By Ebony Curry
Senator Adam Hollier of District 2 (D-Detroit) joins Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit) in a press conference at Pershing High School to introduce the $94 million Literacy Supplemental Bill introduced in both the House and Senate. This bill was introduced in partnership with Governor Whitmer on the promise to fund literacy efforts in Detroit Public Schools.
“Detroit’s students have too often been overlooked and undervalued when it comes to equitable access to education and literacy resources,” said Sen. Hollier.
In addition to last year’s settlement in the Detroit “right-to-read” lawsuit, Governor Whitmer proposed that the Legislature approves $94.4 million for the literacy efforts of DPS. The settlement requires that the Michigan Department of Education provide guidance to districts with efforts to highlight literacy and establish two Detroit-based task forces outside of state government to advise the governor on the progress of literacy and education within the city of Detroit.
“It is our duty as elected officials to fix the systemic inequities that the Detroit Public Schools Community District and other predominantly minority school districts face throughout our state. We must continue to ensure our students, teachers, support staff, and administrators have the programming and support in place to get our young children reading so they can improve educational outcomes,” Hollier said.
Pershing is one of the schools that was involved in last year’s lawsuit, making the high school “Ground Zero” for the joint press conference. Additionally, with March being reading month, the newly introduced bill could not have come at a better time.
In several instances, too many Detroit schools lack sufficient textbooks for students to take home; outdated textbooks are provided; and they are dealing with a shortage of teachers, poor building foundations, and much more.
Senator Hollier and Representative Thanedar stand firmly on the premise that literacy is a basic human right and the students attending Detroit Public Schools deserve access to an ample education – it is their constitutional right.
“Our kids, regardless of where they live and go to school, deserve every opportunity to receive a good education putting them on the pathway to happiness and success,” said Thanedar. “We must do all we can to fix the systematic educational inequalities that for too long have hurt our young learners, Detroit, and communities throughout the state…Appropriating these critical dollars is a good first step.”
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