Gilchrist joins launch of ‘right to read’ campaign 

During a two-hour virtual session last week, the Michigan Education Justice Coalition (MEJC) kicked off its “right to read” campaign. 

MEJC has continually argued that state schools have been “chronically underfunded.” The nonprofit has called for “our state to prioritize Michigan students’ right to read and safeguard curriculum across the state,” MEJC stated through a press release. 

“Michigan’s reading scores have only gotten worse in the past two decades while other states have seen significant improvement; only half of Michigan’s third-graders are reading and writing at grade-level. It’s clear our students are not getting the support they need to succeed,” MEJC continued. 

The coalition includes social action groups and labor unions such as 482Forward, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Michigan, Mothering Justice and the Michigan Education Association (MEA). It plans to hold rallies and other events, as well as lobbying efforts that include Lansing lawmakers and executive officeholders. 

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist attended the Thursday session, saying that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and he have “worked to increase the level of support for public education” and pledged to work with the MEJC on its goal.  

“We have to make sure that every person in the system, every education professional, every family, every community member, every student is supported, is loved on, made to feel confident, like that they can do what they’re being asked to do, academically. That they’re capable; that they can be excellent,” Gilchrist said.

After an almost four-year legal battle, Whitmer in 2020 signed a settlement agreement to end the “right to read” lawsuit, Gary B. v. Whitmer.

The suit, which originally named former Gov. Rick Snyder as the defendant while he was in office, demanded Detroit students have “access to literacy by ensuring that they are provided with evidence-based, grade-appropriate programs for literacy instruction and intervention and monitoring conditions that deny students access to literacy such as lack of teachers and deplorable school conditions.”

State Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) urged the virtual gathering to support his legislation, SB 567, that would help to identify children who show signs of dyslexia and provide evidence-based intervention so they can achieve literacy. 

“Everybody understands the importance of literacy and it’s that push from residents and citizens and the voters that we need in Lansing to raise the importance and to raise the urgency,” Irwin said. 

MEJC also pushed back against book-banning efforts across the country, supported by right-wing groups like Moms for Liberty.

Christina Yarn, an African-American Saginaw resident and public schools student, called for more school district support for diversity, equity and inclusion. 

“Representation matters, especially in the classroom. It is important to see myself in our English classes and history classes but I also want to see Native American culture or different religions and that’s not what my or many of my peers are getting in schools,” Yarn said.