Michigan K-12 schools

Regional superintendents across the state propose a new, more flexible path for certifying teachers. The plan includes getting future teachers in classrooms earlier in their education and paying them as they teach.

Michigan’s Read by Grade 3 law requires struggling third-grade readers be held back, but exemptions meant only 545 students were held back this year. Struggling readers who were Black or low-income were far more likely to repeat third grade white, more affluent readers who struggled.

Michigan superintendents are trying to balance physical technology to secure schools, with building stronger mental health supports for students. They say school safety continues to be something they want to improve.

Help is on the way for more of Michigan’s lowest performing districts, which qualify for extra support and funding through a state partnership program.

The truncated MSU teacher preparation program will save students $16,700 in tuition and get them into teaching jobs faster.

Anything could happen in the Michigan Legislature before the end of the year, but it appears likely that very little will happen prior to Democrats taking the majority in January.

Over a decade of Republican dominance in Michigan, perhaps no individual shaped Michigan school policy as much as DeVos. Democrats now hope to undo her work.

Michigan education officials received the public records request in May seeking data on how local districts plan to spend $6.2 billion in federal relief funds. The state says it would take 300 — no, 807 — hours to vet the records before releasing them.

Dyslexia, coding and WorkKeys bills are among the few that lawmakers could take up in final weeks.

The discussion was part of an effort to revisit naming decisions made when the district was overseen by state-appointed emergency managers

The school board had been under months of pressure from a raucous group of parents and activists to remove books with LGBTQ, sexual, or sexual violence themes. Other books are still under review.

Tuesday’s election put Democrats in charge of the state House, Senate and governor’s office. That could mean bonuses for teachers, more funding for vulnerable districts and an end to the third-grade reading law.

When Republicans lost control of the Michigan Legislature on Tuesday, they also lost the ability to enact voter ID and voucher-like scholarship petitions without a signature from the Democratic governor.

From the governor’s race to local school boards, the ‘parental rights’ movement has dominated debates on education policy this election year. But movement-backed candidates had limited success Tuesday in local school board elections.

Republicans framed the education debate in Michigan this year on culture war issues including transgender inclusion, diversity and critical race theory. But in statewide races, it was Democrats who emerged victorious.

Michiganders will consider three initiatives on the Nov. 8 ballot, including efforts to keep abortion legal and allow for early voting.

We must ask the right questions to those running for offices this November, and those questions start with whether their priorities stand with our students or their own politics.

More than 10 percent of students opted out of at least one vaccine in five Michigan counties, leaving areas open to potentially deadly outbreaks. Said one ‘vaccine choice’ leader: Parents know what’s best for their children.

There is no one single magic policy—not school choice, not book bans, and certainly not culture wars—that will improve outcomes for kids.

The latest national testing underscores the pandemic’s toll on math and reading scores. Michigan’s fourth-graders had the lowest reading scores in 30 years. Black and low-income students fell further behind white, more affluent students.