Carrying the work forward, together

RISE brings together people and organizations across Michigan who share a common understanding: if we’ve taken the time to build a better system, we should follow through and implement it in a way that actually works.

 

That means staying focused on the full vision of the MI Blueprint, not pieces of it. It means keeping the conversation anchored in what students need, rather than what is easiest to change. And it means working together to ensure this moment leads to something lasting.

 

Where things stand and what comes next

Michigan’s special education funding system isn’t aligned with how students learn or what it takes to support them. Schools are working hard to make it function, but too often within constraints that create uneven access and uncertainty for families.

 

The MI Blueprint offers a different path, aligning funding with student need and creating a more stable, predictable system. But it was designed to work as a whole, and the benefits only hold if that design is carried through.

 

Now that the Michigan Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint has been submitted to the Legislature, the question isn’t what to do next. It’s whether we will follow through.

 

That’s why this moment calls for visible public support. If you believe Michigan should align special education funding with what students truly need, add your name to the petition urging state leaders to act.