Chapter 5: Interview With Mary Kay Shields

As a senior official within the Engler administration, Mary Kay Shields narrates the operationalization of Michigan’s charter school framework—from authorizer approval to oversight infrastructure. This chapter situates her account within theories of administrative governance, showing how institutional architecture transformed legislation into functioning policy. Shields details the establishment of the Michigan Department of Education’s Charter School Office and the mechanisms ensuring accountability amid rapid expansion, revealing the technocratic dimension of education reform.