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 […]
Michigan K-12 schools
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 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 […]
Posted inTalent & Education
‘Issues & Ale’ series focuses on Center’s public education report
What do Michigan’s parents and residents want out of public schools? Where are the trouble spots? The bright spots? Next Tuesday night 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 […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Charter school boards need more training, guidance
By Gary Sands Since the new Legislature convened in January, more than 40 bills related to public education have been introduced. These bills cover a wide range of topics, from funding for pre-kindergarten programs to high school graduation requirements. There is clearly widespread interest in maintaining and improving the quality of elementary and secondary education […]
Posted inTalent & Education
School experts, parents will review K-12 report in televised townhall
On March 6 the Center for Michigan will host a televised townhall meeting in partnership with Detroit Public Television on the future of education in Michigan to discuss the nonprofit think tank’s latest report: “The Public’s Agenda for Public Education: How Michigan citizens want to improve student learning.” This event will be aired live from […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Education reform is theme of TV forum for Southeast Michigan
On March 6 the Center for Michigan will host a televised townhall meeting in partnership with Detroit Public Television on the future of education in Michigan to discuss the nonprofit think tank’s latest report: “The Public’s Agenda for Public Education: How Michigan citizens want to improve student learning.” “The Center for Michigan has organized this […]
Posted inTalent & Education
School in Thumb takes online learning to the max
Allison Ruiz was attending the Thanksgiving parade in downtown Detroit two months ago when she got a call from a student with a homework question. Nothing unusual for a teacher whose classes are 100 percent online — and whose students hit the keyboards whenever and wherever the mood strikes. “I was a little leery about […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Legislators missed chance to have eyes opened on K-12 reform
In my experience, there are two basic types of conferences: * The rehash, where you see/meet new people but don’t learn much new. * The eye-opener, where you hear something quite new that shoves your thinking in new directions. Tuesday’s gathering in Lansing, sponsored by the Center for Michigan to consider expert response to the report, “The […]