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Opinion | Amend third-grade reading law, U.P. school superintendents urge
"Flunking a student is immediately traumatic and is more likely to be experienced by those students who are categorized as poor, male and/or minority," the group of Upper Peninsula school superintendents writes.
Frustrated by teacher shortages, Michigan educators offer their solutions
Want to solve Michigan’s teacher shortage? A new report skips policymakers and asks the state’s teachers what they would do. More class support and financial incentives to new teachers would help, they say.
Opinion | Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s rebellion hurts our kids
"We should be focused on how we ensure our education system does not fail our children, rather than throwing in the towel and inciting rebellion," writes Michigan's Senate majority leader.
Early childhood education is key to success. Michigan still has work to do.
Michigan has vastly improved access to state-funded preschool, but gaps remain. Should the state spend another $400 million to make its Great Start Readiness Program universal?
Michigan schools revolt: We won’t flunk struggling third-grade readers
In what amounts to a mutiny against Michigan’s “read-or-flunk” law, school districts around the state tell Bridge they don’t plan to make students repeat third grade because of poor reading scores.
Gov. Whitmer launching effort to undercut Michigan’s third-grade reading law
An estimated 5,000 students could be flagged to repeat third grade because of low reading scores. In her State of the State address, Whitmer will unveil a plan designed to help parents get around the Republican-backed law.
Frustrated Gov. Whitmer vows no more ‘games’ with GOP on fixing Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in her second State of the State, says she’ll work around recalcitrant Republicans to fix roads, maintain Affordable Care Act protections and ensure students don’t repeat the third grade because of the reading law.
Mike Shirkey: I’m open to changing Michigan’s third-grade reading law
Hearing concerns from educators, Michigan’s Senate Majority Leader says he’s considering changes to the law that could flunk 5,000 third-graders in May.
Opinion | Read by Grade 3 law doesn’t hurt kids – it’s offering a lifeline
Michigan’s Read by Grade 3 Law isn’t some scary new policy looming over local students – it’s an essential reform that’s already yielding real results that benefit our kids, says the author of this Guest Commentary.
After 3 years of substitute teachers, this Michigan girl may flunk 3rd grade
Sabrina, 8, is caught in the crossfire of two state education crises – the state’s new third-grade “read-or-flunk” law and an explosion in the use of uncertified long-term substitute teachers in state classrooms.
Opinion | Don’t gut the third-grade reading law; give it a chance to work
Holding children back so they can achieve future success is not “punitive;” it is proactive.
Michigan expanded preschool funding. Reading scores show it works.
The good news: Low- and moderate-income 4-year-olds who enroll in the Great Start Readiness Program become better readers than those who don’t. The bad news? One-in-three qualified kids still aren’t enrolled.
The Test: ‘Read-or-flunk’ law looms over Michigan third-graders
Bridge begins a series following four third-grade classes as they prepare for a test determining who moves on to fourth grade, and who stays behind.
Opinion | Don’t flunk lagging Michigan third-grade readers – reduce class size
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.
Phil Power | Let’s hope Michigan third-grade reading law focuses priorities
With thousands of children facing the possibility of having to repeat third grade if state reading scores don’t improve, the stress on young students, teachers and parents will be considerable.
Michigan teachers: Flunking won’t help kids read. We have better ideas.
Bridge spoke with 29 Michigan teachers in a Facebook group about the read or flunk law that hits third-graders this year. They’re dubious the law will improve literacy but have plenty of other ideas.
M-STEP shows no progress for Michigan’s struggling third-grade readers
With the state’s read-or-flunk law beginning this year, Michigan’s efforts to help young readers appear to be falling flat.
Michigan M-STEP test scores are inching upward. See how your school compares.
Results from the state’s annual standardized test, given to students in grades 3-8, show faint signs of improvement. See how state students overall performed in the tests given last spring, and look up your own school.
Calling Michigan teachers! How would you improve 3rd-grade reading skills?
Michigan’s young students continue to struggle with basic reading proficiency. What would Michigan teachers do differently if they were in charge of state education policy?
Michigan is investing heavily in early reading. So far, it’s not working.
Only three intermediate school districts out of 56 in Michigan are showing increases in third-grade reading. A leading educator asks for patience.