State leaders of both parties have shifted more than $6 billion from Michigan’s School Aid Fund in recent years. Now that the state is flush with cash, that diversion needs to stop.
The families of almost 3,500 Michigan third-graders received letters recommending they be held back in grade because they scored poorly on a reading test. The actual number who flunk is likely to be much less than that.
Already struggling with stability outside of school, the homeless and formerly homeless face disciplinary action more than their classmates in Michigan schools.
Detroit schools were once a tough sell. But by boosting starting pay above $50,000 and offering $15,000 bonuses for special education teachers, the city is attracting educators even during a statewide teacher shortage.
Early middle college is a five-year program in which students earn a high school diploma and enough college credits for an associate’s degree, for free.
The state’s economic recovery from the pandemic may be limited, officials say, as fewer child care options keep women out of the workforce. It’s a business issue, too, for child care providers seeking available workers.
A proposed $405 million infusion to the Great Start Readiness Program could come from federal COVID funds and the state’s school aid fund. It would provide free preschool to 17,000 more children from low- and moderate-income families.
With classrooms shuttered across Detroit earlier this school year, leaders at Detroit Leadership Academy, a Brightmoor-area charter school, told neighborhood leaders that many students didn’t have a space where they could focus.
Michigan missed a deadline to spend $3.7 billion in federal aid, and lawmakers have spent days debating whether schools should teach critical race theory or allow transgender athletes from competing.
An expansion of the controversial third-grade law that recommends retention for students more than a grade level behind in reading was approved by a Senate committee Wednesday.
Instead of the usual country club bash, students at Coloma High made do Saturday with a DJ in the parking lot of a local church. “Cherish Each Moment” was the theme chosen for teens with too few moments to cherish this year.
A GOP bill in the Michigan Senate tells transgender youth that, in order to live authentically, they may have to give up sports. That’s wrong, says a transgender teacher.
If passed, the Republican bill could impact thousands of additional students across two grades next year. Critics say expanding the controversial law is a mistake, given the disruption to learning among all grade levels during the pandemic.
Facing a crucial post-pandemic school year, Michigan leaders are exploring ways to bolster a dwindling teacher corps, from loan forgiveness programs to boosting starting pay.
