LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Ruth Johnson, R-Holly, issued the following statement on Thursday after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Growing Michigan Together Council voted on its report suggesting how to address the state’s stagnant population:
“We passed the best-funded and most equitable school budget in our state’s history and yet our fourth-graders are 43rd in reading scores nationally. We’ve dropped 11 places nationally since 2019 under this governor.
“The report finds that over two-thirds of Michigan’s children are not proficient in reading or math in fourth or eighth grade, but then doesn’t mention ‘reading’ once in any of its education recommendations. The governor wants us to believe we’re ready for dessert when really we need to start by eating our vegetables.
“Under Democrat control in Lansing, we have slashed accountability standards in our schools and even removed student progress as a major factor in evaluating the performance of our teachers. If we want to attract new businesses and population growth in our state, this is the exact opposite of what we should be doing.”
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