In the fall of 2010, I stepped into my very first classroom as a high school English teacher.

My classroom was in a rural Michigan town that I had not heard of before. I had applied for the teaching position with a hard drive full of engaging lesson plans on analyzing classic to contemporary literature.

During my first year of teaching, I became a “transplant” in rural Michigan, and I fell in love with the close-knit community I still call home even though I have not lived there for some time.

As I struggled with my cultural literacy (I can still hear the roaring laughter of my students when I asked what a combine was), many of my students struggled with their academic literacy.

Teaching the importance of analyzing great American novels, though important, became less of a priority for me, because many of my students had gaps when it came to the skills needed to read and comprehend texts. It became clear that those foundational skills were going to be the focus, despite the fact that high school literature courses are designed to emphasize deep analysis.

I needed to meet my kids where they were.

For decades, too many of Michigan’s students have faced barriers to becoming proficient readers. We know that reading at grade level by the time students leave third grade is a key indicator of success both in and out of the classroom.

However, 72% of Michigan’s students are not reaching that key benchmark, according to the most recent national KIDS COUNT data.

State data shows similar trends for all Michigan counties. In Alpena County, 56% of third-grade students are not reading at grade level, followed by 63% in Presque Isle County, 71% in Alcona County, and 80% in Montmorency County. New county-level data will be published by the League’s Kids Count in Michigan project on Aug. 21, and we hope to see improvements in those trends.

It’s clear, though, that work must be done in every part of Michigan — rural, urban, and suburban alike — if we want to make sure kids have the skills they need.

The passage of the Read by Grade Three law, especially once its punitive retention component was removed, did have some benefits. It was an important step in requiring that students are screened for reading progress and provided with the necessary support to reach reading proficiency.

As important as providing an enriching classroom environment is, academic support can only go so far if students enter the classroom without the experience they need.

For the past two years, the Michigan Legislature has included free school meals for all students in the education budget, and, for the upcoming school year, pre-K will be available for most Michiganders. Proposed legislation would add additional screening and support for students showing signs of dyslexia. That legislation would also help prepare future teachers to provide evidence-based reading methods.

Providing children with high-quality resources from their early years will help prepare them to be successful students and empower them to contribute to our communities.

Recently, I spent my weekend back in my “hometown” with my family, and I was once again surrounded by kids full of potential and deserving of a better educational experience than I was able to give all of my students, one where they enter the classroom with the tools required for success.

Making investments in children’s education throughout our state, whether in big cities or small towns, sets the foundation for all of Michigan’s children to build their lives upon.

The 2024 Kids Count in Michigan Data Profiles will be released on Aug. 21 and will be made available to all who are interested in learning more about the well-being of kids in Michigan — including their educational well-being — at the Champions for Kids Luncheon and mlpp.org.

Alexandra Stamm, is education policy analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy.