LANSING — Last week, a federal court judge struck down a lawsuit filed on behalf of Detroit students which sought to hold state officials accountable for the high rates of illiteracy in the city. In striking down the suit, the court ruled that access to literacy is not a fundamental right. In response, state Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown Township) issued the following statement:
“Friday’s court ruling is a disappointing result for all the students, parents, and communities that are being failed by our state’s inequitable education system. Literacy is a critical skill in every part of life, and as a state we must guarantee that our students learn to read. It’s now up to the Legislature to act. We must hold our state to a basic measure of academic accountability to our students, which is why I introduced a joint resolution last March that would amend our state Constitution to guarantee every Michigan student the right to read. I urge my colleagues to take action to adopt that resolution as soon as possible. Michigan’s children are counting on us to do so.”
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