State Senate approves dyslexia bill

MCS literacy team meeting via Zoom with Senator Theis in March. Photo courtesy Manchester Community Schools

Last month we reported on Manchester Community Schools staff members advocating for a dyslexia bill to the State Senate education committee in March. It passed in the committee in April and last Wednesday the State Senate passed it as well.

Manchester’s State Senator, Republican Lana Theis, chairs the Senate Education and Career Readiness Committee and was the sponsor of the bill, Senate Bill 381. She stated, “Michigan has never had a statewide, coordinated strategy to help children with dyslexia, until now.” She continued, “We must remove the stigma from dyslexia and make sure our students are getting the support they need to ensure they’re getting the education they deserve. Literacy, perhaps more than anything else, is the key to unlocking a limitless future of possibility and success.”

Theis’ bill requires teacher-preparation institutions to offer instruction on the characteristics of dyslexia, the consequences of dyslexia, evidence-based interventions and accommodations for children with dyslexia, and methods to develop a classroom infrastructure that meets the needs of students with a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) in place.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.