- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is calling for universal pre-K, more money for reading curriculum and teacher training
- Whitmer will need to work with the Legislature to get these items funded
- Michigan third-grade reading scores are at a new low
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is drawing attention to the state’s low education rankings as she calls for more funding and training to improve student reading skills.
In her final State of the State address on Wednesday, Whitmer said Michigan must do more to ensure students are literate and called on the next governor to continue the focus.
Here’s what to know.
How are Michigan students doing on literacy tests?
Michigan ranks 44th for reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the NAEP, or the Nation’s Report Card.
Students took the test in spring of 2024. It is administered every two years across the country to a sample of students.
On the most recent state tests, only 38.9% of third grade students were proficient in English language arts. That’s a new low in the 11-year history of the test.
What is Gov. Whitmer calling for?
Whitmer is calling for the state to fund universal pre-K for four-year-olds, training for teachers, effective curricula and more opportunities for students to learn outside of the school day.
Late last year, she convened a state literacy summit and said “literacy will remain my No. 1 priority.”
None of the ideas Whitmer pitched Wednesday are brand new. Starting in the 2027-2028 school year, districts will be required to screen students for traits of dyslexia, teach reading in evidence-based ways and ensure teachers are trained in how students learn to read. Those requirements were part of a law passed in late 2024.
Let’s break it down.
Does Michigan have universal pre-K?
“This year, let’s fund free, full-day pre-K for all and set every child up for success,” Whitmer said in her Wednesday address.
That’s already happening to some extent. Michigan 4-year-olds can attend a Great Start Readiness Program pre-K class tuition-free. These classrooms exist in public schools, nonprofit organizations and private organizations.
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But the availability of these programs varies by area, and some programs are limited to four days a week.
Enrollment in the program continues to grow. About 51,000 students are enrolled in the Great Start Readiness Program, a 21% increase in enrollment since the previous year.
GSRP is part of the state’s PreK for All initiative. The initiative includes the federally funded Head Start preschool program, developmental kindergarten and early childhood special education. Officials have set a goal to “serve a total of 88,500 of the state’s 118,000 four-year-old children in publicly funded programs by 2027.”
In Whitmer’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year, she is proposing $181.1 million to fund pre-K for 68,000 children. This includes $138.1 million for additional student slots and per-pupil raises, $25 million for start-up costs and $18 million for transportation, according to the State Budget Office.
What about training for teachers?
Michigan has dedicated a total of $44 million toward Lexia LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling).
This training focuses on how the brain learns to read. Across the state, 5,843 educators had already completed the training as of early this month and another 5,558 were in the course, according to a Michigan Department of Education spokesperson.
Teachers and literacy coaches previously told Bridge the training is extremely helpful but also very time-intensive.
Whitmer is proposing the next budget include $50 million to be used over five years to give more teachers LETRS training.
Other states have also embraced LETRS. Mississippi, which has soared in state rankings for reading, used LETRS to train teachers.
Is Whitmer mandating a reading curriculum?
No, but she is calling for “effective curriculum statewide” and “additional professional learning.”
But there are efforts to reign in the vast variety of curricula that schools use.
During the 2022-2023 school year, elementary school teachers across the state reported using 444 different curriculum resources for English language arts, according to an analysis by Michigan State University researchers.
Now, the state provides funds for districts to purchase a reading curriculum from a vetted list.
By the 2027-2028 school year, districts will be required to teach students in evidence-based ways.
The state budget also requires that local districts notify parents if they are not using an evidence-based curriculum or one that is not aligned with state standards.
What else?
Whitmer is calling on the state to provide more funding for students to receive small-group tutoring in school, before and after school, on weekends and in the summer.
Michigan already provides funding to organizations for out-of-school time.
In 2023, Whitmer approved a budget that includes $150 million for the Mi Kids Back on Track program, which districts could use for in-house or contracted tutoring programs. Schools could also use the funds for other academic recovery efforts.
In the past, many school districts offered tutoring using federal pandemic relief funds but they varied widely in how big groups were, how often tutoring occurred and what training tutors had.
State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko has signaled support for summer learning programs, referencing his work in Dearborn Public Schools to use private funders to help pay for programming.
Whitmer is calling on the Legislature to provide $135 million for before, after and summer school learning programs.
This article first appeared on Bridge Michigan and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.