LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan House Republicans unveiled a new plan on Monday they say will help Michigan students succeed.

The announcement comes after recent M-Step results revealed three out of five Michigan third graders aren’t proficient in reading and language arts, and seven out of 10 Michigan sixth graders aren’t proficient in math. In addition, the recent education budget passed by the Democratic majority slashed $300 million from school safety and mental health measures. House Republicans want to restore that funding.

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“Everyone knows Michigan’s plummeting education system desperately needs a new direction,” said Michigan House Republican Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Township). “Our youngest students are struggling to read and do math, and our graduates aren’t ready for what comes next. We can’t just fly on auto-pilot and hope to reach a higher altitude,” he said.

Republicans said the plan would expand dual enrollment, eliminate fees for teaching certificate applications, renewals, and endorsements, streamline the process for teachers to obtain additional subject area endorsements, and support balanced teacher-student ratios.

Rep. Jaime Greene (R-Richmond) also supports the plan. “It’s time to recognize that what our state has been doing isn’t working,” she said. “We could point to a hundred different statistics, but it boils down to this: our kids can’t read, they’re struggling with math, and they’re walking out of high school without the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.”