The Tall Task for Michigan’s Next State Superintendent
Seven years into Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, Michigan’s education system is in a free fall, and the selection of Dr. Glenn Maleyko as State Superintendent by the Michigan State Board of Education could not have come at a more pivotal time. This week, Maleyko formally accepted the position, finalizing a three-year contract beginning December 8, and earning a salary of $272,000 per year. Under Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice, test scores have collapsed, literacy rates are at historic lows, and parents are demanding action.
According to the 2025 M-STEP test results, nearly 40% of Michigan third graders are proficient in English Language Arts (ELA), which is the lowest score in a decade and below pre-pandemic levels. Michigan is now firmly in the bottom half nationally when it comes to literacy, with only 24% of fourth and eighth graders reading proficiently per the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has tracked Michigan’s steep decline over the past two decades: once ranked 20th in reading and 14th in math, Michigan has slid to 42nd and 36th, respectively. These numbers represent a generation of students who will struggle to compete, find good jobs, and build strong futures.
Maleyko inherits a broken system, but also an opportunity. The responsibility before him is enormous. Michigan needs a superintendent who will relentlessly focus on literacy, accountability, and outcomes. The status quo is unacceptable. Families deserve a leader who will finally put students first and reverse a decades-long slide that has left Michigan’s children behind.
“Michigan parents have watched their kids fall further and further behind while Gretchen Whitmer, Superintendent Michael Rice, and Lansing Democrats have only offered excuses,” said Gabe Butzke, a spokesperson for Michigan Forward Network. “Dr. Maleyko has a chance to chart a new course. The measure of success should not be slogans or soundbites, but whether Michigan students can catch up to their peers, read, write, and do math.”
