Talent & Education
To prosper, Michigan must be a more educated place. Bridge will explore the challenges in education and identify policies and initiatives that address them.
Articles
On nation’s report card, Michigan students remain in back of class
Michigan schools continue to trail most states in academic achievement, floundering in the bottom third of all states, according to the national NAEP test.
How Michigan schools are suffering, shown in 10 slides
A few steps forward, and several back, as Michigan struggles to revive its schools
Hundreds of Michigan schools don’t have a gym teacher. Does yours?
Funding cuts have left 500 schools without physical education. Use this database to see if your school has a gym teacher.
West Michigan leaders join chorus for state education reform
Experts in Grand Rapids offer potential answers for a troubled public school system at the "Michigan Solutions Summit: An Educated Michigan," put on by The Center For Michigan/Bridge Magazine and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.
Getting past politics to give Michigan the schools it deserves
Education experts from Massachusetts, Tennessee and across Michigan gathered Thursday in Detroit to plot solutions to Michigan’s public school malaise.
We read 12 reports on fixing Michigan schools. Here are 4 things we learned
Michigan leaders love to write about our failing education system. Changes, though, are proving tougher.
Got 6 minutes? Highlights of a dozen studies on Michigan schools
If you were to lay the pages of these voluminous studies end to end, we’d question your life choices. Bridge offers instead this quickie version of the reports’ findings on how best to reform schools.
Time to row in same direction for schools, says Michigan business group
Leading states have figured out a way for education, business and political leaders to work together to improve schools. A new report calls for that same cooperation in Michigan
Which Michigan 3rd-graders will flunk reading? The state has no idea.
A new state law requires third-graders to repeat the grade if they are more than a year behind in reading. But the state test doesn’t yield that information.
A Betsy DeVos cheat sheet for next ‘60 Minutes’ interview on Michigan schools
The U.S. Education Secretary did not appear to know much about how Michigan schools are performing, despite years fighting for pro-charter and school-of-choice policies. Bridge is here to help.
Michigan spent $80 million to improve early reading. Scores went down.
Under a new law, in two years thousands of Michigan's third graders will flunk if they are more than a year behind in reading skills if the state can't turn current trends to the positive. How did this happen?
See if reading scores are down in your Michigan district
Bridge Magazine’s reading tool will show whether your child’s district is suffering third-grade reading declines, a trend that could leave plenty of future third graders to repeat the grade.
Scores in one West Michigan school district typify state’s malaise
Allegan Public Schools was among dozens of districts that showed little student growth in a Stanford study. Its story is the story of public education across Michigan.
Should Michigan ease teaching standards to lure career-tech instructors?
State aims to fill career-tech teaching shortage by recruiting non-teachers with industry experience to the classroom. Can it work?
Academic State Champs: Poverty doesn’t always predict school success in Michigan
This year, Bridge honors school districts where students grow the most from third to eighth grade. The new measure comes from groundbreaking research that tips conventional wisdom on its head.
Interactive chart: See how wealth affects achievement in Michigan schools
Check out these cool bubble charts that show the interplay between income and achievement in 500 Michigan school districts.
See how your Michigan school district compares on academic growth
Use this database to search growth from third to eighth grades, and compare districts compare with their neighbors and ones with similar socioeconomics statewide in Michigan.
Academic State Champs: Top 10 large Michigan school districts for growth
Use this slideshow to see where students in school districts with more than 4,000 students grew the most from third to eighth grade
Academic State Champs: Top 10 mid-sized Michigan school districts for growth
Use this slideshow to see where students in school districts with 1,300 to 4,000 students grew the most from third to eighth grade
Academic State Champs: Top 10 small Michigan school districts for growth
Use this slideshow to see where students in school districts with less than 1,300 students grew the most from third to eighth grade.