Michigan Alliance of Reading Professors

As the Michigan Alliance of Reading Professors, we dedicate ourselves to supporting and improving the lives of Michigan's families through effective literacy instruction.

___________________________
For more information contact
Dr. Mark Conley
Associate Professor, Teacher Education, Michigan State University
(517) 353-0696
Dr. James Cipielewski
Associate Professor and Chair of Reading and Language Arts, Oakland University
(248) 370-3098
Dr. Nancy Patterson
Assitant Professor and Reading/Language Arts Coordinator, Grand Valley State University
(616) 331-6226

__________________________
last updated February 2007

In Spring 2006 the Michigan Legislature passed PA 118 and Governor Granholm signed the bill into law. PA 118 requires all teachers who have not earned their Professional Teaching Certification by July 2007 to earn three post graduate credits in reading diagnostics appropriate for their certification level, i.e. elementary or secondary.

We professors of literacy education applaud the legislature and the governor for their willingness to take action toward improving the literacy levels of Michigan’s children, and we agree that children benefit when their teachers have in-depth knowledge about literacy acquisition and the classroom practices and assessments that lead to higher literacy levels.

However, we are deeply troubled by the fact that we, who have spent our academic lives researching and building our knowledge of literacy practice and assessment, were not included in the drafting of this legislation. And we are even more troubled that the legislature and the governor have imposed a curriculum for the courses that are being developed in response to PA 118.

While we applaud the addition of three graduate hours of reading, we are perplexed at the shotgun array of assessments we are mandated to teach. No one consulted us as to the appropriateness or quality of these prescribed assessments. Had someone, either in the legislature or the Michigan Department of Education asked us for input regarding these assessments, we would have provided the very best information available, information based in solid literacy research. We know that assessment is important, but the categories of assessments mandated by PA 118 are not appropriate at all grade levels, nor are all of the assessments based in empirical research. Few public officials are able to distinguish between empirical research, in-house technical reports written by publishing companies, and “think-tank” reports that do not always have children’s best interests in mind.

We conveyed our concerns to the Michigan Department of Education and had hoped that we would be included in future decisions regarding literacy education and especially PA 118. Indeed, we activated an on-line discussion forum for that purpose. When we learned about PA 118, we began alerting teachers in our areas about the new requirement. And, we began developing our courses. A number of colleges and universities now have courses approved and in place . A number of those courses are in session as of Winter 2007. We now understand, after all our efforts to provide information, that, unbeknownst to us, the legislature has decided to extend the deadline for teachers. We truly wish that more care had been taken regarding the July 2007 deadline so that colleges and universities did not have to rush into course development. By extending the deadline, you have put those Winter 2007 courses in jeopardy. Teachers who initially thought they had to comply with a July 2007 deadline may now be free to drop a course that has been staffed and funded. Not only is this inconvenient, it is costly.

But more importantly, it is a waste of a valuable and, to date, untapped resource: The literacy education professors who have been advocating for increased teacher education and meaningful classroom practices since Michigan adopted a meaning-based approach to literacy in the 1980’s. We applauded the work that lawmakers and the Michigan Department of Education began then. Michigan’s children are more literate today than they were 20 years ago because of that work, and the continued efforts of Michigan’s literacy education programs. But we fear that PA 118 will have little impact on literacy levels.

We want our work to be valued and our voices to be heard. To that end, we have organized and have representation from almost every college and university in the state. We ask to be included in the decision-making surrounding teacher preparation, not only in terms of curriculum but in regards to timelines and feasibilities.

We continue to believe that PA 118 is misguided in its approach to assessment and would urge Michigan’s legislature to work with us rather than dictate to us when it comes to teacher preparation. Teacher education is an essential foundation of a democratic society. Our goal and the goal of Michigan’s legislators and governor is to improve the human experience through literacy. We can accomplish that better if we work in partnership rather than isolation.

Sincerely,

Dr. Nancy G. Patterson
Grand Valley State University

Dr. Linda Lewis-White
Eastern Michigan University

Dr. Susan V. Piazza
Western Michigan University

Dr. Nicola Findley
Alma College

Dr. Mark Conley
Michigan State University

Dr. Ronald Cramer
Oakland University

Dr. Ruth H. Freeman
Madonna University

Dr. Poonam Arya
Wayne State University

Dr. Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth
Western Michigan University

Dr. Marilyn Wilson
Michigan State University

Dean Lynne Morgan
Baker College

Dr. KaiLonnie Dunsmore
Calvin College

Dr. Allison L. Baer
Western Michigan University

Dr. James Cipielewski
Oakland State University

Dr. Kathryn Bell
Spring Arbor University

Dr. Olga Nelson
Eastern Michigan University

Dr. Linda Sherrill
Spring Arbor College

Dr. Julia Reynolds
Aquinas College