Farmington families who have children receiving special education services have until Friday, Oct. 16, to tell a state committee what's working and what isn't.
The Michigan State Board of Education's Special Education Committee released an online engagement form on Tuesday, Sept. 22, inviting students, parents, educators, advocates and service providers to weigh in. The form asks participants what they want the committee to know, how they'd like to stay involved, and whether they want updates on future listening sessions and district visits.
"Families, students and educators experience our special education system every day and they know where it is working and where we need to do better," said State Board President Pamela Pugh, who chairs the committee.
The State Board voted unanimously in June to create the bipartisan committee. Pugh proposed it. Republican board member Tom McMillin serves as vice chair, and Democratic members Ellen Lipton and Judith Pritchett also serve on the committee, according to Michigan Advance.
State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko, who took the post in December 2025 after leading Dearborn Public Schools for about a decade, said improving special education was a recurring theme during his statewide school visits. The committee is working closely with Maleyko and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).
The stakes are significant statewide. Data presented to the board in June showed reading and math proficiency scores for 11th-grade students with disabilities trailed the general student population by more than 30 percentage points over six years on M-STEP assessments, according to Michigan Advance. Graduation rates also vary sharply by classroom placement. In the 2024-25 school year, students with disabilities who spent at least 80% of their time in general education settings graduated at a 68.5% rate, according to Michigan Public. That rate dropped to 52.6% for students spending 40% to 79% of their day in general education and fell to 15.2% for those spending less than 40%.
Farmington Public Schools, led by Superintendent Kelly Coffin, is among the districts whose families can participate. No district-specific special education data was included in the state's announcement.
Starting in November, the committee plans to hold engagement sessions and visit communities across the state. Responses collected through the Oct. 16 form will help shape which communities the committee visits and what topics it prioritizes.
