Benson’s plans include continuing signature efforts of the Whitmer administration and several ideas that would need support from the Legislature.
Isabel Lohman
Isabel reports on early childhood, K-12 and higher education for Bridge Michigan. She loves visiting schools and analyzing how policies made in Lansing affect students and educators. Previously, she was the children’s issues reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee. There, she reported on the state's third-largest public school district's COVID-19 response and how a community copes after losing teenagers to gun violence. Isabel grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and has also lived in Missouri, Tennessee and Belgium. Isabel moved to Ann Arbor in January 2022 where she experienced her first Michigan winter. She has a warm winter hat with a snap-on puff ball. You can reach Isabel at ilohman@bridgemi.com.
Posted inTalent & Education
What to know about school tax credit program. Will Michigan opt in or stay out?
Michigan private and public school students could benefit from a federal tax credit scholarship program. Here’s what to know.
Posted inTalent & Education
Rick Snyder: Provide Michigan education that’s ‘more than academics’
With just over half of Michigan high school graduates going off to college, leaders say more needs to be done to give them interesting and useful learning experiences in K-12 schools.
Posted inTalent & Education
Work program helps Michigan students with disabilities. Will funding run dry?
At Project SEARCH, students learn what jobs they do and don’t like. They also get support from peers, instructors and employers. Independence and employment are the goals.
Posted inTalent & Education
Most school bonds pass in Tuesday’s election. Look up your district
Statewide, 63.8% of school bonds passed. Some districts that failed to get bonds passed in November also failed Tuesday.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan election Tuesday: school bonds, special Senate race. What to know
The May ballot includes a pivotal state Senate race and nearly three dozen school funding efforts.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan tests expanding free ‘pre-K for all’ to home child-care providers
A new program tests no-cost pre-K in home child care settings. Up until now, students had to attend a school or child care center to qualify for the free option.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan schools get creative, competitive, to curb high absenteeism
Michigan schools want to boost the number of students regularly showing up for class. Can competitions help boost attendance?
Posted inTalent & Education
Should Michigan follow Mississippi and retain 3rd graders to boost literacy?
As leaders discuss ways to improve Michigan test scores, the state of Mississippi repeatedly comes up. Mississippi’s former state literacy director shares ideas on what Michigan can do.
Posted inTalent & Education
As Michigan falls further behind, some ask: Time to overhaul high school?
With college readiness low and absenteeism high, education groups say Michigan is overdue for a change in high school graduation standards