Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Sen. Lana Theis and her Republican colleagues on Wednesday expressed their disappointment following the release of the 2024 Nation’s Report Card, which revealed yet another alarming decline in Michigan students’ academic performance.

"We cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to numbers this shocking," said Theis, R-Brighton. "Three out of four Michigan students are struggling with literacy, yet instead of raising the bar and providing better support, Democrats have systematically dismantled key policies that were designed to help students succeed."

According to the report, 75% of Michigan’s fourth graders and 76% of eighth graders are unable to read at grade level -- a crisis Theis says threatens the future of Michigan’s children and workforce.

In a release, Sen. Theis criticized recent decisions made under Democratic leadership, including the repeal of a key provision in Michigan’s Read by Third Grade law, the weakening of teacher standards, and the elimination of the A-F grading scale for schools.

"Democrats applauded these irresponsible decisions and praised these repeals across social media, but I doubt any of them will be posting about today’s dismal test scores," Theis said.

As one education specialist told Bridge Michigan, "A lot more kids than we would hope are going to struggle with later life schooling and labor market outcomes. Because there is a pretty strong connection between how well kids do on tests and their later life outcomes."

"Adding insult to injury, Gov. Whitmer is currently traveling the country promoting a children’s book," Theis said. "This is a complete failure of leadership. The governor and legislative Democrats responsible for stripping away proven education policies and setting our kids up for failure should be held accountable. We need to correct course immediately."

Senate Republicans pointed out Whitmer vetoed a $155 million program that would have provided $1,000 reading scholarships to families for outside reading tutoring or instruction for elementary students.

According to Theis' office, opponents claimed the program resembled vouchers, and despite the Republican-controlled Senate including the funding in the budget, Whitmer nixed the initiative before signing the $17.1 billion school spending bill. Her office did not provide an explanation for the veto, but school administrators opposed the program, arguing the funds could be better spent elsewhere.

"Michigan’s kids are falling behind, and instead of investing in a solution, the governor chose to block resources that would have helped students learn to read," Theis said. "This is a blatant prioritization of politics over our children’s futures, and it’s unacceptable."

The senator called for an urgent course correction, including reinstating proven literacy policies, strengthening teacher accountability, and ensuring that Michigan’s education system prioritizes students’ success over political agendas.

View the National Report Card linked below.