Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s goal to make preschool free and available to all families is a big task. The biggest hurdles for the state to overcome are shortages of qualified staff and too few affordable, quality child care spots for 4-year-olds.
The state ranks above national averages in several key areas that indicate success for young children, but still falls short in some, according to newly compiled data.
Schools are starting to ramp down federally funded catch-up efforts, even though students have not yet fully recovered academically from pandemic-era disruptions.
Results from the spring standardized test, released Thursday, show continuing challenges after three years of COVID disruptions. But there were also a few gains from the previous year. See how your school district fared.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said it’s too soon to issue an opinion on the constitutionality of a new education agency created by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by executive order last month.
The state’s elected board of education wants to know if a new department created by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer violates its constitutional power to oversee all public education.
The aim is to improve educational outcomes from early childhood through after-school and postsecondary programs, with the goal of every Michigan student earning a skill certificate or degree after high school.
The state’s recently agreed-upon education budget for the new school year contains money for teacher recruitment, rural districts, Detroit schools, transportation, building upgrades and other items long sought by administrators.
In Democrats’ first education budget, lawmakers directed more funds to schools with disadvantaged students as the state tries to recover from pandemic learning loss. There is also more investment for English language learners and special education.
