New state test scores show that less than 60% of third graders are proficient in English language arts. Meanwhile, leaders are investing millions in teacher training, new curriculum and literacy coaches.
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
Dearborn Public Schools chief poised to become next state superintendent
Michigan Board of Education selects Glenn Maleyko to replace Michael Rice, who’s set to retire in October.
Posted inTalent & Education
Survey: 1-in-10 Michigan districts cut class staff for new school year
The downsizing comes as federal funding expires and amid uncertainty over a state budget.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan superintendent finalists picked. Can they boost reading scores?
The Michigan State Board of Education has narrowed its list of contenders for state superintendent. All three said they support recent efforts to improve student literacy across the state.
Posted inTalent & Education
Special education complaints jump in Michigan, as odds stacked against parents
A Howell mother’s fight to guarantee services for her children embodies a system that some say is in dire need of reform.
Posted inMichigan Government, Talent & Education
Michigan schools returning without state budget, warning free meals may not last
Missing from Michigan’s back-to-school checklist: A state budget.
Educators say the funding uncertainty is already forcing ‘difficult decisions.’
Posted inTalent & Education
Child abandonment case spurs call to prove when Michigan students transfer schools
A case in Pontiac where three children were discovered to be living in squalor after their mother allegedly abandoned them is prompting a Michigan lawmaker to propose changes to student enrollment processes.
Posted inTalent & Education
Seven candidates in the running for Michigan superintendent. Who are they?
More than 30 people applied to be the next Michigan state superintendent. The state Board of Education has narrowed the list to seven semifinalists.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan awards $87 million for schools to buy proven literacy materials
In a state with over 400 English language arts curricula used in elementary classrooms, a new investment may cut down on those programs. It just might raise test scores too.
Posted inTalent & Education
Voters approve just over half of Michigan school bond proposals
Twelve school districts asked voters Tuesday to approve taxes to pay for school projects. In the end, only seven districts got their proposals passed.