Leah and I have always believed that one of the most important skills a child can develop is the ability to read. I’ve often said that if you can read, you can learn anything. Reading opens the door to history, science, mathematics, literature and just about every other subject a person might want to understand. It also provides something that becomes increasingly valuable throughout life: the ability to continue learning long after formal schooling has ended.
Unfortunately, Michigan has been failing far too many of its children when it comes to teaching them to read. Even more troubling, recent information suggests that the problem continues through high school, leaving many students unprepared for college or other opportunities after graduation.
In 2016, Michigan established an ambitious goal of becoming a top-ten education state within ten years. At the time, our educational performance was already disappointing, particularly in elementary-school reading. The goal was intended to focus attention on improving student achievement and restoring Michigan’s reputation as a state that valued education.
Here we are in 2026, ten years later, and we haven’t come close to achieving that goal.
Two articles published by Bridge Michigan, one examining elementary reading achievement and the other reporting on high-school college readiness, illustrate just how serious our educational problems have become.
How Bad Is the Problem?
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly called the Nation’s Report Card, allows us to compare student achievement across states using the same assessment.
In 2017, Michigan ranked 35th nationally in fourth-grade reading, according to a 2018 Bridge Michigan article. By 2024, Michigan had fallen to 45th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on average scores. Michigan’s average fourth-grade reading score was 209, compared with the national public-school average of 214.
That is a troubling result for a state that once considered itself a national leader in public education.
I recognize that standardized test scores don’t tell us everything about a child’s education. Children develop at different rates, family circumstances matter, and tests cannot measure every important skill. However, when a state consistently performs near the bottom of the country, I don’t think we can dismiss the results as simply a problem with testing.
By fourth grade, children are making an important transition. During their early years, they are learning to read. As they move through elementary school, they increasingly need to read in order to learn. A child who struggles with reading may also struggle with science, history, mathematics word problems and other subjects.
Those difficulties can compound over time, and recent information suggests that’s exactly the kind of problem Michigan is experiencing.
The Problem Doesn’t End in Elementary School
A recent Bridge Michigan article reported that only 25.3% of Michigan’s high-school juniors met both college-readiness benchmarks on the SAT in 2026. Ten years ago, that figure was approximately 35%. Instead of making progress, we’ve been moving in the wrong direction.
The results are particularly troubling when we examine the individual subjects. Just over half of Michigan juniors met the SAT benchmark for reading and writing, while only about one-quarter met the mathematics benchmark. At the same time, Michigan’s four-year high-school graduation rate reached approximately 84% in 2025.
That raises an uncomfortable question. Are we graduating students who haven’t acquired the academic skills they need to succeed after high school?
I recognize that SAT scores aren’t the only measure of a student’s abilities or future potential. Many students succeed in college despite disappointing standardized-test scores. Others pursue rewarding careers through apprenticeships, technical training, military service or employment that doesn’t require a college degree. I’ve always believed that we need to place greater value on these opportunities.
However, regardless of the path a student chooses, reading remains an essential skill. Whether someone becomes an engineer, electrician, nurse, automobile mechanic or small-business owner, the ability to read, comprehend information and continue learning is fundamental to success.
Another statistic from Bridge Michigan deserves our attention. Only 11.5% of economically disadvantaged Michigan juniors met both SAT college-readiness benchmarks, compared with 36% of students who were not economically disadvantaged. Education is supposed to be one of the great equalizers in our society. These results suggest that far too many children are entering adulthood without the same opportunities as their classmates.
We should celebrate Michigan’s improving graduation rates. However, graduating more students is only meaningful if we’re also preparing them for what comes next. A high-school diploma should represent more than twelve or thirteen years of attendance. It should provide a foundation for continued learning, productive employment and responsible citizenship.
What Can We Learn From Mississippi?
Perhaps the most interesting comparison is Mississippi, a state that historically ranked near the bottom of the country in educational achievement and continues to spend relatively little per student.
In 2013, Mississippi ranked 49th nationally in fourth-grade reading. By 2024, it had climbed to ninth based on average reading scores.
Think about that. While Michigan continued struggling, Mississippi moved from near the bottom to among the nation’s leading states in elementary reading achievement.
Mississippi didn’t accomplish this simply by spending more money. It made a sustained commitment to changing how children are taught to read.
Beginning in 2013, Mississippi adopted reforms emphasizing the science of reading, an approach grounded in research about how children learn to recognize words, understand language and comprehend written material. The state placed greater emphasis on systematic phonics instruction, early identification of reading difficulties, teacher training and literacy coaches who work directly with classroom teachers.
Mississippi also established stronger expectations for students who weren’t reading at grade level, including additional instruction and intervention.
These changes weren’t without controversy. Policies regarding third-grade promotion have raised legitimate questions about whether retaining students is always the best approach. Mississippi also continues to face educational challenges beyond fourth-grade reading.
Nevertheless, the improvement is too substantial to ignore.
Michigan should be asking what Mississippi did differently and whether those practices could help our children. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel when another state has demonstrated that meaningful improvement is possible.
Are We Spending Our Money Wisely?
Whenever we discuss improving education, the conversation eventually turns to money. I certainly believe schools need adequate funding, qualified teachers, appropriate facilities and the resources necessary to help children succeed.
However, the Mississippi experience suggests that how we spend education dollars may be just as important as how much we spend.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Mississippi spent approximately $12,324 per public-school student in fiscal year 2024, placing it among the five lowest-spending states in the country. The national average was $17,619.
Michigan spends considerably more than Mississippi, while Massachusetts, which ranks first nationally in fourth-grade reading, also spends substantially more.
These comparisons tell us something important. There isn’t a simple relationship between education spending and reading achievement. Some states spend more and achieve better results. Mississippi spends much less and has made extraordinary progress. Michigan spends considerably more than Mississippi yet produces substantially weaker fourth grade reading scores.
This doesn’t mean Michigan should reduce education funding. It means we should be asking whether we’re directing enough of our resources toward proven methods of teaching children to read.
I would much rather see Michigan invest in effective reading instruction, teacher training and early intervention than continue spending additional money without seeing meaningful improvement in student achievement.
Does Michigan Have Too Many School Districts?
I also wonder whether Michigan’s education system is simply too fragmented.
Michigan has approximately 537 traditional public-school districts, along with 56 intermediate school districts and hundreds of charter schools. When charter-school districts and other operating entities are included, federal education statistics count 882 districts in Michigan.
For comparison, the same federal statistics count 152 districts in Mississippi and 421 in Massachusetts.
These numbers don’t necessarily mean Michigan has too many school districts. States organize and count their educational systems differently, and local control has important advantages. Communities can make decisions that reflect their particular needs, and parents can participate directly in school governance.
However, I wonder whether we’ve created a system in which responsibility for educational outcomes is spread across so many organizations that meaningful accountability becomes difficult.
When Michigan’s fourth grade reading scores remain near the bottom of the country, who is ultimately responsible?
Is it the State Board of Education? The Department of Education? The Legislature? Local school boards? Superintendents? Principals? Teachers? Parents?
I suspect the answer is that all share some responsibility, which raises another question: When everyone is responsible, is anyone truly accountable?
I don’t know whether reducing the number of school districts would improve reading scores. Larger districts can create their own administrative problems, and smaller districts sometimes deliver excellent results. Consolidation alone isn’t an educational strategy.
However, I do believe Michigan should examine whether its fragmented structure makes it more difficult to establish consistent reading standards, implement proven instructional practices and hold educational leaders accountable for results.
The question isn’t simply whether we have too many school districts. It’s whether our educational structure is organized to deliver the best possible results for children.
Reading Is Everyone’s Responsibility
While I believe state education leaders need to take responsibility for improving reading achievement, schools cannot do the job alone.
Parents have an important role, beginning long before children enter kindergarten. Reading aloud to young children, keeping books available at home, visiting libraries and encouraging children to read for enjoyment can make an enormous difference.
Teachers need access to effective instructional methods, appropriate training and the support necessary to identify children who are struggling. Principals should make early literacy a central priority of their schools. Superintendents and school boards should regularly review reading achievement and ensure that resources are being directed toward improving results.
Michigan has recently enacted new literacy legislation emphasizing evidence-based reading instruction. Those reforms are encouraging, and state education officials say their effects are not yet fully reflected in test scores. We should give effective reforms a reasonable opportunity to succeed while insisting that their results be measured and reported.
Most importantly, we need to recognize that children who struggle to read aren’t failures. They are children who need help, and the earlier they receive that help, the better their chances of success.
I would like to see Michigan establish a straightforward goal: Every child should receive the instruction and support needed to become a capable reader by the end of third grade, with continued assistance for those who need more time.
That doesn’t mean every child will develop at exactly the same pace. It means we should never accept persistent reading difficulties as inevitable.
Ten Years Is Long Enough
In 2016, Michigan established a ten-year goal of becoming a top ten education state. That was an ambitious objective, but it was also an acknowledgment that our children deserved better.
Ten years later, we’re nowhere near achieving it.
I don’t believe this is a Republican problem or a Democratic problem. Michigan’s educational difficulties have persisted under governors, legislators and education leaders from both political parties.
Nor do I believe the solution is simply spending more money, eliminating school districts or adopting another collection of ambitious goals.
We need a sustained commitment to doing what works, measuring results and making changes when those results are disappointing.
Michigan’s disappointing fourth-grade reading scores and declining college-readiness results aren’t two unrelated problems. They are warning signs that our education system isn’t consistently preparing children for the next stage of their lives. We need to stop treating elementary reading, high-school achievement and workforce preparation as separate challenges. They are parts of the same educational journey, and success begins with a strong foundation.
Leah and I have always believed that reading is one of the greatest gifts we can give a child. A child who learns to read well gains access to a lifetime of knowledge, opportunity and personal enjoyment.
I’ve often said that if you can read, you can learn anything.
Isn’t it time Michigan made sure every child has that opportunity?
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Quote of the Day
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
— Often attributed to Frederick Douglass
Reading gives us the independence to seek knowledge, examine different perspectives and make informed decisions. It’s one of the most important foundations of a free and educated society.
Orchid of the Day
Today’s Orchid goes to the Detroit Lions for their 45-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. After the first quarter, the Lions dominated on both offense and defense. It was particularly encouraging how the defensive backs and linebackers significantly improved their pass coverage.
Onion of the Day
Today’s Onion goes to Michigan’s educational leadership, past and present, for failing to make meaningful progress toward the state’s 2016 goal of becoming a top ten education state.
This isn’t directed at one governor, one superintendent or one political party. The problem has persisted for too long and under too many administrations to assign responsibility to any one individual.
Our children deserve better than another decade of disappointing results.
Question of the Day
What do you believe Michigan should do differently to improve children’s reading skills?
Should we focus on greater parental involvement, stronger accountability, changes to our school-district structure, better teacher training or something else?
I’d particularly like to hear from teachers, school administrators and parents who have firsthand experience with the challenges facing our schools.
Lyrics of the Day
Friday’s answer: Due to author error, Lyrics of the Day was omitted on Friday
Today’s lyric: “I can read your mind.”
Name the song and the artist and put your answer in the comment section below.
Answer next time.
Video of the Day: Detroit Lions’ coach Dan Campbell got emotional to begin his postgame press conference on Sunday, Oct. 11, as he dedicated a game ball to radio play-by-play broadcaster Dan Miller following the death of Miller’s wife, Cindy this past weekend. Miller, who’s been the voice of the Lions for over 20 years, was away from the team for Sunday’s game. Cynthia died Saturday at 63 years old following a battle with cancer.
“We’ll start with this. This ball to Dan Miller and his family,” Campbell said, holding up a football following the Lions’ 45-21 win against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
“That was hard to hear what they went through. I know it’s been a tough road for Dan. This is for him. Salt of the earth, man. Dan is salt of the earth, and I know this has been hard, and so — but now I know Cindy’s at peace, and we love you, Dan.”
This is an indictment of the three witches Whitmer, Nessel and Jocelyn! The biggest reason you cannot vote for Jocelyn for Governor. Time for a change and vote John James