Buss: Where does the buck stop with education in Michigan?
Kaitlyn BussMichigan students are no less intelligent or capable of learning than their peers in other states. But they have been failed by policymakers and a chaotic education framework.
Even the best schools in Michigan are worse than the best schools in other states, according to a new analysis from Launch Michigan, an education-focused nonprofit linked to Business Leaders for Michigan.
It is a different view of a decades-old problem. But maybe this perspective can finally move the needle on fixing Michigan’s education system.
Michigan continues to fall behind in national education rankings despite myriad attempts to improve results. There are not enough evidence-based strategies being applied in a cohesive manner across the state to focus on basic educational objectives such as reading, writing and math.
The disorganized governance structure is the enabler.
Michigan is one of only six states with a disjointed system that divides responsibility among an elected State Board of Education that appoints the state superintendent — hand-tying the governor’s ability to influence education policy — the Department of Education and individual school districts.
Ultimately, everyone evades accountability for failing results.
Michigan is in the bottom 10 states nationally for fourth-grade reading, according to a 2023 analysis by Education Trust Midwest, and projected to remain there until 2030 without intervention.
The state lags in math performance — 26th nationally for eighth-grade math and in the bottom five states for eighth-grade math performance among Black students in 2022, according to National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP) results.
Out of 48 states and the District of Columbia, Michigan ranked 43rd for four-year graduation rates in 2019-20, the most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics.
These failures are a massive disservice to Michigan kids today — and a big problem for the state’s workforce tomorrow.
There is not enough transparency for those in charge of how education funding is dispersed, and it has gone to the wrong priorities.
Under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Democrat-controlled Legislature, transparency and accountability measures have been further removed to appease teachers’ unions and restrict school choice.
The first-of-its-kind analysis by Launch Michigan of districts outside the state with similar demographics and factors makes it clear.
Stronger performing Michigan school districts, such as Rochester, Birmingham, Grosse Pointe and Traverse City, are able to somewhat match most of the metrics of similar districts elsewhere in the country.
But none of Michigan’s districts are able to go toe-to-toe against districts in top-performing states such as Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Utah and Wisconsin.
Michigan has not been repositioned to improve academic outcomes.
That dissatisfaction is creating political momentum behind systemic reform. Voters know transparency and accountability could create the environment for needed change.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents to a July 2021 Glengariff Group poll said the quality of public education in Michigan over the previous few years had gotten worse.
The poll also showed consistent concern across demographic groups students were just being pushed through, and support to assess and rate schools based on their performance.
Michigan voters also largely support a ballot proposal to elevate the state school superintendent to a cabinet position and make other reforms in education governance, according to a January poll of likely voters.
That switch alone could finally bring the accountability Michigan’s education system needs and its students deserve.