When schools went remote
In December 2020, more than half of Michigan students were learning fully remote. A month earlier, the MEA's president argued that elementary schools should pause in-person learning too.11
Michigan's
Report Card.
These are the state's own test results and the Nation's Report Card, the one exam given the same way in every state. Every figure is sourced at the bottom of the page.
Michigan Public Schools
Statewide results. Then vs. now.
F
| Subject | Then | Now | Teacher's note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th-grade reading% proficient, Nation's Report Card | 32%2019 | 25%2024 | 31 states and jurisdictions scored higher. Only 2 scored lower.1 |
| 8th-grade math% proficient, Nation's Report Card | 31%2019 | 24%2024 | Fewer than 1 in 4.2 |
| 8th-grade reading% proficient, Nation's Report Card | 31%2019 | 24%2024 | Down 7 points.3 |
| 3rd-grade reading% proficient, M-STEP | 45.1%2019 | 38.2%2026 | Lowest on record.4 |
| Chronic absenteeism% of students missing 10%+ of school days | 19.7%2018–19 | 27.2%2025–26 | More than 1 in 4 kids.5 |
| Base funding per studentMinimum state foundation allowance | $7,8712018–19 | $10,3002026–27 | Up 31%. Reading down.6 |
Teacher's comment
In 2003, Michigan 4th graders scored above the national average in reading. By 2024 they were well below it. See me.
Nation's Report Card 4th-grade reading: Michigan 219 vs. nation 216 in 2003; Michigan 209 vs. nation 214 in 2024.1 Funding figures are not adjusted for inflation.
Third grade: where kids learn to read
% of Michigan 3rd graders proficient in English language arts, M-STEP
The Union Asked.
Lansing Delivered.
In 2023 a new majority in Lansing passed a string of laws that loosened the rules on reading, school ratings and teacher evaluations. The Michigan Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union, backed every one of them.
-
Third graders no longer have to read to move on.
Public Act 7 of 2023 ended the requirement, which allowed exemptions, that third graders reading more than a grade level behind repeat the grade. Now a child can move on to fourth grade still unable to read at grade level.7
MEA:Told members to urge lawmakers “to vote to repeal third-grade reading retention.”
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Parents lost the A–F grades for their schools.
Public Act 34 of 2023 repealed Michigan's A–F letter grades for schools, the simplest way for a parent to see how their school stacks up.8
MEA:Registered in support with the Legislature.
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Layoffs, placement and evaluations went back to the bargaining table.
Public Act 115 of 2023 made teacher placement, layoffs and recalls, evaluations, discipline and performance pay subjects of union bargaining again. The state's school board and superintendent associations testified against it.9
MEA:Testified in support, then called it a “historic win for educators.”
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Student learning counts half as much in teacher evaluations.
Public Act 224 of 2023 cut student growth from 40% to 20% of a teacher's evaluation and dropped the state test as a required measure. If a teacher isn't given a written evaluation, the teacher is deemed effective.10
MEA:Testified in support and called it “this major victory for educator voice.”
After those changes, Michigan third-grade reading kept falling: three more straight years, to the lowest in the M-STEP's history.4
Then ask for more money
In 2026 the MEA gave $50,000 directly, and about $74,600 in all by July, to the committee pushing a new countywide school tax in Oakland County. Voters rejected it on Aug. 4.12
Now the Union Wants
Your School Board.
The MEA doesn't stop at Lansing. Its political action committee tells local unions to screen school board candidates and recommend those who understand “the importance of education and collective bargaining.” Recommended candidates can get money, yard signs, mailings and literature drops.13
The union that negotiates with your school board picks the candidates it wants across the table.
MEA-PAC rules: school boards that employ an MEA local “shall be screened by those locals employed by that board.”13
Somewhere else in Oakland County? Find the candidates on the back of your ballot at OaklandGOPSlate.org.14
Back to the
Fundamentals.
Michigan doesn't need another slogan or another tax. It needs to get the basics right. Here's what will fix Michigan schools.
Teach every child to read
- Phonics-based instruction grounded in the science of reading
- Real reading requirements in the early grades, with interventions and safeguards before a child moves on
- Find struggling readers early and get them to grade level
Set a high bar and measure it
- Measurable benchmarks in reading, writing and math
- Foundational skills ahead of unproven trends and experimental methods
Hold schools accountable for results
- Clear performance standards parents can actually read
- Public, plain-English reporting on where the money goes
- Judge budgets by student results, not by how much they grew
Put parents in charge
- More Schools of Choice options for families
- Open access to curriculum, materials and classroom policies
- Performance data parents can find, and a real voice in local decisions
Let teachers teach
- Less paperwork and fewer reporting requirements
- Evidence-based methods and real recognition for great teaching
- Safe, orderly classrooms where students can learn
Get Lansing out of the classroom
- Fewer state mandates, more authority for locally elected school boards
- High statewide expectations, with local flexibility on how to meet them
- Classroom resources before administrative growth
Careers, not just college
- Skilled trades, apprenticeships and career-technical programs
- Partnerships with community colleges and Michigan employers
- Clear paths from high school to well-paying careers
Put every dollar where it counts
- Fund programs that show measurable gains
- Cut wasteful spending and administrative costs
- Classroom instruction and tutoring before bureaucracy
Don't abandon students with disabilities at 26
- Keep learning, life-skills and day programs going past age cutoffs
- Ease the burden on families and caregivers when services end
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The Fix Is on the
Back of Your Ballot.
School board races are on the back of your ballot. Flip it over and vote for the candidates endorsed by the Oakland County Republican Party.
Early Voting Oct 24 – Nov 1Election Day Nov 3Return Your Absentee Now
Sources
- NAEP 2024 Reading State Snapshot, Michigan Grade 4, NCES. State-by-state comparison and 2003 scores: NAEP Data Explorer.
- NAEP 2024 Mathematics State Snapshot, Michigan Grade 8, NCES
- NAEP 2024 Reading State Snapshot, Michigan Grade 8, NCES
- Michigan Department of Education: early literacy data sheet (2019); 9/1/2022 release (2021–22); 8/31/2023 release (2023); 8/27/2025 release (2024–25). 2026: Chalkbeat Detroit, 9/4/2026 and Bridge Michigan.
- Chalkbeat Detroit, 9/17/2025 (2018–19); Michigan Department of Education, 9/17/2026 (2025–26)
- House Fiscal Agency, “Basics of the Foundation Allowance,” Feb. 2026 (FY2018–19 minimum); Office of the Governor, 7/3/2026 (FY2026–27, “a 31% increase”)
- Senate Bill 12 of 2023 (Public Act 7); House Fiscal Agency analysis; MEA, 1/31/2023
- House Bill 4166 of 2023 (Public Act 34); House Fiscal Agency analysis (positions)
- House Bill 4354 of 2023 (Public Act 115); House Fiscal Agency analysis (positions); MEA, 6/29/2023
- Senate Bill 395 of 2023 (Public Act 224); House Fiscal Agency analysis; MEA, 11/3/2023
- MSU Today, 12/17/2020; Associated Press via CBS Detroit, 11/18/2020
- YES for Stronger Neighborhood Schools, pre-election campaign statement, Oakland County; Oakland County Clerk, official results, Aug. 4, 2026 primary
- MEA-PAC Policies, May 2025, “Guidelines for local recommendations”
- “MEA announces full list of candidate recommendations for Election 2026,” MEA, 9/23/2026