Michigan has plenty of people who commit a crime come election time. They aren’t trying to vote twice, or do anything to improperly tilt the results of an election. They simply want to vote at their convenience. But in Michigan, convenience is something meant for only a select group of voters: the elderly, the disabled, […]
Bridge survey finds big support for easier absentee voting, yet legislation lags
Posted inSuccess
High hopes, high energy: Detroit teacher leads with flair
At the beginning of every school year, while other teachers are going over their first day lesson plans minute by minute, Pamela Harris-Hawthorne has a different goal. In fact, for the first couple weeks at Detroit Innovation Academy, Harris-Hawthorne doesn’t teach her fifth-graders a thing. She’s too busy getting to know them. “Once you know […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
*Uh-oh: “Asian carp are reproducing in more places and under more varied conditions than experts had believed they could, yet another reason to worry about the greedy invader’s potential to infest waterways and crowd out native species, scientists said.” *Meanwhile, legislation is moving to bar the state Department of Natural Resources from using biodiversity in […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Leaders in high-retention districts make no apologies for kindergarten repeats
New Lothrop, a small school district in Shiawassee County, holds back more of its kindergartners for a second year than any district in the state — and its superintendent makes no apologies for it. “The bottom line is, we’re not going to promote kids if they’re not ready,” said New Lothrop Superintendent John Strycker. “We […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan’s 13,000 ‘redshirt’ kindergartners
Kindergarten classes in Escanaba and Dearborn are quite similar, with 5-year-olds wiggling in their chairs and brightly-colored artwork lining the walls. But when children walked out of those classrooms in the spring of 2011, they faced different futures. In Escanaba Area Public Schools, almost 40 percent of the children were told they weren’t moving on […]
Posted inTalent & Education
See how your school ranks on kindergarten repeats
Almost 14,000 kindergarten students were held back for a second year of kindergarten classes in the 2010-11 school year. A Bridge Magazine analysis of state data found wide disparities in the rates of such kindergarten retention, however. And these rates are not tied to academic success, poverty or other research factors. Districts in rural areas […]
Posted inTalent & Education
How often does your school hold back kindergartners?
Almost 14,000 kindergarten students were held back for a second year of kindergarten classes in the 2010-11 school year. A Bridge Magazine analysis of state data found wide disparities in the rates of such kindergarten retention, however. And these rates are not tied to academic success, poverty or other research factors. In some districts, one-third […]
Posted inPeter Luke: Eye on the Capitol
Detroit has to diet to survive
Kevyn Orr has plenty of numbers he has to confront in his new role as emergency manager of Detroit. One of the more critical ones, though, may not have his immediate attention. As of the 2010 Census, which is already outdated given facts on the ground that change daily, Detroit had 269,445 occupied housing units […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
*Home-court advantage is a perennial topic of conversation in college basketball, but Michigan Republicans have to be congratulated – or pilloried – in how they have created a huge advantage for themselves in congressional elections. As this Bloomberg visual details, Michigan Republicans win by losing. Even though they gained only just under 46 percent of […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Education reform report will highlight ‘Issues & Ale’ event in Ferndale tonight
What do Michigan’s parents and residents want out of public schools? Where are the trouble spots? The bright spots? Tonight in Ferndale (just north of Detroit), the Center for Michigan and Michigan Radio are convening a panel of experts to discuss the findings in the Center’s new report, “The Public’s Agenda for Public Education.” This […]