Michigan elementary school teachers will be required to take literacy training by the 2031-2032 school year, under a new law signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Tuesday. The law requires K-5 instructors who teach reading or language arts to receive training and requires the state Department of Education to select at least two vendors each year to provide the training. “We all want results for our kids,” Whitmer said at an event in Southfield promoting the new education budget. “And none of us is patient about it, nor should we be. We want those results fast. But here’s what we know: literacy is a marathon, it’s not a miracle. The steps we’re taking now are the first steps down a road ahead. It will take time, but if we give every child a strong early start, using proven methods, offering extra help, we can ensure that every child can read.”
The ‘science of reading’ refers to research about how the brain learns to read. Sometimes the term is used as a shorthand for an emphasis on phonics, which is one aspect of learning to read. Whitmer has said literacy is her number one priority in her last term, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for changes to how Michigan handles literacy. Just 38.9% of Michigan third graders are proficient in reading, according to state tests, and the state ranks 44th for fourth grade reading on national assessments.Districts were already required to teach in “evidence-based” ways and screen students for traits of dyslexia beginning with the 2027-28 school year, under laws passed in 2024. Districts must also affirm that teachers have received information about evidence-based literacy practices and related topics.
