A blunt new report lists ways to fix Michigan schools. Will anyone listen?
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
Grand Rapids cites the limits of state rankings to explain school gaps
Why do some low-income elementary schools in Grand Rapids perform better than others? Educators in Grand Rapids say that ranking formulas often do not reflect critical differences between seemingly similar schools.
Posted inTalent & Education
How state’s new early childhood funding will help boost student learning
More than $30 million has been allocated for early reading initiatives in the 2016 state education budget. Many of the initiatives, intended to boost Michigan’s third-grade reading rates, followed Bridge reporting on the benefits of early investment in vulnerable children.
Posted inTalent & Education
How a single, powerful senator killed serious reform of teacher evaluation
A bill to set rigorous statewide standards for evaluating teachers was backed by Republicans and Democrats, as well as the governor. Standing in their way: state Sen. Phil Pavlov, who has his own ideas about what's best for teachers.
Posted inTalent & Education
Ball Q&A: Michigan kids ‘will lose’ with weak teacher evaluation bill
UM education dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball slams the Legislature’s latest bill to rate teachers. She urges the state to instead adopt her panel’s recommendations, which she said would be the nation’s gold standard for raising classroom performance.
Posted inMichigan Government
Reforms could mean fewer prisoners, shorter sentences – and more money for potholes
The urgent need for road repairs could be the final push needed for criminal justice reforms to be unveiled Monday by Gov. Rick Snyder.
Posted inMichigan Government
6 things we learned (and 3 things we didn’t) from Proposal 1 debacle
Legislators can’t write ballot proposals. And voters don’t read newspaper endorsements. Those are just two reasons why Proposal 1 failed.
Posted inTalent & Education
Why does U-M accept so few low-income students?
A girl, a college president, and the struggle to increase income diversity on campus.
Posted inMichigan Government
Is state’s defense of prison rape allegations another $100 million gamble?
Critics question the state’s aggressive defense of a lawsuit by young inmates who say prison officials failed to protect them from sexual assaults. An earlier suit by women inmates cost the state $100 million, far more than taxpayers would have paid had the state settled the case earlier.
Posted inMichigan Government
A program to give young offenders a second chance is sending many to prison
A program meant to help young, nonviolent offenders get back on track is instead sending more to prison, where they say sexual assault is rampant.