Gobles is a small, rural, almost exclusively white community on the west side of the state. Beecher is an old blue-collar suburb of Flint, racially mixed and overwhelmingly poor. But the children of Gobles and Beecher do share a characteristic — one that neither wants: They can’t attend free, state-funded preschool. Across the state, there […]
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
One woman marshals a pre-K army
Maybe she just didn’t have enough experience to know better. Maybe she had a financial incentive. Whatever the reason, Natalie Merryman succeeded where a lot of school districts failed. As a first-year preschool teacher in the Great Start Readiness Program, Merryman was able to find the kind of at-risk 4-year-olds who are often forgotten in […]
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Education talks set for Imlay City, Pontiac, Detroit, Clinton Township
Imlay City, Pontiac, Detroit, Lansing and Clinton Township are among the upcoming stops for the Center for Michigan’s ongoing townhall series on K-12 reform: WHEN: Sept. 27, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: East Meeting Room, Novi Public Library, 45255 10 Mile Road, Novi RSVP: Julie Farkas, Novi Public Library — (248) 869-7204 WHEN: Oct. […]
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In Grand Rapids, a tale of two kids
Like any mother, Grand Rapids resident Courtney Malone wants the best for her children. That’s why she worries about her 3-year-old son, Bryson, who is on a waiting list for the state’s Great Start Readiness Program. She fears he could be losing ground by missing out on the all-day preschool. “It’s very disappointing,” said Malone, […]
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Pre-K access is a challenge across the state
In theory, children from low- and moderate-income homes have an equal opportunity for free, high-quality preschool in every corner of Michigan. But it turns out some corners are more equal than others. In Saginaw, 91 percent of 4-year-olds eligible for Great Start Readiness Program are in that state-funded preschool or another state- or federally funded […]
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State official: Adults have let children down
Susan Broman is director of the state’s Office of Great Start, an office created in 2011 by Gov. Rick Snyder to consolidate the state’s early childhood education efforts. Broman recently responded to written questions posed by Bridge regarding the state’s Great Start Readiness Program, and the 30,000 eligible 4-year-olds who aren’t in classrooms. Bridge: Our […]
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30,000 children lose out on pre-K classes
Landen Ford wants to go to preschool. The 4-year-old Flushing boy with a crew cut and a toothy grin thought he’d learn the alphabet and his sounds, and maybe make some friends, just like his big brother Logan did last year. But instead of learning to write his name, Landen is learning an early lesson […]
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Education reform discussion headed for Dexter, Lansing, Pontiac, more
Michiganians from Dexter to Lansing to Pontiac have opportunities in September and October to discuss K-12 education and reform as part of the Center for Michigan’s ongoing townhall series on the topic: WHEN: Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Dexter District Library, 3255 Alpine St. Dexter RSVP: Daniel Lai, Dexter Patch — daniel.lai@patch.com or (734) […]
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Dexter, Dearborn are among next stops in education townhall series
Michiganians from Grand Rapids to Birmingham, Dexter to Dearborn have opportunities in the next few weeks to discuss K-12 education and reform as part of the Center for Michigan’s ongoing townhall series on the topic: WHEN: Sept. 20, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: LINC Community Revitalization, Inc., 1167 Madison SE Grand Rapids RSVP: Emberly […]
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Khan Academy sparks passion from fans, skeptics
Google CEO Eric Schmidt is a big fan. So is Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who calls California-based Khan Academy “a glimpse of the future of education.” Founded in 2006 by Bengali-American Sal Khan and profiled on “Sixty Minutes,” the academy’s free online video tutorials on everything from math to finance to cosmology reach some 5 […]