This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free Bridge Michigan newsletter here.
Michigan elementary school teachers may be required to take a time-intensive literacy training course under a bipartisan bill discussed Wednesday.
It’s the latest effort from state leaders to address low student reading scores.
Lawmakers discussed House bill 5697 Wednesday. It would require K-5 teachers to complete the training by the 2029-2030 school year.
The bill does not explicitly name Lexia LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) but lawmakers and state superintendent Glenn Maleyko have repeatedly referenced that specific training.
The training focuses on how the brain learns to read. This is often referred to as “the science of reading,” which includes an emphasis on phonics. Teachers often report they learned information they had not previously learned in university.
“I believe reading issues are contributing to chronic absenteeism, causing students to drop out, causing or worsening student mental health issues, contributing to educators leaving the profession and a factor in poor math and science scores, as students have difficulty reading and understanding narrative math problems,” said bill sponsor Nancy DeBoer, R-Holland. “Addressing this problem is one of the most critical issues facing our state today.”
That same school year, districts must assure the state that teachers have been trained in the science of reading, an MDE official previously told Bridge. LETRS is not the only option available to teachers. Some districts are choosing programs offered by the University of Florida Literacy Institute, the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education and individual curriculum companies.
DeBoer highlighted Mississippi’s gains on national reading tests after training teachers in LETRS, coaching teachers and holding third-grade students back who test poorly. Michigan’s third-grade reading law was repealed in 2023, and DeBoer acknowledged retention “has been (a) controversial issue in our state.”
How much money and for how many teachers?
Michigan has already put $44 million toward LETRS training for teachers and administrators who want to complete the training. So far, 6,300 teachers have completed the training and another 5,600 people are taking the course, according to Maleyko.
Maleyko said there are an estimated 44,000 additional K-5 instructors who need to be trained.
While some states have created mandates for K-3 teachers, DeBoer said she “really felt that K-5 was needed given the ground we must make up with our older students.”
DeBoer said the training “isn’t an insignificant expense to the taxpayers,” but she wants to make sure “this issue is front and center before budget season.”
“I don’t want this to wait for another budget season.”
Whitmer is proposing the next budget include $50 million to be used over five years to give more teachers LETRS training.
Maleyko said he understands the training takes time and would like to see teachers be compensated for their extra training.
DeBoer said she intends to hold testimony about a different bill next aimed at addressing how universities train future teachers on how to teach reading.
Both Republicans and Democrats asked questions Wednesday about the feasibility of the proposed requirement. They wanted to know more about when the training would occur and if there were certain teachers that should be prioritized in getting this training.
State Rep. Matt Koleszar, D-Plymouth, a fellow bill sponsor, said he supports the bill in concept but he is worried about imposing another requirement on teachers when some already have family obligations and second jobs.
Maleyko said he would work with teacher unions and school leadership groups on how to implement training while respecting teachers’ time.
Maleyko is expected to visit the Waterford School District in suburban Detroit later this week to promote Whitmer’s budget recommendations around literacy. The school district has supported the training and provides stipends for teachers to take the training.
