Observing the course of education reform in Michigan – and the mounting information that many of Michigan’s children were not being properly prepared for a 21st century world, leaders at the Center for Michigan, a nonprofit, nonpartisan “think-and-do tank” in Ann Arbor struck on a simple idea: Find out what the public – the actual […]
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.
On parents, better to coax or coerce?
Ask Sally Wiggins to describe her role in her daughters’ education, and she starts at the beginning. “My pregnancies were intentional,” she said, embarked upon after her marriage had proven stable over a period of years. Her prenatal care was top-notch; Wiggins, a nurse by profession, took pains to make sure her nutrition, exercise, rest […]
Grading teachers proves harder than thought
Public views on teacher preparation. CLICK TO ENLARGE. An annual performance review — in which duties, accomplishments and expectations are weighed against a set of standards — is a rite of passage for most Michiganians. And it’s easy to do for, say, a car salesman. How many cars you sell? How much money did […]
Public wants to help teachers improve
The best way to improve schools is to improve the skills of the person standing in the front of Michigan classrooms. Teaching teachers to do their jobs better is the education reform Michigan residents believe will most improve our schools, according to the largest effort ever to collect and analyze public opinion on K-12 education […]
Online ed expansion, school choice plan murky in 2013
A proposal to revise the state’s School Aid Act to allow state funding to follow students to where they take individual classes will not be part of Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget proposal next month, but could make its way into legislative discussions over that budget. None around Lansing were willing to commit to any course […]
Message sent: Fix schools, send us the bill
Michigan residents want better schools — and they think the state will have to spend more to get them. That’s among the findings of the largest effort ever to collect and analyze public opinion on K-12 education in Michigan. More than 7,500 people voiced their views on the state’s public education system, over the course […]
Snyder’s call for early childhood funds draws applause from advocacy groups, legislators
Thousands of low-and moderate-income children took a step closer to the preschool classroom with Wednesday night’s call for additional early childhood investment by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in his State of the State address. Snyder noted that 29,000 children are eligible for the state’s Great Start Readiness Program, but can’t get in because there aren’t […]
Presenting Bridge’s Academic State Champs 2012
Fifty-two school districts and charter schools across the state were named 2012 Academic State Champs by Bridge Magazine by finishing in the top 10 of at least one Value-Added Matrix ranking. By finishing in the top 10, these schools were in the top 2 percent of schools in the state. The winners, ranging from small […]
Which Mich. schools add most value for students?
At first blush, Godwin Heights Public Schools isn’t anything special. Only 6 percent of its juniors were considered “college ready” on their ACTs in 2012, about one-third of the state’s median rate. Fourth- and eighth-grade MEAP scores were middling, at best. On the other hand, Bloomfield Hills has the highest percentage of students deemed “college […]
State Champs: See how your local district ranks
Fifty-two Michigan public school districts and charters were named Academic State Champions for the 2011-12 school year. Winners were drawn from a database created by Bridge Magazine and Public Sector Consultants of traditional public school districts and charter schools offering kindergarten through 12th-grade. The analysis ranks schools by how much value they add to students’ […]
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