In my work supporting schools and students across Michigan, I regularly meet families who are doing everything they can to help their child succeed, especially when that child has unique learning needs. What I hear most often is not a lack of commitment, but a lack of resources.
Every child learns differently. For students with disabilities, having the right tools to learn can make all the difference. It can mean the difference between simply getting by and truly thriving — academically, socially and emotionally.
Recently, there has been increased conversation in Michigan about the Federal Education Tax Credit (FETC). This opportunity would provide up to a $1700 federal tax credit to individuals who make contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). While much of the discussion has focused on sectors or systems, I believe it’s important to reframe the conversation around students, particularly those with special needs, and the families working to support them.
For many of these families, flexibility matters. Some students benefit from smaller classroom environments. Others need specialized supports, therapies or instructional approaches that are not always available in every setting. Michigan has strong educators in many school settings, but we also know that no single system can meet every need for every child.
That’s where the FETC has the potential to make a meaningful difference. It would allow significant new financial resources to become available for school families and students in Michigan.
Financial barriers are often one of the biggest obstacles. For some families, the difference between accessing a program that meets their child’s needs and staying in a setting that isn’t working comes down to affordability. Expanding access through tools like the FETC can help bridge that gap.
To be very clear, these funds do not in any way reduce funding for public schools, take from the state budget, or negatively impact education opportunities. In fact, the FETC will allow all students to be in settings where they can succeed and strengthen the broader educational landscape for everyone. Policies like the FETC are not about creating division, they are about expanding opportunity. They give families additional ways to access learning strategies that align with their child’s needs.
This is not just a policy conversation; it’s a student-centered one. When we focus on outcomes, the goal is clear: helping students build confidence, develop independence and experience success in ways that prepare them for life beyond the classroom.
Michigan has an opportunity to take a thoughtful step forward. By considering policies that expand access and support for students with disabilities, we can better reflect the realities families are navigating every day.
I urge the state of Michigan to opt into the Federal Education Tax Credit and provide families with one more pathway to access the educational resources their children need. By doing so, we can take a meaningful step toward ensuring that every student in our state has the opportunity to learn, grow and flourish.
Stacy McGhee
President/CEO, Lutheran Special Education Ministries
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan students would benefit from the Federal Education Tax Credit | Letter
Reporting by Letter to the editor / The Detroit News
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By Letter to the editor | USA TODAY Network
