Fewer than 1-in-3 aspiring teachers are passing a new certification exam that tests math, reading and writing skills. Proponents of the test say its raises the bar for the profession; but teaching colleges call the test confusing.
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
Low-income students seeing huge cost hikes at some Michigan universities
Michigan’s most vulnerable students are bearing the brunt of college cost hikes. That’s bad for them ‒ and the state.
Posted inTalent & Education
College calculator: Don’t believe college sticker prices
The net cost for students at Michigan’s public universities can be less than half of sticker price, depending on family income. Use Bridge’s college calculator to determine how much you would pay at the state’s 15 public universities.
Posted inTalent & Education
Special education rates vary wildly by school district, race, gender and income
A Bridge Magazine- Michigan Radio investigation suggests that early education interventions could help many struggling students avoid a special ed designation. See our interactive database showing special education rates in your school district.
Posted inTalent & Education
Picking a college? How about 10?
Michigan universities are buried under an electronic avalanche of applications this month, as high school seniors apply to three, four, maybe a dozen schools.
Posted inTalent & Education
Training school counselors to give college advice
Michigan does not require school counselors to receive training on giving college advice to students.<br />
A bill now in the legislature would require such training for counselors entering the field. But with all the focus on road funding, will lawmakers get to it? </p>
Posted inTalent & Education
State education board urges Legislature to transform how schools are funded
The board’s report cites the recent Bridge series, “The smartest kids in the nation,” which chronicled how other states saw gains when they targeted funds to the schools that needed help most.
Posted inMichigan Government
Electoral College voting
Republicans are promising another effort to change the way Michigan electoral votes are apportioned in presidential races, giving Republican candidates an advantage even when most state votes go to a Democrat.
Posted inMichigan Government
10 issues to watch in Legislature’s “lame-duck” session
By all accounts, finding money to fix Michigan’s roads is a priority. But what after that? A school bill? Or something nuclear, like changing how we count presidential electoral votes?
Posted inMichigan Government
Election Day Playbook: What to watch for tonight
Woody Allen once famously said that “80 percent of success is just showing up.” But Dems would probably settle for half that as they seek to unseat an incumbent governor.