Statement by EdTrust-Midwest on Gov. Whitmer’s 2026 State of the State Address

The following statement can be attributed to Brian Love, state director of EdTrust-Midwest, following Gov. Whitmer’s 2026 State of the State Address.

We applaud Gov. Whitmer for her ongoing strong support for public schools, particularly her proposed investments to address Michigan’s early reading crisis, tutoring support, expanded access to tuition-free college scholarships and dual enrollment, and additional dollars for students from low-income backgrounds and English Learners.

This is an important moment for Michigan’s students, especially students who have long faced opportunity gaps that hold them back from reaching their full academic potential.

At a time when public education is under attack, EdTrust-Midwest and our partners continue to urge policymakers to invest more for students with the greatest needs. That’s because we know that Michigan’s public school students who have long been underserved — students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, English learners and students with disabilities — need additional support.

We appreciate the governor’s proposed investments to increase funding to support students from low-income backgrounds under the Opportunity Index and English learners.

We also support the governor’s recommendations in the Michigan Blueprint for Special Education Finance Reform, including creation of a weighted funding formula for students with disabilities beginning in fiscal year 2028.

Importantly, we salute the governor for her plan to invest more in early literacy. She recommends supporting districts’ efforts to provide tutoring to help students catch up and accelerate. Gov. Whitmer’s budget also calls for investing in a variety of programs aimed at addressing the state’s K-12 literacy crisis, from PreK through high school.

EdTrust-Midwest and partners have long called for the state to prioritize improvements in reading outcomes through research-backed strategies and investment based on the science of reading.

The governor also proposes to significantly increase funding to train teachers in the science of reading and supports coaching, which EdTrust-Midwest has long supported as an advocate for the Reading for All legislation that passed in 2024.

Gov. Whitmer’s commitment to education is notable, and we commend her for placing a bright spotlight on the need to improve outcomes for students in Michigan.

Our students are just as bright and capable as students across our nation. For Michigan to be a top state for education, more is needed. Students who are the most underserved, in particular, will require significantly greater investments to truly meet their needs. As policymakers continue their budget deliberations, EdTrust-Midwest and partners with the Michigan Partnership for Equity and Opportunity urge policymakers to:

• Invest an additional $400 million into the Opportunity Index over FY 26 to provide students from low-income backgrounds with the resources they need to succeed.
• Double the amount of funding from FY 26 for English Learners for a total of $125 million.
• Begin implementing the recommendations in the Michigan Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint, including creating a new weighted funding formula based on student needs.
• Increase funding for teacher professional development and grants to local districts to purchase high quality curriculum based on the science of reading.
• Protect funding to help rural districts with their transportation costs.
• Increase accountability and transparency, including requiring at least 75 percent of the weighted funding to be spent at the building where the intended student attends.