All students deserve access to a high-quality education and the resources they need to thrive. However, in Michigan this has not been the reality for far too long, particularly for students who are the most underserved. Longstanding inequities have persisted and worsened since the beginning of the pandemic, and Michigan has fallen further and…

Michigan's K-12 education system has arguably never truly supported all students to reach their full potential and prepare them for post-secondary opportunities and success. Instead, Michigan's education system has served as an engine of inequality when it should be providing opportunities for all kids to learn. Now is a critical time to address…

Decades of research underscore how important teachers are in students' lives. They are, in fact, one of the most important factors contributing to student success in the classroom. Teachers, particularly highly qualified and effective teachers, are a key ingredient in achieving student success. However, as with many aspects of education, years of…

Michigan's funding system is falling short for all students, especially Michigan's most vulnerable children. This means that students who are in most need are not receiving the funding that would allow them to overcome barriers and opportunity gaps. This report outlines a set of nonpartisan, research-informed guiding principles and a framework for…

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan families and educators are worried about their students' unfinished learning, while state- and district-level leaders face unprecedented decisions to safely prepare for the fall and address the potentially devastating impact of the public health and economic crises on education. Tragically, Michigan…

In the Fiscal Year 2020 Executive Budget Recommendation, Governor Whitmer proposes a series of investments which prioritize access to opportunity for students who have historically been left behind and underserved in Michigan's public education system. This includes students of color, students from low-income families and students with…

Since early 2017, the governor and state legislature have been debating the state's school aid budget for fiscal year 2017-18. The roughly $14 billion school aid budget is the primary source of public school funding in Michigan. As described in the March 2017 analysis of the Governor's executive budget recommendation, the state budget provides…

In the Fiscal Year 2022 Executive Budget Recommendation and the spending of Governor's Emergency Education Relief Funds, Governor Whitmer outlines investments intended to support the immediate recovery students require, while also making progress on the long-term goal of building a more equitable approach to school funding. This document is…

In the Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Budget Recommendation, Governor Whitmer outlines additional investments to support Michigan schools and particularly Michigan students with additional needs, including students from low-income families, English learners and students with disabilities. This document is intended to highlight key pieces of Governor…

Educator talent has long been a challenge in Michigan's highest poverty districts and districts serving high percentages of Black and Brown students. These districts have confronted enduring challenges in recruiting, retaining, and compensating highly effective and diverse educators, and this is reflected in outcomes such as teacher turnover…

Since the launch of the Michigan Achieves! campaign, the Education Trust-Midwest (ETM) has tracked Michigan's performance and progress towards the goal of becoming a top ten state for education opportunity and achievement, focusing on key data-driven indicators. It's important for Michiganders to understand how the state's students are performing…

Michigan's public education system remains in a perennial rut, as it has for decades. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Michigan's fourth grade reading scores show no significant change over the past 16 years. Even before the pandemic, too many dreams have stalled, and academic achievement remains largely…

This report takes a closer look at not just student learning, but also the quality of school conditions that support that learning. There, too, Michigan has troubling weak spots. The state currently ranks 42nd of 47 for funding equity, meaning Michigan has some of the biggest gaps in resources between high-poverty and low-poverty school districts.…

This report calls upon Michigan's state leaders to quickly develop and implement solution-based approaches to both support the long-term recovery of student learning, as well as address the longstanding inequities and underperformance that have plagued Michigan's education system for decades. Building upon last year's recommendations, which called…