Camilleri renews call for action in response to lagging student literacy rates in new MDE report

LANSING — The Michigan Department of Education released a new report this morning which found approximately 55 percent of Michigan’s 3^rd through 7^th grade students are not reading at grade level, bringing new urgency to the state’s devastating literacy crisis. In response, State Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown), one of the lead sponsors of the comprehensive Better Outcomes in Literacy and Development (BOLD) plan introduced by House Democrats earlier this year as well as a sponsor in a three-bill package that would require a library in every Michigan school, issued the following statement:

“To anyone who denies our state is facing a literacy crisis, I’d say look no further than the numbers released by the MDE this morning. With 55 percent of our students falling below grade level in reading, we need to act now to improve literacy access and educational outcomes across our state — and that starts with making sure kids have access to excellent teachers, literacy coaches and a library in every school.”

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