Total dollars spent on Michigan’s School Aid Fund are up. But that doesn’t take into account inflation, the funds diverted to colleges, or the lack of real investment in the past decade, especially for the most vulnerable students.
Maybe the state Legislature shouldn’t be debating how much money to give Michigan’s public universities, but how little. It’s time for taxpayer-supported colleges to get serious about financial restraint.
Reading scores are going down in Michigan despite efforts. Maybe it’s time to redirect that early literacy funding toward reducing class size, says one teacher.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s $1 million school research collaborative has drawn widespread support statewide. There’s one problem: It doesn’t even the playing field.
There’s a growing movement to take students out of the classroom and into nature to learn about the environment and nature. That’s happening in schools and programs around Michigan.
Cara Lougheed, an English and history teacher from Rochester Hills, says she’s skeptical of school rating systems yet understands the desire among parents to evaluate schools in their community.
Rep. Darrin Camilleri may not have been able to afford college if he didn’t figure out how to fill out a federal financial aid form called the FAFSA. He’s now pushing to make the form a high school requirement.
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to close the high school in Benton Harbor because of low academic achievement and high debt. A State Board of Education member (and fellow Democrat) makes a case for investing in the struggling district, rather than closing the high school.
