literacy

The state House voted Wednesday largely along party lines to accelerate new standards for teaching reading to students.

The law was repealed a couple of years ago while the legislature was under Democratic control. It required kids to read proficiently by third grade, or face being held back in school.

Michigan's reading scores have failed to recover from the pandemic and are falling behind other states. The governor's Every Child Reads Champions Council will be made up of people with backgrounds in education, community organizing, and business.

The governor’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget proposal includes $181 million to expand Pre-K for All, a free pre-school program for four-year-olds designed to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond

Bridge Michigan's Simon D. Schuster asked nine leading gubernatorial candidates six questions about some of the most pressing or contentious issues facing Michigan schools today.

The governor is calling for $625 million to support literacy efforts in her budget proposal. That money is meant for buying new learning materials, hiring more tutors, and training teachers.

Michigan elementary school teachers may be required to complete comprehensive literacy training under new bipartisan legislation. House bill 5697, sponsored by Rep. Nancy DeBoer (R-Holland), was discussed in a Michigan House Education and Workforce Committee meeting this Wednesday.

“Literacy is the number one priority of the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and State Board of Education,” Michigan’s new Superintendent of Instruction, Glenn Maleyko, said in a statement when the proposed budget was announced.

In Michigan’s public schools, there’s a new dyslexia and literacy law being implemented. It’s focused on screening students for signs of reading difficulties early.

“Our mission is as big as it is simple: Every child reads,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Not some, not most. Every child reads.”