“I’m very proud to stand with my colleague and call for this constitutional amendment, as it is the right thing to do. Reading is a fundamental right and should be addressed in a bipartisan fashion that allows Michigan to move forward, ensuring that every child is able to read. As a former teacher and proud product of Detroit Public Schools, it has grieved me to see that we are facing looming closures based on test scores that do not take into proper account the struggles these students face in and out of the classroom which could disrupt their achievement.
“According to the Michigan Association of School Boards, it is the position of local school boards that all those that can be taught to read be done so. However, we know that many of the districts impacted by low reading scores and proficiency have also been under state control, meaning this priority has fallen by the wayside. We are standing united, and we encourage this to be a bipartisan issue that will help improve the economic stability of our state by ensuring that all of our children have a foundation to be on the right trajectory for higher education, for skilled trades, and to become entrepreneurs. This is March, it is reading month, and we’re inviting all of our colleagues to join us as we go out into our respective communities. We’re one Michigan, and we’re fighting for the survival of our state by ensuring a strong foundation for literacy of all Michigan children.”