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The Mackinac Center for Public Policy and partner organizations cordially invite you to join us in celebrating National School Choice Week with an event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2015, at the Capitol.
We are proud to partner with the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, the Great Lakes Education Project and National School Choice Week to celebrate the many opportunities Michigan students have to choose high-quality schools.
In 2015, close to one out of five Michigan students will use choice to attend a public school other than the one to which they’ve been assigned, either by attending a charter school or through Schools of Choice.
Be our special guest for light refreshments, a screening of the short documentary “The Ticket: The Many Faces of School Choice,” and hear from respected speakers, including Rep. Harvey Santana, D-Detroit, Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair, and Bob Bowdon, producer of “The Ticket.” Our guests will discuss the importance of giving every Michigan child the opportunity to choose the school that is best for them.
This FREE event will take place in the South Hallway of the Capitol. Check-in will begin at 10:30 a.m. Parking is available nearby.
Beginning shortly after noon, the Bradford Academy Choir will perform a few songs in the Capitol Rotunda, and students from public charter schools throughout Michigan will be in the West Hallway of the Capitol to showcase their schools until 1 p.m.
Register for this event here. RSVP deadline is Jan. 22 at 5 p.m.
We do have very limited space and this exclusive engagement will fill up quickly, so please accept this invitation to be among our special guest for this School Choice discussion and learn more about how the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, the Michigan Association of Public School Academies and the Great Lakes Education Project work to advance educational choice throughout Michigan and the nation.
Please direct any questions you may have regarding this event to events@mackinac.org or the Mackinac Center for Public Policy Events line: 989.698.1905.
Rep. Harvey Santana is a native Detroiter and 1990 graduate of Chadsey High School. He joined the U.S. Navy two weeks after graduation and earned the rank of Petty Officer Third Class. During his enlistment, Rep. Santana was involved in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and relief efforts in Bosnia, Somalia and Haiti.
Rep. Santana is the oldest of two children and the first college graduate in his family. He began his studies at Henry Ford Community College and later enrolled at Eastern Michigan University. He graduated from EMU in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and in 2005 with a master’s degree in public administration.
Before being elected in 2010, Rep. Santana was a grass-roots leader in Northwest Detroit. He served as President of the Warrendale Community Organization and also as a drill instructor for at-risk youth. Today, Rep. Santana continues his involvement in the community as an assistant soccer coach for the Rosedale Park Youth Soccer League and as a motivational speaker and mentor to area youth.
Since joining the Legislature, Rep. Santana has played a key role in the passage of legislation benefiting Detroit and the residents of his district. He has built a reputation for his direct approach, passionate speeches and willingness to work across the aisle in a bipartisan manner.
Bob Bowdon is the executive director of Choice Media, an education reform news service that produces a daily newswire, Twitter feed, original videos, and the Ed Reform Minute podcast. Previously, Bowdon directed “The Cartel,” a documentary about corruption in public education that won 12 film festival awards, a national theatrical release, and distribution from Warner Bros.
In his non-education reform endeavors, Bowdon has appeared as the recurring character Brian Scott for the Onion News Network, reporting comedic, satirical news stories for both seasons of the Onion's IFC cable channel show and web videos. He also hosted “Two-Way Street,” a nationally syndicated PBS public policy debate show. Before that, Bowdon spent six years as an anchor/reporter for Bloomberg Television.
Prior to his media career, Bowdon earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and a master’s degree in engineering management from Stanford University.
In November 2010, the people of Lapeer and St. Clair counties elected Phil Pavlov to represent them in the Michigan Senate. As senator for the 25th District, Pavlov represents a diverse array of communities.
A St. Clair native, Sen. Pavlov graduated from St. Clair High School, and studied business administration at St. Clair Community College before joining the family transportation business. For 15 years, Pavlov owned and operated his family’s successful small business, Dexter Equipment Company, which specialized in medium to heavy duty truck sales and heavy equipment repair.
Sen. Pavlov currently lives in St. Clair Township and is a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the National Rifle Association, Blue Water Sportsmen’s Association, and Knights of Columbus.
