[T]he opportunity to achieve basic proficiency in reading sufficient to allow a student to access curricular content is a constitutional "bottom lin," codified in statute by the Legislature consistent with its constitutional obligation to maintain and support a public education system. This bottom line applies to all students.

The lawsuit, apparently the first of its kind, also lists as defendants the state of Michigan, the Michigan Board of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Emergency Manager of Highland Park. The eight students listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit represent nearly 1,000 students in the Highland Park School District. The ACLU of Michigan is requesting immediate help from the state [press release] including research-based methods of instruction, highly trained educators and administrators, a process for monitoring progress, new educational materials and textbooks, and a clean and safe learning environment.