Whitmer admits education system failing despite increased spending

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer admitted in her State of the State address in February that Michigan spends more on schools than most states, on per pupil basis, but gets worse results.

“I get that this is a national trend, but we invest more per pupil than most states and achieve bottom ten results,” said Whitmer in a clip from her address posted by Dave Bondy on Feb. 27.

“We spend more, and we get less,” Whitmer said. “It’s not acceptable. For our kids, let’s do better. Let’s face our literacy crisis with fierce urgency.”

In her speech, Whitmer said that just 24% of 4th graders can read proficiently and that 24% of 8th graders are proficient in math.

Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Democratic lawmakers intend to increase spending on education, according to the website of Senate Democrats.

“Senate Democrats are building up Michigan’s future by making significant investments in kids and families, from maternal and infant health and child care to innovative and equitable funding for students, schools, and teachers,” the plan says.

The governor's State of the State speech marked the first time in seven years that a Democratic politician cited poor reading rates, Rep. Brad Paquette, R-Niles, said in a phone interview with Michigan Capitol Confidential. Paquette, a former substitute teacher, serves on the House Education and Workforce Committee.

Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, chair of the Senate Education Committee and a former teacher, did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The state’s K-12 public education system has experienced a dramatic decline in academic performance, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Michigan’s eighth grade reading score was 263 in 2019, according to the NAEP. It dropped to 259 in 2022 and 255 in 2024.

Only six states fared worse than Michigan in fourthgrade reading, Molly Macek, director of education policy for the Mackinac Center, wrote in a February blog post.

The governor admitted that the state spends more per student than most states, Macek wrote, but she did not present a plan to spend more responsibly on strategies that work.

“And she repealed laws that would have improved accountability and transparency for school performance,” Macek wrote.

In 2023, Whitmer created a second state education agency called the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. The agency will spend $6.8M advertising for a no-fee pre-kindergarten program, Michigan Capitol Confidential reported.

The budget of the School Aid Fund has doubled over the past 25 years.

CapCon reported in August that in fiscal year 2000-01, the School Aid Fund was $10.8 billion, a number that reached $21 billion in the 2023-24 academic year.