Our Catholic school communities are encouraged to contact their elected leaders during the first annual Impact in Action:  Nonpublic School Awareness Week, Sept. 23 through 27. This is an ideal opportunity to contact or meet with your state senator and representative to share the vital role your nonpublic school plays in the community. Join together in this important advocacy initiative to elevate the voice and impact of non-public schools in Michigan! ​Catholic school families, teachers and staff are always invited to reach out to their legislators to discuss topics important to our ​schools.

The Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Saginaw are members of the Michigan Association of Non-public Schools (MANS). The following list of talking points is provided by MANS.

How to Connect with Your Legislator:

Reach out by phone or email:

Contact your legislator's office and ask if you can schedule time with the Senator or Representative during the week of Sept. 23 - 27. Explain that you would like to share information about your school, its impact on the community, and discuss policy issues facing nonpublic schools in Michigan. 

Find your legislator's contact information:
Use the links below to be directed to the House and Senate websites, where you will input your school address to find contact information.

• Senate

• House

Talking Points:

It’s important to communicate the key issues currently impacting nonpublic education and how legislative support can make a significant difference. To help guide your conversation, MANS has provided a set of talking points that highlight the most pressing challenges. These talking points will ensure a clear, consistent message as MANS members work to secure policies that allow equitable treatment for nonpublic students.

School Safety Funding:

• Nonpublic schools have been included in school safety grant programs since 2015
• Each of the last two budget cycles had an $18,000,000 appropriation for school safety and mental health initiatives in nonpublic schools
• We were able to use funds at our school to (use specific examples of how you used funding at your school)
• This year’s budget severely reduced funding available to all schools on this increasingly important issue
• We urge the legislature to reinstate funding for school safety for Michigan’s nonpublic schools

Teacher Workforce Issues:

• Nonpublic schools have a long history of using Michigan university and college student teachers.
• The student teacher stipend program unfairly cuts out nonpublic schools as eligible sites for student teachers who receive $9600 per semester to student teach.
• The policy behind the program is to grow the teacher workforce in the state. Implementation of the program unnecessarily excludes one segment of the employer workforce.
• We urge the legislature to include the ability for student teachers to complete their student teaching in a nonpublic school, thus making the playing field even between public schools and nonpublic schools that are both suffering the impact of a teacher shortage.
• Similarly, the Michigan Future Educator Fellowship Program unfairly excludes nonpublic schools as eligible employment sites for fellowship recipients.
• New Michigan teachers who received a fellowship would have to repay the fellowship should they teach in a nonpublic school.
• We know that teachers move back and forth between the public and nonpublic sectors throughout their careers. The implementation of this program also unnecessarily excludes one segment of the employer workforce
• We urge the legislature to include the option of subsequently teaching at a nonpublic school to avoid repayment of the fellowship funding.

School Breakfast and Lunch Program:

• The current universal school meals program in Michigan excludes students in nonpublic schools who would otherwise be eligible if they went to a public school
• There is no justifiable explanation why certain Michigan students would be treated differently with regard to nutrition, health and readiness to learn simply because they attend a nonpublic school.
• We believe the legislature should include all nonpublic school students in this proposal, provided their nonpublic school participates in the federal school breakfast and lunch programs.