DETROIT — The Michigan Department of Education is lobbying the Legislature to take the state's science of reading laws two big steps further.

The department sent legislators its annual legislative priorities letter on Jan. 14, advocating for making it harder for districts to avoid teaching the science of reading, a way of teaching reading that aligns with how the brain learns to read.

The state already adopted two laws aimed at pushing districts in that direction, but the Michigan Department of Education, led by new Superintendent Glenn Maleyko, is calling for a stricter mandate.

The department called for the Legislature to require all elementary school teachers to take an intense training called LETRS, and for all districts to be required to pick a curriculum from a state-curated list of approved programs. The Democrats control the Senate, while Republicans lead the House.

"Michigan has built strong momentum in literacy through recent legislation and coordinated statewide efforts, including a statewide Literacy Summit convened with the State Board of Education, MDE, and the governor’s office," the letter said. "The next phase of this work must focus on consistent, high-quality implementation across districts."

In 2024, the then Democratic-led Legislature passed two laws that strongly encouraged and, in narrow cases, required the science of reading in all elementary classrooms. But it left holes, allowing for an element of local control.

The state has already created lists of curriculum programs to be used with all students, known as "Tier 1" programs, that align with the science of reading, but districts aren't strictly required to stick to that list. That caused concern for some parents in districts that have been attached to older programs shown to have gaps in teaching students how to read.

Maleyko's department is calling for that to change.

"To strengthen implementation of (the laws), the department recommends requiring districts, ISDs, and public school academies to select Tier 1 elementary reading curriculum materials from the department-approved list of evidence-based programs," the state Department of Education wrote. "This requirement would ensure statewide coherence and equitable access to high-quality literacy materials."

This would align Michigan with other states, like Ohio, which adopted a full science of reading curriculum mandate in 2022. Ohio requires training as well, but did not specifically mandate LETRS.

LETRS would require districts to find the time for, in some cases, hundreds of educators to take a 60-hour course, in addition to any other required professional development. It could require pulling teachers out of their classrooms to complete it, which requires paying a substitute to cover their class or adding more professional development days.

The department said it was asking for both "continued funding and implementation support" so all elementary instructors can receive the same training.

"Thousands of educators have completed training, with many more currently enrolled, and districts report improved instructional practice and stronger student outcomes," the MDE's letter said.

In a statement, Maleyko, who has adopted the slogan "Students First" as the department's motto, said doing what's right for students is a "bipartisan issue."

"If we want to put Students First and address the priority of improving student literacy, we must all work together on the same team," Maleyko said in a statement. "I am looking forward to collaborating with our partners in the State Senate, House, and with Governor Gretchen Whitmer."

Maleyko had previously told the State Board of Education he believed LETRS training should be required, but had not yet come out in favor of a full curriculum requirement before the letter, a list of the department's legislative priorities for 2026, went out last week to lawmakers.

Other priorities in the list included additional dollars for education and a more equitable system for funding, along with money for improving career and technical education and expanding summer programming.

The reading laws don't fully go into effect until the fall of 2027, when districts will have to use a curriculum from the state's vetted list or explain to parents why they chose something else. The laws also require districts to increase screenings for dyslexia, and to use a state-approved assessment to do so.

State Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, said although the laws are still in their infancy in Michigan, "it makes some sense" to continue to improve them.

"The more you look at what other places are doing…, the more it makes sense to go further and to push harder," he said.

Irwin, who was one of the architects of the current laws, said it took nearly 10 years to pass what legislators did, but that there was at least "some energy" in the Legislature to take them further, at least around mandating training.

He said he wasn't surprised to hear the state Department of Education, which is tasked with implementing the literacy laws, was calling for the Legislature to do more.

"Now I think it's on the Legislature to do the same kind of due diligence and thoughtful review that MDE has done," he said.

_____

©2026 The Detroit News. Visit detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.