Talent & Education

Nearly two-thirds of Michigan teachers have received at least the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine or are set to get it, according to a survey by the state’s largest teachers union, spurring more districts to make plans to reopen.

GVSU is following some Michigan universities by offering savings to students in six Michigan counties. The program covers tuition and class fees, but not other attendance expenses that can still prove steep for some families.

Many residents in northern, rural and more low-income regions do not qualify for free tuition because they’re not in “community college districts.” The state can close the gap with another $7.5 million.

A new program called Michigan Reconnect offers free tuition at community colleges and many job training programs.

More than 120,000 essential workers signed up for free community college tuition through the Futures for Frontliners program. The state expects to launch a similar program soon for the roughly 3 million Michigan adults over age 25 who lack a college degree.

COVID-19 cases are dropping statewide, but at Michigan’s two biggest universities, new coronavirus concerns have led to campus clampdowns on gatherings.

The variant, known as B.1.1.7., spreads faster and takes longer to detect, worrying health officials already racing to distribute a short supply of vaccines.

State Superintendent Michael Rice seeks federal permission to drop the M-STEP this year because of the pandemic, but some educators say doing so is irresponsible.

From threats of lawsuits to heading across state lines to compete, high school athletes, their parents and coaches are frustrated by not being able to play while bars and restaurants can reopen.

Michigan school districts are relieved to get federal help to offset costs connected to the pandemic, but some question a funding formula that is creating wide disparities among school districts.

The pandemic likely will increase achievement gaps. Michigan education advocates say schools need to start planning now for how to help struggling students, including more money for tutoring and summer school, priorities that align with the incoming Biden administration.

Halfway into the school year, Michigan students are failing classes at higher rates, concerning educators who say it’s more evidence of the coronavirus’s disruption of learning.

Ten months after she ordered all schools to close to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the governor said it’s time to plan for reopening classes. Recent studies show schools can remain safe with certain precautions, while there can be a heavy price for keeping children isolated.

Owen Bondono’s language arts classes were supposed to focus on text structures Thursday, but there was no way the Oak Park teacher was going to ignore the insurrection that took place in the nation’s capital the day before.

Six teachers from across Michigan offered a sobering view of online instruction during the pandemic, from more students flunking classes to the deflating experience of teaching into a blank computer screen.

The pandemic forced Michigan schools to go remote. It didn’t always go well. This week, Bridge revisits its most impactful stories.

Years after other Michigan departments, the state’s largest city police force turns to specialized mental health training for officers.

Arguing that state restrictions infringe on religious liberty, Catholic high schools are asking a federal court to allow them to decide whether to offer in-person instruction even as COVID surges through Michigan.

Up to half of all Michigan K-12 students were taking all of their classes from home, with more added after the recent state coronavirus health order. Rural areas are particularly struggling.

Michigan’s high schools are ordered to be closed through Dec. 8, but with another holiday just two weeks later, some school districts are choosing to not reopen until after the new year.