A Michigan House committee has approved several bills aimed at improving literacy in Michigan schools. The bills, which will now be considered by the full House, include one that would require specialized training for all K-5 teachers and another that would provide support for students with dyslexia.

Improving Literacy in Michigan Schools

Rep. Nancy DeBoer, a Republican from Holland who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee, said the bills’ advancement is a significant step for the state. DeBoer emphasized the importance of providing teachers with the training they need to help students learn to read, particularly those with dyslexia.

One of the bills, House Bill 5646, sponsored by Rep. Tim Kelly, a Republican from Saginaw Township, would require that beginning Sept. 30, 2027, people seeking a teaching certificate in Michigan must have completed a teacher preparation program that included training in the science of reading. Another bill, House Bill 5697, sponsored by DeBoer, would require that all Michigan K-5 teachers as well as certified staff who provide, support, or oversee instruction in K-5 receive literacy training in high-quality reading instruction methods.

House Bill 5081, sponsored by Kathy Schmalz, a Republican from Jackson, would require at least one teacher in each school to work with students with dyslexia and be trained in Orton-Gillingham approach principles. Schmalz noted that Michigan has a law that requires schools to test students for dyslexia, but doesn’t have a law mandating teachers be trained to teach kids with dyslexia.

Rebecca Hutchinson, superintendent of the Concord Community Schools, spoke in support of the bills, sharing her experience as a mother of a child with dyslexia. She emphasized the importance of providing teachers with the training they need to support students with dyslexia and other reading challenges.

Original reporting: BridgeDetroit — read the source article.