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Today, the Education and Workforce Committee held a field hearing in Richmond, Michigan on standing up for servicemembers who serve our schools and communities. 


Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) started the hearing by outlining the problem.

“This Committee has received troubling reports of elected school board members facing criticism, harassment, and intimidation because their military service required them to deploy. We have also seen numerous reports of teachers losing their jobs or being denied pay raises because they were deployed. That is inexcusable,” he said. 


Mrs. Amy Stier of Richmond, Michigan shared the story of her husband, Ray, who was heavily criticized by some school board members for being deployed overseas even though he continued working to fulfill his responsibilities from an active war zone.

“[Ray] made arrangements to continue serving his community while serving his country. He set up a system on his laptop so he could participate in school board meetings remotely from overseas. After arriving in country around October 1, he continued attending board meetings despite the time difference. There were meetings taking place around 2 a.m. his time. Sometimes he was attending meetings when he should have been sleeping or eating breakfast,” she explained. 


Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) highlighted the criticism Stier faced from fellow school board members during his deployment, including comments describing him as a burden and saying his absence was a “disservice.”

“So your husband deploys and suddenly we have crisis situation on our hands. The same seat that sat empty for two months nobody complained about on the school board…” Rep. McClain summarized.  


Chairman Walberg asked Mr. Chris Neeley, Superintendent at South Carolina Public Charter School District, how his own military experience has helped him better serve his community as an educator and superintendent.

“Leadership matters at every level. I believe, if we’re going to have great schools, then it starts with having a great leader in the classroom, starts with having a great administrator at the school level and at the district level, and yes, in the school board,” Mr. Neeley explained.

Mr. Neeley also offered a simple explanation for why his district employs so many servicemembers: “They want to be a part of something great, just like their military service.” 


Mr. Jonathan Butcher, Acting Director of the Center for Education Policy and Will Skillman Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, underscored what schools stand to gain from having servicemembers in their ranks.

 “Our servicemembers risk their lives, sacrificing safety and comfort at the service of our country. That astounding level of leadership and character are the very virtues that parents, taxpayers, and lawmakers should want represented in our schools. What better lessons to teach the next generation than the value of sacrifice, the reward of hard work, the dedication to a cause greater than oneself?” he asked.

Bottom line: Military servicemembers don't stop caring about their schools, students, or communities when they're deployed. Deployment should not cost a teacher a raise, an educator a job, or an elected school board member the opportunity to serve. Those who answer the call to serve our country deserve policies that protect—not punish—their continued service to their communities at home.