(courtesy photo) Only 3 percent of low-income and African-American high school students in Michigan are enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) classes that help them get a toehold in college. That’s one of the lowest rates in the nation, according to a study conducted by Education Trust. The AP gap puts an estimated 12,000 poor and […]
Talent & Education
To prosper, Michigan must be a more educated place. Bridge will explore the challenges in education and identify policies and initiatives that address them.
Posted inTalent & Education
Grand Rapids races ahead of state on teacher evaluations
(courtesy image/used under Creative Commons license) The old system of evaluating a teacher’s performance – a principal observing in a classroom – was not particularly effective, school administrators and teacher union leaders agree. The challenge is in coming up with a better system. A committee of education experts – the Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness […]
Posted inTalent & Education
On horizon for preschools: More public-private partnerships
MACKINAC ISLAND — Legislators had barely made it to Mackinac Island after passing an historic increase in funding for early childhood education before discussion turned to what happens next. A panel today predicted more public-private partnerships in pre-K for 4-year-olds and investment in brain development at even earlier ages could be on the horizon if […]
Posted inTalent & Education
State adopts ‘nation’s largest’ expansion of early childhood funding
Ten thousand additional Michigan 4-year-olds will be in classrooms next school year, after Republican and Democratic legislators Wednesday passed the largest expansion in early childhood education in the nation. (Bridge illustration/A.J. Jones) The $65 million expansion for the 2013-14 budget year is a major victory for business leaders, educators and children advocates, as well […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan moves into national forefront of preschool funding
Michigan will move from middle of the pack to top of the heap when Gov. Rick Snyder signs off on a massive expansion of state-funded early childhood education in coming days. REASON TO CELEBRATE: Great Start preschool student Shelby Tomshani, left, plays with Head Start preschool student Zoey Stock in September 2012 at Lakeland Elementary […]
Posted inTalent & Education
As Right to Work takes root, MEA faces rough lessons from Wisconsin
LABOR LOSS: Protesters packed the Wisconsin State Capitol in 2011 in opposition to restrictions on public-sector union organizing. Since the restrictions were implemented, the number of public-sector union worker has dropped 21 percent. (courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) In the hectic days of last December, as the Michigan Legislature prepared to pass a Right-to-Work […]
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MEA faces breakaways, poaching of locals
Just months after Right to Work was enacted in Michigan, Michigan Education Association local units are looking to depart the mothership. MEA NO MORE: Teachers in the Roscommon schools decided in 2012 to leave the Michigan Education Association and form their own independent bargaining unit. (courtesy photo) MEA leaders say local units have left – and […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Bridge readership survey 2013
Bridge will celebrate its second birthday in a few months. As a media “toddler,” we are still learning the best ways to present the most important topics to our readership across Michigan. To that end, we need to learn more about you – our readers. Each year, we survey our readership on a variety of […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan isn’t properly monitoring schools, education group says
Increasing school choice doesn’t help students, if the new options are bad. All too often, that’s been the case in Michigan recently with charter schools and cyber-schools, claims a new report by the reform group Education Trust-Midwest. CLICK TO ENLARGE The report to be released today, “Invest in What Works: A Call to Michigan Leaders,” lays […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Consensus on Common Core school standards evaporating
(courtesy image/used under Creative Commons license) Seven years ago, Michigan’s Democratic and Republican lawmakers arrived at a rare moment of consensus: They agreed to dramatically raise the bar for high school graduation. A two-bill package passed the Senate without dissent, and there was just a smattering of no votes in the 110-member House. Michigan […]