Michigan reading scores worse now than when Whitmer vowed to fix literacy crisis

As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's second term comes to a close, reading scores in public K-12 schools have gotten worse.

This year, Whitmer adopted an "Every Child Reads" proposal and appointed Michelle Richard as her senior literacy advisor.

“Gov. Whitmer talked about the importance of literacy in her first State of the State address in 2019 and in her final one this February,” Richard said in an article posted by the Michigan Education Association. “We’ve made important progress for kids during the governor’s term, and there’s still more to do to ensure all kids have a bright future and every child reads.”

Richard’s claim about Michigan making progress during Whitmer's tenure deserves scrutiny.

Whitmer took office Jan. 1, 2019.

In her 2019 state of the state address, the governor mentioned literacy.

“Since 2014, among states measured every year, Michigan has experienced the worst decline in childhood literacy,” Whitmer said. “And the decline has been consistent across every racial and economic group in our state. Let’s be clear: This is not happening because Michigan kids are less talented. It’s not happening because our kids are less motivated. It’s not happening because our educators are less dedicated. It is happening because generations of leadership have failed them. In the past 25 years, Michigan has seen the lowest growth in the K-12 education spending of any state in the nation. During that time, our per-pupil funding revenue has actually fallen by 15%. And in the last decade, as our literacy crisis has grown, our predecessors have repeatedly raided K-12 education funding to fill gaps elsewhere in the state budget.”

Yet, since that speech, literacy has deteriorated even more, despite higher funding.

In 2018-19, more than half of the K-12 students tested in grades three through eight — 52.7% — were not proficient in English Language Arts, or reading and writing. The share increased to 55% in 2024-25. 

And K-12 school funding has increased during Whitmer’s time in office, thanks in part to an increase in federal funding.

In 2018-19, school funding was $14.8 billion. Then the pandemic hit in 2019-20. School funding increased immensely, due mostly to a large increase in federal funds. Schools were closed, and instruction took place remotely.

When adjusted for inflation, that $14.8 billion in 2018-19 represents $19.1 billion today. K-12 overall school funding (federal money included) has averaged $19.8 billion per year over the last seven of Whitmer’s budgets, reaching $21.3 billion in 2025-26.

Michigan had a third-grade reading law that went into effect in 2016. Under it, students who were not deemed proficient would be held back as a matter of course. But that law had so many exceptions that the Detroit Public Schools Community District didn’t hold back a single student due to the law in 2021, according to official records. Lawmakers amended the law in 2023, removing the clause that stated a student would be held back for not being able to read.