Education in Michigan is in crisis. Dismal data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows some Michigan students suffered reading losses more than twice the national average during the pandemic. Fourth grade reading, which had already fallen half a point by 2019, fell an additional 6.5 points by 2022. Those were the lowest reading scores in 30 years.

Eighth grade reading fell by 4.1 points. (Ten points on the NAEP score equal roughly one year of learning.)

NAEP data also showed that the achievement gaps that already existed before COVID-19 in between low-income students and those with more means persisted and widened, exacerbated by policies that kept kids out of school, discouraged learning and exhausted teachers.

Fifty-four Michigan school districts and 112 schools entered into partnership agreements this with the state because they have schools scoring in the bottom 5% on the state’s accountability system or have a four-year graduation rate of 67% or less.

The numbers are horrible. And not for the first time.

Despite two decades of pledges and programs aimed at making Michigan a top performing education state, its children continue to dwell near the bottom in national rankings.

It’s not for a lack of ideas for reforming schools. Or even a shortage of funding. The problem is a lack of commitment to develop and follow a comprehensive improvement strategy. The root cause of that inadequacy is the fact that there’s no clear hierarchy of responsibility for education in Michigan.

The top priority for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Democrat-controlled Legislature this year should be upending bifurcated bureaucracy that controls Michigan’s schools.

Specifically, the goal should be a drive to change the state constitution to eliminate the independent Board of Education and place education under the direct authority of the governor. In states that have made significant improvement in learning, such as Tennessee and Massachusetts, the reforms have been driven by strong governors who rallied the business community, parents and education leaders to their cause.

Michigan’s current structure doesn’t support such an effort. Here, the state superintendent of schools answers to an elected board that is not accountable to the governor.

The education board has been allowed to stand too long as an obstacle to school success. Rather than keep trying to find ways around that barrier, it should be removed.

That’s a solution that will take time and money, but one that is absolutely necessary.

Michigan has tried nearly everything else. It used carrots — providing special funding to implement best practices — and sticks — holding back 3rd graders who don’t reach grade level reading. And nothing has worked.

What’s needed is a big, bold move to signal the state understands the urgency of raising its education achievement. Scrapping the state school board and shifting to the governor full authority to run the education system — and accountability for its success or failure — is essential to creating an environment where good ideas and additional investments can bear fruit.

— Detroit News