State schools superintendent Brian Whiston is stepping down so he can focus on fighting cancer.
Whiston made the announcement today at a meeting of the Michigan State Board of Education.
Whiston set a goal of making Michigan one of the nation’s top 10 states when it comes to the quality of schools. He says plans that have been put in place to turn around struggling schools make that possible.
“They’re just now in progress, and it’s just very sad to me that I won’t be part of seeing whether they all worked or not.”
Whiston says one of the most promising plans creates local consortiums of educators, businesses, foundations and parents to help turn around 72 low-performing schools.
He will go on medical leave after taking the next month or two to wrap up some projects.