Michigan school opinions

Public education and the life-changing learnings students gain from it are under attack, writes a Michigan middle school history teacher.

Despite the growing mental health needs of students, Michigan has a dearth of health professionals working in schools.

New funding will transform our early childhood education system and close the opportunity gap for children of working families.

Teachers across Michigan need as much support and information – including from the M-STEP – as we can get to tackle our post-pandemic jobs. Our students will benefit in the long run.

Michigan’s school inequities must not be allowed to continue if we want to become a top 10 education state.

I have never seen so many fellow educators talk about retiring as soon as they can. This trend will only continue to worsen without attracting more young people and diversifying our profession.

The state’s 15 public universities have become accustomed to doing more with less, but after 20 years of budget cuts and tuition increases, this pattern is pricing out talented and deserving Michigan students.

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.

We know one sure way to improve learning, and that’s free, high-quality preschool. We need to expand it so every eligible child has access.

Educators have a chance to learn from the disruption caused by COVID-19. We can’t miss the opportunity to improve our schools.

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.

The Mackinac Center argues schools are much better funded than typically is reported in the media.

Michigan ranks 47th in the ratio of students to librarians, while studies show school library media specialists impact academic achievement.

States that spend less on schools spend more on prisons. Coincidence?

Republicans and Democrats don’t agree on much. But a bipartisan group of former officials are promoting investments to help Michigan children.

Legislators need to put politics aside and pass a school budget, for the sake of Michigan’s children.

Fewer high school grads enrolled in college last year, and Michigan is on pace for another decline, if more students don’t complete the FAFSA by May 1.

We’ve prioritized the most vulnerable for COVID vaccinations, as we should. We should now prioritize those who are most prone to spread the virus.

Despite the superhuman efforts of teachers, many students are falling through the cracks faster than they can be pulled up and out.

Michigan school leaders are arguing against giving the M-STEP to students this year because of the pandemic. But COVID makes it even more important to know what schools and which students are suffering.