Literacy is the basic building block of education – it gives students access to knowledge and the ability to communicate with the world.  It is the gateway to all other skills.  Literacy allows young people to pursue higher education and get good jobs, and to become full participants in our democracy.

Gary B. v. Snyder is the first federal case in the nation to seek to vindicate the right of all students to access to literacy, no matter their zip code.   The case has been filed by Public Counsel and Sidley Austin LLP on behalf of a class of Detroit students who have been deprived of access to literacy and received schooling that is unequal to the schooling provided to other students in the State of Michigan.  The lawsuit demands that the State of Michigan ensure that students receive

• evidence-based literacy instruction at the elementary and secondary level,
• a stable, supported, and appropriately trained teaching staff,
• basic instructional materials, and
• safe school conditions that do not interfere with students’ learning.

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