To: Honorable Members of the House Education Committee

From: MI Association of School Boards
MI Association of Superintendents and Administrators
MI Association of Intermediate School Administrators
MI Elementary & Secondary Principals Association
MI Association of Secondary School Principals
MI Association for Student Opportunity
Oakland Schools
Wayne RESA 
Macomb ISD

As organizations representing public education, we strongly support ensuring that we are identifying kids with signs of dyslexia as well as other reading disabilities. However, we have numerous concerns with the details of Senate Bill 567, leading us to oppose. This bill would change how we screen our young students and support them, especially those with dyslexia. We firmly believe our concerns must be addressed before the bills continue to move forward.

Primarily, we are concerned that these bills will divert supports from other struggling readers that do not show signs of dyslexia. Specific changes made to language in the current law, particularly with our English Language Learners, gives us pause. We want to make sure our current assessments will catch those students with signs of dyslexia but also that all students receive the supports needed to make them successful readers. 

Further, we have broad concerns with the overly prescriptive nature of the bills. As experts continue to study the science of reading best practices can change. If this bill is enacted, Michigan schools and teachers would be bound to what is required by SB567 until the legislature acted. If the bill was less prescriptive and offered a more flexible approach, schools could better adapt to their students and changing guidance.

Finally, these bills impose significant new requirements on our already overburdened and understaffed educators. And changes made on the Senate Floor added onerous reporting requirements for local districts and ISDs. At a time when we are striving to expand our teaching pool, adding further responsibilities to our current teachers and literacy coaches will only harm our efforts. While expanding resources in the state budget for literacy is welcome and needed, it will not create the people we can hire or encourage potential educators to join the profession.

We urge you to carefully consider whether this legislation as written can be implemented by all  districts with fidelity and truly benefit all students with reading difficulties. Also, please consider updating our screener requirements and making best practices that are grounded in research available by the Department for our districts to successfully follow. This would be a simpler way to help all struggling readers, including those with characteristics of dyslexia. 

Thank you for your consideration of our concerns and feel free to reach out to any of the organizations listed with questions.