State Education Leaders’ Perspectives on Leading and Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

July 2022

To understand Michigan education leaders’ experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic and state-level efforts to support K-12 education during this time, Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) researchers interviewed 18 state-level leaders from the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), the governor’s office, professional associations, and advocacy groups.

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

• State leaders worked to balance the health and educational needs of students and educators, with roles and strategies shifting over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic
• State leaders leveraged existing relationships to collaboratively meet the needs of students and educators early in the pandemic, though political tensions led to less collaboration over time.
• State leaders expressed concerns about how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing racial and socioeconomic inequities for students and families.
• State leaders faced several challenges as they worked to ensure students’ access to education during the 2020-21 school year.
• State leaders described the 2021-22 school year as surfacing new and emerging challenges primarily at the local level.