Bipartisan measure would tie part of a teacher’s evaluation to student growth on standardized tests. Implementing the new assessments would cost millions but backers say it will improve learning by giving teachers the training and support they need to get better.
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 inMichigan Education Watch
Teacher evaluation bill meant to help, not punish, co-sponsor says
Rep. Adam Zemke says new statewide teacher evaluation legislation will help students by improving teachers’ classroom performance.
Posted inMichigan Education Watch
Michigan’s most overachieving schools: is your school an Academic State Champ?
One is a rural northern Michigan school district receiving the minimum state funding per student. Another is nestled in a wealthy suburban enclave populated with professors and physicians. Several more are charter schools serving low-income students of Middle-Eastern backgrounds. All are among the best public schools in Michigan, getting more out of their students than […]
Posted inMichigan Education Watch
How Michigan’s colleges and universities rank on tough new teacher certification tests
Teacher prep programs at Michigan colleges and universities are scrambling to adjust to the state’s beefed-up teacher readiness exam, first given this past fall, that rated only a quarter of aspiring teachers ready for the classroom. The panic is being felt from the halls of Michigan State University’s nationally renowned school of education, where less […]
Posted inMichigan Education Watch
Outdated spending cap keeps state from screening out less-qualified teachers
Comparison of teacher certification costs by state Lower costs, simpler tests – Michigan charges less for teacher certification tests than surrounding states. Lower fees mean Michigan has less money to pay for tests rigorous enough to screen out less-prepared aspiring teachers. State General test Content-specific test Total Michigan $50 $75 $125 Indiana $114 $150 $264 […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Plenty of jobs for those with few choices
Many of the fastest-growing jobs in Michigan in the coming decade will be jobs most people won’t want – with pay so low that many workers will qualify for food stamps. A Bridge Magazine analysis of job projections found that four of the six occupational categories adding the most jobs through 2023 pay workers, on […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Six things Michigan could do to build better-paying jobs
What’s on our Christmas list? Six things experts say would help turn around Michigan’s dismal jobs forecast. Improve early reading Reading proficiency in early grades has a huge impact on academic success. Invest in intensive intervention as needed in schools, and encourage parents to read to their children. Decrease college dropouts Michigan is above average […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan’s Christmas Carol: A scary look at our jobs outlook
Continued shrinking of the state’s famed middle-class factory jobs. Fast-growing occupations that pay so little, workers may qualify for food stamps. Job growth that ranks 49th in the nation. (Illustration by AJ Jones) This is not a holiday story Gov. Rick Snyder wants to read to his children. Continued shrinking of the state’s famed middle-class […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan needs more college grads to attract good jobs
Lou Glazer is president of Michigan Future Inc., a nonpartisan nonprofit that works to generate new ideas to help Michigan succeed in a knowledge-driven economy. Bridge: Michigan lost a higher percentage of jobs in the recession than other states, and Michigan is projected to gain fewer jobs than 48 states in the next decade. What’s […]
Posted inMichigan Education Watch
No way to know your school’s safety record
Either the kids of Caro High School have a drinking problem, or the adults have a data problem. According to Michigan’s official school safety data, the school of about 600 students in Michigan’s thumb recorded 4,815 cases of alcohol possession in the 2011-12 school year. For that data to be right, each high schooler would […]
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