The Dearborn Public Schools board needed a larger auditorium to hold the hundreds of parents, residents and teachers who arrived Thursday to argue over whether six book titles should remain on school library shelves.
Ron French
Ron French is the senior enterprise reporter at Bridge Michigan, covering a wide range of topics including rural communities, federal policy impacts, education and public health. Born and raised in Indiana, Ron came to Bridge in 2011 from The Detroit News, where he was a project reporter, and previously reported for newspapers across Indiana. He graduated from Purdue University.
Rooted in Okemos, Ron has become a true Michigander — complete with a family cabin Up North.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan Achievement Scholarship: How to apply and get your college funds
There will be a lot of money for college on the table for high school seniors graduating next year. But first, they need to fill out forms.
Posted inMichigan Government
Whitmer, Dixon debate: What to expect on five key Michigan issues
Voters want to hear about K-12 learning, the economy, abortion, college attainment and crime. Here’s what Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her GOP challenger Tudor Dixon have said.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan LGBTQ teacher videos will stay despite outcry from GOP and Whitmer
Michigan Superintendent Michael Rice won’t remove training videos on making schools safe for LGBTQ students. Rice said there are times when it is not appropriate to tell parents when a student comes out about their gender identity.
Posted inMichigan Government
With fewer inmates (and officers), Michigan closes another prison
Michigan’s prisoner population is dropping fast, but a shortage of corrections officers still strains the system.
Posted inMichigan Government
Meet the judge keeping abortion legal in Michigan (for now)
Elizabeth Gleicher had a history of liberal advocacy as a lawyer before joining the Michigan Court of Appeals. Colleagues also say she’s a hard-working, fair judge.
Posted inTalent & Education
Romance author Nora Roberts helps save MI library defunded over LGBTQ books
Saying she was ‘appalled’ by the possible closure of an Ottawa County library, romance novelist Nora Roberts steps in with a $50,000 donation and a willingness to send more. Donations now exceed next year’s budget shortfall for the library.
Posted inTalent & Education
After student loan relief, here are 4 more ways to cut Michigan college debt
Michigan students leave college with more debt than the U.S. average. Experts have suggestions for ways to lessen the load.
Posted inTalent & Education
MI community colleges ditching remedial courses to keep students enrolled
Remedial courses are one of the main reasons vulnerable students drop out. The courses cost money and provide students with no credit toward graduation, discouraging many students from completing their degrees.
Posted inMichigan Government
Fundraisers pass $100K for Michigan library defunded over LGBTQ books
The Patmos Library in Ottawa County has attracted donations from as far away as Australia. Meanwhile, some of the books that upset residents aren’t sexually explicit.