By state Rep. Ryan Berman of Commerce Township

Putting our children in a position to be successful is vitally important. A solid foundation in the classroom helps them grow, know, and then eventually flow into the workforce and adulthood.

I was pleased to host an educator’s roundtable recently with school board members from the Walled Lake school district as well as parents. I wanted to understand the thoughts of the people who work in education and what more can be done.

This is an important time of the year for education. The budget process for the upcoming fiscal year will determine our levels of K-12 and higher education spending in the state. I am supportive of the governor’s investments and commitment to education, specifically during early childhood when crucial development is occurring.

I am currently leading a fight to level the playing field within higher education funding for students right here in Oakland County by calling for more equity in how we allocate higher education funding. Oakland University is the fastest-growing university in the state and over 90 percent of its students are Michigan residents, but OU receives the least amount of per-resident student funding ($3,300) among Michigan’s 15 public state schools while the University of Michigan receives over $13,000 per in-state student. We need an updated formula that takes into account the changing dynamics of these institutions while ensuring the tax dollars of hardworking Michigan residents are supporting Michigan students more equally. I am working with the chair of a House Appropriations subcommittee devoted to higher education to see these changes through.

As we enter March is Reading Month in the state of Michigan, it is imperative we ask ourselves if we are doing enough to support our children to sufficiently match the expanding world around them in 2020. My wife Stacie, who joined me for the roundtable discussion, is a teacher herself. We also have two daughters in our public education system, so I know firsthand the importance of education to families in our state. I’m focused on delivering a budget that is serious about improving in this area.

State Rep. Ryan Berman, of Commerce Township, serves residents in the 39th District, which includes the city of Wixom, Commerce Township, a portion of West Bloomfield Township and the village of Wolverine Lake.