State education leaders press Legislature to fund dyslexia supports, mandate LETRS training

State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh and Michigan State Superintendent for Public Instruction Michael Rice testified before the Michigan House Committee on Oversight about the department’s push to close literacy gaps and implement recently passed dyslexia and literacy laws.

Pugh told the committee the department has produced a Michigan dyslexia handbook, expanded LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional development, and created state-level guidance tied to PA 146 and PA 147. “PA 146 and PA 147 are going to be game changers in this state,” Pugh said, adding that the Michigan Department of Education will publish a list of evidence-based tier 1 reading curricula by Jan. 1, 2026, and that districts must select assessments by the 2027–28 school year.

Rice said the department has already funded LETRS training for 4,500 teachers with another 7,000 in progress and asked the Legislature to make LETRS training mandatory statewide. He said the department’s legislative requests also include expanding Section 35m funding for high-quality early literacy materials so districts can begin implementation earlier than the law’s 2027–28 deadline.

Why it matters: Committee members and presenters framed the policy change as a multi-year, implementation-heavy effort. Pugh and Rice said literacy gains require aligned materials, routine screening for characteristics of dyslexia, and sustained professional development for K–5 teachers. Rice noted that different statewide tests show different proficiency rates and that multiple metrics are needed to track progress.

Supporting details and legislative asks: The department asked the Legislature to (1) make LETRS training mandatory for elementary literacy teachers, (2) fund additional high-quality instructional materials beyond the $87,000,000 allocated under Section 35m, (3) provide targeted class-size grants for high-poverty K–3 classrooms, and (4) increase in-person student instructional time by rolling back provisions that allowed professional development and virtual days to count toward instructional hours.

Committee questions reflected skepticism and concern over outcomes. Representative Cara said NAEP results and other indicators show declines since 2019 and pressed the department on interventions; Representative Green (who sponsored the dyslexia laws) was thanked by Rice for legislative leadership. Representative Paquette and others expressed frustration that increased funding has not produced top-tier national rankings, and pressed for clearer accountability metrics.

What the department provided: Rice walked members through multiple evidence points — M-STEP, NAEP and PSAT results — to explain variation across tests. Pugh emphasized the department’s collaborative approach with the Michigan MyMTSS technical assistance center and ISD literacy coaches.

Provenance: Testimony and legislative requests appear in the hearing from the presenters’ initial remarks through their literacy-focused legislative asks and questions (transcript blocks starting at s=1821.295 through s=2421.4702)."