For impoverished students, a quality education goes beyond providing a strong curriculum and standardized tests.
Specialized support for at-risk students is effective
Posted inTalent & Education
School funding fight turns on two visions of Michigan
Charter and school-choice proponents want all districts to get an equal share of state funding. The state board and leading education groups say that rural, urban and low-income districts often need more resources to provide a quality education.
Posted inTalent & Education
How much does it cost to educate a child? In Michigan, nobody knows
Most states pay for so-called “adequacy studies” to calculate how much they should be spending to give students a quality education. Michigan is among a minority of states that have balked at such studies, while questioning their usefulness.
Posted inTalent & Education
A brief history of Proposal A, or how we got here
Proposal A was a bipartisan solution that offered property tax relief to Michigan residents while cutting the gap between poor and more affluent districts. A primer on how it works and why it needs an overhaul.
Posted inTalent & Education
A school funding glossary for civilians
Education policy carries its own jargon, with some of the lexicon more accessible than others. Here are some commonly used terms in the school funding debate.
Posted inPhil's Column
Why is this lesson so hard to learn? Education should be linked to job market
Two generations of Michigan governors have urged the teaching of job skills to match the labor market, to little effect.
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Served with honor, if not heroism, but they don’t offer first pitches for that
If everyone who ever wore the uniform of the United States’ armed forces is a hero, the word no longer has any meaning.
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Why ‘banning the box’ for reformed offenders is the real quality of mercy
Forcing ex-cons to lead with their records on job applications is as effective as a facial tattoo – at keeping them unemployed.
Posted inTalent & Education
Gridlocked on change, state may bring back reviled MEAP next fall
The legislature’s inability to decide on a test that accurately measures student growth may impact students and teachers next fall.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Teachers need more training and resources to teach to higher standards
It makes little sense to expect that Michigan students will meet more rigorous college- and career-ready standards without supporting teachers in implementing them and measuring whether students get there.