Great Lakes Wire

The Michigan State Board of Education has approved a resolution recommending that all K–5 educators in the state complete LETRS training, which stands for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. The board passed the resolution with a 7-1 vote. The resolution also calls for free book distribution to help improve literacy among young students.

Board member Tom McMillin, a Republican, was the only member to vote against the resolution. He questioned whether it is legal to require a specific training program that benefits one company financially. “I don’t know if this passes constitutional muster so that one company can make all kinds of money,” McMillin said.

The recommendations came from Delsa Chapman, Assistant Superintendent at the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). Chapman presented four main ideas aimed at improving research-based literacy instruction and student outcomes. In addition to mandatory LETRS training, she suggested lowering class sizes in high-poverty K–3 classrooms and doubling the current $87 million in one-time literacy grants given to 561 districts. Board members agreed more funding is needed to reach all students who need help.

Chapman’s fourth recommendation addressed increasing in-person instructional time for students. She shared data showing that while Michigan schools are scheduled for 180 instructional days, actual in-person learning drops because of snow days, professional development days, and virtual instruction—leaving some students with as few as 149 in-person days.

Both chambers of the Legislature have proposed reducing allowable virtual learning days from 15 (the rule under 2023 guidelines) down to seven in their respective versions of the 2026 state budget. Several board members expressed support for further reducing or even eliminating virtual learning days entirely, saying students benefit most from face-to-face instruction.

“We need to be focused on the children,” said board member Tiffany Tilley. She noted that reaching all nearly 90,000 Michigan educators with LETRS training would take about five years at the current pace; so far, only about 5,000 teachers have completed it despite legislative funding support.

“Time is important,” Chapman said as she closed her remarks.

For more information and updates on this issue, visit https://www.sbam.org/.