By listening to the needs of school-based personnel in our state, we can work collectively to develop strategies that support positive youth development and ensure students concentrate on learning.
Changes to M-STEP would streamline the assessment process, add to the relevance of the remaining testing tools, and remove impediments Michigan students have to higher education.
It is past time for more school districts to partner with their local child advocacy centers on prevention services, to reduce the number of children who are abused and to teach them how to speak up.
Michigan lacks enough qualified teachers to deliver high quality in-person computer science instruction. We need educators who are proficient and ready to inspire the next generation of computer scientists.
Policymakers should consider additional investment and improvements in transitional kindergarten, given how successful these programs appear to be in Michigan.
The spending proposals currently being considered provide mixed signals about the state’s priorities and backslide on the recent commitment to the educational needs of ‘at-risk’ students.
School aid budget proposals would limit the ability of community-based child-care providers to participate in the state’s publicly funded pre-K program. Policymakers should not ignore the voices of constituents.
A promise of guaranteed tuition coverage sends a clear message that college is affordable and is more likely to broaden the pipeline of students pursuing degrees or credentials.
For Michigan to be successful in the coming decades, we must reinvent what happens in school for all students. We can't do any of this without addressing how our education system is governed.
Restoring pension and retiree health-care benefits will go a long way toward recruiting and retaining more teachers and the employees necessary to provide government services in Michigan.
Immigrants are an important part of Michigan’s economy and business community. With the state losing talent and population, increasing funding for English learners is critical.
Programs like Michigan Reconnect, which offers an opportunity to attend community college tuition-free, can strengthen the workforce and assure CEOs that Michigan has a pipeline of qualified employees.
