“I started teaching in a charter school in Taylor. I showed up and they said, ‘Here’s a curriculum,’ and they handed me a USB (drive) and a pile of books and said, ‘Teach this,’ and you’re kind of left alone. You’re almost creating your own curriculum, and as a 23 year old, I didn’t have […]
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
Poor students are more likely to get Michigan’s least experienced teachers
The Michigan children most in need of experienced teachers are the students least likely to get them. A Bridge analysis of state data found that inexperienced teachers appear to be clustered in Michigan’s poorest schools. The students in those classrooms will, on average, learn less than their suburban peers taught by more experienced teachers, widening […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Vagaries of student teaching give newcomers vastly different experiences
How long will they student teach? It depends on which university they attend. From left to right, Haslett student teachers Kayli Carter (GVSU), Melissa Lynch (CMU), Sam Georgi (MSU), Justine Dailey (CMU) Anaite Castaneda (MSU). (Bridge photo by Ron French) Theory ran into reality the day Melissa Lynch walked into a fifth-grade class in Haslett, […]
Posted inTalent & Education
The only high school sport where every kid can go pro
Nicholas Knoch from Lake Fenton High School tightens the bolts of his team’s robot at the FIRST Robotics Competition in Connie and Jim John Recreation Center on the campus of Kettering University. His team is the Lake Fenton Hazmat. FLINT – On the same day Michigan State University did battle in football with the University […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Okemos High School celebrates 'nerds'
Okemos High School senior Gavin McDowell explains a complex physics equation. At Okemos High School in Ingham County, it is easy to believe the geeks shall inherit the earth. With a 4.0 grade average, senior Gavin McDowell already has completed advanced placement classes in physics, chemistry and calculus. He is a whiz on the quiz […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Mood of Detroit at a glance: What city residents want from the next mayor
Generally speaking, do you think things in Detroit are on the right track or would you say things in Detroit are on the wrong track? Right track35.7%Wrong track43.2%Don’t know21.0%Refused0.2% Thinking about the next year, do you think things in Detroit will get better, get worse or stay the same? Get better60.2%Get worse7.2%Stay the same22.2%Don’t know10.5%Refused0.0% […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Tax breaks are a bounty crop for Michigan farms
With scant public notice, Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation in June aimed at better management of Michigan forests. Embedded in the package of nine bills is a provision that adds one more benefit to state farmers, who already enjoy state tax breaks that exceed $300 million a year. That sounds like a bargain when paired […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Old Mission postcard: land protection taxes benefit farmers – and neighbors
The purchase of development rights on Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse County has spared thousands of acres of agricultural land. (Photo by Aaron Tackett – Always Aperture Photography) In a land with vistas that put a postcard to shame, residents of Old Mission Peninsula have twice voted to tax themselves so that cherry orchards […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Thumbs Up: Region leads Michigan in farm subsidies
At the tip of Michigan’s Thumb, Huron County is perhaps best known for miles of shoreline that wind along Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron and thousands of acres of fertile and flat farmland. Farmers cultivate everything from corn to navy beans to sugar beets and raise dairy cattle and chickens, ranking third in the state […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Your graduation rates may vary
It’s not a statistic highlighted in college pamphlets or admissions websites, but it’s a data point freshman should think about as they set up their dorm rooms this week: Not all of them have the same chance of graduating. White students are more likely to graduate than African-American students at almost all Michigan universities. And […]