Michigan’s test scores just hit new lows even after more money flowed into schools, showing spending alone won’t fix reading and math; this piece looks at standards, curriculum, and political choices that matter more than per-pupil dollars.
Democrats keep telling voters that pouring more money into public schools is the cure-all for failing outcomes. That talking point sounds comforting, but evidence from multiple states shows it is the curriculum and expectations that actually move the needle. You can spend until the budget explodes and still get worse results if classroom priorities are off.
Look at California: Gov. Gavin Newsom brags about high per-pupil spending while reading outcomes for Black students lag far behind states that reformed instruction. Michigan moved in the same direction—boosting education spending and still recording lower test scores this year. The numbers are clear and worrying for families across the state.
State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko said more work is needed—especially on reading. “It will take continued hard work from everyone and a strong Students First approach to improve student achievement across Michigan,” Maleyko said. “That means we must emphasize teamwork involving MDE, the State Board of Education, local school districts, parents, the governor, the legislature, the business and philanthropic communities, education associations, labor, higher education and libraries.” The results of the 2026 Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, also known as M-STEP, found that 61.8% of all third-graders scored below proficient on the state’s English language arts test. That was up slightly from 61.1% in 2024.
Conservative reformers pointed to Mississippi’s progress long ago: they changed how reading is taught and raised standards, and scores followed. Too many blue states, distracted by culture battles and education fads, refuse to look at what worked. Even worse, a recent comment from Wisconsin’s governor suggesting some kids “will never learn to read” shows a defeatist attitude that guarantees failure.
When classrooms spend hours on ideology instead of phonics and numeracy, students lose ground fast. Critical Race Theory, activists’ social agendas, and anti-Israel or other political campaigns in schools take time and focus away from teaching reading and math. Parents who want fundamentals taught are being shortchanged while well-funded bureaucracies peddle priorities that do not advance literacy.
https://x.com/jsolomonReports/status/2097055891849626018
The collapse in standards is not an accident—it is policy. Officials and interest groups choose curricula, standards, accountability rules, and testing priorities, and those choices produce predictable results. If leaders insist on lowering expectations or shielding students from basic skills, test scores will reflect that decision.
It is not simply about whether cafeterias serve free lunch, or whether districts have sleek buildings. It is about whether schools insist on clear standards, frequent assessment, and rigorous instruction. Michigan’s recent numbers prove this: more money without a Students First strategy won’t deliver literacy and numeracy breakthroughs.
When policymakers make comfort or ideology the top priority, the kids pay the price. It never does for students to be treated as a secondary consideration when political signaling comes first. Parents deserve systems that prioritize learning, not just bigger budgets and talking points.
The human cost is real: when children leave school unable to read, the downstream consequences include higher rates of incarceration and long-term dependency on government support. As one reminder often cited, poor literacy correlates with a dramatically higher chance of ending up stuck in welfare rolls or the criminal justice system. Who gains from that outcome? Too often, it helps political machines, not families trying to build self-sufficiency.
