Dr. Michael F. Rice Michigan superintendent of public instruction | Michigan Department of Education
Michigan Department of Education officials have announced that 5,000 educators in the state have completed the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training. This achievement is part of an ongoing effort to enhance literacy education by equipping teachers with comprehensive knowledge in the science of reading.
LETRS is designed to provide early childhood and elementary educators with skills necessary for effective reading and writing instruction, including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice highlighted the significance of this milestone. “This is an important milestone, a moment to acknowledge those teachers and administrators who have been a part of the first waves of LETRS training in Michigan,” he said. Dr. Rice also reiterated his call for making LETRS training mandatory for all K-5 elementary classroom teachers in Michigan.
The training has been funded through Section 35a (10) of the State School Aid Act over the past four fiscal years, amounting to $34 million. The grant allows all pre-K-6 grade educators and pre-K-12 grade special education-endorsed educators employed by public school districts in Michigan to participate.
In its 2025 Legislative Priorities Letter, MDE once again urged the legislature to mandate LETRS training for K-5 elementary classroom teachers.
“LETRS training equips teachers with integral knowledge to help children learn to read and positions them for improved student achievement as they read to learn in later years of their education,” stated Dr. Delsa Chapman, deputy superintendent of the MDE Division of Assessment, School Improvement, and Systems Support.
Further information on these efforts can be found on the Michigan LETRS website.
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