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To prosper, Michigan must be a more educated place. Bridge will explore the challenges in education and identify policies and initiatives that address them.
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Michigan schools lean toward returning kids to classrooms amid coronavirus
Students may wear face masks and may eat lunch at their desks, but the majority of Michigan schools that have announced plans for the fall are planning to offer families the option of full-time, face-to-face instruction.
Some Detroit students return to classes amid protests over coronavirus safety
Protestors blocked buses from picking up children in Detroit Monday, in a tense scene that captured the struggle between education and safety amidst a pandemic.
Will coronavirus curb ACT and SAT admissions tests at Michigan colleges?
High school students can’t find sites to take high-stakes tests, or are seeing sites cancelling exams due to COVID-19. With more colleges already going test-optional, could these entrance exams be on the wane?
Nessel sues DeVos to stop coronavirus funding to Michigan private schools
Michigan’s attorney general joined AGs in several states in suing U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos over CARES Act dollars going to private schools. A DeVos spokesperson said the funding is intended for all students.
Here’s why Michigan won’t require social distancing in schools this fall
Desks won’t be six feet apart at your child’s elementary school in September, even if that’s the rule in restaurants. School officials say bringing students back full time would make social distancing nearly impossible.
Michigan calls on schools to have masks but no social distancing in class
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s school reopening plan has one surprising takeaway: Schools can choose whether or not to bring all students back to class at the same time, with no state requirement that forces schools to run classes in shifts.
For some Michigan college students, coronavirus is a risk worth taking
Whether it’s fatalism, naiveté or both, college students appear to be less concerned about catching the potentially deadly virus than school officials, even after more than 100 people were infected at one East Lansing college bar.
Michigan parents: School coronavirus measures great, but don’t stop sports
Most parents want schools to reopen in September, according to a University of Michigan poll.
Education advocates call for new approach to how schools get coronavirus aid
With Michigan facing a $2.39 billion shortfall in its education budget, schools across the state are bracing for what could be the largest cut in state history.
Michigan moves to pause standardized tests amid coronavirus
With an ongoing pandemic and Depression-level unemployment, the state superintendent, a bipartisan group of legislators and leading superintendents want to take a year break from the M-STEP in 2020-21.
COVID fallout: Fewer Michigan low-income students may be going to college
A Michigan private college leader sends up a warning flare, saying that low-income high school grads aren’t enrolling or making deposits to save spots in upcoming college classes at the same rate as last year, a casualty of the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic.
GOP: Use $1.3 billion in fed money to bail out Michigan schools amid COVID
Michigan Republicans propose shipping the majority of the state’s remaining CARES Act funds to schools, and requiring schools to offer in-person education for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.
As coronavirus drives remote learning, many Michigan students will suffer
An analysis of K-12 schools found huge numbers of low-income students in rural and urban areas lack Internet access or the computers needed for online education. Without equal access, achievement gaps are likely to grow.
Students return to University of Michigan in fall. Football? Ask us later.
Students will return to campus in Ann Arbor, and at least some classes will be held in-person. But expect more online courses, fewer seats in dining halls, and a lot of face masks. Football? Ask later.
What we know about Michigan college plans in fall amid coronavirus
The coronavirus has left college officials with hard choices about the fall semester — bring students back, continue remote learning, or find a hybrid approach. Bridge will track plans as they are announced.
Michigan colleges aren’t seeing coronavirus enrollment drops they feared
Preliminary indicators for first-year enrollment are steady or higher at Michigan’s largest universities. That’s a huge relief for college officials, who worried many would avoid campus until a COVID-19 vaccine is developed.
With ‘no way’ to stay safe, coronavirus drives Michigan teacher to quit
Liza McArdle taught foreign languages for 27 years. Now, she’s saying adios to teaching, saying she fears safety precautions won’t be enough to protect her from catching potentially deadly COVID-19 at Huron High School.
Whitmer: Michigan students can return to class if coronavirus stays steady
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday that schools will reopen in September. But what those classrooms will look like will vary greatly among school districts.
Pomp and scary circumstance: images of Michigan grads amid coronavirus
High school graduation season in Michigan is always a special time. This year was like no other.
Michigan launches a WiFi hotspot map to aid those lacking Internet access
It’s just a map, and there are only 300 hotspots marked so far, but a new interactive hotspot locator is a step in the right direction toward increasing broadband access.