Michigan House leadership wants to use budget talks to bring back the state’s third grade reading law.
The law was repealed a couple of years ago while the legislature was under Democratic control.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. Though there were many exceptions.
Critics say holding kids back does nothing to help them learn to read.
House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp) said returning to that policy would help fix the state’s relatively poor reading scores. Hall said the matter should move alongside a state budget.
“I consider this what they call a budget implementation bill, because we’re going to need all three: accountability, spending, and training the teachers on the right curriculum, phonics, in order to improve our literacy. So, we’re going to negotiate this as part of a deal in the state budget,” Hall said this week after the House voted to restore the law.
State Representative John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) said it’s going to take more than that to address children’s struggles.
“We want to give educators and those around kids the tools that they need to give students the best opportunity for success and just telling kids you have to read at third grade reading is not going to do it. It’s the resources and we want the result of that policy,” Fitzgerald said.
Nonetheless, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer, have named boosting literacy one of their top priorities for this year. Budget proposals have suggested funding for literacy coaches, changing curriculum, and more teacher training.
Hall remained adamant, tougher grade three reading standards need to follow more spending on kids, and a refocus on phonics.
“We’ve got to do all three to get a deal on literacy and everyone has said they want to do literacy. So, this is part of getting literacy done,” Hall said.
Most Michigan House Democrats voted against restoring the third grade standards Wednesday.
Democratic House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri accuses Hall of pulling stunts with third grade reading.
“I have not had any conversations with him about that. I don’t think it’s actually a serious goal of his,” Puri said.
The bill was discharged from committee and put up for a vote alongside a slew of other Republican priorities moments after Democrats voted down a constitutional amendment proposal Republican leadership supported.
Restoring the law could be a hard sell in the Democratic-controlled Senate, which voted last term to do away with the provision.
