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2026 could be a pivotal year for education in Michigan.

The state’s education system has produced lackluster academic results on state and national exams for years, raising questions about whether the system is properly preparing students for success after high school. That’s critical since many other states are showing academic improvement while Michigan has been stagnant.

With a wide open governor’s race in 2026, we expect to hear plenty of ideas about what it will take to get Michigan’s kids on track. Already, candidates have floated ideas ranging from strengthening accountability for schools to expansion of school choice so parents can more easily send their children to the public or private school that best meets their needs.

Meanwhile, in the city of Detroit, a new mayor could bring energy to efforts to help city students succeed against a number of societal odds, including high poverty rates.

Below, we highlight some of the key education issues we’ll be watching in 2026.

What’s missing? Email us at detroit.tips@chalkbeat.org with your ideas about what you want to see take center stage and why.

Governor’s race could drive conversation about schools

During the 2024-25 school year, test results for Michigan students raised alarms because they showed that not only have students continued to lose ground compared to their peers in other states, but that recovery from the pandemic has been slow.

On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation’s Report Card, just 24% of fourth graders were proficient in reading in 2024. In math, just 37% of fourth graders were proficient. The rigorous national exam is given to a representative sample of students in every state in the U.S.

Closer to home, on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Performance, students didn’t do much better, with third graders recording their lowest performance in English language arts in the 11-year history of the exam.

The results will almost surely be used by gubernatorial candidates to suggest a range of reforms, as well as to attack the record of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whose second term ends this year. But it’s important to note that Michigan students began losing ground long before Whitmer took office.

Michigan lawmakers have tried and abandoned a number of reforms – some of which were required by federal law – including grading schools, holding back third graders who struggle on the state reading exam, holding teachers accountable for student test scores, and potentially closing failing schools.

There are a number of people running for governor. Some have been vocal about what Michigan must do to improve schools. Mike Duggan, who just wrapped a dozen years as Detroit mayor, has proposed getting tougher on school accountability, with a plan that could lead to the firings of principals and superintendents if struggling schools continue to fail. He is running as an independent. Meanwhile, Mike Cox, a Republican candidate for governor, has proposed a universal school choice program that allows parents to “select the schooling option that best fits their child’s needs.”

Will Detroit Mayor Sheffield deliver on her education promises?

Detroit’s mayor doesn’t have any control of the public school systems in the city. But the mayor does have a role to play in addressing societal issues that make it difficult for students to learn. Newly elected Mayor Mary Sheffield, who was sworn in last week, has said she will do just that.

What did Sheffield promise? In her election night acceptance speech, she said she would address transportation issues that make it difficult for students to get to and from school and invest in after-school programs and wraparound services. It’s an ambitious plan, given the city has dozens of education governance structures between the Detroit Public Schools Community District and the many charter schools that educate students.

The big question will be whether Sheffield can deliver on her promises. There’s much at stake, given low academic performance across the city and high rates of chronic absenteeism – issues that are fueled by difficult to solve problems like high rates of poverty, housing instability, and transportation woes.

Detroit school board race could result in dramatic shift

With five of the seven seats on the ballot this November, the race for seats on the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s school board could be a defining one for the district.

With so many seats open, new faces on the board can bring new priorities and affect Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s reform efforts.

Board members LaTrice McClendon, Iris Taylor, and Corletta Vaughn are up for reelection. In addition, seats currently filled by board members Bessie Harris and Steve Bland – who were recently appointed to fill seats left open due to resignations – would also be up for reelection.

Will legislative initiatives improve reading, parent transparency?

The state budget lawmakers approved in October included new rules for Michigan that require parents be informed about reading curriculum and how at-risk funding is spent. Districts receive at-risk funding for students identified for one of 10 factors, including being from low-income homes, being English language learners, or being a victim of child abuse.

One provision, aimed at putting the focus on low literacy rates in the state, requires school districts this school year to notify parents if their schools use a K-5 reading curriculum that isn’t on the state’s list of evidence-based curriculum, or that isn’t aligned with state standards.

An evidence-based curriculum is one that research has shown to be effective. As part of that notification, schools must tell parents that the curriculum they’re using “could negatively impact student academic outcomes.”

Another parent transparency effort: Schools also provide parents with a report showing how much state at-risk funding they receive, how the money was distributed, and what evidence-based interventions were used with the funding. Districts must also provide parents with a method for providing feedback on how the at-risk money is used.

School districts continue fight against school safety funding conditions

Another budget provision placed conditions on districts receiving school safety and mental health funding.

In order to receive that funding from the state, districts must agree to waive privilege, which means they must disclose information that would otherwise be legally protected if there is a mass casualty event. Districts had to agree to a comprehensive investigation of such an event.

Dozens of school districts and school officials filed a lawsuit challenging the language, saying it violates the Michigan Constitution. A state judge rejected their argument in a December ruling. But plaintiffs are appealing the ruling.

The big issues to watch here are: How many districts agreed to the conditions to receive the funding and if a mass casualty event occurs in a district that agreed to the conditions, how will a state investigation play out?

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.