Governor Gretchen Whitmer is creating a new task force meant to help kids learn to read.
The Every Child Reads Champions Council will be made up of people with backgrounds in education, community organizing, philanthropy and business.
“In Michigan, we’re investing in the resources to help them get there. This council will play a crucial role keeping Michigan on track as we strengthen our literacy programs, support our teachers, and help our students thrive. Let’s keeping working together to make sure Every Child Reads,” Whitmer said in a press release announcing the executive order.
In recent years, Michigan’s reading scores have fallen behind other states as well as Michigan's own pre-pandemic marks. That’s spurred policymakers across the political spectrum to call for drastic action to get kids caught up.
Already, proposals for the next state budget include training teachers in a new curriculum, paying for literacy tutors, and changing the funding formula for schools.
Matt Gillard is president of the group Michigan’s Children. He supports the governor gathering experts to focus on improving literacy.
"Bringing experts into these areas in any aspect, from a government standpoint, makes a lot of sense,” Gillard said in an interview. “But where we see the disconnect is if the elected officials who actually make the decisions and vote on things like the state budget and where resources are directed don't listen to the experts, then the results aren't going to be there.”
The council will have 16 members total, including the state superintendent and director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. Other appointees will come from the governor with some input from legislative leadership.
Applications are now open to join. Gillard hadn’t ruled out the possibility of applying himself, saying he hadn’t given it much thought yet.
He said what to expect from the panel depends on who gets selected.
“I would hope that there would be folks who have real-life experience running programs like this, and knowledge from an educational standpoint of what actually works, and how to improve literacy skills, and where investments need to be made at the state and local level,” Gillard said.
Appointees will be announced in August.
