

For the rest of the article, go to Cyber Schools Give Michigan Families Quality Education Options