Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
State education leaders cite gains in graduation and CTE but press lawmakers on funding, literacy and teacher pipeline
Summary
State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh and State Superintendent Michael Rice told the Michigan House Oversight Committee that the state has made measurable gains—including a record 4-year graduation rate and expanded CTE and early learning—but called for sustained, recurring funding and new mandates to close literacy and staffing gaps.
State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh and Michigan State Superintendent Michael Rice told the Michigan House Committee on Oversight that Michigan has recorded historic highs in several education measures but still faces multi‑billion‑dollar funding shortfalls, persistent teacher shortages and low literacy outcomes.
"This is not the time for finger pointing. It is the time for shared responsibility and action rooted in evidence and empathy," Pugh said in opening remarks to the committee. Rice noted academic gains, saying, "We are at the highest level for a 4 year graduation rate in the state's history, 82.8 percent."
Pugh and Rice walked lawmakers through the Department of Education's Top 10 Strategic Education Plan goals and a slate of legislative requests. Rice described increases in career and technical education (CTE), advanced placement participation and dual enrollment: CTE participation is up 9% over three years, about…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
