Gov. Gretchen Whitmer set aside $24 million in federal CARES Act funds to allow people required to work through the height of the coronavirus crisis to receive a free associate’s degree at a local community college.
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
Michigan colleges pass 1,000 COVID cases. Apparently, students like to party.
Strict health protocols on campuses aren’t stopping the spread of coronavirus. With cases rising fast, some experts fear more a wave of deaths, but others say aggressive testing and quarantining could prevent the worst from happening.
Posted inTalent & Education
Whitmer’s ‘real-time’ school coronavirus outbreak data could be a week old
Michigan will begin listing schools with outbreaks Monday, but disclosure is bogged down by testing delays and reporting lag times. Some fear the information will be so dated, it could be of little use to parents.
Posted inTalent & Education
Betsy DeVos: Michigan can expect standardized tests, despite COVID-19
Michigan school leaders asked for a waiver from federal requirements for such tests because of the pandemic. DeVos said no, arguing that the pandemic makes it even more critical to measure and compare school performance.
Posted inTalent & Education
Quesadillas, Netflix and silence in Central Michigan’s ‘COVID dorm’
The hallways are deadly quiet. They can hear sounds from other rooms but don’t know who lives there, and can’t visit. Life in CMU’s COVID Dorm is an eerie, monotonous journey for two, now-separated roommates.
Posted inTalent & Education
From CMU to tiny Adrian, COVID-19 keeps marching through Michigan colleges
With coronavirus cases spiking on some campuses, colleges are adjusting to ‘the inevitable.’
Posted inTalent & Education
Two weeks into classes, Central Michigan University has 178 COVID-19 cases
The outbreak at the mid-Michigan public university started with off-campus parties. Now, there are cases in dorms, too.
Posted inTalent & Education
8 new COVID outbreaks in Michigan schools, colleges. State won’t name them
There are now 14 new or ongoing coronavirus outbreaks in Michigan K-12 schools and colleges. Where are they? How many cases? The state still won’t provide that information.
Posted inTalent & Education
Most Michigan students have option: Return to class or learn at home
About 8 in 10 Michigan K-12 school children can go back to school buildings this fall if they want; the majority also have the option of continuing to learn from home during the pandemic.
Posted inTalent & Education
COVID-19 at your Michigan school? Odds are, nobody is required to tell you.
The governor’s office and state health officials have yet to identify schools with active coronavirus outbreaks. And under current state policy, there is no requirement of a public announcement.