- Superintendent Glenn Maleyko says he wants to work with lawmakers, the governor and school district leaders
- He supports mandatory literacy training for teachers
- He says the state will not improve its absenteeism numbers without improving students’ safety, health and wellness
LANSING — A few days into the job, new Michigan state superintendent Glenn Maleyko knows he’ll have his share of challenges. Third grade reading scores in Michigan are at a new low, absenteeism is improving but still higher than pre-pandemic and parents are calling for special education reform.
Maleyko, who took the helm of the Michigan Department of Education Monday, said one of his top priorities is to promote collaboration with district leaders and elected officials to help students succeed.
In an hour-long interview with Bridge Michigan, Maleyko, 52, said that a year from now, he hopes Michiganders will see he’s visible and a team player. He wants the state’s strategic education plan to be revisited. And he wants to see more improvement in test scores.
Maleyko rose to the state’s top education job after decades of leadership in Dearborn Public Schools.
“My overarching thing is we can have respectful dialogue, we can have differing opinions, but we need to work with different groups to support the students of Michigan. And so it’s going to be one of collaboration, working together, and always putting those students first.”
Related:
- Michigan needs to attract, retain more teachers of color, new report says
- As Lansing mulls change, Michigan schools face uphill fight against absenteeism
- Michigan students lag in reading. Will mandatory teacher training help?
In Michigan, rather than being appointed by the governor, the state superintendent is chosen by an elected, partisan board of education. It’s a structure that has drawn criticism from some education groups. But Maleyko said he wants to work closely with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who took away pre-K programming responsibilities from MDE during his predecessor, Michael Rice’s term. She created the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential.
Meantime, those running to replace Whitmer in 2027 have already made education an issue on the campaign trail. Among other proposals, some are calling for mandatory teacher training on literacy, firing principals who fail to turn around their schools, and returning to programs like grading schools on an A-F basis.
Plus, President Donald Trump has vowed to dismantle the US Department of Education, already moving functions of the department to other parts of the federal government.
Literacy
In 2024, Michigan ranked 44th in the nation for fourth grade reading on a national test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The state has tried several measures to tackle the problem, including providing funding for districts to purchase vetted literacy curricula, pay for student support materials and cover the cost of teacher training to help build student literacy skills.
Lawmakers passed two laws last year aimed at screening students for characteristics of dyslexia and requiring schools to teach students reading in “evidence-based” ways. But the laws don’t fully go into effect until the 2027-2028 school year.
Maleyko said the new literacy laws and teacher training efforts are “gaining momentum.”
“Change takes time. I mean, I always say ‘it’s a marathon, not a sprint.’ If we really want to make effective change, we are moving in that direction at MDE.”
Maleyko also said he supports mandating that teachers take a time-intensive training course called Lexia LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling). Both Rice, the former MDE leader, and the State Board of Education supported making the training required.
The training focuses on how the brain learns to read, often referred to as the “science of reading.”
“I think it’s important enough that I really reflected on it that I would say, ‘Yes, I’m supporting a mandate,’” Maleyko said. “Because it’s about our students, and it’s about what’s needed to help improve our scores for the benefit of the student so that when they graduate, they’ll be successful.”
The state budget has $10 million for the training, but Maleyko said he wants to ensure school districts have the resources to hire substitutes while teachers take the training and that they work with unions.
“If teachers are working into the evening or on the weekends, we should compensate them. And if you do that, they’re gonna come into it on a positive,” Maleyko said.
Some local districts have provided stipends for teachers to do the training on their own time.
Rice blamed “local control” for Michigan’s literacy woes. Maleyko said he is supportive of local control but MDE must lead and work together with other groups including intermediate school districts.
He said there also are areas where districts can work together, including sharing literacy coaches or sharing teacher training.
Absenteeism
Statewide, nearly 28% of students are chronically absent. Maleyko said he wants to see these numbers improve and that comes with ensuring the state meets goal three of its strategic plan: “Improve the health, safety, and wellness of all learners.”
“If we don’t address goal three, we’re not going to get to the literacy piece or the mathematics because if students aren’t in school and they don’t have the instruction time with these high-quality teachers, then you’re at a loss.”
School districts can work with MDE on identifying students at risk of dropping out of high school and pairing them with to ensure they don’t drop out. The process is called the Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System (EWIMS).
By law, school districts or intermediate districts are to designate an attendance officer. But districts vary on when to involve the court system with student absenteeism problems. Maleyko did not list any specific legislative changes he would like to see on absenteeism.
Teacher workforce
Just 11.3% of teachers are people of color, compared to about 37.7% of students in Michigan public schools, according to new analysis from EdTrust-Midwest, a school policy and advocacy organization.
Maleyko said he supports teacher diversity and “grow your own” programs where local school districts cover the cost of teacher training of current staff members like paraprofessionals.
Districts need to vet applicants’ qualifications, Maleyko said, “but if you can then hire people from diverse cultures that reflect the students that they serve, it is such a positive.”
Special education
The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is now 50 years old but school groups and state leaders have repeatedly said the federal government has not fully funded its obligations.
“I’m prioritizing special ed. I think it’s important. We need to do it for the students. But funding too.”
Maleyko said he has spoken to US Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, and Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, about the need for federal funding.
In the meantime, though, he praised Michigan’s efforts to have students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment, where students are not segregated based on their disability.
He said a co-teaching model where students with disabilities are taught by a special education teacher and general education teacher can increase student graduation rates and other outcomes. Still, he said funding must increase.
Where do we go from here?
In 2026, Michigan voters will elect a new governor, Legislature, and some members of Congress.
Maleyko plans to do a statewide listening tour.
“We need to have students’ voice at the table. We need to have everyone and we need to be unified together with the ability for local control and for differing opinions in a respectful manner.
“And then you know what? Let’s all get behind collaboration and working together so society is successful. Students are successful. Michigan is successful.”
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