Michigan voters choose a new governor on November 3, and for once reading is close to the top of the agenda. It's easy to see why. On the spring 2026 M-STEP, the state's annual test, only 38.2% of third graders scored proficient or better in English language arts, down from 38.9% in 2025 and the lowest result in the exam's 12-year history, according to Bridge Michigan and Chalkbeat Detroit. Both major-party nominees say they'll fix it. But for families of children with dyslexia, the most important reading policy in Michigan isn't on the ballot. It's the literacy and dyslexia law signed in 2024, which is rolling out right now. Here's how the candidates differ, what's already law, and what to ask your school before anyone new takes office.

How far have Michigan's reading scores fallen?

In 2015, half of Michigan's third graders were proficient in English language arts on the M-STEP, WDIV Local 4 reported on October 26. By 2026, that share had dropped 11.8 points, which means more than six in ten third graders now miss the state's standard. Across grades 3 through 8, about 44% of students were proficient in reading, Chalkbeat found. On the national NAEP exam, Michigan ranks 44th in fourth-grade reading.

One caution worth repeating: the state itself says the M-STEP is not a standalone measure of whether an individual child is reading at grade level. It's a system-level thermometer. Your child's classroom screening data tells you far more about your child.

Researchers point to several causes. A 2024 report from Michigan State University's Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) found elementary teachers using 444 different reading resources, most of them not evidence-based, a system its director called "fragmented" (Chalkbeat Detroit, Oct 21, 2026). Many schools relied on balanced literacy, which encourages children to guess words from pictures and context, an approach at the center of the long-running reading wars.

What are the governor candidates proposing on reading?

Based on WDIV's October 23 reporting from interviews and the October 15 debate, and on Bridge Michigan's candidate coverage:

  • John James (Republican) emphasizes phonics, citing Mississippi, and would expand tutoring and reward effective teachers. He would restore Michigan's third-grade reading retention law, which was repealed in 2023. He supports expanding school choice, wants an A–F school grading system, and has proposed a constitutional amendment, which would need voter approval, to make the State Board of Education and state superintendent report to the governor.
  • Jocelyn Benson (Democrat) supports science-based reading curriculum, citing Maryland and Mississippi, with an emphasis on teacher coaching and professional development; her campaign has named LETRS, a widely used teacher training program. She proposes a weighted funding model that sends more money to students with greater needs, a $60,000 minimum starting teacher salary, and expanded early childhood education from birth through age six.

The overlap is bigger than the debate suggests: Bridge Michigan reports that both candidates would add literacy coaches or tutors for struggling readers. Neither has named a specific third-grade proficiency target. Voters will also choose two members of the elected State Board of Education on November 3; Chalkbeat's October 16 voter guide found the four major-party candidates agree the state needs to improve literacy.

What does Michigan's dyslexia law already require?

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Michigan's bipartisan literacy and dyslexia bills in October 2024. According to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), as reported by Michigan Public in January, starting in the 2027–28 school year schools must:

  • Screen students in kindergarten through third grade for characteristics of dyslexia three times a year.
  • Provide reading intervention to K–12 students who show signs of dyslexia on screening.
  • Organize instruction and intervention through a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS).
  • Give teachers and literacy staff professional learning on dyslexia characteristics.

The groundwork is already visible. MDE published lists of approved assessments and curricula in December 2025, and districts must update their choice of an approved screening and progress-monitoring assessment by August 1, 2027, according to MDE's July 2026 list. Starting in September 2027, teacher preparation programs must teach future educators to recognize dyslexia and other reading difficulties (WDIV). And under last year's state budget, schools that don't use an evidence-based curriculum must notify parents or risk losing up to 5% of state aid (Chalkbeat). We tracked the law's earlier milestones in our piece on Michigan's 2027–28 screening rules.

Does third-grade retention help children with dyslexia?

This is the sharpest policy split in the race, and the evidence is genuinely contested. Mississippi paired its 2013 "third grade gate" with literacy coaches, teacher training, and a test aligned to NAEP, and climbed from 49th in fourth-grade reading in 2013 to 21st by 2022, according to state officials cited by Chalkbeat. Former Mississippi superintendent Carey Wright points to a Boston University study finding that students retained in 2014–15 had substantially higher English scores by sixth grade. Critics argue retention inflated the results, and Michigan Senate Education Committee chair Dayna Polehanki has called the policy a "gimmick."

For a child with dyslexia, the question that matters is narrower: what instruction comes with the decision? Repeating third grade with the same instruction is just more of what didn't work. A promotion with no intensive help is the same problem a year later. What changes outcomes is early identification and structured literacy intervention, which is why the screening law matters regardless of who wins.

What should Michigan parents do before the next governor takes office?

  1. Ask for your child's curriculum by name. Then check it against MDE's approved list. If it isn't evidence-based, ask whether the school has sent the parent notice the budget requires.
  2. Ask which screener the school uses now. Many districts already screen K–3 readers. Ask for your child's fall results in writing, and whether the tool is on the state's approved list.
  3. Don't wait for 2027–28. If your child is struggling, request an evaluation in writing and date it. Our advocacy toolkit has the letter, and the signs to watch for are on our signs of dyslexia page.
  4. Ask about teacher training. Has your child's teacher completed science-of-reading training such as LETRS? Waterford schools trained all K–5 teachers, but its superintendent told Chalkbeat state funding doesn't cover every teacher.
  5. Ask candidates the specific question. At forums or in emails, skip "will you improve reading?" and ask: "Will you fully fund dyslexia screening and intervention under the 2024 law?"

What mistakes should families avoid?

  • Treating the election as the whole story. The screening law takes effect under any governor. Implementation at your school is where your child's year is decided.
  • Reading the M-STEP as a verdict on your child. The state says it isn't one. Ask for screener and progress-monitoring data instead.
  • Assuming retention or promotion is the intervention. Neither one teaches a child to decode. Ask what instruction comes with either decision.
  • Waiting for statewide change. A new administration takes months to move policy. A dated letter to your school starts a legal clock this week; see our state laws page for your rights.

Frequently asked questions

When does Michigan require dyslexia screening? Under Michigan's 2024 literacy and dyslexia law, schools must screen students in kindergarten through third grade for characteristics of dyslexia three times a year beginning in the 2027–28 school year, and provide intervention to students who show signs. Many districts already screen earlier, so parents can ask for current results now.

Will Michigan bring back third-grade retention? Only if lawmakers pass it. Republican nominee John James has proposed restoring the retention provision repealed in 2023; Democratic nominee Jocelyn Benson has not. Any change would need the Legislature. Research on retention is mixed, and for children with dyslexia the intervention that accompanies the decision matters most.

What if my child's Michigan school doesn't use an evidence-based curriculum? Under the state budget, schools that don't use an evidence-based reading curriculum must notify parents or risk losing up to 5% of state aid. Ask the school which curriculum it uses, compare it with MDE's approved list, and request an evaluation in writing if your child is struggling.

Source: "Michigan's literacy crisis: Two gubernatorial candidates, two plans to fix it" (Nick Monacelli, WDIV Local 4, Oct 23, 2026) · "Michigan's reading scores hit an all-time low. Here's how it happened." (WDIV Local 4, Oct 26, 2026) · "Mississippi turned a literacy crisis into success. Can Michigan do the same?" (Martin Slagter, Chalkbeat Detroit, Oct 21, 2026) · M-STEP third-grade ELA results reach new low (Bridge Michigan, Sept 2026) · "As Michigan reading scores fall again, state superintendent is clear" (Chalkbeat Detroit, Sept 4, 2026) · Where Michigan governor candidates stand on schools, literacy (Bridge Michigan, 2026) · "Michigan schools anticipate new dyslexia and literacy law" (Michigan Public, Jan 12, 2026) · K–3 Valid and Reliable Screening and Progress Monitoring Assessment List (Michigan Department of Education, July 2026)