GROSSE POINTE — When Dan Roeske was running for the Grosse Pointe Public Schools board in 2011, he found himself addressing a PTO group at Poupard Elementary, one of the district’s 13 schools. A woman asked bluntly about one of the district’s perennial issues. “Where do you stand on open enrollment?” she asked. Roeske took […]
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
County-by-county searchable database on child abuse, neglect
Use Bridge’s searchable database to check the child abuse/neglect rate for your home county. (The rate reflects the number of reported cases per 1,000 residents age 0 to 17.) County Cases per thousand 2011 ALCONA 11.3 ALGER 6.1 ALLEGAN 17.7 ALPENA 25.9 ANTRIM 25.2 ARENAC 25.0 BARAGA 20.6 BARRY 19.0 BAY 13.0 BENZIE 18.8 BERRIEN […]
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Thousands of low-income, minority students missing out on college-prep classes
(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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]