Committee hears testimony on bill to require K–5 science-of-reading training; members press for funding and implementation details

The House Education and Workforce Committee on [date not specified in transcript] heard testimony on a bill that would amend the Revised School Code to require science-of-reading training for kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers, certain support staff and administrators.

The sponsor said the bill, drafted with the Michigan Department of Education, would require the Michigan Department of Education to approve a single provider and set standards for professional learning, embedded evaluation and reporting. The sponsor told the committee the measure is intended to address statewide literacy shortfalls and to ensure consistent teacher preparation across districts.

Dr. Malayko, identified in the transcript as Michigans state superintendent, joined by Zoom to support the measure, describing LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) as intensive professional development and endorsing efforts to fund statewide implementation. "I know the governor's recommendation had $50,000,000," Dr. Malayko said, and noted roughly 6,300 teachers have completed LETRS training and about 5,600 are currently enrolled, with an estimated 44,000 Kto5 educators remaining to be trained to reach statewide coverage. He said the program is intensive (a multi-year sequence in many cases) and urged pairing the mandate with funding to avoid an unfunded mandate.

Teachers who had taken LETRS described classroom effects in a committee-submitted video and in-person statements. Tiffany Wynn, a first-grade teacher in Saginaw, said, "LETRS has completely transformed the way that I think, plan, and teach literacy in my classroom. It is single-handedly the best professional development I've ever received." Several other classroom teachers and literacy coaches told the committee the training helps them pinpoint why individual students struggle and target instruction.

Committee members asked detailed questions about provider choice, implementation models and costs. A member confirmed that districts have used Lexia and LETRS materials in local implementations; Dr. Malayko said districts have used different models, including using district release time, substitutes, or compensating teachers for after-hours work. Members also pressed whether stipends or compensation for teachers' time are covered by the proposed appropriation and how long-term substitutes would be affected.

Stakeholders urged caution on the implementation timeline. Alicia Urbane of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies told the committee LETRS has been available free to educators under the budget since 2021, but that alternative-certification and Montessori pathways, and 18-month alternative route programs, will face additional burdens if LETRS is layered on top of existing requirements. Urbane recommended compensating participating teachers and aligning implementation with alternative certification tracks.

The sponsor told members the bill sets a target for compliance by the 20292030 school year and that the legislature would be required by the bill to appropriate an amount sufficient to comply with the act; several members suggested clarifying the bill language to specify "subject to appropriation" or otherwise detail what the appropriation would cover (training costs alone versus stipends for teacher time).

No formal action on the bill was taken at the hearing. The sponsor said a related bill addressing undergraduate teacher-preparation programs will be considered next week. The committee adopted minutes and later excused absent members before adjourning.