The state is pushing to get more residents to pursue a college degree. The pandemic appears to still be hobbling those efforts, particularly among poor and first-generation students.
Ron French
Ron reports on a variety of subjects across the state. Ron came to Bridge in 2011 from The Detroit News, where he was a project reporter. Born and raised in Indiana, Ron graduated from Purdue University. He reported for newspapers across Indiana before moving to Michigan in 1995. Ron lives in Okemos, and like the true Michigander he’s become, he now has a family cabin Up North. You can reach him at rfrench@bridgemi.com or 517-214-3636.
Posted inTalent & Education
How can Michigan schools spend $6B in COVID money? Here’s what experts say
Help young readers? High school dropouts? What about building repairs? Experts weigh in on how Michigan schools should use federal funds.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan lawmakers pass ‘historic’ $17B plan for schools to close funding gap
Schools will receive base funding of $8,700 per student across the state, a goal lawmakers have worked toward since 1994.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan’s top doc urges schools to require facemasks in the fall
State officials issued guidance Friday recommending students mask-up in school in the fall. That’ll be a hard sell to schools and students.
Posted inTalent & Education
U-M expands free tuition program to its Dearborn, Flint campuses
Lower-income students at U-M’s Flint and Dearborn campuses can enroll this fall without paying tuition through the Go Blue Guarantee. But they must meet a GPA threshold not required of incoming “Go Blue” students in Ann Arbor.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan schools revolt, won’t flunk struggling third-grade readers
The families of almost 3,500 Michigan third-graders received letters recommending they be held back in grade because they scored poorly on a reading test. The actual number who flunk is likely to be much less than that.
Posted inTalent & Education
Detroit schools found a way to attract teachers: Pay them more
Detroit schools were once a tough sell. But by boosting starting pay above $50,000 and offering $15,000 bonuses for special education teachers, the city is attracting educators even during a statewide teacher shortage.
Posted inMichigan Government
Whitmer pitches big expansion of Michigan’s free preschool for 4-year-olds
A proposed $405 million infusion to the Great Start Readiness Program could come from federal COVID funds and the state’s school aid fund. It would provide free preschool to 17,000 more children from low- and moderate-income families.
Posted inTalent & Education
Gov. Whitmer against expanding Michigan’s read-or-flunk law to 4th-graders
An expansion of the controversial third-grade law that recommends retention for students more than a grade level behind in reading was approved by a Senate committee Wednesday.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan’s 3rd-grade read-or-flunk law may expand to 4th grade next year
If passed, the Republican bill could impact thousands of additional students across two grades next year. Critics say expanding the controversial law is a mistake, given the disruption to learning among all grade levels during the pandemic.