{"id":62790,"date":"2025-07-21T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/uncategorized\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T14:04:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T18:04:23","slug":"mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/","title":{"rendered":"Mississippi turned around its schools. Its secret: Tools Michigan abandoned"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mississippi is now a Top 20 state for education after years near the bottom<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A dozen years ago, the state passed reforms and invested in improving&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Michigan has tried similar efforts but abandoned them as its scores declined<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>JACKSON, MISS.&nbsp; \u2014 Years ago, no matter the metric, Mississippi was at the bottom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Education and other low rankings were \u201cperennial black eyes for the state,\u201d said Michael Cormack Jr., deputy superintendent of Jackson Public Schools.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Others knew it too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor whoever is No. 49, it\u2019s always \u2018Thank God for Mississippi\u2019 because they can depend on us to be at the bottom,\u201d said Albert Sykes, a Jackson native and education advocate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignright has-light-gray-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Michigan education crisis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite more money, more staffing and years of attempted reforms, Michigan schools are sliding farther behind other states in key educational outcomes. One Michigan education leader called it a \u201cmoment of reckoning,\u201d and many candidates who have announced plans to run for governor in 2026 are making education reform a key to their campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout 2025, Bridge Michigan will chronicle how we reached this crisis point, the impact of our learning slide, and what we can learn from other states.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Not anymore.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Test scores have improved dramatically in the past 15 years, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wapt.com\/article\/mississippi-education-reaches-historic-heights-in-new-ranking\/65014444\">Mississippi is now ranked as a Top 20 state<\/a> for public education. Scores exceed Michigan\u2019s across the spectrum, from Black and white students to poorer and richer ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/excelined.org\/2023\/08\/11\/four-reasons-why-mississippis-reading-gains-are-neither-myth-nor-miracle\/\">Mississippi Miracle<\/a>, the state\u2019s improvement is a testament to tenacity, not originality. Over the past 20 years, Michigan adopted many of the same tools and accountability standards as Mississippi, only to abandon them for another plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Michigan leaders talked about fixing education, Mississippi did it starting in 2013, approving and sticking with sometimes unpopular ideas like grading schools and holding back third graders who couldn\u2019t read, while investing big in teacher training and literacy coaches.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople were fed up with being 50th,\u201d said Cormack. There was \u201ca lot of galvanizing energy just around the fact that more was possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michigan experimented with grading schools and holding back students who were behind in reading \u2014&nbsp;but not for long. In 2023, Democrats<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/michigan-may-dump-its-f-school-quality-ranking-system\"> repealed the A-F school grading scale<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/michigan-senate-dumps-read-or-flunk-portion-third-grade-law\">the read-or-flunk law<\/a> after fewer than five years of implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be sure, there are plenty of differences between the states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michigan has far more students, a divided electorate that changes state leadership often and stronger teacher unions. But Mississippi has a greater share of students who are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edsurge.com\/news\/2024-10-14-how-much-does-family-income-matter-for-student-outcomes\">poor<\/a>, a barrier often associated with lower test scores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless, experts say Michigan is reaching a crisis point with education. Since the pandemic, <a href=\"https:\/\/educationrecoveryscorecard.org\/states\/michigan\/\">Michigan\u2019s<\/a> learning-loss recovery in reading is among the worst in the nation, while <a href=\"https:\/\/educationrecoveryscorecard.org\/states\/mississippi\/\">Mississippi\u2019s<\/a> is among the best.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMississippi did it all at once and had a really well laid-out plan\u2026,\u201d said Adrea Truckenmiller, a Michigan State University professor who previously trained Mississippi reading coaches on evidence-based reading instruction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhereas, Michigan was piecemeal. They\u2019ve had a lot of similar efforts, but they\u2019ve all been very piecemeal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Mississippi is now a model&nbsp;<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>High expectations are the cornerstone of Mississippi\u2019s turnaround.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignright is-layout-grid wp-container-core-group-is-layout-9649a0d9 wp-block-group-is-layout-grid\">\n<div class=\"dr-paragraph right-aligned-blockquote-xl dr-paragraph--right-aligned-blockquote-xl\">\n<div class=\"region region--float-right region--float-right-xl dr-paragraph right-aligned-blockquote-xl dr-paragraph--right-aligned-blockquote-xl\">\n<div class=\"region__content\">\n<div class=\"infogram-embed\" data-id=\"5af93bb6-6b03-4438-990c-4b2fa17f9cca\" data-title=\"NAEP, Michigan v. Mississippi final\" data-type=\"interactive\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<p><script>!function(e,n,i,s){var d=\"InfogramEmbeds\";var o=e.getElementsByTagName(n)[0];if(window[d]&&window[d].initialized)window[d].process&&window[d].process();else if(!e.getElementById(i)){var r=e.createElement(n);r.async=1,r.id=i,r.src=s,o.parentNode.insertBefore(r,o)}}(document,\"script\",\"infogram-async\",\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed-loader-min.js\");<\/script>\n\t        <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re demanded for students who must pass a test to move onto fourth grade, teachers who are tasked with providing evidence-based instruction and administrators whose schools are graded in part by student test scores.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/michigan-spent-big-fix-schools-result-worse-scores-and-plenty-blame\"><strong>Michigan spent big to fix schools. The result: Worse scores and plenty of blame<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/fact-check-whats-true-false-misleading-about-michigans-education-slide\"><strong>Fact check: What\u2019s true, false, misleading about Michigan\u2019s education slide<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a message driven home in the class mantra of student Olivia Bianca, an energetic 9-year old from Florence, who passed her test in the spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i>Third graders, we\u2019ve got a lot of work to do today.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i>What if it gets too tough?<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i>We gotta push through.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s stuff that you would read in self-help books and motivational books for adults\u2026 it\u2019s really advanced in what they are doing,\u201d said her father, Bradley Bianca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"64504\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/attachment\/ms-reading-doyle-33-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?fit=1300%2C867&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1300,867\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MS reading DOYLE-33\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A teacher points to a student with their hand up. \" class=\"wp-image-64504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1.jpg?w=1300&amp;ssl=1 1300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-33-1-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Teach For America teacher Brailyn Luckett leads students through a reading exercise at Blackburn Middle School in Jackson, Mississippi. Jackson Public Schools works with the Mississippi Reading Clinic to provide literacy support to students. (Rory Doyle for Bridge Michigan).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"63115\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/attachment\/ms-reading-doyle-23\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?fit=1300%2C867&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1300,867\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MS-reading-DOYLE-23\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Teacher D\u2019Marius Jones leads students through a Mississippi Reading Clinic exercise at Blackburn Middle School.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Teacher D\u2019Marius Jones points at screen.\" class=\"wp-image-63115\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23.jpg?w=1300&amp;ssl=1 1300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-23-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Teacher D\u2019Marius Jones leads students through a Mississippi Reading Clinic exercise at Blackburn Middle School.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"63116\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/attachment\/ms-reading-doyle-36\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?fit=1300%2C867&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1300,867\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MS-reading-DOYLE-36\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Student Lyric Frazier takes part in a reading exercise at Blackburn Middle School. (Rory Doyle for Bridge Michigan)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Student Lyric Frazier does work at a desk.\" class=\"wp-image-63116\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36.jpg?w=1300&amp;ssl=1 1300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-36-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Student Lyric Frazier takes part in a reading exercise at Blackburn Middle School. (Rory Doyle for Bridge Michigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In Mississippi, teachers are expected to know how students learn to read using structured literacy strategies built on a body of research called the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/2024\/the-science-of-reading-explained\/\">science of reading<\/a>.\u201d This includes knowing what different sounds letters and blends of letters make and being able to understand the meaning of words and sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Mississippi, the vast majority of schools teach 1 of 5 state-approved literacy curricula. In Michigan, schools choose their own, and more than 400 are taught, a number that should decline with new laws that require the use of evidence-based instruction by 2027.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/michigan-scrambles-improve-literacy-school-librarians-are-losing-their-jobs\"><strong>As Michigan scrambles to improve literacy, school librarians are losing their jobs<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/michigan-scores-fall-state-superintendent-blames-local-control-run-amok\"><strong>As Michigan scores fall, state superintendent blames local control \u2018run amok\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/michigan-school-districts-are-shrinking-none-want-consolidate-why-not\"><strong>Michigan school districts are shrinking. None want to consolidate. Why not?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/michigan-voters-reject-half-school-bond-requests-blame-economy\"><strong>Michigan voters reject half of school bond requests. Blame the economy?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Michigan is also ramping up efforts to improve literacy, including passing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.mi.gov\/documents\/2023-2024\/billanalysis\/Senate\/pdf\/2023-SFA-0567-N.pdf\">law last year<\/a> to include science of reading in schools, providing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/whitmer-administration-chides-schools-chief-sitting-literacy-funds\">millions<\/a> for<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/mde\/services\/financial-management\/grants\/letrs-training-grant\"> literacy professional development for teachers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/mde\/services\/academic-standards\/literacy\/literacy-grants\/section-35m\">reimbursing districts who select an evidence-based curriculum.&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In both states, the science of reading training is optional, but it\u2019s strongly encouraged in Mississippi and has wide buy-in from teachers, according to officials there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnce it started happening and everybody was saying how great it was and it was improving their teacher practices, then others caught on,\u201d said Kymyona Burk, the former state literacy director and current senior policy fellow for early literacy at <a href=\"https:\/\/excelined.org\/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22630067201&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADsYnuLIbn_xyTIL8yMg0XWv0-b5j&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw-NfDBhDyARIsAD-ILeDwVYFyMg7kMx7tWJO21e-Ak54K6rPfYnc97FM6Tn7LjXAG2HfXT9EaAtWLEALw_wcB\">Excel<i>in<\/i>Ed<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The state spends about $15 million a year on literacy efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"64507\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/attachment\/nowell-6-18-25-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?fit=1300%2C867&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1300,867\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"NOWELL 6.18.25\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Michelle Nowell points to a map of Mississippi.\" class=\"wp-image-64507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1.jpg?w=1300&amp;ssl=1 1300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NOWELL-6.18.25-1-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Michelle Nowell, executive director of the Office of Elementary Education and Reading at the Mississippi Department of Education, holds a map of the state. Across the state, 83% of public school districts are using high-quality instructional materials, according to the state department of education. Nowell wants that number to be 100%. (Isabel Lohman\/Bridge Michigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While about a third of the size of Michigan, Mississippi spends a greater share of its state budget on education: about 43% ($3 billion total), compared to 28% for Michigan ($23 billion total.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among other things, the money pays to send literacy coaches to districts that need extra help and facilitate multiple tests throughout the year to ensure that students are prepared to pass third grade reading exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe state goal for literacy is simple: we want kids proficient,\u201d said Pearl Public School District Superintendent Chris Chism. \u201cThat\u2019s every single school in the state; that\u2019s every single principal, superintendent, that\u2019s everybody in the state. Bottom line is, you can\u2019t be successful in life unless you can read.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>New law becomes \u2018gamechanger\u2019&nbsp;<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Mississippi\u2019s reforms began with significant help from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msreads.org\/\">Barksdale Reading Institute<\/a>, a group that led several reading initiatives across the state. It was founded by <a href=\"https:\/\/bigthink.com\/people\/jimbarksdale\/\">James Barksdale<\/a>, the former CEO of the web browser Netscape, who donated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zopcg6YLus4\">$100 million to the institute<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the early days, the institute assessed how reading was taught in classrooms, deployed reading specialists to schools and funded university faculty in teacher preparation programs, said Kelly Butler, former director of the institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The institute did not support holding students back but became an advocate of the third-grade retention law because it provided funding for necessary professional development, Butler said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe law really was a game-changer. \u2026&nbsp; It\u2019s become the backbone of how we got off the bottom because it required a change in practice,\u201d Butler said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Mississippi child can qualify for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdek12.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Offices\/MDE\/OA\/OSA\/LPBA\/lbpa_faq_new_format_final.pdf\">good cause exemption<\/a> to move to the fourth grade if they pass a retake, have already been held back before, have an individualized education program for special education or are an English language learner.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the 2023-2024 school year, about three-fourths of students <a href=\"https:\/\/mdek12.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Offices\/MDE\/OEA\/OPR\/2024\/Combined%20LBPA%202023-2024.pdf\">passed the test on the first try<\/a>. After test retakes and exemptions were given, 6.3% of third grade students were held back.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the same percentage were held back in Michigan, about 6,500 third-graders would repeat the grade, rather than the approximately 400 who were <a href=\"https:\/\/epicedpolicy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/EPIC_RetentionDecisionReport_June2024.pdf\">held back in 2023<\/a> before the state dumped the law.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Importantly, Mississippi acknowledges that some of those students could be retained for other reasons, since districts can have their own policies under local control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jackson Public Schools strongly encourages students who do not pass the third grade reading test to attend summer school. At the end of instruction, students retake the test, giving them a chance to move on to the fourth grade.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"64508\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/attachment\/ms-reading-doyle-7-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?fit=1300%2C867&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1300,867\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MS reading DOYLE-7\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A teacher helps a student.\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-64508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1.jpg?w=1300&amp;ssl=1 1300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-7-1-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Summer school teacher Amelita Ross told Bridge that some students need more instruction time and that the smaller class sizes of summer school is helpful for students. Ross teaches math during the school year and said literacy instruction is \u2018way more focused\u2019\u201d since the state passed a law with a high-stakes third grade test. (Rory Doyle for Bridge Michigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At Galloway Elementary School, students work independently while teacher Amelita Ross walks around to each desk assessing students\u2019 work. When it\u2019s time to regroup, Ross calls out \u201c1, 2, 3, all eyes on me,\u201d each time students respond \u201c4, 5, 6, our eyes are fixed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the classroom of 12, students work on a passage about ice cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat did you all notice about the types of ice cream they had?\u201d Ross asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The district expects about 250 students will be held back, making up about 18% of its third-grade students. Another 427 students will move on to the fourth grade with good-cause exemptions. Of that group, roughly half are moving on to the fourth grade because they passed a retake of the test or an alternative assessment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The high-stakes nature of the test still concerns some educators and parents, echoing concerns that doomed the law in Michigan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Truckenmiller said she is not a fan of holding students back. Studies on the effect of retention <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edweek.org\/leadership\/what-does-research-say-about-grade-retention-a-few-key-studies-to-know\/2022\/11\">are mixed<\/a>, but some show a greater risk of dropping out of high school. That concerns Cormack, but the possibility of a retention \u201cfocuses the mind and energy in terms of families and supports.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said there\u2019s more to be done to ensure students who repeat the third grade have a different experience the second time around. State leaders amended the law in 2016 to require school districts to provide individualized reading plans for students who go on to the fourth grade with a good-cause exemption.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The district offers in-school and summer support to students who need to improve their English language arts skills.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"64509\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/attachment\/ms-reading-doyle-24-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?fit=1300%2C867&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1300,867\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MS reading DOYLE-24\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Students putting their hands on their chest.\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-64509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1.jpg?w=1300&amp;ssl=1 1300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-24-1-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Student Trevon Scott takes part in a meditation breathing exercise at Blackburn Middle School in Jackson, Mississippi on June 18, 2025. (Rory Doyle for Bridge Michigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Change is difficult<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Rankin County in Mississippi, the district has emphasized teacher training and is now transitioning to a new literacy curriculum.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a complaint heard often in Michigan schools facing reforms, people in Rankin worried this was \u201canother fad: \u201c\u2018We\u2019re going to try this and then we\u2019re going to switch back to something different,\u2019\u201d said LaMarcus Norman, a principal of a second- and third-grade school in the county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t deny the results of students coming to you being able to read at a higher level, being able to comprehend at a higher level, and that\u2019s because of the grades before you,\u201d Norman said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"64510\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/attachment\/rankin-county-educators-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?fit=1300%2C867&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1300,867\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"People posing for a group photo in front of a building for the Rankin County School District.\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-64510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1.jpg?w=1300&amp;ssl=1 1300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/RANKIN-COUNTY-EDUCATORS-1-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A group of educators from Rankin County School District in Mississippi sat down with Bridge Michigan to talk about how the district has adopted \u2018science of reading\u2019 strategies and worked to include parents in the process of teaching students how to read. (Isabel Lohman\/Bridge Michigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not about a specific test or program, said Kristen Langerman, an elementary principal in Rankin County. Rather, it\u2019s giving students research, eliminating obstacles to teaching as the research shows and helping teachers supported along the way.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you don\u2019t have teachers willing to be a little bit uncomfortable and unlearn some things, then you\u2019re not going to be able to shift that balance.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Mississippi Association of Educators initially opposed the third-grade reading law because it was another test for students, said Darein Spann, president of the group.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, in Michigan, the Michigan Education Association <a href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/education\/2019\/03\/07\/gov-whitmer-wants-overturn-third-grade-retention-law\/3091565002\/\">opposed the retention part of the law<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The teachers\u2019 union in Mississippi is far less powerful than its counterpart in Michigan. It is barred from collective bargaining and is a bit player in the state\u2019s politics, which are dominated by Republicans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Mississippi education association\u2019s political action committee donated less than $6,000 to candidates in 2024, compared to nearly $400,000 doled out by the Michigan Education Association, campaign records show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even so, love of the reading requirement is far from universal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"64511\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/attachment\/chism-lohman-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?fit=1300%2C867&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1300,867\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"CHISM-LOHMAN\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Chris Chism sits at his desk.\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-64511\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1.jpg?w=1300&amp;ssl=1 1300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CHISM-LOHMAN-1-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pearl Public School District Superintendent Chris Chism said the state sets the expectation that every student can read but the high-stakes third grade reading test stresses out parents. (Isabel Lohman\/Bridge Michigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt sounds like great legislation and it sounds fabulous,\u201d Pearl Superintendent Chism said. \u201cBut the people who make laws are not the people walking into the building and seeing the kids that are scared to death going in to take a test and that\u2019s not what school should be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chism said parents \u201chate\u201d the test, and he isn\u2019t a fan either. He said it puts too much pressure on kids and the quality of instruction would remain high even without that law.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>The differences between Michigan and Mississippi&nbsp;<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Education leaders in Michigan, as well as many states, are studying the gains in Mississippi.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignright is-layout-grid wp-container-core-group-is-layout-9649a0d9 wp-block-group-is-layout-grid\">\n<div class=\"dr-paragraph right-aligned-blockquote-xl dr-paragraph--right-aligned-blockquote-xl\">\n<div class=\"region region--float-right region--float-right-xl dr-paragraph right-aligned-blockquote-xl dr-paragraph--right-aligned-blockquote-xl\">\n<div class=\"region__content\">\n<div class=\"infogram-embed\" data-id=\"eaacdb76-ccc5-4d3a-92b8-a809c7a20429\" data-title=\"Reading and Math, Ms. v Mi.\" data-type=\"interactive\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<p><script>!function(e,n,i,s){var d=\"InfogramEmbeds\";var o=e.getElementsByTagName(n)[0];if(window[d]&&window[d].initialized)window[d].process&&window[d].process();else if(!e.getElementById(i)){var r=e.createElement(n);r.async=1,r.id=i,r.src=s,o.parentNode.insertBefore(r,o)}}(document,\"script\",\"infogram-async\",\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed-loader-min.js\");<\/script>\n\t        <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Michigan gubernatorial candidates are touting that state\u2019s progress, and the state\u2019s superintendent, Michael Rice, has spoken to counterparts in Mississippi about the reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMichigan\u2019s no different from any other state that we have talked to,\u201d said Michelle Nowell, executive director of the Office of Elementary Education and Reading at the Mississippi Department of Education.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s all about coaches, the coaching model and boots on the ground.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mississippi has fewer districts than Michigan. Michigan districts can use state funds to pay for literacy professional development but each district has a lot of leeway in what they choose to make their priorities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/michigan-scores-fall-state-superintendent-blames-local-control-run-amok\">blames local control for low literacy scores<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mississippi created a dedicated office within the Department of Education to implement the law and the office worked to build trust in schools where the state agency may have been seen as an enforcer rather than a partner, said Burk, the former state literacy director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cConsistency is everything,\u201d said Melissa McCray, director of elementary curriculum and instruction and professional development at Rankin County. \u201cBeing consistent and dedicated and believing that our children can achieve. And as everybody across the planet is seeing, they can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Parents know the stakes are high<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite grumbling about the third-grade test, it\u2019s a huge deal for parents in Mississippi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When students take the test, parents want to \u201cput out that red carpet,\u201d said parent and teacher\u2019s aide Natasha Bennett-Williams. On test day, volunteers cheer summer school students on.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"64512\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/attachment\/bennett-williams-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?fit=1300%2C867&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1300,867\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"BENNETT-WILLIAMS\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Parent and teacher\u2019s aide Natasha Bennett-William poses for a picture in the hallway. \" class=\"wp-image-64512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1.jpg?w=1300&amp;ssl=1 1300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/BENNETT-WILLIAMS-1-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Parent and teacher\u2019s aide Natasha Bennett-Williams said she hyped her daughter up ahead of taking the third grade reading test. The test determines if her daughter moves onto the fourth grade, similar to a measure Michigan had but then rescinded in 2023. (Isabel Lohman\/Bridge Michigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The night before the test in the spring, her daughter Kennedi, a talkative girl who loves the beach, got a dinner of her favorite things: macaroni and cheese, cabbage, candy ham, two types of cornbread and fried chicken, her mother said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bennett-Williams also got her daughter a tutor and cheered her on when a practice test went well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It paid off: Kennedi passed the test on the first try.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does Bennett-Williams take pride in the reading gains of the state?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once at the bottom, Mississippi has made massive strides teaching children to read. They\u2019ve got literacy coaches, a high-stakes third grade test and lots of teacher training. What can Michigan learn from the Magnolia state?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":581,"featured_media":63113,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":true,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-09-23T13:09:15Z","apple_news_api_id":"d6c2c364-d894-42f6-bd25-8996ea1c77ff","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-09-24T18:04:32Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A1sLDZNiUQva9JYmW6hx3_w","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[2454],"tags":[1510],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[2475],"class_list":["post-62790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-talent-education","tag-michigan-k-12-schools","entry"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mississippi turned around its schools. Its secret: Tools Michigan abandoned - Bridge Michigan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mississippi turned around its schools. Its secret: Tools Michigan abandoned - Bridge Michigan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Once at the bottom, Mississippi has made massive strides teaching children to read. They\u2019ve got literacy coaches, a high-stakes third grade test and lots of teacher training. What can Michigan learn from the Magnolia state?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bridge Michigan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BridgeMichigan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-21T16:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-24T18:04:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MS-reading-DOYLE-5.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Isabel Lohman\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@bridgemichigan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@bridgemichigan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Isabel Lohman\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Isabel Lohman\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/#\/schema\/person\/11c180026f82614f93c19d9f138d3e0b\"},\"headline\":\"Mississippi turned around its schools. 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The school district offers summer school to students who are at risk of being held back in the third grade. (Rory Doyle for Bridge Michigan)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/mississippi-turned-around-its-schools-its-secret-tools-michigan-abandoned\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mississippi turned around its schools. 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Republicans blame Democrats for repealing reforms; Democrats say their new strategies need time to work.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Talent &amp; Education&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Talent &amp; Education","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/category\/talent-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The senate chamber in active session inside the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Mich. on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/StateCapitol_06092025_JFB_092-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/StateCapitol_06092025_JFB_092-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/StateCapitol_06092025_JFB_092-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/StateCapitol_06092025_JFB_092-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/StateCapitol_06092025_JFB_092-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":69397,"url":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/talent-education\/how-can-michigan-improve-schools-mississippis-ex-superintendent-has-ideas\/","url_meta":{"origin":62790,"position":5},"title":"How can Michigan improve schools? Mississippi\u2019s ex-superintendent has ideas","author":"Mike Wilkinson","date":"November 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Mississippi transformed from last to near-top in reading after unified political support, early-grade intervention and strict science-of-reading reforms. Former state superintendent Carey Wright, now in Maryland, says success required consistency, teamwork, and keeping politics out \u2014 lessons Michigan will face as education becomes a 2026 campaign issue.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Talent &amp; Education&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Talent &amp; Education","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/category\/talent-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mississippi's longest-serving state superintendent of education Carey Wright, speaks about her tenure in office during a media availability, Tuesday, April 26, 2022.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carey-Wright-_AP.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carey-Wright-_AP.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carey-Wright-_AP.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carey-Wright-_AP.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carey-Wright-_AP.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/581"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62790"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67085,"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62790\/revisions\/67085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62790"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=62790"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=62790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}