Chalkbeat

56% of Michigan teachers are thinking about leaving in five years, poll says

2026-08-25T22:43:58+00:00

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Most Michigan teachers feel deeply dedicated to their profession, but a quarter of them are considering leaving the profession within a year, and 56% might leave within five years.

Those are the results of a new poll released Tuesday. It was commissioned by Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative, an organization focused on addressing the state’s teacher pipeline challenges.

If the poll results bear out, they could destabilize the profession and worsen the teacher shortages that already affect many districts, particularly in hard-to-staff areas such as special education.

The results come as teachers face increasing pressure. Students are performing poorly on state and national exams as Michigan continues to slide lower in national academic rankings. Lawmakers are enacting new mandates for teacher training in methods that use the science of reading.

Respondents cited inadequate compensation, not enough training for new teachers, and barriers to classroom innovation as reasons they are considering leaving.

“If we want our state to move out of this perpetual threat of losing half of our teacher workforce over the next five years, we should listen to our teachers,” Jack Elsey, CEO and founder of the Workforce Initiative, said during a media roundtable Tuesday. “They’re telling us what they need.”

The poll was conducted from May 29 to June 30, surveyed a representative sample of 300 teachers, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7 percentage points. It was conducted by Impact Research, with help from UpONE Insights, another polling company.

“The data confirms what we see in classrooms every day, as teachers are pouring their hearts into this work, but love for the job does not alleviate the challenging workload and financial pressures we face,” CJ Walker, a teacher at Concord Community Schools, said in a news release about the poll results. “If we want to reverse this retention crisis, we must value our teachers both via compensation and support.”

Michigan has an aging educator workforce, but teachers of all ages are considering exiting the profession according to Brian Stryker, managing partner at Impact Research.

“That is also true of newer teachers, teachers in the middle of their career. You also see it across elementary, middle, and high school,” Stryker said.

Compensation was one of the biggest factors. The problem is more acute among newer teachers, because the longer someone has been teaching, the more fairly compensated they feel, Stryker said. Fixing it is challenging, as decisions about pay are decided at the local level.

“We think the poll tells a powerful story that we have made progress over the last few years in improving the workforce’s experience, but they’re also telling us that we have a ways to go,” Elsey said.

Here are some additional findings:

46% of the teachers strongly agreed with the statement that “I frequently feel I am expected to be ‘all things to all people at all times’ in my current role.
54% strongly agreed with the statement that “my school is a great place to be a teacher.”
48% strongly agreed with the statement that “Michigan is a great place to be a teacher.”
32% strongly agreed with the statement that “I feel fairly compensated for my work as a teacher.”
39% strongly agreed with the statement that “I have access to rigorous, standards-aligned curriculum and instructional materials for the subject areas and grades I teach.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

First day of school comes with excitement, bittersweet feelings

2026-08-24T22:01:46+00:00

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Jasmine Ng had mixed feelings about starting her junior year Monday morning at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills. She was excited to arrive with all her siblings — her little sister, who’s at Stoney Creek, too, and her little brother, who’s starting at Hart Middle School, right across the street.

“Usually it’s just me and my sister. Today, it was, ‘Yay let’s go to school together for the first time since COVID,’” Ng said.

But amid the first day excitement, Ng was also thinking about the SAT season looming in the distance. She said she’s not looking forward to taking those tests her junior year, when many kids start the college application process.

Jasmine Ng, a junior at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills, recites the Pledge of Allegiance on her first day of school on Aug. 24, 2026.

Miles away in Detroit, as students at East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney returned to school Monday morning, staff made sure the teens were amped up and ready to take on the day. A DJ played Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It,” as school leaders and community members clapped and cheered on students as they entered the building for the annual “clap-in.”

“Good morning!” the crowd exclaimed as a girl with long braids waved shyly as she passed by. “Happy first day!”

Monday marked the first day of school in some suburban school districts and the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Students returned with excitement and jitters as they entered freshly cleaned schools, greeted their new teachers, and reconnected with their friends. Across metro Detroit, the 2026-27 school year will have a lot in store for students, teachers, and school leaders. Three months from now, voters will elect a new governor who will have the power to push for dramatic changes to address poor test scores.

Students will have to become accustomed to new state rules that restrict the use of wireless devices such as cell phones during instruction, and gym classes that will now have to include a fitness test. On the plus side, the state once again will provide free school meals to public school students, regardless of income. And high school juniors, some of whom are preparing for college admissions essays, will have one fewer to write with the elimination of the SAT essay exam they usually would take in the spring as part of the Michigan Merit Exam.

In Detroit, city and school leaders are expanding efforts to curb chronic absenteeism. The city will continue to provide free bus service to all Detroit students through the Detroit Department of Transportation and is launching a new program offering rideshare service to students at four high schools. DPSCD is expanding its program that pays high school students for perfect attendance, adding middle school students this school year. And the district is expanding a program that provides yellow school bus service at high schools with particularly high rates of chronic absenteeism.

Here’s what the first day looked like in multiple schools:

State’s new policy forces teens to ‘disconnect from our cell phones’

At East English Village, senior Ortez Matthews said he’s ready to begin his final year. He’s taking two advanced placement classes, an honors class, and some career and technical education courses on top of extracurriculars like student council, coaching baseball and serving on Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield’s youth cabinet.

Students file in to East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney on Aug. 24, 2026, the first day of school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

He said he doesn’t mind putting his cell phone away for most of the day to comply with the state’s new student policy restricting the use of wireless devices during instruction.

“I do think that our generation, Gen Z, do need to disconnect from our cell phones for some time because when we were growing up, we always had them. School is somewhere to start because at home, we can do whatever we want.”

The clap-in that greeted students was organized by school staff and the DPSCD Foundation. Kerrie Mitchell Campbell-Mabins, president and CEO of the foundation, said she wanted to make sure students felt loved and supported.

“This is a representation of what they can expect all year, that the community is going to be out to support them and to make sure that they have everything that they need,” Campbell-Mabins said.

Vitti emphasizes good attendance in school visits

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti visited several schools across the district Monday. He fielded questions from students that touched on a variety of topics, including when they would get paid for perfect attendance, why they have to wear uniforms, and whether he likes Jordan basketball shoes.

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District talks to students at the School at Marygrove on the first day back to school on Aug. 24, 2026 in Detroit.

Sixth graders at Carstens Elementary-Middle School on the city’s east side shared highlights of their summer breaks: a trip to Cedar Point, dinner at Red Lobster, and lots of swimming.

In a seventh grade classroom at Nolan Elementary-Middle School on the north side of Detroit, some students expressed their dislike of the new cell phone policy requiring them to put their devices away until the end of the day.

“I bet if I come back around December and I ask you to compare this year versus last year, you’ll say you’re more focused on what happens in the classroom because you don’t have your phone,” Vitti said to the kids.

At Southwest Detroit’s Bennett Elementary School, Vitti reminded a class of third graders about the importance of coming to school every day.

Principal Melissa Villarreal helped translate the message into Spanish.

“What do I tell you every Monday?” Villarreal said. “We have to be here because when we’re not, it gets really hard to reach your goals, right?”

A cold start to the first day of school

At Stoney Creek High in Rochester Hills, school buses rounded the traffic circle, dropping kids off in the 50-something degree weather that Principal Brian Shelson said was the coldest first day in the school’s history.

Many older students with driver’s licenses opted to drive to school. Addison Fogler, a senior from Rochester who spent the summer up north with her family, got together with friends last night to decorate their cars in a school-wide senior tradition.

“We wrote like Seniors 2027, lots of dots and hearts,” she said.

Monday morning she picked up some of her best friends and they listened to songs mixing nostalgia with excitement, to match the feeling of finally arriving for the final year of high school.

“‘Ribs’ by Lorde, ‘Where’d Time Go?’ All the classics,” she said.

Mobolaji Akinbiyi, a junior at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills, talks about his first day back to school on Aug. 24, 2026.

Mobolaji Akimbiyi, a Stoney Creek junior, is planning to take the SAT in two weeks. He used the summer to study, in addition to resting, doing AP language homework, and watching the World Cup with his dad. He’s most excited for AP Physics.

Like Ng, Akimbiyi has mixed feelings about the first day — a combination of excitement, apprehension, and a bit of relief to be back in routine after a languid few months.

“Summer kind of dragged on,” he said.

A final first day at a Detroit school set to close

A slow trickle of a couple dozen students with shiny see-through plastic backpacks gathered in front of the door at Detroit’s Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School on the city’s north end. They waited patiently as teachers decked out in blue greeted them.

Though the group assembled for the clap-in was small, spirits were high as upbeat music and staff cheers welcomed the children inside.

“Welcome back, welcome back,” staff cheered as they danced with excitement.

The school, which had around 170 students in 2025-26, is set to close at the end of June due to low enrollment and high costs. Its closure follows that of four other DPSCD schools last year.

Evan Pringle, who will start ninth grade at Oak Park High School Tuesday, met up with his brothers outside of Marshall around 8:30 a.m. He attended Marshall from preschool through eighth grade.

“I’m sad,” he said of the school’s impending closure. “But, I already knew it was gonna happen because they’ve been saying that since I was in like fifth grade.”

Chalkbeat Detroit Bureau Chief Lori Higgins contributed to this report.

Beki San Martin is a reporter for the Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at RSanMartin@freepress.com.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Micah Walker is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Back to school in Michigan: New cellphone rules, a fitness test, and more

2026-08-21T17:32:58+00:00

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Michigan students may be planning to head back to school with their cell phones in tow, but parents should know that new rules will restrict how much they can use those devices.

The 2026-27 school year begins Monday in the Detroit Public Schools Community District and many others across Michigan. Other districts begin Aug. 31, while the bulk of districts will begin Sept. 8.

The new academic year will mean new beginnings, new programs, new everything. It also means new state rules. One of them requires school districts to adopt policies that restrict the use of wireless devices — such as cellphones, smart watches, and smart glasses — during instruction.

How the law plays out locally will vary between school districts.

For more on that, and four other things parents, students, and teachers and others should know heading into the new school year, read below.

School leaders see positive results from cellphone restrictions

Michigan’s new law gives schools a fair amount of leeway regarding cellphone restrictions, and most have established different restrictions for different grade levels.

District policies provide exemptions for things such as medically necessary devices, district-owned devices including laptops and tablets, and devices used by schools for instructional purposes.

In Westwood Community Schools in Wayne County, if elementary students bring wireless devices to school, they must leave them in the main office lock box, or in a secured classroom locker, for the entire school day, Superintendent Stiles Simmons said.

In a practice that has been in place for several years, middle school students in Stiles’ district drop their devices off in the morning in the office, where they’ll be locked away, and pick them up at the end of the day. High school students can keep their devices with them, but they must be locked in Yondr pouches once they enter the school. The fabric pouches can only be unlocked at the end of the day.

Stiles said the district went with a more restrictive policy because the experiment at the middle school had positive results.

“Far fewer distractions, less drama, more social interaction, healthy social interaction,” Stiles said. “We want to replicate that across the district.”

Some districts enacted cellphone restrictions last year, after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for them in her 2025 State of the State address.

In Ferndale Public Schools, for example, high school students can bring wireless devices, but they can only use them before and after school, and in the cafeteria during lunch. During classes, phones must be locked away in a box that holds devices for all students in the class.

Ferndale Superintendent Camille Hibbler was skeptical about whether students would freely place their phones in a box. While some students have been caught placing an old phone in the box, while keeping the phone they use with them, most have followed the rules.

“It’s a part of their routine now,” Hibbler said.

Time for Michigan kids to get fit

Parents of a certain age may remember slogging their way through push-ups, sit-ups, and running as part of the Presidential Fitness Test. The program ended during the Obama administration, but last year President Donald Trump brought it back. This year, he established awards students can earn by excelling on the test.

And the state budget lawmakers approved July 3 requires all public school students enrolled in physical education classes to take the fitness test.

Michigan lawmaker approved a new rule that kicks in for the 2026-27 school year that requires students take the Presidential Fitness Test.

Students who have an individualized education plan aren’t required to participate, unless their plan requires it. And it would only be required in schools that offer P.E. classes.

The presidential test requires varying fitness feats, depending on the age and gender of the student. The target for a 13-year-old boy: 53 curl-ups in one minute, run one mile in six minutes and 30 seconds, and 39 right-angle push-ups. To win the fitness test award, a student must meet all of the targets.

One fewer essay for high school students

Here’s something high school juniors in Michigan will appreciate: They’ll no longer have to write an SAT essay as part of the Michigan Merit Exam. But they’ll have to wait until the state assessment season begins next spring to benefit.

Whitmer in May signed legislation into law that eliminates that essay from the exam. It also eliminates a requirement that students’ scores on the state exam be placed on their transcripts.

Advocates said the latter requirement was unfair because many colleges have made testing optional, and because Michigan students are competing for college admissions against students whose state test scores don’t appear on their transcripts.

More team teaching on tap in Michigan schools

Team teaching — when two or more teachers share the same students and work as a team, often by dividing up which subjects they’ll teach — is growing in popularity in Michigan.

The Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative, an effort aimed at strengthening educator pipelines in the state, first started taking Michigan educators on trips to Arizona, where Arizona State University researchers have done extensive research on team teaching, a few years ago. Last year, 15 Michigan schools were experimenting with the concept. For the 2026-27 school year, 16 more schools will join.

Teachers have been team teaching for years. But many of the districts that have joined the team teaching program do so because they have teachers already trying team teaching but need help.

“What we do is bring in the structures, the process, the data, the tools, that help those teachers,” said Jack Elsey, the founding partner and CEO of the workforce initiative.

The upside? Effective team teaching can improve student achievement and teacher retention, Elsey said.

Public can track progress of teachers’ literacy training

New rules this school year require school districts to report how many of their K-5 educators have received mandatory training in literacy.

The reporting requirement is part of newly enacted legislation that makes this literacy training a mandate for all K-5 educators who teach reading or language arts, as well as anyone who provides, supports, or oversees such instruction in K-5. However, current educators will have until the 2031-32 school year to complete the training.

School districts will also have to report how many and what percentage of their K-5 educators have received the training to the state, which will publish the data. That will allow the public to track districts’ progress.

This data is part of a broader effort in Michigan to improve literacy instruction. Test scores show a majority of students are struggling with reading.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit voters OK crucial tax levy that supports the city school district

2026-08-05T14:17:41+00:00

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A measure that will allow the Detroit school district to collect the revenue it needs to operate had an easy victory, with voters overwhelmingly saying yes.

About $120 million in operating funds – which may be used for items such as classroom programming, supplies, and staff salaries – was at stake.

Of the 97,205 people who voted, 81% of them OK’d the proposal, according to updated results Wayne County posted Wednesday morning.

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat Wednesday that the passage of the millage is a “major accomplishment” for the district.

“It has been difficult to explain three millage proposals over six years due to state decisions and the complexities of managing and transitioning from DPS to DPSCD,” Vitti said. “The vote’s overwhelming support inspires all of us to continue the hard but rewarding work of constantly improving the district for the children we all deeply believe in.”

LaTrice McClendon, chair of the district’s board, said voters’ support was an investment in students’ futures.

“As a parent, I want the same things every family wants — that our children learn in safe schools, are inspired by great teachers, have opportunities in the arts, athletics, technology, and career programs, and graduate prepared to pursue whatever dreams they choose,” McClendon told Chalkbeat.

City residents have approved previous operating millages — which is what this tax is — for Detroit Public Schools, the entity that used to run schools but exists now solely to collect tax revenue to pay off old debt. A court decision earlier this year said DPS must cease collecting an operating millage, because the debt will be fully paid off in September. That meant the Detroit Public Schools Community District needed to ask voters to approve its own millage.

DPSCD was created in 2016 as part of a legislative initiative to address mounting debt in DPS. The new district had a debt-free start to handle day-to-day school administration, with the state covering its operating costs, while DPS stayed intact to pay off operating and capital debt.

The $120 million the millage will collect is a fraction of the district’s overall $1.1 billion budget. But, the revenue is critical to the school system. Vitti said during a community engagement meeting Monday that the estimated revenue generated by the tax levy would constitute $2,400 of the $10,300 per-pupil the district receives from the state.

Among those casting a yes vote for the millage Tuesday morning was Shawn Womack, 54, a semitruck driver.

“I just think that every one of the schools needs help,” Womack said.

Christine Crawford, a clinical social worker, voted yes for similar reasons.

“If we don’t have our schools running right and the kids getting what they need as far as extra support, we’re just going to be digging our hole deeper,” Crawford said. “We can’t do it just by having billionaires handing out things.”

Some people voted based on misconceptions. A couple of voters said they voted no because they believed the operating millage would increase their taxes. It won’t. Another said they thought the district’s request for the proposal is an indication of misspending. It isn’t. Another voter said he voted no because he didn’t understand the millage.

Brian Jourdan, 68, a retired auto mechanic, voted against the millage.

“I’m a victim of Detroit Public Schools, and I didn’t get a very good education,” he said. “For my 12th grade, my family moved to the Arlington County, Virginia, school district. I wasn’t prepared. I really had to work to get my high school diploma.”

The district needed to pass an operating millage by July 2027. If Tuesday’s proposal failed the district likely would have come back to voters in November.

While anyone who is registered to vote could have voted on the tax, it only applies to commercial property, rental property, and vacation property. It won’t affect primary homeowners.

BridgeDetroit’s Bryce Huffman and Micah Walker contributed to this report.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Education will be a key topic as Benson and James face off in Michigan governor’s race

2026-08-05T03:55:12+00:00

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Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James will face off in the Nov. 3 general election to become Michigan’s next governor.

Multiple news organizations, including the Associated Press, called the race, declaring Benson the winner with more than 80% of the Democratic vote and James the winner with 50% of the Republican vote. They beat Democrat Chris Swanson and Republican Perry Johnson.

Education has been a hot issue in the race, with Benson and James agreeing on the need to address Michigan’s low literacy rates among K-12 students but taking largely partisan stances on other key issues.

James wants to expand school choice and said that on day one if elected, he will opt Michigan into the federal tax credit scholarship program, which allows people to receive tax credits for donations they make to organizations that provide scholarships for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses.

He also wants to keep transgender girls from playing on sports teams and using girls’ locker rooms and bathrooms.

Benson plans to make sure Michigan schools have fair and equitable funding, while also looking out for teachers by investing in recruiting and retaining educators. The latter is critical because districts have struggled to recruit teachers in some specialties, especially educators who work with students with disabilities.

One of Benson’s plans requires starting salaries for teachers to be $60,000 a year minimum. Some districts are close to that amount. The Detroit Public Schools Community District set a starting salary of $57,400 in the recently approved contract with the Detroit Federation of Teachers. The average starting salary statewide is about $41,000.

Benson, as she has done throughout the campaign, mentioned being the daughter of public school teachers in her acceptance speech. She said she wants a state “where child care is affordable for all, where homes are easily built so teachers and nurses and farmers can afford to live in the communities where they work,” and where public education prepares students for jobs.

She said she would work for teachers “who dedicate their lives to preparing our children for the future and who deserve pay and more respect.”

James, in his acceptance speech, said the night marks the beginning of Michigan’s comeback. In his acceptance speech he said that Michigan’s children are falling behind in education and that too many young people leave the state in search of opportunities.

He said Michiganders want schools that will teach their children to read and noted that his administration will prove that phonics work.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

From literacy to school choice: How Michigan’s governor candidates compare on education

2026-07-23T15:19:50+00:00

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Michigan’s gubernatorial candidates, who face off Aug.4 in Democratic and Republican primaries, have only a few similar priorities in addressing the state’s biggest education crises.

Improve literacy rates among elementary students? Check.

Ensure students leave high school well prepared for careers or college? Check.

Support teachers? Check.

After that, the education plans veer off into divergent paths, with Republican candidates focused on issues such as school choice while Democratic candidates push for equitable funding for students. The plans include a lot of broad ideas, with few specifics on how they will accomplish them. Some of their ideas replicate things already in place or soon to be underway in Michigan.

They all agree that Michigan’s schools are troubled, given state test results that show students are struggling with reading and math. On the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, nearly 38.9% of third graders last year were considered proficient, the lowest percentage in the 11-year history of the exam. Students similarly struggled in math. Performance on the rigorous National Assessment of Educational Progress is also troubling.

Candidates include Democrats Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s current secretary of state, and Chris Swanson, current Genesee County sheriff; and Republicans John James, current U.S. representative, and Perry Johnson, a businessman. Republican Mike Cox, former Michigan attorney general, dropped out of the race July 17, citing President Trump’s June endorsement of James.

Chalkbeat read through the candidates’ education plans and listened to what they said in recent debates and interviews to give readers a clearer picture of how schools could be affected by whoever becomes Michigan’s next governor.

Here’s what you need to know.

Benson: “Everyday we don’t fix this … is a day lost.”

Benson’s plan is built around five “pillars,” each of which has a number of steps she would take to improve education. They include creating a world-class education for every Michigan child; recruiting, paying, and keeping educators; focusing on children from birth to prekindergarten; funding school fairly, equitably, efficiently, and transparently; and making the system work together.

“I’m a mom, and I know that every day we don’t fix this for our kids and our teachers, is a day lost that we won’t get back, for these kids, for their childhood,” Benson said during a WDIV interview.

Her plans to improve education include tackling student chronic absenteeism by creating a statewide strategy, ensuring students are reading by the third grade, expanding after-school programs, and working with families and advocates to improve education for students with disabilities.

Benson is advocating for requiring starting salaries for teachers to be set at $60,000 a year minimum, ensuring competitive pay for childcare workers, and expanding the state’s PreK for All program, which provides funding so students can enroll in the state’s preschool program for free, regardless of income.

In the WDIV interview, Benson acknowledged that schools have received increased funding, but she said it’s not enough. She advocates for a weighted funding system (that Michigan has experimented with for several years) that provides additional funding for students with the greatest needs, such as students from low-income families and students learning English.

James: “There’s no accountability.”

James described education as a “basic civil right,” and said that his plan prioritizes transforming Michigan from a state that ranked near the bottom in fourth-grade reading on a rigorous national exam to one at the top.

One of his first actions if elected would be to opt Michigan into the Trump administration’s federal tax-credit scholarship program, which allows people to receive tax credits for donations they make to organizations that provide scholarships for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses.

He also would reinstate a retention policy that requires schools to hold back third graders who don’t meet reading standards.

His education plan also includes working with parents and teachers to address student absenteeism and protecting girls’ sports, locker rooms, and restrooms. James opposes allowing transgender girls to compete on girl’s sports teams, saying on Facebook last month, “It’s INSANITY that Michigan is going to continue to allow biological boys to play girls sports. That ends in 6 months when I’m Governor.”

Accountability is key, James said in a WDIV interview.

“I’m going to make sure we have fiscal accountability, make sure that as we are losing school age populations we are not overspending on overhead and waste in our school systems,” he said.

Johnson: “My administration will focus on results.”

Johnson’s plan revolves around a handful of topics: returning to academic fundamentals, maintaining and expanding school choice, preparing students for postsecondary life, supporting teachers, and accountability for schools.

“Too many students are leaving school without strong reading, writing, and math skills despite record levels of education spending,” Johnson says on his website. “My administration will focus on results, restore accountability, and ensure that education dollars are reaching students and classrooms.”

His plan isn’t as detailed as some of the other candidates. He says he will “promote proven instructional methods, including phonics-based reading instruction and early intervention for struggling readers.” He’ll also focus on reducing the amount of bureaucracy teachers deal with, so they can prioritize teaching.

“My administration will work to restore classroom discipline, reduce administrative burdens, and allow educators to focus on teaching instead of paperwork,” Johnson said on his site.

In an interview with WDIV, Johnson said schools need more accountability.

“In my companies, we always reward on the basis of performance and I think we’ve lost sight of the fact that we have to have something like that. If we incentivize teachers for actually achieving certain levels of performance, we’ll change the focus.”

Chris Swanson: “We’re on the right track.”

Swanson has a seven-point plan that prioritizes a state initiative that provides free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of income; expands access to preschool; and ensures the state School Aid Fund is used for K-12 schools, rather than directing some of it to higher education.

He would also place emphasis on early career exploration, attracting and retaining educators, expanding GED diploma and high school completion programs, and ensuring public money goes toward public schools, not private schools.

During a forum for gubernatorial candidates hosted by the Michigan Education Association earlier this year, Swanson pushed back against candidates who say Michigan should replicate what Mississippi has done to improve its standing on a rigorous national exam. He said then that, “I’m not interested in the Mississippi model. I’m interested in the Michigan model.”

He expanded on that during a WDIV interview. He said he believes Michigan students are doing better academically than what the national test data shows, and he said the results in Michigan can’t be compared to Mississippi.

Swanson believes Michigan schools “are on the right track,” and are getting a “bad rap.” But he said one of the first things he would do if elected is an assessment of the state’s education system.

“We’re going to figure out where are we, really.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

What Detroiters should know about the proposed school operating millage on the Aug. 4 ballot

2026-07-13T10:00:00+00:00

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If you’re a Detroiter heading to the polls for the Aug. 4 primary, or someone voting early, you’re likely asking yourself one big question: Why are we voting on another school operating millage?

The answer is a bit complicated. Yes, in 2024, Detroiters easily approved an operating millage renewal — the technical term for a tax levy on some real estate — for Detroit Public Schools. That’s the entity that used to educate students in the city, but since 2016 has only existed to collect tax revenue and pay off old debt.

But a lot has changed in the last two years. The Detroit Public Schools Community District must now seek its own operating millage for two key reasons:

The DPS millage will be done paying off old operating debt in September and must cease collecting operating tax revenue.
The operating revenue the state has been providing to DPSCD since state lawmakers created the district in 2016 will be eliminated, per the budget lawmakers approved July 3.

That means DPSCD must collect its own operating revenue, through a millage every Michigan district is required to levy.

There’s a lot at stake if voters reject the millage — more than $100 million in annual operating revenue for Detroit’s schools.

Below, we answer some important questions about the millage,. Have a question you don’t see answered? Reach out to us at detroit.tips@chalkbeat.org.

What is this millage for?

The Detroit Public Schools Community District is seeking an 18-mill operating millage, which equates to an $18 tax for every $1,000 of taxable value, for 20 years that will provide revenue for general operating expenses that can range from classroom programming and supplies to staff salaries. It can’t be used for capital projects.

Who’s affected by this millage?

Anyone can vote on the proposal, as long as they’re registered. But the operating millage is levied on commercial property, rental property, and vacation property. It doesn’t affect primary homeowners. So, if you own and live in your own home, this vote doesn’t affect you.

So what’s the difference between Detroit Public Schools and the Detroit Public Schools Community District? And why is there a change in which of them will collect operating revenue?

DPS was the district that for years educated students and operated schools. But DPS debt had grown over time, and most of it accumulated when the state controlled the district. That cut into the amount of money for classrooms.

To avoid what many thought was looming bankruptcy, lawmakers created DPSCD in 2016 as a separate district. Lawmakers transferred control of schools from DPS to DPSCD, and the new district benefitted from a fresh, debt-free start. DPS remained intact solely to collect revenue from millages. That revenue goes toward paying off the lingering DPS operating debt. (A separate debt millage is paying off capital debt and debt to the state’s revolving loan program.)

Meanwhile, because operating revenue was going to pay off debt, the state beginning in 2016 provided what DPSCD would have received from a millage.

But the state budget approved Friday eliminates $124 million for operating costs the state would have provided to DPSCD next year. It assumes the district will receive those funds from a millage.

Lawmakers made that move because rising Detroit property values mean the debt will be paid off much earlier than planned. DPSCD officials wanted to keep the DPS operating millage revenue flowing to help pay off the rest of the old debt. But the Michigan Department of Treasury said that’s prohibited by state law, and a lawsuit brought by the district ended with the courts siding with the state.

How much money would be generated by this millage?

The millage would generate about $112 million during the 2026-27 school year. DPSCD’s total budget for the coming school year is around $1.1 billion. State and federal funding provides the rest.

Are operating millages required?

Yes, traditional school districts are required to levy an $18 tax for every $1,000 of taxable value to generate operating revenue. DPSCD was an exception during its first 10 years.

Charter schools do not have millages and do not receive millage revenue, except in the case of a countywide school millage.

Why is this vote being held now?

The Aug. 4 primary is the first opportunity for DPSCD to put the proposal on the ballot since the district lost its battle with Michigan Treasury officials in court. If it doesn’t pass next month, the district can revive it during subsequent elections, with the first opportunity being the Nov. 3 general election.

The district could also opt to hold a special election, but that would be costly.

What happens if voters reject the proposal?

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said that if voters don’t approve the tax levy by July 1, 2027, the district would face a deficit of $111 million for the 2027-28 school year.

What is unclear is whether the state’s elimination of the operating revenue for the district for the 2026-27 school year will also lead to a shortfall. Vitti said the only way for the district to get its full $10,300 in per-student funding allotted to it by the state “would be to force the tax collections from DPS to DPSCD.” There is no other source of funding the district could tap to fill that gap, he said.

What if tax collections fall below 100%?

Approving the measure is one thing. Taxpayers still must pay their tax bills for the district to collect the projected revenue.

The state has provided DPSCD with 100% of what a millage would have generated. That may not be the case when the district has to rely on actual millage revenue. If property owners don’t pay their bills, less revenue will be generated. The ballot language says revenue generated would be $112 million; Vitti said that assumes a 92% collection rate.

Vitti said he has raised this issue with legislators. It is something that could affect every school district in the state.

“This makes no sense to me from an operating point of view, that you would put a school district in jeopardy of not having as much revenue as they should because of local property tax collection,” Vitti said during a May school board committee meeting. “This is 2026; we shouldn’t be funding school districts like this.”

How will tax incentives affect how much money the district receives for operating purposes?

Vitti said city incentives designed to boost economic development but which reduce tax revenue wouldn’t affect how much operating revenue the district receives, as long as the collection rate is 100%, because the state reimburses the abatements on the operating millage.

In a 2021 Detroit News opinion piece, the authors noted that communities “can offload the cost of their economic development deals onto taxpayers and schoolkids statewide. As a result, these deals receive less public scrutiny, because the state will make up most of the difference anyway.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan lawmakers OK increased student funding and investments in literacy

2026-07-03T18:09:44+00:00

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Michigan schools would receive a 2.5% increase in per-pupil funding in a $22.9 billion state education budget lawmakers pulled an all-nighter to finally approve Friday morning.

The increase means the minimum amount a school would receive is $10,300 per student. That’s up from $10,050 schools got during the school year that just ended.

The budget was approved two days after the July 1 deadline. In 2025, the budget wasn’t approved until early October.

In a news release Friday morning, Whitmer applauded the budget, saying that for education in particular, the budget is strengthening literacy and “setting our students up for success.” It still needs her signature.

The budget includes a significant investment in efforts to improve literacy in order to reverse Michigan students’ years-long struggle in reading, with more money going toward teacher training in science of reading methods, hiring literacy coaches, and tutoring. The budget also continues an investment into a weighted funding formula that provides additional funding for at-risk students and English language learners.

It also includes money that would allow some districts to increase educator compensation, increases funding for students with disabilities and career and technical education students, and increases funding for after-school programs and early childhood education.

State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said in a statement that students stand to benefit from the literacy investment. He also highlighted the budget’s continued investment in free school meals for all students, regardless of income.

“The budget also includes important investments in our ongoing efforts to address the teacher shortage so students are taught by highly qualified, certified educators,” Maleyko said. “It increases support for students with the greatest needs, including children who are economically disadvantaged, English learners, and students with disabilities. It also provides additional investments in Career and Technical Education, rural and isolated school districts, student transportation, and dual enrollment opportunities that expand college access.”

The increase in funding for students from low-income homes and English learners means that on top of the $250 per student increase, districts will get even more for such students, acknowledging that those with greater needs require more money to educate. Lawmakers first approved a shift toward a weighted system in 2023. This year’s investment represents a substantial step forward and establishes the system into law.

“Today’s school budget is a big win for all Michigan students, especially students with the greatest needs,” Brian L. Love, state director for EdTrust-Midwest, said in a statement from the education research and advocacy organization.

“For Michigan to become a top ten state for education, we have to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed,” Love said. “While there’s more work to do to ensure schools and educators have the support they need to improve outcomes for all students, this budget continues to put Michigan on the right path.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

How should Michigan’s next governor improve education? We want to hear from you.

2026-06-23T13:21:31+00:00

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Education has become a critical issue in the race for Michigan’s next governor, an election that will determine who has the power to shape policies that improve learning for the state’s 1.3 million public school students.

But how should the winner do it? That’s a question we have for Michigan residents.

Chalkbeat Detroit and the Detroit Free Press are collaborating this election season to cover education issues that are key in the gubernatorial contest. To help shape our coverage, we’re asking you to take a few minutes to fill out the survey below. Your feedback is critical to ensuring we understand what issues are important.

This is a difficult time for education in Michigan. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, just 24% of Michigan fourth graders who took the exam were considered proficient in reading, compared to 30% nationally.

Meanwhile, in 2025, just 38.9% of Michigan’s third graders were proficient in English language arts on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress.

Math performance has been just as troubling.

Gubernatorial candidates have their own ideas about what it will take to improve Michigan schools, ranging from paying teachers more to replicating what other, more successful, states like Mississippi have done.

What do you think Michigan should do?

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Feds open new investigations into transgender athletes in three Michigan school districts

2026-06-19T14:43:17+00:00

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The U.S. Department of Education says Title IX investigations have been opened into three additional Michigan school districts, this time over allegations the districts are allowing students to compete on athletic teams and use locker rooms based on their gender identities.

The districts include Ann Arbor Public Schools, Monroe Public Schools, and Chippewa Valley Schools. The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, which will soon move to the U.S. Department of Justice, will conduct the investigations.

A press release from the Education Department alleges the Ann Arbor district allowed a transgender student to compete on the girls volleyball team, the Monroe district required the girls volleyball team to compete against a team with a transgender student and share locker rooms with the student, and the Chippewa Valley district permitted a female student athlete to use the male-only locker room.

“The convoluted practice of allowing students to participate on sex-segregated athletic teams and make use of locker rooms based on ‘gender identity’ is not only known to be unsafe for students, but is a direct violation of federal law,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in the press release.

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools. The Trump administration has used it to target transgender student protections.

A statement sent Friday by Monroe Superintendent Andrew Shaw said there has been a “prior, thorough review of this matter by an independent investigator” who determined that Title IX violation allegations were unsubstantiated.

The statement said the district is dedicated to “fostering a secure and nurturing educational setting for every student,” and complies with all state and federal rules.

“We welcome the opportunity to coordinate with federal officials and are working in full cooperation with the Office for Civil Rights,” the statement read.

A spokesperson for the Chippewa Valley district said in a statement Thursday to Bridge Michigan that it had yet to receive a copy of the complaint and learned about the investigation from the media.

“As a matter of practice, the district cooperates fully with any review conducted by the Office for Civil Rights,” Diane Blain, the spokesperson, said in the statement. “Chippewa Valley Schools remains committed to providing a safe, supportive, and respectful learning environment for all students and to complying with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations. We will continue to work cooperatively with the Office for Civil Rights throughout its review process.”

A spokesperson for the Ann Arbor district did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Justice Department earlier this year opened Title IX investigations into the Detroit Public Schools Community District, the Lansing School District, and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.

The department at the time said it is investigating whether the districts have included “sexual orientation or gender ideology content” in any classroom and if parents were notified of their rights to opt their children out of such instruction. It will also determine if transgender students are allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.

The status of those investigations is unclear.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Free housing for educators and an early childhood program in a transit center mark new Michigan innovations

2026-06-11T17:25:42+00:00

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After five years of living paycheck to paycheck, Haylee Fettes is getting something most early childhood educators could only dream of: free housing in Battle Creek for teaching in a preschool program.

Fettes is one of the first two early childhood teachers to move into free housing as part of First Home, First Teacher, a new initiative in the city that eventually seeks to provide housing for 30% of educators like Fettes, who often earn minimum wage salaries.

The new program is giving Fettes, who works at Stars and Stripes Learning Center, some financial freedom and will allow her to save more money.

Haylee Fettes talks with her children Zaiden and Zaiveair about their new residence inside a duplex on the north side of Battle Creek. Fettes will live in the residence rent free as part of a new collaboration called First Home, First Teacher.

“I can just breathe, honestly -- it’s like a weight lifted,” she said. “I’'ve never wanted to leave [early childhood education], but I have thought about it because of money,” she said. “I don’t have to think about how much I am going to get paid on Friday, and where it needs to go, because it’s typically spent before it comes.”

Low pay for early childhood educators is a perennial problem in Michigan and across the nation, leading to instability in the system as providers struggle to find workers willing to work for such low pay. It’s led to innovative efforts like the one in Battle Creek. The state has also tried to address the low pay with an ongoing pilot program that is providing $300 monthly stipends for early childhood educators.

But low pay is hardly the only challenge facing the industry. Transportation is another, with many working parents struggling to get their children to and from childcare while they also get themselves to and from work. Another innovative solution unveiled this week: In Grand Rapids, a new early childhood education center is opening at the city’s transit hub.

Battle Creek program takes inspiration from Connecticut

Battle Creek’s Pulse, part of the research nonprofit for W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment, was on the hunt for an innovative solution to issues with early childhood workforce shortages. Their search turned up the Friends Center for Children’s Teacher Housing Initiative in New Haven, Connecticut, which purchases properties for early childhood teachers with the help of supporters.

To date, the New Haven program has purchased properties for 12 teachers with a goal of providing 24 teachers with free housing by 2028.

After a site visit to Connecticut, the Battle Creek advocates built a program modeled after the New Haven effort, but aimed at supporting the entire city’s early childhood workforce as opposed to a single school. First Home, First Teacher was launched Monday through a partnership that includes Pulse, Neighborhoods Inc. of Battle Creek, Community Action, Battle Creek Community Foundation and United Way of South Central Michigan. Support paying the rent will come from Local Initiatives Support Corporation, or LISC, Kalamazoo for the first two years.

As part of the launch, Fettes and her fellow early childhood educator were welcomed to their new home, which was fixed up and furnished by several community organizations and volunteers.

“We don’t have enough professionals doing this work because of the low pay, so we’re trying to make sure we’re addressing the root cause of the vulnerability of the childcare sector, which is their work force,” Pulse Co-Executive Director Kathy Szenda Wilson said. “It’s not because those folks don’t want to do this work -- they deeply want to do this work. It’s because it’s really hard work to do for $14, $15 an hour, and survive and support your family.”

Pulse Co-Executive Director Kathy Szenda Wilson talks about how a new community partnership, First Home, First Teacher, will pay the rent for a pair of early childhood workers in an effort to stabilize its workforce.

Program invests in people who invest in the community’s children

Neighborhoods Inc., a nonprofit that owns and manages 50 rental properties in the Battle Creek area, saw an opportunity to support early childhood care providers by partnering with First Home, First Teacher, to provide its first home.

President and CEO Whitney Wardell said the project provided a unique opportunity to invest in the people who invest in the community’s children every day.

“For Neighborhoods Inc., the decision to participate was more than about providing housing,” Wardell said. “It was about removing barriers, creating stability and supporting a workforce that is essential to the success of our community. By offering quality housing at no cost to participating providers, this program creates an opportunity for them to strengthen their financial position, reduce housing-related stress, and focus on the important work that they do for the children and families of Battle Creek.”

While Neighborhoods Inc. donated the first duplex property that will benefit two Battle Creek early education teachers, the goal for First Home, First Teacher is to set up a trust for as many as 105 total housing units.

“This is just the beginning,” Szenda Wilson said. “The more we can help people understand what this is and what it looks like, we think there will be more [opportunities] available.”

In Grand Rapids, a solution to transportation challenges

Nearly 70 miles away from Battle Creek, similar discussions were being held in 2022 about a different early childhood education challenge, and were fueled when Tracie Coffman learned that the top floors of the transit center in Grand Rapids would remain vacant after plans to move administrative offices fell through.

Coffman, a program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, immediately began texting with her team to see if there was interest in converting the 12,000 square feet of space inside Rapid Central Station into a childcare center with easier access for families without reliable transportation.

Renovations of the Rapid Central Station have helped transform it into an early childhood center that will serve children from infancy to preschool.

The Rapid CEO Deb Prato had been looking for the right tenant to fill the space that had been vacant for more than two decades.

More than four years later, Coffman, Prato, and several Grand Rapids community partners celebrated the ribbon cutting June 8 of a new state-of-the-art early childhood center that will serve 100 children from infancy to preschool.

Dubbed the Central Station Early Childhood Center, Coffman said the center’s immediate access to public transportation for working families who rely on it has paved a new path for how a city can reuse an existing building to increase access to affordable childcare and transportation.

“This center is a model for how communities can look at their public spaces and ask themselves, ‘What more could we be doing for the public good?’” Coffman said. “This concept exemplifies the strength of public-private partnerships where the needs of children and families always came first and the traditional roles we played in the working world took a back seat.”

Research from Michigan State University shows that 79% of Michigan’s ZIP codes, including Grand Rapids, are childcare “deserts” for children ages 0-5, meaning there are at least three children for every available childcare spot.

With an estimated shortage of more than 7,000 childcare spots in the Grand Rapids area, those who worked to realize the vision of Central Station Early Childhood Center acknowledge it won’t solve the area’s childcare shortage. Instead, the cross-sector partnerships and outside-the-box solution sends a message about what is possible.

“Transportation leaders like me always hear about the three most difficult things: Finding a job, who’s going to take care of my kid and how am I going to get there?” said Prato, a single mother with triplets. “We’ve combined this opportunity to solve two of those issues.”

The Rapid offered rent-free real estate while the Kellogg Foundation contributed $5.8 million in funding toward the $9.1 million project, which was funded by 18 different philanthropic foundations and businesses. The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids served as the lead developer and will operate the facility, while Grand Rapids Public Schools and Head Start for Kent County will also occupy the center, with public funding accounting for 75% of the slots.

Titus and Peter Moore play on the rooftop playground atop the Central Station Early Childhood Center in Grand Rapids.

The early childhood facility occupies the second and third floors of the building, with spaces for the metro YMCA’s infants ages 0-12 months, Head Start for children 0-3, the Great Start Readiness Plan for ages 3-5, and pre-K space. The space also includes a ground floor outdoor playground and one on the roof of the building.

On top of the convenience of on-site transportation, being co-located with other organizations in one facility helps each benefit from the center’s resources and allows them to help more families, Head Start of Kent County Executive Director MaDonna Princer said.

“Head Start works with the whole family, whether that’s access to referrals for stable housing or employment service,” said Princer, who noted Head Start will have 26 of the center’s 100 slots. “By being co-located here, we’re able to spread that out amongst families who maybe don’t get an opportunity in a program like Head Start because either we’re full or they’re just above the income levels for head start.”

The reimagining of the transit center space into a childcare center didn’t come without its share of obstacles, from $1.5 million in added costs in the budget for fireproofing every steel beam in the facility to experiencing issues with the state’s newly-rehauled licensing system that led to extended timelines.

Despite some setbacks, having wide-ranging philanthropic support and cross-sector partnerships ensured the project’s success, W.K. Kellogg Foundation CEO La June Montgomery Tabron said.

“It’s a powerful example of what becomes possible when a community comes together with a shared vision and a willingness to do things differently,” Tabron said. “Let me be clear, this was not a simple project. Transforming a transit hub into a high quality early childhood center required new thinking, new partnerships, and at times, a willingness to navigate systems that weren’t designed for innovation.”

Michigan bills aimed at improving student literacy clear House committee

2026-06-10T19:03:28+00:00

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A Michigan House committee approved several bills Wednesday that are aimed at improving literacy in Michigan schools, including one that would require specialized training for all K-5 teachers.

The full House will now have to weigh the legislation.

Literacy has been a top education priority in the Michigan Legislature and for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as state and national exams show significant challenges for students in reading. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, just 24% of Michigan fourth graders who took the exam were considered proficient in reading, compared to 30% nationally.

Meanwhile, in 2025, just 38.9% of Michigan’s third graders were proficient in English language arts on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress.

Rep. Nancy DeBoer, a Republican from Holland who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee, said the bills’ advancement is a significant step for the state.

DeBoer said she is excited that the people who attended the hearing “care about the students in the state of Michigan — that they can learn to read, that we can diagnose them if they have issues with dyslexia, that our colleges can train them to be prepared with the phonetic method of reading.”

Here are the three literacy bills the committee passed Wednesday.

House Bill 5646, sponsored by Rep. Tim Kelly, a Republican from Saginaw Township, would require that beginning Sept. 30, 2027, people seeking a teaching certificate in Michigan — whether through a traditional higher education program or an alternative pathway — must have completed a teacher preparation program that included training in the science of reading. The bill also has some specific literacy requirements teacher prep programs would need to meet.
House Bill 5697, sponsored by DeBoer, would require that all Michigan K-5 teachers as well as certified staff who provide, support, or oversee instruction in K-5 receive literacy training in high-quality reading instruction methods.
House Bill 5081, sponsored by Kathy Schmalz, a Republican from Jackson, would require at least one teacher in each school to work with students with dyslexia and be trained in Orton-Gillingham approach principles.” Orton-Gillingham is a highly structured multisensory literacy program.

The committee previously heard testimony on the teacher preparation and mandated training for K-5 teachers legislation. No testimony was heard on those bills Wednesday, but lawmakers did hear testimony on the dyslexia legislation.

Schmalz noted that Michigan has a law that requires schools to test students for dyslexia, but doesn’t have a law mandating teachers be trained to teach kids with dyslexia.

“I’ve seen too many young people with dyslexia pass through school not getting the help they need,” Schmalz said.

Rebecca Hutchinson, superintendent of the Concord Community Schools, said the district integrated Orton-Gillingham with a reading intervention this school year. She said some of the most struggling readers showed dramatic improvement as a result.

Hutchinson also spoke from the perspective of a mother whose son has dyslexia. She said staff at his school had not received training in Orton-Gillingham, so his teacher had significant concerns about his literacy skills, but he is now excelling at reading.

“My son is very, very lucky that we have the resources to do that. If a school district doesn’t have or offer a program like Orton-Gillingham, then these children lose that advantage in being able to access all learning through reading,” Hutchinson said. “The power of this is clear, not only to reach those kids that are struggling to read, really all readers, but also to lift them up to reach their fullest potential and remove a barrier for our families who don’t have the ability to seek this outside literacy support.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Proposed Detroit district budget prioritizes pay boosts, but Vitti warns of uncertainty ahead

2026-05-22T10:00:00+00:00

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The Detroit school board is on track to approve a budget for the next school year that increases pay for all employees, expands initiatives aimed at reducing chronic absenteeism, hires more counselors, and increases funding for teacher supplies so families aren’t expected to contribute.

Detroit Public Schools Community District board members got a preview of what is proposed in the $1.1 billion budget for the 2026-27 school year. The board will vote on it next month.

The budget anticipates a 1% enrollment increase. Currently there are 49,134 students. The budget was built conservatively with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget proposal, plus proposals from the Michigan House and the Michigan Senate, in mind.

“Everything is funded as it was last year,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said. “There’s not going to be any major changes.”

Vitti warned of uncertainty beyond the next school year, citing the district’s rising costs and inequitable funding from the state. The $94 million the district received from the settlement of a literacy lawsuit ends after the next fiscal year, leaving questions about how DPSCD can maintain the initiatives that money funded. Also a concern is the district must soon revert to a traditional funding model that relies on operating millage revenue to cover its operating costs. If collection rates falter, that would affect how much money the district receives.

Here are some of the key highlights of the budget proposal. Dollar amounts weren’t included in the budget materials.

While the district is in the middle of negotiations with all of its employee unions, Vitti said the budget will fund salary increases and onetime bonuses for staff.
The district will expand a pilot program that provided yellow school bus transportation beginning this school year for some students at Henry Ford High School and East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney. Pershing High School and Cody High School will join the program, which seeks to improve attendance, for the 2026-27 school year.
The district would hire seven additional high school counselors, which would mean the district would have a ratio of one counselor for every 250 students. That is the ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association. Michigan schools had one counselor for every 565 students during the 2024-25 school year.
Middle school students would be included in an attendance incentive program that this year paid high school students $100 a week for each week they had perfect attendance. The middle school students would earn $50 for each perfect attendance week during the program. The program ran from January to March this school year.
The district would increase funding for teacher supplies and materials and establish a minimum supply needed for all schools. The intent is to fully fund supplies and materials. Vitti said the board has made it clear “that families should not be required to give extra supplies to individual teachers or classrooms.”

Board President LaTrice McClendon asked Vitti what it would take to follow the city of Detroit’s lead and establish a minimum wage of $21.45 an hour in the district. Vitti replied that the district had done an analysis and would share the amount with the board, but he noted that it “exceeded what we thought we could afford in the next two years.”

The enrollment projection prompted discussion among board members. McClendon said she’d like to see the district shoot for an enrollment increase of 3% to 4%. Vitti said the 1% goal is consistent with how enrollment is trending statewide.

“We need to think bigger, because we have kids who want to come back, and I don’t think folks realize all that we offer,” McClendon said. “I mean, we’re doing a lot of amazing things. We have work to do. I’m not saying we don’t, but we are making strides.”

Board member Bessie Harris urged the district to promote neighborhood schools.

“We see the Cass and the Renaissance and the Kings and the Southeastern and the Palmer Park, but we don’t see the Thirkells, we don’t see the Spains. We need to brag about our neighborhood schools, not just the application and test-in schools, but get down to the nitty gritty, because in every school is something they can highlight.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Lawmakers push bills that would waive key state rules to give schools freedom to innovate

2026-05-20T22:38:16+00:00

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Michigan school districts would be able to bypass some state requirements to launch innovative programs that would otherwise be impossible to create, under legislation discussed Wednesday in Lansing.

The legislation, House Bill 5983 and House Bill 5984, would allow districts to waive seat-time rules that establish how much time students must spend in school to receive state funding, as well as some graduation requirements.

Such rules can stifle innovation, speakers told lawmakers during a hearing Wednesday of the House Education & Workforce Committee.

“Some of the innovations that we want to try are at risk of going against existing state rules and regulations that can jeopardize our state aid, and none of us can afford to do that,” said Alena Zachery-Ross, superintendent of the Ypsilanti Community Schools. Zachery-Ross is among nearly 90 school district leaders who are part of the Future Learning Council, which meets monthly to discuss innovation.

The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Nancy DeBoer, who chairs the committee and is a Republican from Holland, and Rep. Jimmie Wilson, a Democrat from Ypsilanti who is a vice chair of the committee.

DeBoer said examples of the type of programming the legislation would encourage include career and technical education, work-based learning programs, internships, apprenticeships, job shadows, and competency-based education.

“The legislation would create an incubator type environment for developing and incrementally improving instructional options that are needed for our students’ future and our state’s economy,” she said.

“Our educators want to do this work,” said Dan Behm, executive director of Education Advocates of West Michigan, an organization that represents dozens of school districts in Kent, Ottawa, and Muskegon counties. “They want to innovate, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

But schools are dealing with a student engagement problem, Behm said. Students are excited to learn as young children, but the joy is diminished by the time they reach high school, he said. His organization randomly asked 28 students attending 28 different high schools in Kent, Ottawa, and Muskegon counties to describe high school in one word. Without hearing each other’s answers, he said, 22 of them responded: “Boring.”

To make school less boring and more relevant, schools need to provide the prerequisite knowledge students need and teach skills that will serve students after graduation, he said.

“Schools should be about providing a safe place to learn and practice what it is that adults actually do, and when we provide those opportunities in school, students are highly engaged,” Behm said. “We see this in the fine arts. Why? Because students are actually practicing with the tools that adults use. They’re practicing with the scores and the playbooks and everything that adults use.”

Former Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, testified in support of the legislation, and DeBoer said former Gov. John Engler, also a Republican, attended the hearing and supported the legislation. In addition to Zachery-Ross, lawmakers heard support from several other superintendents, all of whom discussed their current efforts to innovate to try to meet students’ changing learning needs.

Supporters pointed out that the legislation would provide flexibility to traditional school districts, intermediate school districts, and charter schools that volunteer to implement innovative ideas. Wilson said one of the features that was important to him was that innovation plans would need to be approved by both the local teachers union and school board.

Two Democrats on the committee said that while they support the idea of innovation, they are concerned about equity and whether less-resourced districts, those who struggle to pass bond proposals, and those with heavy turnover of staff would be able to innovate in the same ways as their more well-resourced peers.

“How can that challenge be met when a school district has to deal with those challenges versus a school district that’s on more stable ground?” asked Rep. Matt Koleszar, a Democrat from Plymouth.

The goals are laudable, Koleszar said. But, “I want to make sure we are not accidentally or inadvertently creating groups of haves and have nots.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Report: Michigan’s neediest students lack access to advanced coursework.

2026-05-19T03:59:00+00:00

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Michigan has vast inequities in access to advanced coursework, according to a new report that says students of color, students with disabilities, students from low income homes, and students in rural and urban communities are missing out the most.

The report, released Monday by the Education Trust-Midwest, urges lawmakers and school officials to do more to address the lack of access to Advanced Placement, dual enrollment in college-level courses, and career and technical education classes.

The inequities exist despite evidence that access benefits students, Charlotte Pierce, senior policy analyst at the Royal Oak-based policy and research organization, told Chalkbeat in a recent interview about the report.

“When students are given access to rigorous coursework that leads to increased engagement, fewer absences and suspensions, and higher graduation rates. But we know for too many Michigan students, access is out of reach,” Pierce said.

The research organization’s analysis of available data found that Michigan’s wealthier school districts have, on average, over seven times more AP course options than the highest poverty districts, and that students with the greatest needs also enroll in AP coursework at lower rates than their peers.

“This disparity is troubling, and it comes with consequences: fewer AP opportunities means less competitive college applications and college credit-earning opportunities,” Pierce wrote in the report.

Other findings:

Far fewer Michigan students are enrolled in dual enrollment classes compared to national rates. Also, students of color made up 22% of students enrolled in dual enrollment courses, but they comprised 34% of Michigan’s high school enrollment during the 2021-22 school year, the most recent year data was available for the analysis.
Students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities pass Algebra 1 at lower rates than the state average.

An example of the Algebra 1 finding: Just 64% of Black students passed Algebra 1 by the 10th grade during the 2021-22 school year. The statewide average was 74%.

The Algebra 1 statistic is important because the class is usually taken during the ninth grade “as a gateway to future opportunities” and is directly linked to success in advanced math, Pierce said.

The report offers a number of recommendations for addressing the inequities. One of them suggests schools automatically enroll qualified students in advanced classes, requiring the students to opt out if they want.

“Using an ‘opt-out’ policy rather than ‘opt-in’ process reduces the risk of gatekeeping practices that can inhibit qualified students from enrolling in courses they would succeed in,” Pierce wrote.

Here are a few of the other recommendations:

The state should automatically waive fees for students to take AP, International Baccalaureate, and College-Level Examination Program exams for students enrolled in the highest-poverty school districts in Michigan.
The state should invest resources in expanding dual enrollment capacity in Michigan high schools, especially in districts with the highest concentrations of poverty.
The state should make completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) a graduation requirement.

The organization also calls for the state to increase the school counselor pipeline so districts can hire more of them. Currently, Michigan counselors have caseloads well above the national average.

“The role that school counselors play is vital in shaping post secondary pathways, especially for students with the greatest needs and first generation college-going students. But Michigan schools lack the counseling capacity to adequately serve their students.”

“If we are serious about expanding access to rigorous coursework, we have to start by

investing in the educators and counselors who make that access possible,” Curtis L. Lewis, founder/president of Boldly Moving Education Ahead, an advocacy group that pushes for equitable education. “When teachers are supported and students have consistent guidance, we see stronger engagement, higher achievement, and more young people prepared for what comes next.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan education board opposes Trump’s tax credit scholarship program

2026-05-12T22:46:58+00:00

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Michigan’s State Board of Education voted Tuesday to oppose the federal tax credit scholarship program that allows people to receive tax credits for donations they make to organizations that provide private school scholarships.

Congress approved the program last year as part of the federal budget bill. It provides up to $1,700 in annual tax credits for people who donate money to eligible scholarship-granting organizations that give students money for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses.

The State Board resolution urges Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to not opt into the federal program.

The eight-member board, which is controlled by Democrats, voted 6-2 to oppose the scholarships, with the two Republicans on the board voting not to oppose. The resolution is only an advisory. Whitmer has the power to opt Michigan into the program.

Around 30 governors, most of them Republicans, have done so already. While several Democratic governors have opted in or said they plan to, Democratic support has been slow. A spokesperson for Whitmer didn’t respond to a question about whether or when she will decide on the program.

Critics of the scholarships have said they are no different than giving parents publicly funded vouchers to send their kids to private school.

“It has been made clear that Michigan voters have already decided this in two votes,” said Pamela Pugh, the board president, referring to statewide votes in 1970 and 2000 that were clear in prohibiting public funds from going toward non-public schools. Michigan’s Constitution includes the prohibition.

“Public resources should strengthen public schools,” Pugh, a Democrat from Saginaw, said Tuesday.

The resolution says that public resources should serve schools “that are open to all children and accountable to the people of Michigan, not toward subsidizing private education systems that are not subject to the same public governance, transparency, admissions obligations, and civil rights protections.”

Supporters including board member Tom McMillin, a Republican from Oakland Township, countered the argument about Michigan’s Constitution prohibitions, saying there are “zero constitutional concerns.”

“We’re not talking about tax dollars,” McMillin said, who called support for the tax-credit scholarships “a no-brainer.”

Here’s what the Michigan Constitution says:

“No public monies or property shall be appropriated or paid or any public credit utilized, by the legislature or any other political subdivision or agency of the state directly or indirectly to aid or maintain any private, denominational or other nonpublic, pre-elementary, elementary, or secondary school.”

It goes on to say that “no payment, credit, tax benefit, exemption or deductions, tuition voucher, subsidy, grant or loan of public monies or property shall be provided, directly or indirectly, to support the attendance of any student or the employment of any person at any such nonpublic school or at any location or institution where instruction is offered in whole or in part to such nonpublic school students.”

Timothy Schmig, executive director of the Michigan Association of Christian Schools, noted that Indiana and Ohio have signed on to the program. If Michigan doesn’t, he said, there is concern that Michigan would “lose students and tax base moving to states that are tax friendly.”

Schmig was one of several people who urged board members to oppose the resolution. The board also heard from Susan Campbell from the Michigan Education Justice Coalition, which is urging Whitmer not to opt in to the program.The coalition is an education advocacy group made up of dozens of organizations across the state.

“Michigan has a long history of folks fighting to protect public education because strong public schools strengthen communities and give everyone, every child, the opportunity to succeed,” Campbell said.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Special education teacher is the new Michigan Teacher of the Year

2026-05-06T19:34:22+00:00

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A Lake Orion teacher is Michigan’s newest top classroom leader.

Erik Meerschaert, a special education teacher at Lake Orion High School in Oakland County, was surprised Wednesday by state education officials with the announcement that he is the Michigan Teacher of the Year for 2026-27.

Lake Orion High School special education teacher Erik Meerschaert is the 2026-27 Michigan Teacher of the Year.

“I am really without words,” said Meerschaert, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Education. “I am lucky enough to teach here at Lake Orion ... and be a part of this community where we can have impact that has been truly incredible.”

State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko and several members of the State Board of Education were on hand to make the announcement.

Meerschaert will go on to be Michigan’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award for 2027.

“Teachers like Erik Meerschaert care about the foundation of our education system and the heart of our schools,” Maleyko said in a statement. “He ignites curiosity, builds confidence and opens doors of opportunity for every child. His influence goes far beyond the classroom — he helps shape the students to become innovators and leaders who define our future.”

Michigan each year recognizes a top teacher who then goes on to become an advocate for teachers across the state. Meerschaert will do that in part by participating in regular meetings of the State Board of Education, sharing a report each time on issues that are of concern to teachers. He will join the governor’s Educator Advisory Council, a group that advises Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and provides recommendations on education legislation, the MDE news release says.

Ten finalists were selected for the state honor earlier this year. Here are the nine finalists, who represent different regions of the state, according to a February press release.

Sarah Juday, an elementary teacher at Superior Hills Elementary School in Marquette Area Public Schools.
Krista Loeffler, an elementary teacher at Clara B. Bolen Elementary School in Tawas Area Schools.
Erica Gorzen, a visual arts teacher at Portland High School in Portland Public Schools.
Luke Kanine, a Spanish and physical education teacher at E.F. Rittmueller Middle School in Frankenmuth School District.
Angela Jackson, an elementary teacher at Woodland Developmental Center in the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency.
Amanda Bush, an elementary teacher at Dansville Elementary in Dansville Schools.
Julie Herwick, an English teacher at Cassopolis High School in Cassopolis Public Schools.
Carrie Barden, a math and science teacher at Tecumseh Middle School in Tecumseh Public Schools.
Brandis Bean, an elementary teacher at University Preparatory Academy in Detroit.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Lawsuit filed on behalf of DPSCD students seeks equitable funding for the district

2026-05-05T21:57:32+00:00

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A new lawsuit makes some familiar and some new claims that the state of Michigan has shortchanged students in the Detroit school district.

The lawsuit, filed in April in state court, seeks to require the state to increase funding to the Detroit Public Schools Community District and to eliminate debt incurred by the city’s school system while it was under state control.

Troy attorney Gerard Mantese filed the lawsuit on behalf of a parent of two DPSCD students and other “similarly situated students.” The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, names as defendants Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko, and members of the State Board of Education.

The State Board met in closed session Tuesday morning to receive legal guidance about the lawsuit. When members returned to open session, the board voted to direct Pamela Pugh, the board chair, to seek guidance and advice from the Michigan Attorney General’s office.

Some of the claims in the lawsuit are similar to a “right to read” lawsuit filed against the state in 2016 that alleged the state denied Detroit district students an education because of poor building conditions, poor academic conditions, lack of materials, and use of uncertified teachers. The lawsuit was settled with the state in 2020, and the district eventually received $94.4 million from the state to support literacy efforts.

The new lawsuit makes similar claims about building and academic conditions in the district. But it also makes newer arguments that funding for DPSCD is inequitable compared to other districts in the state.

“The State holds out public education as the great equalizer, a mandatory contract between the government and its youngest citizens: attend, and you will be given the tools to succeed,” the lawsuit says. “Yet, for DPSCD students, this is a broken promise. They are forced to rely on a system that the State itself helped to break, that it supervised during the running up of a huge debt, and that it now maintains as a source of ongoing constitutional injury.”

The Detroit district receives $10,050 per student from the state as its base amount of pupil funding. A majority of school districts, as well as charter schools, also receive that amount. But some districts — many of them in wealthier communities — receive more. When the current funding system was created in the mid-1990s those districts were allowed to continue spending at a higher level, with voter approval.

DPSCD’s total revenues do increase substantially with federal funding, but those dollars have less flexibility in how they can be spent.

“DPSCD needs more funding to even have a chance at providing an equal education to students in Detroit public schools,” the lawsuit says.

The state has been targeted in the lawsuits because it had some form of control over Detroit Public Schools — which was the district that educated students until 2016 — from 1999 to 2006 and again from 2006 through 2016. In 2016, because of crushing debt in DPS, a legislative initiative led to the creation of DPSCD to educate students. DPS remains to collect tax revenue to pay off legacy debt.

Mantese’s legal specialty is corporate law, but he has handled civil rights cases. He told Chalkbeat Tuesday that over the years, while providing volunteer legal work in Detroit, he’s heard from many parents who’ve complained about poor school building conditions.

“There’s unacceptably hot conditions, sometimes freezing temperatures, mold issues, bathrooms that don’t work — a whole host of facility issues that just makes it very difficult to have an environment that provides for a good education,” Mantese said.

DPSCD has invested heavily in its facilities in the last decade, dedicating about $700 million of its federal pandemic relief funding as part of its facility master plan. But that only addresses a fraction of the district’s $2.1 billion infrastructure needs.

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has for years pushed for equitable funding and made similar arguments as those cited in the current lawsuit. A spokesperson said Vitti “does support the underlying argument made in the lawsuit.”

“Michigan’s K-12 funding formula continues to fund students unequally,” Chrystal Wilson, spokesperson for the district, said in a statement. “Governor Whitmer and recent legislatures have narrowed the gap over the years to address the inequality, but it still exists. At the same time, little has been done to support lower income districts to address facility issues. This is not fair to our students or staff.”

The lawsuit includes an affidavit from Jeremy Vidito, DPSCD’s chief financial officer, in which he says the inequities in funding “have a direct and substantial impact on the ability of DPSCD to provide safe, modern, and equitable learning environments for its students.”

“They also create long-term structural disadvantages that impair the District’s operational capacity and financial stability,” he wrote.

School districts are barred in state law from using state funding to sue the state. Mantese said district officials played no role in the crafting of the lawsuit, and he reached out to Vitti when a draft of the lawsuit was done. He is not being paid by anyone for his legal services.

LaMar Lemmons, who served on the boards for Detroit Public Schools and DPSCD, has long pushed for the district itself to sue the state. He had not read the lawsuit but described it as “not only necessary but long overdue.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

As Michigan lawmakers push their ideas for funding schools, district leaders urge inflationary increases

2026-04-28T21:45:41+00:00

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Michigan superintendents say they’re not asking for much from lawmakers in this year’s state budget.

They would like to see school districts get funding increases that account for inflation. They want lawmakers to stop the years-long practice of diverting money from the state School Aid Fund and using it to fund higher education. And they want lawmakers to approve a state budget by the July 1 deadline to avoid what happened last year when lawmakers weren’t able to compromise on a final budget until October.

“We’re not asking for the moon,” said Steven Tunnicliff, superintendent for the Genesee Intermediate School District.

He and nine other superintendents from intermediate school districts — agencies that provide varied services to local schools within their borders — spoke last week during a virtual media roundtable. Earlier that week, the Michigan House passed its version of the state budget, including how schools would be funded. The Michigan Senate unveiled its K-12 school budget proposal, which cleared an appropriations subcommittee before being moved to the full Senate.

In recent years, lawmakers and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have touted record increases in funding for schools, because the amount allocated has consistently increased. But Angie McArthur, superintendent for the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District, said funding increases in the last two years have fallen below the rate of inflation.

“That means that while the number on paper gets a little bigger, the real purchasing power or what schools can actually provide with that money goes down,” she said. “Energy costs have risen, health insurance premiums have gone up, transportation costs have gone up, and supplies cost more. The funding increase doesn’t cover any of that.”

The superintendents argued the School Aid Fund was created to fund K-12 schools. But for years, lawmakers have paid for higher education with money from the fund. They cited a recent poll commissioned by the K-12 Alliance of Michigan, an advocacy group for public schools, that showed a large majority of residents who were polled oppose diverting the money. (The K-12 Alliance hosted Thursday’s media roundtable.)

The budget proposals show lawmakers are far apart on critical issues such as whether districts should receive more funding for some of the most vulnerable students in the state. The Michigan House is controlled by Republicans, while the Michigan Senate is controlled by Democrats.

Below are some highlights of the proposals.

There is agreement on per-pupil funding

Michigan schools would receive a minimum grant of $10,300 per pupil. That’s up from $10,050 for the current fiscal year. The grant is the lowest amount a school district or charter school can receive.

A big debate this budget session: whether to expand weighted funding

Michigan has been moving toward a weighted funding system through a formula called the opportunity index. The index has allowed the state to provide additional funding for school districts for students from low-income families and students who speak little or no English.

The Senate’s proposal would establish that system into law for the next 15 years, giving school districts stability and ensuring there would be annual increases in funding for students from low-income homes and English language learners over that 15-year period. This is how it would work: For the coming school year, a district with the highest proportion of students from low-income families would receive a base amount of $10,300 for all students. For each student identified as economically disadvantaged, a district would receive nearly 27% above that base amount for the 2026-27 school year and 47% above it for the 2040-41 school year.

Whitmer had a similar recommendation in her budget proposal. But the House budget would maintain the current system.

School meals would be available to all again

Both the House and Senate have continued funding to provide free meals for students, regardless of income. Both versions would extend the program to include private schools. Last year, nonpublic schools were included as a one-time expenditure.

The House budget goes further, banning the sale of soda or candy in schools that participate in the universal meals program. It also bans schools from serving food that includes such chemical additives as brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, and multiple food dyes.

Additional money for tutoring, literacy proposed

Both budget proposals include money for tutoring providers to apply for and receive state grants to provide high-impact tutoring for students.

The House budget also includes a new program that would reimburse parents of at-risk students for the costs of private tutoring.

Both budgets invest more in efforts to improve literacy, given the poor academic performance of Michigan students on state and national exams. The House budget also provides $100 million to improve math performance, another area of concern for Michigan students.

School safety and mental health

Lawmakers would increase funding for school safety and mental health. What’s interesting here is that the Senate version strikes some of the controversial language that prompted dozens of school districts to sue the state last year. This happened after the budget approved in October included a new requirement that in order to get the money, district and school leaders had to agree to waive privilege to disclose information that would otherwise be legally protected if a school shooting or other mass casualty event occurs. They also had to agree to allow a comprehensive state investigation of such incidents. Both the Michigan Court of Claims and the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled the language did not violate the state Constitution.

The Senate proposal would only require districts to agree to be subject to a comprehensive investigation after a mass casualty event. It removes mention of waiving privilege.

The House version keeps most of the language intact, but it adds wording that says “the waiver of any privilege by a recipient of funds under this section does not waive any privilege or rights held by any individual, including employees of the recipient.”

Meanwhile, the Senate proposal provides funding for community violence intervention programs that prevent youth violence.

House proposal would penalize districts for DEI, curriculum featuring race and gender stereotyping

The House budget seeks to impose financial penalties if a district uses state money to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, programs; if a district’s curriculum includes race or gender stereotyping, and if a district allows transgender girls to participate in girls’ sports or provides multistall unisex bathrooms for students. Finally, the proposal would require districts to notify parents or legal guardians if a child requests to use a different name or pronoun in school.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit district’s safety funding more than doubles after other Michigan schools reject it

2026-04-17T18:06:22+00:00

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The Detroit district’s state mental health and school safety grant funding has more than doubled after hundreds of other school systems rejected the money, Michigan Department of Education records show.

The district will receive an additional $10.3 million for the two-year grant period, on top of the $8 million the state originally allocated for Detroit schools.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District is one of 512 districts to share in $321 million for mental health and safety after agreeing to new controversial conditions for the money by the end of last year. In order to get the grant funding, district and school leaders had to consent to disclosing information that would otherwise be legally protected if a school shooting or other mass casualty event occurs. They also had to agree to allow a comprehensive state investigation of such incidents.

DPSCD’s board voted to agree to the waiver in November in order to get its original $8 million allocation for 2025-26. At the time, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the district “could not afford to walk away” from the funding, which it uses to contract mental health services at all schools and cover some security guard and officer salaries.

Some of the $10.3 million in additional funding Detroit received in February can cover expenses next school year, district administrators said.

The district did not respond to questions about how it will recommend spending the extra dollars. The board will vote to make the final decision on where the funding will be allocated. The board must approve a budget for next school year by June 30.

The state funding can be used by the district on mental health screening tools, firearm detection software, cameras, and mental health training for staff, among other purposes.

The state funding allocated by districts to pay the salaries of school resource officers and mental health support staff may carry over into 2026-27, according to state law.

School security has been top of mind for many Detroit parents this school year, following two incidents in which students brought weapons into classrooms.

After the incidents, DPSCD approved spending $1.7 million to hire 38 additional security guards. Another $490,000 was approved by the board to pay for a pilot of new metal detectors at seven schools.

The push to require school districts to sign waivers in exchange for the funding came after the 2021 Oxford High School shooting. Several districts’ challenge to the requirement is making its way through the courts.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

U.S. Education Secretary McMahon says Michigan should join Trump’s school tax-credit plan

2026-03-27T22:46:27+00:00

This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free newsletter here.

HAMTRAMCK — U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon urged Michigan to “unleash educational excellence for every child” by participating in a new federal school choice program.

On Friday, McMahon called on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to opt the state into a program that would give donors tax credits for contributing to scholarship funds for K-12 students, including those attending public schools, religious schools, other private schools and home-schools.

Students could use the money for tuition or other educational expenses. Whitmer has previously said the program is a “high-level talking point” and that she needs more information before making a decision.

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“The Education Freedom Tax Credit isn’t some distant idea, it’s a homegrown solution that puts Michigan families in charge,” McMahon said at Hamtramck Academy, a charter school that enrolls about 550 students.

Under the program approved by Congress last year, people can donate to scholarship-granting organizations and receive up to $1,700 in tax credits. There’s no cap on how much scholarship money a student can receive, according to a fact sheet from the federal Treasury and Education departments. The scholarship organization will determine the amount “based on the mission” of the organization, the fact sheet states.

The tax credit is available starting in 2027. Proponents of the program emphasize that if Michigan does not join, donations from Michigan taxpayers would go toward students in other states.

Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican from Richland Township, and state Rep. Tim Kelly, a Republican from Saginaw, also spoke. Hall said he is working with Whitmer on efforts to improve literacy, and the federal program is another way to improve student achievement.

“If they’re in a failing school, this could be the lifeline for their family with these scholarships to go into another school that will help unlock their potential,” Hall said. “So this is another tool that Michigan needs, and I’m very hopeful that Gov. Whitmer will see that, to see what other governors have seen and opt us in.”

Shortly before she spoke, McMahon posted on social media urging the state to act and linking to a Detroit Free Press opinion piece she wrote about why the state should join.

Republican state Reps. Matt Maddock, of Milford, Alicia St. Germaine of Harrison Township, Joseph Pavlov of Kimball, and Mike Harris of Clarkston also attended McMahon’s event.

Kelly said the only reason to not opt into the program would be “spite.”

Previously, Whitmer has vetoed similar state efforts to pass a tax-credit scholarship program.

A Whitmer spokesperson said Friday she had nothing to add from Whitmer’s previous comments about the program. State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko did not directly answer whether he wants the state to opt in.

“My priority is adequate and equitable funding for public schools in Michigan,” Maleyko said in a statement to Bridge Friday. “I believe federal resources should be devoted to those priorities.”

School choice in Michigan

Critics liken the federal program to school vouchers.

Katherine Nitz, media relations coordinator for the Michigan Education Justice Coalition, told Bridge the program would “weaken public schools” and “sets the stage for privatization.”

“This would wind up gutting public school funding, which is already tenuous in Michigan,” Nitz said.

The Michigan Constitution prohibits using public funds for private school attendance.

So far, 27 states have opted in, McMahon said Friday.

Support for the program has largely been from Republicans. Only two Democratic governors — in Colorado and North Carolina — have said their states will likely join, according to Chalkbeat.

There are income restrictions for which children could benefit from the program.“Students eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school and from a household with income not greater than 300% of the area’s median gross income qualify for a scholarship through the Education Freedom Tax Credit,” the fact sheet says.

While Michigan does not have a state private school choice program, roughly 1 in 4 Michigan public K-12 students attend a charter school or use the state’s choice program to attend a school outside their local district, according to a previous Bridge analysis.

Michigan families are also allowed to home-school their children and do not have to notify the local district or state about this choice. Last September, McMahon visited public charter schools in Detroit and nearby Redford, Renaissance High School in Detroit, and Hillsdale College, a private college that does not accept federal funding. That evening, she touted the benefits of the tax-credit scholarship program at an event hosted by the Midland County Republican Party.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemi.com.

Michigan lawmakers take aim at fixing the state’s K-12 school literacy crisis

2026-03-18T21:11:48+00:00

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Lawmakers in Lansing are moving aggressively to address Michigan’s K-12 literacy crisis with multiple pieces of legislation that target training for teachers, retention for struggling third graders, and consequences for teacher preparation programs.

The legislative action comes as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has made addressing literacy a priority for 2026, her last year in office. During her State of the State address last month, Whitmer detailed steps already underway to improve literacy and recommendations in her budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. Among them is additional money she wants to invest in high-impact literacy tutoring, high-quality curriculum, literacy training for teachers, and hiring of literacy coaches.

“This is a serious problem,” Whitmer said in the address. “Our kids deserve better.”

Just 38.9% of third graders were proficient on the English language arts portion of the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress last year. It was the lowest performance of third graders in the exam’s 11-year history, Chalkbeat and Bridge Michigan reported.

On the national front, just 24% of Michigan fourth graders were proficient in 2024 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, an exam known as the “nation’s report card.” That compares to 30% being proficient nationally. Michigan students’ performance has been stagnant and declining even as other states that have invested heavily in early literacy have improved. Michigan now ranks 44th in the nation for fourth-grade reading on the NAEP.

This isn’t the first time Michigan lawmakers have taken aim at the state’s challenges with literacy. In 2016, fueled by similarly troubling test results in reading, lawmakers passed a Read by Grade 3 law that required early intervention, the hiring of literacy coaches, and the retention of third graders struggling to reade. The retention rule has since been rescinded. Ten years since that broad effort, Michigan’s student literacy problem continues.

Here are the literacy initiatives being considered in Michigan

House Bill 5697 would require that by the 2031-32 school year, all K-5 educators who provide, support, or oversee instruction, including in literacy, must have been trained in the science of reading, which refers to a body of knowledge that emphasizes phonics along with building vocabulary and background knowledge. The bill doesn’t specify a specific training program, but a legislative analysis by the House Fiscal Agency says the current training being encouraged for Michigan teachers — Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, or LETRS — meets the requirements of the legislation.

House Bill 5646 would require that, beginning Sept. 30, 2027, an individual seeking a teaching certificate in Michigan must have completed a teacher preparation program that included training in the science of reading.

House Bill 5520 would bring back the third-grade retention policy Michigan previously had in place. The bill would require struggling third graders, who would be identified based on their state test scores, repeat the grade. There would be some “good cause” exemptions, such as for students with disabilities whose educational plan team leader exempts them from the requirement. Michigan’s previous third-grade retention law, which went into effect during the 2020-21 school year, was rescinded in 2023 when Democrats controlled the legislature and the governor’s office. They argued the law was punitive and wasn’t working.

During a Wednesday hearing of the House Education and Workforce committee, Rep. Nancy DeBoer, a Republican from Holland who chairs the committee, said reading gives children the independence to pick up a book and go anywhere.

“Unless you’re in the state of Michigan and you’re three-quarters of the students in eighth grade who can’t read or do math in a competent manner,” she said. “That is a tragedy we are responsible for.”

DeBoer introduced the bipartisan bill that would make training in the science of reading a requirement for K-5 teachers.

The state has funded LETRS training, but thus far hasn’t made it a requirement. In September, the State Board of Education urged that it become a mandate for all K-5 teachers, saying the lack of one “has led to inconsistent participation of Michigan educators and inconsistent access to instruction based on the science of reading for Michigan’s students.”

The science of reading also figures prominently in a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Tim Kelly, a Republican from Saginaw Township. He described the bill as “a long overdue rescue mission for the next generation of Michigan’s workers, citizens, and leaders.”

Kelly said Wednesday that teacher preparation programs that don’t equip teachers with the tools needed to teach children to read have forfeited their right to operate in Michigan.

“We must stop subsidizing failure,” Kelly said.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district revisits idea of making FAFSA completion a graduation requirement

2026-03-11T19:43:58+00:00

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The Detroit school district is considering requiring students to apply for federal student aid for higher education in order to graduate.

Doing so would open the Detroit Public Schools Community District up for state grants to pay for initiatives that help students get into college or work-study programs.

The district’s proposal is intended to get more students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA. However, there would be several exemptions for students who don’t fill out the form, including for those with privacy concerns.

“We want to ensure that it’s not putting a barrier for our students,” said board President LaTrice McClendon when the policy was introduced during a committee meeting last month.

The board has not yet voted on the proposed policy.

The FAFSA helps determine student eligibility for federal grants, loans, and work-study scholarships. In some cases, it’s used to decide whether students qualify for state and private aid, as well as Michigan universities’ tuition assistance programs.

In 2024, the Michigan legislature proposed making FAFSA completion mandatory for all districts. But, at the time, DPSCD board members said they were opposed to such a policy. Advocates and community members expressed concerns to lawmakers during hearings for the bills about forcing vulnerable student populations to provide personal information, including immigration status and gender identity. Some Michigan school administrators also said it would not be possible to achieve with a shortage of college counselors.

Others said they didn’t want the requirement to hinder DPSCD students from graduating. The district has made significant gains in its graduation rate in recent years.

The state effort also failed in part due to the rocky rollout of the new FAFSA process in 2024. If the legislation passed, Michigan would have been the 13th state to have the requirement.

The issue was revisited at December DPSCD board and committee meetings after members expressed interest in a state grant that offers millions of dollars to local districts each year if they make FAFSA completion a graduation requirement.

“This grant is over a million dollars,” said board member Ida Short during the December board meeting.

The grant dollars can be used by districts to pay for “activities that are known to drive FAFSA completion,” including financial incentives for students, guest speakers, and seminars. The money can pay the salaries of the staff and administrative costs needed to run the initiative.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during the December board meeting he agreed that not applying for the state grant left “a lot of money on the table.” The grant was not pursued since it began two years ago because of the previous board’s position, he added.

If the proposed policy is approved, the change would be implemented for the class of 2027 and DPSCD could apply for the next school year’s grant.

Under the district’s proposed policy, students who don’t want to fill out the FAFSA may complete a waiver with a parent or guardian. The waiver acknowledges that the student understands the purpose of FAFSA but does not want to participate.

The district must confirm a good-faith effort was made by schools to help students who don’t complete the FAFSA or turn in a waiver. In those cases, students can be exempt from doing either if their parent or legal guardian is unresponsive or refuses to sign.

More than 43% of Michigan high school seniors completed the FAFSA by March 9, according to the Michigan College Access Network tracker, slightly up from the 39.5% that had at the same time last year.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Republican effort to stop school lessons around gender identity rejected by state education board

2026-03-10T21:48:39+00:00

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Democrats on Michigan’s State Board of Education rejected a GOP effort Tuesday that was aimed at ending the teaching of gender identity in schools.

Nikki Snyder, a Republican from Goodrich, proposed adding an agenda item for the board’s monthly meeting that would have members vote on a resolution she said would not only end the teaching of gender identity but also end gender “transitioning in Michigan schools.”

The effort failed when the Democratic majority on the board voted against placing the proposal on the agenda. It was the latest attempt by the Republicans on the board to push back against the updated sex and health education standards.

Citing recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Snyder and Tom McMillin, a Republican from Oakland Township, alleged that the Michigan Department of Education is violating federal laws with updated sex and health education guidance the State Board approved in November, a claim another board member said was misleading and incorrect. The elected State Board oversees the Michigan Department of Education. Democrats control the eight-member State Board with six seats.

They also cited controversial training materials that came to light in 2022 in which a trainer suggested that teachers can talk with parents about a student expressing suicidal thoughts without having to reveal that gender identity or sexual orientation is a cause of their distress.

During debates in 2016 over State Board guidance to schools on addressing the needs of LGBTQ students, advocates argued that in a small number of cases, revealing to parents that their child is transitioning could put the student in danger. Several Democratic board members argued Tuesday that the language in the 2022 video was acknowledging that reality and wasn’t intended as a blanket suggestion that teachers withhold information from parents.

The attempt comes amid intense national debate about whether schools should teach about gender identity, parents’ rights to opt their children out of such lessons, and parents’ right to know about the gender identity their child uses at school.

In November, the State Board faced backlash for voting to approve updated standards for sex and health education that recommend students be taught to define gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. In Michigan, local school districts aren’t required to align their curriculum to the state standards, though for subjects that are tested on annual exams, most do. Sex and health education are not tested. State law requires that parents be allowed to opt their children out of sex education lessons.

Last week, lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Michigan House passed a bill inspired by the debate over the updated standards that would require legislative approval of standards adopted by the State Board. The legislation isn’t expected to succeed in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

In February, the U.S. Justice Department announced it was investigating three Michigan school districts — Detroit Public Schools Community District, Lansing School District, and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools — to determine whether they had included “sexual orientation or gender ideology content” in any classroom and if parents were notified of their rights to opt their children out of such instruction.

Letters sent to the districts cited the November vote to update sex and health education standards, with the DOJ saying those updates may violate Title IX rules. Snyder said during Tuesday’s meeting that she wrote a letter to the DOJ asking the department to investigate Michigan but didn’t mention specific schools.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week in a California case that parents have a right to know about their child’s gender identity at school. The ruling in the Mirabelli v. Bonta case overturns a California law that required teachers to use students’ preferred names and pronouns at school and barred them from disclosing students’ gender identity to parents without the students’ consent.

Last year, the Supreme Court ruled in the Mahmoud v. Taylor case in Maryland that parents have the right to opt their children out of lessons that violate their religious beliefs.

McMillin urged the board to take up the proposed resolution in part because local districts should know that they “could be obstructing justice” if they withhold gender identity information from parents.

Ellen Cogen Lipton, a Democrat from Huntington Woods, noted that the Mirabelli v. Bonta ruling was an emergency ruling on the so-called shadow docket. Lipton, an attorney, said the shadow docket is for cases that are not intended to make broad-based policy decisions.

Lipton said that to describe the ruling in the Mirabelli v. Bonta as making policies or recommendations in other states as unconstitutional “is legally incorrect.”

“But it’s coming,” Snyder responded.

GOP and Democrat members accuse each other of politicizing education

State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said he sought guidance on the California ruling from the Michigan attorney general’s office. He said there are differences between the California law and Michigan’s recommendations, including the fact that Michigan allows districts to choose whether to adopt the recommendations and for parents to opt their children out of lessons they object to.

“We don’t have a policy or protocol that mandates the implementation of those training materials or standards,” Maleyko said.

The resolution Snyder proposed called on the State Board to remove the health education guidelines adopted in November and notify all districts of that removal. The proposed resolution also noted that it would be “the first step in notifying the Michigan Department of Education that the continuous effort to politicize public education in our state will end and to receive this declaration as the repeated call to return to a model of education that teaches children how to think and not what to think.”

Board President Pamela Pugh said the resolution is an example of politicizing education that spreads confusion and misinformation.

“Our responsibility is to provide safe supportive respectful learning environments for all children,” Pugh said. “This resolution really is another attempt to rehash what the board has debated.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan high school graduation rate reaches new high. Check your school’s rate.

2026-02-20T22:17:49+00:00

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Michigan’s four-year high school graduation rate is at a new high, according to data released by the state Friday.

The high school graduation rate for 2025 was just above 84%, up from 82.83% the previous year. Michigan’s high school dropout rate is 7.13%, slightly slower than 7.68% the previous year.

The numbers don’t add up to 100% because they don’t account for students who had been in high school for four years but had not yet graduated, those who earned a GED certificate rather than a high school diploma or those who had aged out of special education.

“Michigan’s historically high graduation rate is a reflection of the efforts of Michigan students, educators, families and communities as well as state leaders,” said State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko in a statement.

“It takes all of us collaborating to put Students First and support them so they can graduate, be successful in postsecondary endeavors, and realize their dreams. There’s more work to do because we want all students to graduate, but we know we can make further progress while also improving other student outcomes such as literacy.”

The state uses a model that measures the time it takes for ninth grade students to earn a high school diploma. It has done so since the 2007-08 school year.

High school students can stay in school to complete their diploma even if they do not complete it in four years. The state also keeps track of students who graduate with both a high school diploma and associate degree from an early middle college. These programs typically take five years.

Statewide, graduation rates are also up for economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities. Students experiencing homelessness had a 64% four-year graduation rate, compared with nearly 60% the year before.

Improvement strategies are working for many students

The more than 83% graduation rate for the state’s largest district, Detroit Public Schools Community District, was its highest since the state began using the current formula.

“Our teachers, counselors, principals, and staff knew we could do better and put in the work every day to get us here,” said Superintendent Nikolai Vitti in a statement Friday.

The district’s rate is less than a percentage point below the statewide average, Vitti noted, and 7.3 points higher than it was in 2018-19, the last school year before the pandemic. At that time, DPSCD was 5.5 percentage points behind the state’s average.

The school system improved its rate by expanding ways for students to make up course credit, additional counselors, improved tracking of students’ academic progress and putting mental health intervention programs at neighborhood high schools, according to the superintendent.

Still, SAT scores show many DPSCD high schoolers are not meeting college readiness benchmarks. In 2024-25, 85% of students in the district scored below benchmarks in math and 63.9% scored below benchmarks in reading and writing.

According to the College Board, students who meet the SAT benchmarks have a 75% chance of earning a passing grade or better in first-semester college courses.

“We still haven’t completely arrived where students need us to be as a district but we are certainly making historic strides,” he said.

At Lansing School District, the improved 94% graduation rate and 2% dropout rate for 2025 are the result of deliberate efforts by the district" The graduation rate is significantly higher than four years ago, when it stood at 62.1%.

Graduation specialists and high school counselors from throughout the district meet monthly to review data on students who are on track to graduate, and those who are off-track or have dropped out, said Anna DiPonio, director of data and accountability for the district. Staff also discuss ways to support students and try to reconnect with those who have left school.

“We’re super happy about the improvement that we’re making because we know what that means for kids,” said Interim Superintendent Jessica Benavides.

She said the diploma means more college and career opportunities. Recent high school graduates are eligible for a host of college grants and scholarships. The state’s signature Michigan Achievement Scholarship provides up to $5,500 annually for a state public university or independent nonprofit college. The program also covers up to full tuition for community college.

Despite the improved graduation rates, 94.9% of Lansing students are testing below college readiness benchmarks for math and 72.9% for reading and writing.

Venessa Keesler, president and CEO of Launch Michigan, a bipartisan group working to change high school graduation standards, called the increased statewide graduation rates “great news.”

“What we need to do now is increase the rigor of what that diploma means and what students are prepared to do with that diploma.”

Keesler is urging the state to adopt graduation standards that combine academics, college and career exposure and “durable skills” like teamwork and communication.

Statewide, only about 27% of high schoolers are college-ready, as determined by student performance on the SAT.

Making high school more meaningful for students helps

The graduation rate for Kentwood Public Schools was 84.35%, up more than 2.5 percentage points above the rate in 2024. Superintendent Kevin Polston, said “We’re not where we want to be,” but that he is proud of the work that has been done in the district. Like other districts, far fewer of the district’s high school students are considered college-ready based on the SAT benchmarks.

“We really rolled up our sleeves to make learning relevant and more meaningful for students,” Polston said.

They’ve done that by offering more career and technical education options and giving students more access to work-based learning. The goal is to make learning more connected to the interests of students and their potential careers.

At Crossroads High, the district’s alternative high school, students spend two days a week in the community in a work setting. The district is in the third year of that effort, and Polston said it helps connect students to jobs or career training after high school, and they’ve seen attendance and graduation rates increase.

The district has worked to add new career and technical education programs that students desire, including a culinary arts program he said has had a waiting list of 400 students. The district has also added more career classes that allow students to explore careers without committing to a lengthier CTE program.

“When we talk to students, they want learning to make sense. They want it to be something they’re interested in and passionate about,” Polston said.

The decline in the dropout rate, as well as the improved graduation rates for some of the most vulnerable students in the state, including those experiencing homelessness, is heartening, said Bob Kefgen, the associate director of government relations at the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals.

“Those are big wins,” he said. “Principals reviewing their graduation and dropout rate data don’t just see numbers. “These numbers represent relationships, they represent interventions … on behalf of students.”

Getting a student across the stage to graduate starts in ninth grade and includes constant monitoring, making sure the student is on track to graduate and intervening when necessary, Kefgen said. Sometimes those interventions are academic, making sure the students get the support they need to improve in their classes. But it can also include addressing barriers to getting to school, building relationships with families, and building relationships in the community.

“Really, we throw everything in the kitchen sink behind getting kids across the stage.”

Look up your local district’s graduation rate in the tool below.

This story was completed through a partnership between Bridge Michigan, Chalkbeat Detroit, BridgeDetroit and the Detroit Free Press.

Lori Higgins from Chalkbeat Detroit contributed to this story.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemi.com

Kristi Tanner is a reporter for the Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at ktanner@freepress.com.

Hannah Dellinger is a reporter for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

State superintendent says Trump’s Michigan schools investigations are based on false info

2026-02-20T00:23:56+00:00

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Michigan’s superintendent is firing back at the U.S. Justice Department by saying the Trump administration’s Title IX investigations into three districts are based on false information about the state’s health education guidelines.

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon sent notices of compliance reviews to superintendents of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Lansing School District, and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools on Wednesday. The department said it is investigating whether the districts have included “sexual orientation or gender ideology content” in any classroom and if parents were notified of their rights to opt their children out of such instruction. It will also determine if transgender students are allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.

The letters cited the Michigan State Board of Education’s November revision of its “Michigan Health Education Standards Guidelines” that recommended students be taught about gender identity and sexual orientation. The correspondence said “health is a required class for graduation in the state of Michigan, with no opportunity for parents to opt their children out of receiving instruction.”

In a statement Thursday, State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said the premise of the investigations are a “mischaracterization.”

“Local school boards set health curriculum with input from local sex education advisory boards,” he said. “Local control remains in place. Parents retain the right to decide whether their children should participate in sex education instruction.”

The current health education guidelines noted that under existing state law, parents must be notified ahead of sex education classes, have a right to review curriculum, and can opt their children out of all or some of it without penalty.

Michigan districts decide their own curriculums and are not required to comply with suggestions in the state board’s guidelines.

When the state’s current health education guidelines were proposed last year, many conservative and religious parents and community members spoke out against the changes. They claimed their rights to protect their children’s religious upbringing were stripped away.

Maleyko also reaffirmed the state’s commitment to ensuring all students feel safe and included.

“The much-needed updates to health education guidelines—which the Department of Justice falsely said are state requirements—help local districts make decisions on how they can support student health,” he said.

The Justice Department is asking the districts to hand over numerous documents, including library books with mentions of LGBTQ+ matters, curriculum texts, and presentations.

The letters threaten terminating federal funding if the districts do not comply.

All three districts receive high percentages of their funding from federal grants, said Peter Spadafore, executive director of the Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity, an organization that works to help students in districts with the greatest needs by creating educational equity.

Advocates worry the investigations will hurt youth

Erin Knott, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Equality Michigan, said in a statement that the group is disappointed about the investigations.

“LGBTQ+ youth are among the most vulnerable young people in our state,” she said. “They face higher rates of bullying, harassment, and mental health challenges. Inclusive education policies are not ‘ideology,’ they are evidence-based efforts to ensure that every student feels safe, respected, and seen in their own school community.”

Jay Kaplan, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan, said while the investigations may not have legal bearing, they could cause a chilling effect that results in districts rolling back protections for LGBTQ+ students.

“This is an attempt to harass and bully districts into discriminating against trans kids and into erasing the existence of LGBTQ people,” he said.

Taryn Gal, executive director of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, a nonprofit advocacy group, said the political pressure on districts puts schools in an impossible situation.

“Do they comply and risk violating state law, implementing policies and practices they know harm students and the entire school environment?” She said. “Or do they risk federal funding and do what’s right to ensure every student, regardless of their identity, can succeed in school?”

Many Michigan LGBTQ+ youth say they fear the ripple effects of political rhetoric in President Donald Trump’s second term. A 2024 survey by the nonprofit advocacy group the Trevor Project found 89% of Michigan LGBTQ+ students said recent politics negatively impacted their sense of well-being.

Affirming policies are potentially life-saving, other surveys suggest.

Why the DOJ opened the investigation

The Department of Justice said in the letter that the revised standards could violate Title IX or a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Mahmoud v. Taylor, which requires districts to allow parents to opt their children out from classes with LGBTQ+ themes.

Spokespeople from the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to questions about why the three districts are the target of the investigations.

Kaplan said it appears districts with large populations of Latino and Black students in communities experiencing high rates of poverty were targeted. He said investigations are unusual because they don’t appear to be prompted by parent complaints. He added the letters are “constitutionally flawed,” and that current law does not allow the executive branch to dictate what local schools teach.

Gal said the letters also appear to “misunderstand the timeline and the standards it references.”

“The Supreme Court’s decision in Mahmoud was issued in June 2025, and Michigan’s updated health standards were finalized later in 2025, yet the investigation is requesting materials and communications going back to 2023,” she said. “That kind of mismatch creates confusion and fear for school districts about what is actually expected of them.”

Arnetta Thompson, superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, said in an email the district will provide all information the Department of Justice requested.

“At this time, this is a standard review process. “The District is not facing any charges or findings of wrongdoing. We remain committed to complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and have consistently operated in accordance with those laws.”

Spokespeople for the Detroit Public Schools Community District and the Lansing School District declined to comment.

Monique Bryant, a member of the DPSCD board, said as a parent she has never had a concern about classroom material.

“Sometimes you can have students and parents go too far left with something, and we have to be thoughtful and mindful of everyone,” she added.

Lansing school board President Guillermo Lopez said he had not heard complaints from any parents about not being able to opt out.

House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican from Richland Township, said at his regular news conference on Feb. 19 he supports the investigations because he doesn’t think most parents want their children receiving that type of instruction.

If it is happening, officials should “put a stop to it,” Hall said.“I would welcome more investigations.”

State Board of Education member Tom McMillan, a Republican from Oakland Township, said he was pleased to learn of the Department of Justice investigation: “This is one of the things the federal government can do to make kids safe.”

Even though state law says that parents have a right to opt out their children from sex education lessons, McMillan said there are no consequences for districts that do not follow the opt-out law.

“I think there should be serious consequences, removal of funds, maybe jail time, prison, for districts that don’t follow the law,” he said. “If they are harming kids, allowing boys to go into girls’ locker rooms, showers, that’s perversion and should be met with some kind of serious consequences.”

Pamela Pugh, president of the State Board of Education and a Democrat from Saginaw, said the investigation is a “politically motivated fishing expedition” and “a misuse of federal resources” that will burden local schools.

Trump threatens funding over transgender student protections, DEI

As promised during his campaign, Trump has targeted transgender communities and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in multiple executive orders.

Since last year, the Michigan Department of Education has pushed back on those executive orders, saying its efforts to incorporate curriculum that reflects diverse experiences won’t change.

The Trump administration has also targeted districts across the country with investigations and funding threats.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights announced an investigation into New York City’s education department for a policy that allows transgender students to play on sports teams in line with their gender identity.

Denver Public Schools was investigated last year by the Department of Education for converting a girls’ restroom into an all-gender restroom.

Chicago is facing a loss of millions in federal funding for magnet schools due to a dispute with the Department of Education over how the district serves transgender and Black students.

Another Title IX probe began in Maine in April. The Department of Justice sued Minneapolis Public Schools over its layoff protections for teachers of color in December.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Georgea Kovanis is a reporter covering LGBTQ+ issues for the Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at gkovanis@freepress.com.

Paul Egan contributed to this report.

Vitti seeks ways to boost certification of special education teachers

2026-02-18T23:15:23+00:00

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As the Detroit school district continues to experience special education teacher shortages, its superintendent is proposing ways for more teachers to enter the field.

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, said due to the increase in children being diagnosed with autism statewide, he wants the Michigan Department of Education, or MDE, to expand access to special education programs and offer incentives to bring in more people to the profession.

“That’s the challenge we’re facing here [in DPSCD], but this is a statewide challenge,” Vitti said during a school board meeting last month. “There’s just so few teachers that are generally going into the profession, but especially special education. And then adding that special education endorsement just creates another barrier.”

Currently, an aspiring teacher needs a bachelor’s degree in general education and a special credential called an endorsement. If they want to teach children with a specific disorder, like autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, the person needs an additional endorsement.

Michigan has seen statewide teacher shortages for at least the last 15 years as educators leave the field at an unsustainable rate. This has forced schools to rely on those with temporary or interim credentials, according to a report released last month from the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative at Michigan State University. That is especially true for special education, where vacancy rates are nearly double the statewide average. More than 5% of all special education full-time positions were vacant in the fall of 2024, far exceeding the statewide vacancy rate of 2.8%.

Across much of the state, the lack of staffing has resulted in teachers with no special education credentials instructing students with disabilities. Lacking enough specialists, districts apply for temporary approvals from the state to put general education teachers in classrooms even though they haven’t yet earned the added credential. This can stretch school resources and, critics say, shortchange the education of the district’s most vulnerable students.

The shortage is not only confined to teachers – Michigan also lacks speech language pathologists, social workers, and paraprofessionals who work with students with disabilities.

At a board meeting on Feb. 10, Vitti said DPSCD had 28 teacher and 32 support staff vacancies. That includes six paraprofessionals in the Exceptional Student Education, or ESE, department, 10 occupational therapists, six physical therapists, and one speech language and pathologist. However, Vitti said the district is “overstaffed” for the first time during his tenure with 107 full-time and contracted psychologists. ESE is the district’s name for its special education department.

The number of children in Michigan being diagnosed with autism is also rising. According to a 2024 report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, 25,315 Medicaid-eligible children – birth through 18 years – were evaluated or reevaluated as having a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in 2022. The following year, 27,449 children were evaluated or reevaluated, a less than 1% increase. Meanwhile, the Michigan Department of Education reported that 25,147 of all children enrolled in grades K-12 during the 2022-23 school year were assigned autism spectrum disorder eligibility.

With new state Superintendent Glenn Maleyko leading the Michigan Department of Education, Vitti is hopeful he’ll be open to possible changes to the certification process.

“The remedy to this is maybe require the special education certification and then give the teacher with that certification some time to gain the endorsement in the specialization area so that we can have more certified teachers in the classroom,” Vitti said during the meeting. “But we can’t do that unilaterally without MDE approving that.”

Finding autism spectrum disorder teachers ‘particularly challenging’

In an email to BridgeDetroit, Vitti said that the supply of educators statewide is not meeting demands when it comes to staffing and support for special education, or Exceptional Student Education, DPSCD’s name for the department.

“This is particularly challenging in areas like Autism Spectrum Disorder,” he said.

DPSCD’s special education department offers several programs specifically for students with disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder. The programs that saw the biggest enrollment increases in recent years were Mild Cognitive Impairment and ASD, according to a 2025 district report. Enrollment for the autism spectrum disorder programs increased by 100 students between 2022 and 2024, from 311 to 411. The number is projected to rise again to 438 students in the upcoming 2025 report.

Autism spectrum disorder classrooms should have no more than five students to a class, so at least 400 additional teachers are needed based on the number of children with autism recorded in the department of health and human services report, Vitti said. Between August 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025, 138 prospective special education teachers took the state autism spectrum disorder test, with 128 people passing. The exam is part of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification, or MTTC.

Aspiring teachers can become certified in special education in one of three ways, Michigan Department of Education spokesperson Ken Coleman told BridgeDetroit in an email:

They can attend a traditional preparation program offered at a four-year university for initial certification. This lets students earn a general education endorsement and a special education endorsement simultaneously, along with a bachelor’s degree. This includes at least 30 credit hours of content-focused coursework and a minimum of an 8-week internship in a special education placement as well as at least 50 student contact hours in the area of the general education endorsement. These all contribute to the required minimum of 600 hours of clinical experiences prior to certification recommendation.
Students also have the option of taking an expedited special education program. Expedited programs allow students to earn a special education endorsement without the additional general education endorsement, along with a bachelor’s degree. Completers hold a standard Michigan teaching certificate with a particular special education endorsement. This includes at least 30 credit hours of content-focused coursework and a minimum of a 300-hour internship in a special education placement. This is incorporated into the required minimum of 600 hours of clinical experiences prior to certification recommendation.
A person can take an alternative pathway program, which trains people who already have a bachelor’s degree. They can earn one of the following special education endorsements: cognitive impairment, emotional impairment, physical or other health impaired, and specific learning disabilities, as well as a general education endorsement on a five-year Interim Teaching Certificate, or ITC. Alternative route candidates earning special education endorsements must complete at least 32 credit hours of content-focused coursework, pass the Michigan teaching certification test and complete an eight-week internship before they can add the endorsement to their interim teaching certificate.

For teachers already in the field, they can add a particular special education endorsement to their certificate through a traditional or an alternative route program, Coleman said. The time frame to become certificated varies, he said, but a bachelor’s degree and certification coursework typically take four years to complete, while teachers earning an additional endorsement typically enter programs that last between 1.5 to 2.5 years.

That makes their college training more costly. And once they graduate, many if not most districts don’t offer a pay bump for the extra training.

Ben Hicks, the associate executive director of training and development for the Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education, said the costs along with the time frame to become certified is one of the challenges he hears most from educators.

“It becomes more costly and time-consuming and then on top of that, with the certification plus the endorsement, you have to student-teach twice,” he said.

Coleman added that the Michigan Department of Education has made several changes to the certification process in recent years to streamline the experience of prospective special education teachers.

Some of those changes include launching the Special Education Teacher Tuition Reimbursement Grant in 2021 to incentivize certified Michigan teachers to earn an endorsement in special education for employment in a program for which they are currently not qualified, allowing waiver requests for teacher placement in certain special education programs beginning in 2023, and approving preparation standards last year for a new stand-alone special education teacher credential.

The endorsement is intended to stand alone on a Michigan teaching certificate but can also be combined with other endorsements in general or special education, the Michigan Department of Education said in a news release. Prospective special educators will enter the new programs this fall, and teachers will begin to enter the field with the new special education teacher endorsement by spring 2028.

Vitti believes one possible solution to the shortage of autism spectrum disorder teachers is for universities to expand access to endorsements. Twelve colleges across Michigan offer autism spectrum disorder endorsements, including Eastern Michigan University, Madonna University, Oakland University, and Wayne State University.

Alternative pathway programs like Talent Together, which pays school employees and community members to get teaching credentials, offer special education certifications in areas like autism spectrum disorder, cognitive, and emotional impairment and learning disabilities.

DPSCD’s teacher preparation program, On the Rise Academy, does not offer autism spectrum disorder as an endorsement, but educators can become certified in cognitive impairment in addition to one of the program’s general education endorsements.

“Our hope would be that the ASD programs are more accessible at universities and through alternative providers — and that there are incentives tied to increasing the number of ASD-certified teachers for university preparation programs,” Vitti said.

Ensuring teachers are adequately trained

State lawmakers have also taken notice of the teacher shortages in special education. In 2021, Michigan’s Legislature budgeted $1.5 million to study how to “attract, prepare, and retain qualified personnel for children with disabilities.” That task force would become Optimise. The group identifies barriers for special educators, partnering with professional organizations, institutes of higher education, and the governor’s office to come up with recommendations to those barriers. The group has several action teams, with teacher credentialing and standards being one of them.

Laurie VanderPloeg, consultant for Optimise, said incentives have been a topic of discussion for some of the groups. Group members have mentioned giving special educators a stipend for their tuition reimbursement for school and paying teachers overtime for the paperwork they can’t complete during the school day. The group has also talked about reducing the amount of time in teacher prep programs, but guaranteed that there’s an increase in rigor.

“We’re really looking at how do we beef up and change some of our preparation programs to be less timely, which would reduce the cost for overall tuition, but increase the quality of what’s being taught, and retaining the rigor of the program so that parents can be very comfortable with the fact that the candidates are coming out well prepared to meet the diverse needs of their children,” VanderPloeg said.

Heather Eckner, director of statewide education for the Autism Alliance of Michigan, also recognizes the difficulties school districts in the state face in hiring special education teachers and staff. The nonprofit works with students with autism and their families statewide.

While administrators may feel pressured to fill those vacancies, what Eckner hears from families is that they want districts to ensure teachers have adequate training and credentials. When teachers don’t have that training, she has seen cases of educators using exclusionary discipline tactics like seclusion and restraint.

“If we think about it from a family/student perspective, it’s like, we need people in these positions, but we need personnel who are appropriately trained and adequately supported to meet the needs of kids,” Eckner said. “When that’s not in place, we see a rise in things that nobody really wants to happen, where kids get pushed out and underserved or inappropriately served. Higher ed teacher prep programs really have not evolved to better prepare teachers for the student populations that they encounter in any setting in schools now.”

Like Vitti, Eckner wants to see more alternative teacher preparation programs that offer special education endorsements.

“Special education is often left out of the plan for comprehensive reform,” Eckner said. “Now you’re getting these pathways underway like TeachMichigan and Talent Together. But where’s your plan to help build a pipeline to increase how many special education-endorsed teachers we have?”

Bridge Michigan reporter Isabel Lohman contributed to this report.

Micah Walker is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Whitmer’s budget plan for schools sets $10,300 in per-pupil funding

2026-02-11T22:29:50+00:00

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In her $21.4 billion school aid fund budget, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing at least $10,300 in state funding per student and hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for literacy tutoring, curriculum, and training for teachers.

The total budget of $88 billion also includes a new initiative that will likely please parents and teachers who shell out money during the back-to-school season. Whitmer is proposing a sales tax holiday for back-to-school shopping, exempting clothing and supplies purchased during a weekend in August.

The $10,300 increase in the base per-pupil amount, which is the lowest amount a school district or charter school can receive, represents a 2.5% increase in funding over the current budget. The governor’s office said the per-pupil grant, under this proposal, will have increased 31% since Whitmer took office nearly eight years ago. The budget proposal released Wednesday is her last as governor. A November governor’s race will decide the next state leader.

State Budget Office officials presented the budget to lawmakers Wednesday during a joint hearing of the House and Senate appropriations committee.

Jen Flood, the state budget office director, told lawmakers that federal revenue declines, rising health care costs, high tariffs, and changing national policy made development of the overall state budget challenging. It’s why the budget includes some tax increases that might be tough sells to some lawmakers. For instance, the budget calls for increasing the tax on a pack of cigarettes from $2 to $3. Whitmer also proposes a new tax on vaping products, while also increasing the internet tax rate on casinos.

As she previewed early this week, Whitmer’s education budget is focused on early literacy to address how much Michigan students are struggling with literacy, especially in the early grades.

“Strong literacy skills are one of those clearest predictors of long term success in school, in the workforce and in life. That’s why this budget keeps a clear focus on helping students read proficiently by the end of third grade and stay on track from there,” Kyle Guerrant, the deputy director of the State Budget Office, told lawmakers during the Wednesday hearing.

Here are some of the specifics related to literacy, according to state budget documents:

$100 million for a new high-impact tutoring program over two years. The funding will be awarded on a competitive basis to tutoring partners with a track record in Michigan.
$100 million in funding over two years for grants that help districts purchase and implement a high quality literacy curriculum.
$50 million to continue Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, or LETRS, training over a five-year period. LETRS is a professional development program based on the science of reading. The science of reading refers to a body of knowledge that emphasizes phonics along with building vocabulary and background knowledge.
A $10.5 million increase in funding for additional literacy coaches at intermediate districts. Coaches help teachers develop and implement instructional strategies for pupils in grades pre-K to 5. The increase brings total funding for literacy coaches to $52.5 million.

“Widespread support for efforts to improve early literacy are needed more than ever as Michigan’s students continue to lag the nation in reading,” Jennifer Mrozowski, spokesperson for the Education Trust-Midwest, an education research organization based in Royal Oak, said in a statement. “Investments in research-backed practices based in the science of reading are particularly important in districts that serve high concentrations of poverty, students of color, English learners and students with disabilities.”

At the hearing on Wednesday, the state officials were called out by one lawmaker who objected to cyber charter schools receiving 20% less in per pupil funding than brick-and-mortar traditional public schools and charter schools.

“Who does that help?” asked Rep. Tim Kelly, a Republican from Saginaw Township..

Flood replied that cyber schools don’t have the same costs as brick-and-mortar-schools.

““It reflects the cost of educating a child,” Flood said.

Kelly accused the state of lowering funding for cyber schools because their teachers aren’t unionized, a claim state officials said was false. In reality, most brick-and-mortar charter schools are not unionized.

Here are some other features of the education budget proposal:

The third weekend in August would be a sales tax holiday for people shopping for school supplies. Purchases that would be exempt from the state’s 6% sales tax include clothing under $100 per item, school supplies under $20 per item, and computers for personal use under $1,000 an item. Sixteen states already have such sales tax holidays for the back-to-school season.
A 6%, or $128 million, increase to the state’s weighted funding formula that provides additional money for some groups of students, including academically at-risk students, students who are English language learners, career and technical education students, those enrolled in rural and isolated districts, students with developmental delays, and intermediate school districts.
A continuation of a $200 million program that provides free breakfasts and lunches for all students, regardless of income.
An expansion of the state’s PreK for All program, which provides free preschool to Michigan four-year-olds, regardless of income. The budget would include a 6% increase in the per-child allocation for the state’s Great State Readiness Program, from $10,650 to $11,290.

The state budget process now turns to the Michigan legislature, which has until July 1 to deliver a budget back to Whitmer for a signature. The legislature blew through that deadline last year, and didn’t approve a budget until Oct. 3.

Democratic Sen. Sarah Anthony of Lansing, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday she doesn’t want a repeat of what happened last year.

“We left school districts, we left nonprofits and the business community with uncertainty, with chaos, with unprofessionalism,” Anthony said.

She urged her colleagues in the legislature to “work with each other, regardless of political party, to get things done for the people of Michigan.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Whitmer aims to boost literacy as Michigan students struggle with reading

2026-02-10T10:00:00+00:00

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in her final budget proposal this week, is set to unveil a budget proposal for funding schools that invests $625 million in programs aimed at addressing the state’s K-12 literacy crisis.

The literacy investment would come at a time of increased focus on the troubling performance of Michigan students in literacy in the early grades. Just 38.9% of third graders were proficient on the English language arts portion of the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress last year. It was the lowest performance of third graders in the exam’s 11-year history, Chalkbeat and Bridge Michigan reported last year.

On the national front, just 24% of Michigan fourth graders were proficient in 2024 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, an exam known as the “nation’s report card.” That compares to 30% being proficient nationally. More concerning is that Michigan student performance has been stagnant and declining as other states that have invested heavily in early literacy have improved.

Whitmer, during her State of the State address last year, called for urgency in addressing the low performance, noting that Michigan spends more than most states.

“It’s not acceptable,” Whitmer said. “For our kids, let’s do better. Let’s face our literacy crisis with fierce urgency.”

“When every child reads, Michigan wins,” Whitmer said in a statement provided by the governor’s office. “As we face a nationwide literacy crisis, my education budget proposal includes big investments to build on the work we’ve done to help kids read.”

For the budget proposal she will deliver to the Michigan Legislature Wednesday, Whitmer’s Every Child Reads plan notes that investing in preschool and wraparound programs is just as important as improving curriculum and ensuring teachers are trained.

Here are some specifics of the plan the governor’s office shared with Chalkbeat this week:

Part of the $625 million investment includes expansion of the state’s PreK for All initiative, which aims to provide free preschool to children regardless of income. “It starts with high-quality early learning, because the sooner kids start learning to read, the better they become,” the governor’s office said in a media advisory.
The budget would also invest more in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (or LETRS) training. LETRS is a professional development program based on the science of reading. The science of reading refers to a body of knowledge that emphasizes phonics along with building vocabulary and background knowledge.
The budget will include funding that helps districts implement new science of reading-aligned curriculum. The Michigan Department of Education recently published a list of curriculums aligned with the science of reading. School districts aren’t required to adopt from the list. However, the current state budget has language requiring schools to send letters home to parents if they are using a curriculum that is not on the list or risk losing a small percentage of their state funding.
The budget proposes additional funding to expand summer, before-school, and after-school programming.

Additional details, such as information on how the additional funding would help districts implement curriculum aligned to the science of reading, weren’t available.

State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko, in a statement included in the governor’s advisory, said Whitmer’s focus on literacy is one shared by the Michigan Department of Education, which he oversees, and the State Board of Education, the elected board that hired him last year.

“Nothing is more important to our students and our state than improving literacy,” Maleyko said. “Reading and writing are the foundation for long-term success, and I look forward to working with the Legislature through strong teamwork and shared responsibility to advance these priorities and continue improving student outcomes statewide.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan governor candidates talk ICE and ways to stop the state’s academic slide

2026-02-06T21:38:26+00:00

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Four Michigan gubernatorial candidates tried Friday to convince a group of educators from across Michigan that their plans for increasing accountability for schools, improving curriculum with teacher input, investing in educators, and reversing the state’s academic slide were the best options.

The candidates gathered at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center for an education forum hosted by the Michigan Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union. The event was moderated by Zoe Clark, political director at Michigan Public, and the candidates answered questions submitted by MEA members.

Participating were Democrat Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state; Republican Mike Cox, former state attorney general; Independent Mike Duggan, former Detroit mayor; and Democrat Chris Swanson, Genesee County sheriff. The MEA invited all the major party candidates in December.

The forum gave the educators an opportunity to gauge how those who want to be the next governor would put a stamp on education and potentially affect their jobs. They heartily applauded as Benson, a former teacher whose parents were also teachers, was introduced. Cox faced laughter during his remarks when he suggested that the average teacher with 20 years of experience is likely making $90,000, with benefits bringing their total compensation to $150,000.

His comment was a response to a question about how each candidate plans to increase starting pay for teachers and retain quality educators.

Benson replied that she would push to ensure the average starting salary is at least $60,000, about $20,000 more than the average starting salary in the state. She said it’s a sign of respect for the important work educators do daily.

“You will have a voice … and I will reflect my commitment to that by ensuring that your compensation reflects the respect, the professional respect, that you all have earned. To me, that is a critical component of attracting and retaining talented people,” Benson said.

Cox, who said that as a Republican, he doesn’t expect the union’s endorsement, took a different approach, saying that when Michigan fourth graders near the bottom in the nation in reading proficiency,”it’s hard to tell the people of Michigan that you need more money.

“You may not want to hear it, but that’s the truth. Accountability brings results. Results bring more money for teachers.”

Michigan Education Association members from across the state heard from four of the candidates for governor during an education forum Friday, Feb. 6 at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center.

Candidates were asked what they would do as governor to ensure the safety and stability of students in the midst of stepped up federal immigration actions.

Duggan said the pain of having ICE in your community is “very real, and I dealt with it for 12 years as mayor of Detroit.”

He encouraged people to look at how the city has approached immigration enforcement, noting that the Detroit Police Department has not signed agreements with ICE that he said would make the local department an arm of the federal agency. However, he said, if ICE learns that someone the department has arrested is wanted by the federal agency, that person will be turned over to ICE. The alternative, Duggan said, is “ICE goes into the neighborhood and creates more distress.”

Swanson, a 33-year law enforcement officer, was emphatic in his response, saying “schools are off limits” and criticizing ICE for the way it is carrying out immigration actions.

“ICE is doing it wrong. I’ve worked with the FBI, Secret Service, ATF, DEA for 33 years. We work with the most dangerous of cases. We don’t have people protesting us. We don’t have people scared,” Swanson said.

The candidates had varied responses when asked how they would improve education in Michigan.

Cox said he would opt into the federal tax credit program that was part of the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which would fund scholarships for parents to send their children to private school. He said he would be focused on accountability for schools and would adopt the policies in place in Mississippi that have helped improve student achievement.

Among Benson’s priorities: Ensuring equitable funding for schools, ensuring educators have the “compensation and wraparound services and support needed to do their job, and investing in postsecondary support.

Duggan said he would stop the practice that’s been in place for years of lawmakers dipping into the School Aid Fund that was meant to provide funding for K-12 schools to use it for higher education. He said he wants educators to be chiefly involved in deciding curriculum issues, rather than lawmakers. “Do you want the legislators deciding whether algebra II or art should be in the school?” he asked the educators.

Swanson, replying to Cox’s remarks about Mississippi, said, “I’m not interested in the Mississippi model. I’m interested in the Michigan model.”

He said Michigan needs to focus on fixing its problems. Programs like free school meals for all and free preschool for all (both regardless of income) are “the baseline to get them set up for an algorithm of success.” He talked about the importance of setting students up for postsecondary success whether they’re going to college or not.

“I’m not interested in making a decision as a governor for the next election. I’m interested in making decisions for education that have generational impact,” Swanson said.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Timeline: How 2016 was a critical year for the future of Detroit schools

2026-01-30T19:50:16+00:00

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The year 2016 was a pivotal one for the Detroit school district, beginning when teachers staged sick-outs to draw attention to what they repeatedly described as deplorable school building conditions. It ended with the launch of a new district to educate city students, part of a legislative initiative that kept the old Detroit Public Schools intact to collect tax revenue and pay off the crushing debt that almost led to bankruptcy.

Here’s a quick timeline of what happened 10 years ago that had lasting implications in Detroit:

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

10 years ago, Detroit teachers protested building conditions. What’s changed since?

2026-01-30T19:46:39+00:00

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Ten years ago, a big crowd of Detroit teachers and their supporters marched down Jefferson Avenue toward Cobo Hall, where the annual auto show was being held, to draw national attention to the substandard conditions inside city schools.

The Detroit Federation of Teachers timed another rally later that afternoon outside Cobo (now Huntington Place) to coincide with the arrival of President Barack Obama at the auto show, whose appearance drew journalists from across the country.

The protests on Jan. 20, 2016, which closed most schools that Friday, produced stunning headlines that explained why teachers in Detroit Public Schools had called in sick en masse multiple times in that month.

“Rats, roaches, mold – poor conditions lead to teacher sick-out, closure of most Detroit schools,” a Washington Post headline said. “These Photos Will Make You Understand Detroit’s Education Crisis,” a HuffPost headline read. “How Detroit’s teacher ‘sickout’ cast a spotlight on unsafe school conditions,” was a Guardian headline.

The local and national coverage of the crisis proved instrumental, prompting the mayor to order school inspections and the district to begin repairs. After years of emergency management by the state, the new administration and school board that took over in 2017 ordered an audit of conditions in every building. More than $700 million in federal funds went into renovating and rebuilding schools, helping address needs officials say were created in part by a lack of equitable state funding. A decade later, the district is still constructing new schools to replace a handful of buildings that were in the worst condition, as well as addressing the biggest needs in other buildings.

But the scale of the challenges — both financially and physically — mean many students still attend school in buildings with significant problems.

“I am proud of the investments we have made and the improvement we are seeing in our infrastructure, but I am not satisfied with it,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti wrote in an email to Chalkbeat. “Our students and staff deserve EXACTLY and even MORE than suburban districts have.”

The $700 million investment, made during the pandemic with federal COVID relief dollars, addresses a fraction of the $2.1 billion infrastructure needs, according to the district.

“Many buildings still require major modernization, and some remain in deficient or failing condition based on industry standards,” Vitti said. “Aging systems continue to drive future costs, and without sustained investment, deferred needs will grow.”

Teachers push for change in building conditions, higher pay

The protests happened in the midst of turmoil and division within the Detroit Federation of Teachers.

The union’s fiery leader, Steve Conn, had been ousted by the union board in August 2015, after a two-day trial that ended with him being convicted of five misconduct charges, the Detroit Free Press reported.

As part of its attempts to stabilize the union, the American Federation of Teachers, its umbrella organization, asked members to identify the biggest problems facing the district. Building conditions were at the top of the list.

Stories and pictures collected from union members became the basis for the campaign to raise awareness of student and teacher learning and working conditions, said Ivy Bailey, interim president of the DFT at the time. Photos showed ceilings that were caved in and missing tile, vermin infestations, mold, and other troubling conditions.

Teachers and supporters rallied during a protest held Jan. 11, 2016 outside the Fisher Building, which houses headquarters for the Detroit Public Schools.

Contributing to the problems, according to teachers and union officials, were the state-appointed emergency managers who had control of the district. The school board existed but had little power during the years of emergency management, which stretched from 2009 to the end of 2016. Teachers said their complaints about building conditions were often ignored. The emergency managers were tasked with whittling down the district’s debt, but it rose substantially while they were in control.

Nina Chacker, who organized sick-outs as a union representative at Schulze Academy, said areas of some schools would be closed because of water-logged ceilings, forcing students to cram into classrooms that were usable.

Instead of listening to teachers’ pleas to make buildings safe for kids, Chacker said emergency managers sent people into schools “telling us how to teach.”

“We knew things weren’t going to get better as long as they were left in the state’s hands to address,” she said. “We wanted a school board with power. We wanted the democratic process returned to the district.”

Carrie Russell, now a math teacher at King High School, taught at Cody High School before the sick-outs began. An old boiler made it difficult to maintain temperatures in the building. She remembers a teacher who wore hard hats in her classroom at Cody because she feared falling ceiling tiles. (Russell left to teach in the Oak Park school district before the sick-outs and returned to the Detroit district in 2018.)

Teaching in a building with such problems, Russell said, was “demoralizing on so many levels.”

Building conditions were hardly the only issue teachers were concerned about, however. Class sizes were high – one teacher at a rally held a sign saying her class had 39 first graders. Teachers had not received pay raises in years, and many schools struggled with teacher shortages. Many teachers wanted to see an end to the years of state oversight and more attention from state lawmakers in Lansing.

“Everybody deserves a clean and safe environment to work in,” said Bailey, who retired as a teacher in 2018 but remained as union president until 2019. “They shouldn’t have to be worried about if they’re going to get cancer or if it’s going to affect their lungs. I mean, that should not have been an issue.”

The sick-outs started out small in November 2015, but by Jan. 20 they had increased in size, with nearly every building being closed that day. Most were organized by Detroit Strikes to Win, a group of teachers led by Conn.

Conn, who taught math at Western International High School for many years until he retired in 2023, said images of the roofs caving in, mold, and vermin infestations were the best way to demonstrate the inequities in Detroit schools to the public.

By bringing national attention to Detroit schools, he said the movement sparked a larger conversation around inequities in U.S. education.

“It was time to fight for justice, and we did that and set an example,” he said. “I think it was a high point in the struggle. But the struggle goes on for equity in Detroit schools and America’s schools.”

Vitti calls for more equitable state funding to keep improving buildings

When Vitti interviewed for the superintendent job in 2017, he said he was shocked by the conditions he saw while touring schools in the district.

“To actually walk the buildings and see the state of our infrastructure shook me, and in fact enraged me to see that our children have to go to schools where there are holes in the wall, tiles that are not replaced. It’s unconscionable and it’s a clear indication of the injustice our children face here,” he said.

The district during emergency management had “no vision and no resources consistently invested in infrastructure,” Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email.

A large crowd gathered to protest conditions in Detroit Public Schools during a rally on Jan. 11, 2016, in Detroit.

Since he took the helm, Vitti has focused on tackling the widespread problem — and some teachers say they have seen the changes.

Russell, the math teacher at King High School, has seen improvements since she returned to the district in 2018. While she used to be met with silence when trying to get problems in her classroom resolved, the current administration is more responsive, she said.

“They do a better job of trying to maintain issues,” she said.

She’s happy that the district recently broke ground on a new building for Cody High, where she worked a year before the sick-outs began.

Chacker, who now teaches at Bunche Preparatory Academy, is excited to have enough books for her class now, but the lack of air conditioning in her building is still a hindrance.

“The problem is that we started in such an egregious place,” said Chacker. “There’s a lot of improvement needed and still so far to go as far as getting to the standard our peers in the suburbs are enjoying.”

Funding continues to be an obstacle, Vitti said, because the state funding model doesn’t earmark dollars for school infrastructure, which “indirectly requires districts to either take funding from the general fund” or apply additional local taxes. Federal funds received by the district cannot be used for that purpose. (The COVID relief dollars used for the $700 million plan were one-time funds.)

Vitti said he wants to see more equitable state funding to help close the gap.

“DPSCD receives $10,050 per pupil as the minimum, other districts have as high as over $13,000 per student,” he said of state funding. “This difference results in gaps as large as $168 [million] annually.”

Last week, Vitti presented a new proposal to use $79.4 million in surplus funding to demolish 11 buildings, board up 11 properties, build an athletic complex at the former Cooley High School, re-pave parking lots at 36 schools, improve fencing at 28 schools, and replace the roof at Charles Wright Academy, among other items.

Vitti said the district will continue to recommend shifting unspent funds to one-time building improvements.

“When we have extra surplus funding, we know exactly where to invest whether it is in roofs, windows. HVAC, masonry, fences, paving, or football fields,” he said.

Chacker said the protests were an important moment in the history of the district because teachers shared a unified message that the status quo was no longer tenable.

“It set standards for how students should be treated,” she said. “Before that, we got a blatant no when it came to money even if schools weren’t safe.”

Detroit teachers: We want to know more about the state of your classrooms and schools. Reach out to us at detroit.tips@chalkbeat.org and tell us your stories.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Hundreds of Michigan districts and schools reject safety and mental health funding

2026-01-21T23:09:46+00:00

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Hundreds of Michigan school districts rejected school safety and mental health funding from the state after agreeing to new conditions for receiving the money.

In early December, 974 district and school leaders signed agreements saying they would waive privilege and agree to state investigations if a mass casualty event, like a school shooting, occurs. There previously had not been conditions for districts to receive the funding.

The funding is distributed to traditional school districts, intermediate school districts, charter schools, private schools, and the Michigan School for the Deaf. Public schools will receive funding in the amount of $374 per pupil, while private schools will receive $236 per student.

Data from the Michigan Department of Education shows that by the end of 2025, nearly half — or 462 that previously signed off — had rescinded those agreements. About 70% of the traditional school districts that agreed to the conditions, and 39% of the charter schools, changed their minds.

Many district leaders who signed the agreements did so reluctantly, in part because they said there was a lack of clarity in the wording. Some were even part of a lawsuit, involving dozens of school districts and officials, that sought to have the language struck from the budget. The plaintiff’s attorney, during a December court hearing, said the language is “exceedingly vague” and overly broad, and he said the budget doesn’t define what it means to waive any privilege.

The state budget Michigan lawmakers approved in October requires school districts to agree that if there is a mass casualty event in their schools, they will disclose information that would otherwise be legally protected in deadly emergencies. Districts must also agree to comprehensive state investigations.

A mass casualty event is defined in the state budget, in part, as an incident “resulting in significant injuries to not fewer than 3 individuals” or an incident resulting in fatalities.

The agreements were required this year in order to share in $321 million in funding that school districts can use for various functions, including hiring mental health professionals, training school staff on threat assessment and crisis communication, and purchasing safety infrastructure, such as cameras, door blocks, hardened vestibules, and window screening.

Michigan Judge Sima Patel upheld the language in the budget in a December ruling. The plaintiffs have since appealed, and the lawsuit is before the Michigan Court of Appeals.

The Woodhaven-Brownstown School District in Wayne County is one of the districts that rescinded the agreement.

“The reasons for this are consistent with the concerns presented in the lawsuit: the requirements … were overly vague, not clearly defined, and presented legal uncertainty that we didn’t feel we could responsibly accept,” Superintendent Mark Greathead wrote in an email to Chalkbeat.

“We look forward to the outcome in the Court of Appeals,” Greathead said. “In the meantime, we continue to provide a comprehensive approach to school safety and student mental health.”

Now, 512 districts and schools will share in the school safety and mental health funding. Bob Wheaton, spokesman for the MDE, told Chalkbeat Wednesday that the funding will be included in February state aid payments to schools.

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, said the district had not rescinded the agreement the board approved in November.

“The district needs that funding for our student mental health support and additional security strategies,” Vitti said in an emailed response.

That sentiment was echoed in Dearborn Public Schools, which stuck with the original agreement.

“For Dearborn the funds were over $3 million and that supports not only safety and security but also social and emotional well being and school culture and climate,” said district spokesperson David Mustonen.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Revised school cellphone ban legislation passes Michigan House

2026-01-14T23:49:32+00:00

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This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free Bridge Michigan newsletter here.

LANSING — Michigan may soon ban students from using smartphones in traditional public and charter schools under a bill that passed the state House on Wednesday in a broad and bipartisan vote.

The approval marks a breakthrough on a drawn-out school cellphone policy debate. House lawmakers failed to pass an earlier version of the bill last year despite calls for action on both sides of the aisle.

Under the revised legislation, approved by the House in a 99-10 vote and now headed to the Senate, Michigan districts will be required to adopt policies banning cellphones during instruction time.

The proposal does not apply to private and parochial schools. And students will still be able to use “dumb phones,” medically necessary devices, and district-owned devices designated for instructional use.

The legislation stems from a growing body of research that indicates constant cellphone use impacts student learning, sponsoring Rep. Mark Tisdel, a Republican from Rochester Hills, told reporters after the vote.

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The bill must still make it through the Democratic-led Senate, which is not expected to be in session this week.

But the upper chamber expects to take final votes on the legislation “soon,” according to a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, a Democrat from Grand Rapids, who called the revised plan a “good bipartisan step forward on an important issue.”

Tisdel said the goal is to have Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sign the bill into law before her 2026 State of the State address, which has not yet been announced but is expected by late February.

During last year’s address, Whitmer called on lawmakers to “pass bipartisan legislation to limit the use of phones in class.”

“Other states — red and blue — have taken action. So has most of Europe and Canada,” Whitmer said in prepared remarks. “I understand the need to be connected to your child. But we can do better.”

At the time of Whitmer’s speech, nine states had adopted school cellphones bans. Now, about three dozen states have similar policies in place.

A previous iteration of Tisdel’s legislation would have allowed high school students to use smartphones during non-instructional time.

That flexibility was dropped from the bill midday Wednesday. Instead, under the revised plan, students may carry what Tisdel called a “basic” phone that would allow them to send texts or make calls but not access TikTok, Snapchat, or other potential distractions.

If signed into law as written, the smartphone ban would take effect this fall for the start of the 2026-27 school year.

Many schools in the state have already adopted cellphone policies on their own. The legislation seeks to create baseline regulations for all districts in the state. But it does not propose penalties for schools that choose not to follow the law, and districts could enact stricter policies if desired.

House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican from Richland Township, criticized Democrats who voted against the prior version of the legislation but told reporters he put the revised bill up for a vote on Wednesday to start the legislative year off “on a fresh foot.”

“We see this as a growing problem in Michigan, where kids are having their cellphones in the classroom,” Hall said ahead of the vote. “They’re distracted, they’re not paying attention to their teachers, and they’re not doing well in their scores in reading and math.”

As revised Wednesday, House lawmakers also voted to tie the phone ban to pending Senate legislation that would allow student cellphone use during school instructional time in cases of emergency, such as a fire or school shooting.

Jordyn Hermani is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach Jordyn at jhermani@bridgemi.com.

These are the Michigan education issues we’re watching in 2026

2026-01-06T22:18:23+00:00

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2026 could be a pivotal year for education in Michigan.

The state’s education system has produced lackluster academic results on state and national exams for years, raising questions about whether the system is properly preparing students for success after high school. That’s critical since many other states are showing academic improvement while Michigan has been stagnant.

With a wide open governor’s race in 2026, we expect to hear plenty of ideas about what it will take to get Michigan’s kids on track. Already, candidates have floated ideas ranging from strengthening accountability for schools to expansion of school choice so parents can more easily send their children to the public or private school that best meets their needs.

Meanwhile, in the city of Detroit, a new mayor could bring energy to efforts to help city students succeed against a number of societal odds, including high poverty rates.

Below, we highlight some of the key education issues we’ll be watching in 2026.

What’s missing? Email us at detroit.tips@chalkbeat.org with your ideas about what you want to see take center stage and why.

Governor’s race could drive conversation about schools

During the 2024-25 school year, test results for Michigan students raised alarms because they showed that not only have students continued to lose ground compared to their peers in other states, but that recovery from the pandemic has been slow.

On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation’s Report Card, just 24% of fourth graders were proficient in reading in 2024. In math, just 37% of fourth graders were proficient. The rigorous national exam is given to a representative sample of students in every state in the U.S.

Closer to home, on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Performance, students didn’t do much better, with third graders recording their lowest performance in English language arts in the 11-year history of the exam.

The results will almost surely be used by gubernatorial candidates to suggest a range of reforms, as well as to attack the record of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whose second term ends this year. But it’s important to note that Michigan students began losing ground long before Whitmer took office.

Michigan lawmakers have tried and abandoned a number of reforms – some of which were required by federal law – including grading schools, holding back third graders who struggle on the state reading exam, holding teachers accountable for student test scores, and potentially closing failing schools.

There are a number of people running for governor. Some have been vocal about what Michigan must do to improve schools. Mike Duggan, who just wrapped a dozen years as Detroit mayor, has proposed getting tougher on school accountability, with a plan that could lead to the firings of principals and superintendents if struggling schools continue to fail. He is running as an independent. Meanwhile, Mike Cox, a Republican candidate for governor, has proposed a universal school choice program that allows parents to “select the schooling option that best fits their child’s needs.”

Will Detroit Mayor Sheffield deliver on her education promises?

Detroit’s mayor doesn’t have any control of the public school systems in the city. But the mayor does have a role to play in addressing societal issues that make it difficult for students to learn. Newly elected Mayor Mary Sheffield, who was sworn in last week, has said she will do just that.

What did Sheffield promise? In her election night acceptance speech, she said she would address transportation issues that make it difficult for students to get to and from school and invest in after-school programs and wraparound services. It’s an ambitious plan, given the city has dozens of education governance structures between the Detroit Public Schools Community District and the many charter schools that educate students.

The big question will be whether Sheffield can deliver on her promises. There’s much at stake, given low academic performance across the city and high rates of chronic absenteeism – issues that are fueled by difficult to solve problems like high rates of poverty, housing instability, and transportation woes.

Detroit school board race could result in dramatic shift

With five of the seven seats on the ballot this November, the race for seats on the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s school board could be a defining one for the district.

With so many seats open, new faces on the board can bring new priorities and affect Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s reform efforts.

Board members LaTrice McClendon, Iris Taylor, and Corletta Vaughn are up for reelection. In addition, seats currently filled by board members Bessie Harris and Steve Bland – who were recently appointed to fill seats left open due to resignations – would also be up for reelection.

Will legislative initiatives improve reading, parent transparency?

The state budget lawmakers approved in October included new rules for Michigan that require parents be informed about reading curriculum and how at-risk funding is spent. Districts receive at-risk funding for students identified for one of 10 factors, including being from low-income homes, being English language learners, or being a victim of child abuse.

One provision, aimed at putting the focus on low literacy rates in the state, requires school districts this school year to notify parents if their schools use a K-5 reading curriculum that isn’t on the state’s list of evidence-based curriculum, or that isn’t aligned with state standards.

An evidence-based curriculum is one that research has shown to be effective. As part of that notification, schools must tell parents that the curriculum they’re using “could negatively impact student academic outcomes.”

Another parent transparency effort: Schools also provide parents with a report showing how much state at-risk funding they receive, how the money was distributed, and what evidence-based interventions were used with the funding. Districts must also provide parents with a method for providing feedback on how the at-risk money is used.

School districts continue fight against school safety funding conditions

Another budget provision placed conditions on districts receiving school safety and mental health funding.

In order to receive that funding from the state, districts must agree to waive privilege, which means they must disclose information that would otherwise be legally protected if there is a mass casualty event. Districts had to agree to a comprehensive investigation of such an event.

Dozens of school districts and school officials filed a lawsuit challenging the language, saying it violates the Michigan Constitution. A state judge rejected their argument in a December ruling. But plaintiffs are appealing the ruling.

The big issues to watch here are: How many districts agreed to the conditions to receive the funding and if a mass casualty event occurs in a district that agreed to the conditions, how will a state investigation play out?

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan school districts appeal judge’s ruling in dispute over safety, mental health funding

2025-12-23T18:03:01+00:00

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Dozens of Michigan school districts and officials are appealing a judge’s ruling that upholds state budget language putting conditions on the distribution of funding for school safety and mental health.

The lawsuit stemmed from a new rule in the budget stating that in order to receive that funding from the state, districts must agree to waive privilege, which means they must disclose information that would otherwise be legally protected if there is a mass casualty event. Districts must also agree to a comprehensive investigation of such an event.

Judge Sima Patel granted the state’s motion for a summary disposition, essentially ending the case in the Michigan Court of Claims. But the plaintiffs are appealing Patel’s ruling to the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Patel, who listened to oral arguments during a hearing earlier this month, issued her ruling Dec. 17 rejecting the plaintiffs’ arguments. Here is what she had to say about two of the key claims in the school districts’ lawsuit.

Districts claimed budget language violates Michigan Constitution

The budget says that to receive the $321 million in safety and mental health funds, districts “must agree to be subject to a comprehensive investigation, must affirmatively agree to waive any privilege that may otherwise protect information from disclosure in the event of a mass casualty event, and must agree to comply with a comprehensive investigation.”

A mass casualty event is defined in the state budget in part as an incident “resulting in significant injuries to not fewer than 3 individuals” or an incident resulting in fatalities.

But the plaintiffs’ attorney, Scott Eldridge, argued in court that some of the budget language violates the Michigan Constitution because it is “exceedingly vague.” Specifically, Eldridge said the “waive any privilege” language is overly broad. He also said the definitions of a mass casualty event are too broad and vague.

“Vagueness means it’s limitless and unbound because it gives zero guideposts or direction as to what’s legal versus what’s illegal conduct,” Eldridge said.

Eldridge urged Patel to “use a scalpel instead of a machete” and declare those phrases unconstitutional.

But Patel noted in her ruling that the plaintiffs faced an “extremely steep hurdle” in proving those claims.

The “waive any privilege,” language, she said, “is clear and not vague,” and means what it says.

“Any and all privileges that may otherwise protect information from disclosure by the district are included,” Patel said in the ruling. “The breadth of the phrase does not render it ambiguous.”

At the hearing earlier this month, Eldridge questioned whether incidents like a bus accident on the way to school, concussions on a football field, a fight in the stands of an athletic event, food poisoning in the cafeteria, or a gas leak would be considered a mass casualty event.

“A significant injury is one that is severe enough to be noticed and have an effect on the injured person,” Patel responded in her ruling. She also said that the budget’s definition of a mass casualty event “may be broad, but it is understandable.”

Districts had until Dec. 4 to agree to waive their privilege. They have until Dec. 30 to rescind that agreement. The plaintiffs sought to extend that deadline to rescind even longer, asking Patel that if she rules against them in the lawsuit, that she set that deadline to 30 days after the appeals process is resolved. Patel said no in her ruling.

“There is no way for this Court or the interested parties to know how long the appellate process will take,” Patel said. “The distribution of funds cannot be delayed that long.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Oral arguments begin in school safety and mental health mandate case

2025-12-12T20:01:12+00:00

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A lawyer for dozens of Michigan school districts that have sued the state asked a judge Thursday to use a “scalpel as opposed to a machete” to remove language in the state budget he says violates the Michigan constitution.

The budget stipulates that in order to receive school safety and mental health funding from the state, districts must agree to disclose information that would otherwise be legally protected if there is a mass casualty event. Districts must also agree to a comprehensive investigation.

Districts had until Dec. 4 to agree to waive their privilege. They have until Dec. 30 to rescind that agreement.

The case is before the Michigan Court of Claims, and Judge Sima Patel held a hearing Thursday to hear oral arguments from lawyers in the case.

The lawsuit comes a little over four years after the deadly shooting at Oxford High School that prompted a wave of legislation and investigations to address school safety and student mental health. One independent investigation found multiple failures by some school officials, and some did not cooperate with the investigation.

Scott Eldridge, the attorney representing the school districts, argued that the “waive any privilege” language as well as the definition of a mass casualty event is “eye-poppingly bad language.”

“This was rushed legislation, and rushed legislation often results in bad legislation,” Eldridge told Patel.

Eldridge said the language regarding both is “exceedingly vague” and broad. The budget doesn’t define what it means by waiving any privilege. But it does define a mass casualty event in part as an incident “resulting in significant injuries to not fewer than 3 individuals” or an incident with fatalities.

Adam de Bear, an assistant attorney general defending the state in the lawsuit, said the overall purpose of the budget provision is to support student safety and get to the bottom of any mass casualty event.

“The only way for students to be able to grow in school is if they’re in a safe environment,” de Bear said.

The provision prevents school districts from denying document requests by citing attorney-client privilege or refusing to answer questions if they’re being interviewed or deposed.

“It assures that the state gets more information, because in past experiences, investigations haven’t gone as well as they could have,” de Bear said.

Vague language leaves school officials confused, attorney says

Eldridge told Patel that the lawsuit doesn’t challenge the entire provision in the budget, just the language requiring districts to waive any privilege and the definitions of a mass casualty event. That’s why he asked her “just take that provision, declare it unconstitutional, leaving the rest to operate as it perhaps was intended.”

The privilege provision requires district administrators to “waive any privilege in any limitless number of contexts,” Eldridge said.

“And they’re not really knowing what they’re getting themselves into if they agree to opt in under these conditions and receive this money.”

Patel asked Eldridge to respond to the state’s written argument that “the privilege waiver isn’t vague as much as it is broad.”

“Something is broad means it could encompass a lot of things, but it has limits,” Eldridge responded. “Vagueness means it’s limitless and unbound because it gives zero guideposts or direction as to what’s legal versus what’s illegal conduct.”

He noted it is unclear whether the language refers only to waiving a district’s privilege or whether it also includes the individual privilege of school officials.

The definitions of a mass casualty event are vague, Eldridge said, including one that defines it as one that involves significant injuries at a school or a school-sponsored event. It’s unclear how “significant” or “injuries” would be defined, he said.

“We could be here all day coming up with ideas of what could trigger this language,” Eldridge said, questioning whether incidents like a bus accident on the way to school, concussions on a football field, a fight in the stands of an athletic event, food poisoning in the cafeteria, or a gas leak would apply.

De Bear responded in his oral arguments that all of the examples of potential circumstances “are all things that probably warrant investigations for school safety purposes. How are students at a cafeteria all being subjected to food poisoning? It makes sense to … for the betterment of school safety to get to the bottom of it,”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan districts have more time to agree to controversial waiver to get safety funding

2025-12-01T21:42:44+00:00

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A court order gives Michigan school districts until the end of the day Thursday to decide whether to accept conditions attached to millions in state school safety and mental health funding.

The state budget Michigan lawmakers approved in October requires school districts to agree that if there is a mass casualty event in their schools, they will disclose information that would otherwise be legally protected in deadly emergencies such as school shootings. Districts must also agree to comprehensive state investigations.

A mass casualty event is defined in the state budget in part as an incident “resulting in significant injuries to not fewer than 3 individuals” or an incident resulting in fatalities.

Such agreements are required this year in order to share in the $321 million in funding that school districts can use for functions including the hiring of mental health professionals, training for school staff on threat assessment and crisis communication, and the purchase of safety infrastructure such as cameras, door blocks, hardened vestibules, and window screening.

While some school boards, including in Detroit, Dearborn, and Rochester, agreed to the conditions despite reservations, dozens of other districts and school officials filed a lawsuit against the state last month saying that while they believe in transparency, the wording in the budget is vague and potentially illegal.

“We’re not about resisting accountability or transparency, but at the same time, the vague waiving of privilege puts not only our school district but individuals’ and professionals’ rights at risk,” said Mark Greathead, superintendent of the Woodhaven-Brownstown School District in Wayne County. Both the district and Greathead are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit is now before the Michigan Court of Claims. Judge Sima Patel issued an order last week that extended the deadline for districts to agree to the condition and receive the funding from Nov. 30 to 11:59 p.m. Dec. 4.

Patel’s order allows districts that have already agreed to the condition the ability to rescind that agreement by 11:59 p.m. Dec. 30. For any school or district that rescinds their agreement, the Michigan Department of Education can recoup all funds paid, from the school safety and mental health fund “by deducting the amount from future state school aid payments,” Patel said in the order.

The waiver comes after parents of Oxford High School students killed in 2021 pushed for a state investigation of the district’s alleged failure to prevent the shootings. Though an independent investigation found multiple failures by school officials, many employees did not participate in the review.

Michigan’s government immunity laws shield educational institutions from liability in lawsuits unless a high threshold of gross negligence can be proven. The laws can also protect institutions’ employees. Without immunity, school employees could be held legally and financially liable for failing to prevent deaths.

Dearborn Public Schools would receive $3.2 million in safety/mental health funding. David Mustonen, spokesman for the district, said most of it will go toward mental health, social emotional learning, and school culture and climate.

The Dearborn school board has already approved accepting the condition to receive the money.

“Like most districts, we too are waiting to hear how this will all play out in the courts,” Mustonen said in an email response to Chalkbeat. “Again, like many others, the concern is about the precedent this type of legislation may have on future funding and the concern with districts losing the attorney/client privilege during the investigation of a mass casualty incident.”

The Woodhaven-Brownstown district’s board last week approved a resolution agreeing to the condition but will carefully weigh whether to rescind the agreement before the Dec. 30 deadline, Greathead said.

His district would receive an estimated $800,000 to $900,000, Greathead said. The money could be used to cover positions such as social workers, counselors, and resource officers, as well as programs for mental health that are currently funded via the district’s general fund budget.

“We will certainly put the money to good use if we are able to receive it,” Greathead said. “Heaven forbid we have the need for an investigation in the school district. But we also have to make sure we have clarity and are not putting ourselves at a disadvantage by waiving rights.”

Oral arguments in the court case are scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 11.

Reporter Hannah Dellinger contributed to this report.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan reports record enrollment in the state’s free preschool program, but openings are aplenty

2025-11-18T21:22:34+00:00

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A record number of children are enrolled in Michigan’s free preschool program this year, the second in which the state has invested in making it available for all children regardless of income.

But programs across the state still have plenty of openings, a sign that many families don’t know the program is available.

During a press conference Tuesday morning, officials from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential announced that 51,000 children are enrolled in the Great Start Readiness Program. That’s an increase of 8,900 over last year.

During the 2023-24 school year, the last before the state launched its PreK for All initiative, 36,466 children were enrolled. A bipartisan effort in the Michigan legislature has invested additional money in the state budget to fund the expansion, which began with the 2024-25 school year.

The PreK for All initiative has been aimed at removing income and other restrictions on the Great Start Readiness Program, essentially allowing any child to enroll whether they are from a low-income home or not. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in her 2023 proposal to gradually expand to a universal preschool program in Michigan, said it would “ensure children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn.”

The expansion comes as Michigan’s K-12 system has faced criticism because students have struggled on state and national exams at a time when many other states are showing more impressive gains.

The Great Start Readiness Program is one of four preschool programs in which the state is expanding access by eliminating income restrictions. The others include the federal Head Start program, developmental kindergarten, and early childhood special education.

Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP, said families who enroll their children in PreK for All programs save an estimated $14,000 each year. That’s crucial, she said, “at a time like this, when the cost of just about everything is going up.”

Blake Kish is a parent of six children under the age of 8. Two have been enrolled in the Great Start Readiness Program at St. George School in Flint Township.

“The PreK For All has been a blessing, of course, for the household, but mostly for the kids,” Kish said.

“I recommend any parent that has a child that is 4 years old, get your child in this program. Get your kid in the classroom, give them that head start, give them the winning edge,” Kish said. “We are shaping the future of Michigan.”

Emily Laidlaw, deputy director for early education at MiLEAP, noted that “children who attend a high quality pre-K program are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college or career training and start their career strong.”

“Pre-K teaches critical social skills, including how to share, work and play together, and get along with others,” Laidlaw said.

Laidlaw said the state will continue to get the word out about the program to families across the state who have not yet enrolled.

Parents can visit Michigan’s PreK for All website to find out more information about enrolling their children.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district agrees to controversial waiver to get state mental health and safety funding

2025-11-14T23:12:03+00:00

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The Detroit school district’s board voted this week to share privileged information with the state if a mass casualty event occurs in order to receive $7.2 million in state funding – a move many other Michigan school leaders are objecting to.

This year’s state education budget added a condition to dollars local districts can use to pay for mental health support, intervention for at-risk students, and school safety measures. In order to get the money, districts must agree to disclose information that would otherwise be legally protected in deadly emergencies, such as school shootings. Districts must also agree to comprehensive state investigations.

Districts have until Nov. 30 to approve the waiver and apply for the per-pupil funds.

Michigan’s government immunity laws shield educational institutions from liability in lawsuits, unless a high threshold of gross negligence can be proven. The laws can also protect institutions’ employees. Without immunity, school employees could be held legally and financially liable for failing to prevent deaths.

There has been a movement in Michigan to lower the threshold for negligence and take away immunity from schools that do not properly follow emergency operations plans.

In addition to the Detroit Public Schools Community District, the Lansing School District also approved the waiver.

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat in an email that the district had concerns about the conditions, but it “could not afford to walk away from $7.2M dollars that assist in funding our contracted nurses and mental health for students, and full time security employees at schools.”

He added that “losing that funding would have had a direct negative impact on our students.”

Twenty-two districts and 11 regional educational service agencies sued the state this week, challenging the constitutionality of the waiver attached to the funding.

The complaints, filed in federal and state courts, request emergency relief by the end of the month. The plaintiffs argue the law could force schools to give up funding for counselors, social workers, and security infrastructure.

“The provision imposes an unconstitutional condition by leveraging essential public funds in exchange for the waiver of fundamental individual rights,” the complaint reads.

Seven education organizations, including the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators, asked the legislature in a letter last month to change the language of the bill to require districts to cooperate with investigations but allow them to preserve legal privileges.

The groups argued the waiver could prevent districts from discussing crisis responses in closed sessions and protecting records from being released to the public.

Leaders in other districts, such as Southfield Public Schools and Hazel Park Schools, opted to take more time to consult with attorneys at recent board meetings.

The state’s historic mental health and safety grants, created in 2022-23, were praised as a step to address school security issues in the aftermath of the Oxford shootings.

In DPSCD, the grants are used to continue nursing services that had been funded by now-expired federal COVID relief dollars. The dollars are also used to pay for contracted mental health support at all of its schools and to partially fund security guards and officers.

According to a fiscal analysis, the district would lose $5.5 million in grants this school year and an additional $2 million carrying over into 2026-27.

The Detroit school board voted unanimously at Tuesday night’s meeting to comply with the waiver and share all information with a governor-appointed investigator if there is a mass casualty event.

The board did not publicly discuss the waiver before the vote at the meeting.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan’s education board approves update to health and sex ed standards despite criticism

2025-11-14T01:37:12+00:00

This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free Bridge Michigan newsletter here.

Despite opposition from some parents and pastors, the Michigan State Board of Education approved revised state health education standards Thursday that include recommendations that students be taught about gender identity and sexual orientation.

Proponents of the standards say they are age-appropriate and will help LGBTQ+ students understand themselves. Opponents say the standards undermine parental choice and religious liberties protections.

More than 100 people signed up to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting, either in person or online, prompting the board to limit each person to one minute, instead of the usual three minutes. Some people waved small pride flags during public comment. The state also had extra rooms available to hold those wishing to speak.

The board voted 6-2 on approving the “Michigan Health Education Standards Guidelines.” Members made the decision after roughly two hours and 40 minutes of public comments, which were split between those in favor of the guidelines and those opposed to them.

“What is the hurry? Why now? Why today? Why this? If you really want to address health and the sex ed, let’s take time,” said Eileen McNeil, president of Citizens for Traditional Values, during public comment.

Others said it was time for the state to embrace change. “Young people and generation Z and the community that you serve are calling for comprehensive and inclusive sex ed and standards,” said Brianna Bryant of Detroit.

Among those speaking against the guidelines was John Grossenbacher, a parent in Clinton Township and candidate for state House. He told board members no other groups’ position on the topic should matter except that of parents. He organized a petition that has signatures from over 1,600 people urging the board to withdraw the proposal or reject the proposal.

“We need to keep the gender ideology religion at home and let the parents teach that,” said Sheila Cahoon, a Macomb County resident.

Bridge Michigan logo - may reuse

Meanwhile, many, including parents of transgender students, called on the board to approve the standards, saying they provide information students need to understand themselves.

Shannon Shananaquet told the board she supports the standards.

“Deniers lost the bathroom wars, so here we are again with it, wearing a different dress. Nobody’s teaching your kids gender identity. They already know. They’re just too scared to tell you about it. The bottom line is, you don’t have to believe in it. You don’t have to accept it, but it exists.”

Speakers spoke about student mental health, religious values and contention around how LGBTQ+ topics are discussed.

Standards get update after nearly 2 decades

The standards outline what knowledge students should have by the time they complete a certain grade.

For example, under sex education standards, by the end of grade 8, students should be able to “define gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, and explain that they are distinct components of every individual’s identity.”

State education officials say parents still have the option to opt their children out of sex education with no penalty, and the Michigan Department of Education added language about what state law says about health and sex education, local control of schools and parent choice in the revised standard proposal discussed Thursday.

This is the first update to health education standards since 2007, and the state Department of Education stressed that they are only guidelines not mandates, and schools are still required to comply with all relevant state law.

‘The standards provide guidance to local school districts and, as in previous versions, local control remains in place and parents retain the right to decide whether their children should participate in sex education instruction,” the Michigan Department of Education said in a news release following the vote.

“Local boards of education determine the health curriculum for their districts which may include sex education curriculum—if the district decides to offer sex ed— that has been reviewed by local sex education advisory boards that must include 50% parent representation.”

MDE also maintains the update complies with the state’s revised civil rights law called the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. Lawmakers amended the law in 2023 to protect people from discrimination based on gender identity.

You can review the standards here.

Issue of health education standards remains contentious

The passage of the standards followed a contentious school board meeting in October, where more than 70 people signed up for public comment.

Prior to Thursday’s meeting, some lawmakers had raised questions about the proposed standards.

At an Oversight Committee meeting last month, House Republicans questioned interim State Superintendent Sue Carnell about how many genders there are and the reasoning behind the department’s proposal.

The committee has issued a subpoena to compel MDE to produce documents related to standards, according to a news release Wednesday.

State Board Member Nikki Snyder, a Republican from Goodrich, challenged whether MDE even has authority to make these standards.

Legislative efforts would address sex education

Last year, Michigan Democrats proposed a bill that would have required schools teaching sex education to provide instruction about consent, contraceptives and “all legally available pregnancy outcomes.” The bill would have also removed a ban on distributing condoms on school grounds.

Board member Tom McMillin, a Republican from Oakland Township, said the law doesn’t have penalties for schools that don’t properly distribute opt-out forms, making it “meaningless.”

He said he worries the state will pass standards that go against law, will be legally challenged, and cost taxpayers money.

Board Member Tiffany Tilley, a Democrat from West Bloomfield, said the standards were “long overdue for an update.”

There were 1,338 surveys completed during the public comment period, with 924 opposing the proposal, according to MDE. Reasons include opposition to talking about gender topics, concerns about including sex education in health education, parent opt-out concerns, and other reasons.

There were also 2,037 emails sent to state board members or the state department of education. There were 1,141 emails in support of these guidelines with top reasons being the standards were inclusive to students and needed to be updated, according to MDE.

McMillin said he takes issue with these counts because MDE staff cannot verify how people sent him emails.

What Michigan laws says about sex education

Under current law, Michigan parents are allowed to opt their children out of sex education with no penalty. Students are required to take health to graduate high school but cannot be penalized for opting out of sex education.

Schools are required to provide instruction on HIV/AIDs but have wide flexibility on how much information they provide about sex.

If a school district chooses to offer sex education, it must have a sex education advisory board made up of community members including students and parents.

Teachers are not allowed to talk about abortion as a means of family planning and condoms cannot be distributed on school grounds.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemi.com.

Election 2025: Voters OK additional funding for CTE programs in Washtenaw County

2025-11-05T17:55:59+00:00

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Career and technical education programs in Washtenaw County will get a big boost after voters approved a tax increase to add a new funding stream for the programs.

The passage of the special tax proposal may be a good sign across Michigan, given that 41% of schools have limited CTE opportunities for students. The Michigan Department of Education describes these areas as CTE deserts, because data show participation in career tech programs is lower than expected. Tax measures like the one that passed Tuesday in Washtenaw County mean the career programs will have a steady stream of funding.

The proposal passed with 35,947 votes in favor and 29,676 opposed.The tax measure will last 10 years, at which voters would have to approve renewing it.

“This investment by our community will help shape a generation of hope,” said Ryan Rowe, the career and technical education director for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.

“Our goal is for every student to cross the stage at graduation with an informed and inspired plan for what comes next, whether it’s college, an apprenticeship, the military, or a high-skill career,” Rowe said. “This funding allows us to build stronger pathways, connect learning to the real world, and help students see their future within reach.”

The outcome wasn’t as good for school districts that are part of the Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle intermediate school district in northern Michigan. A similar career and technical education tax proposal failed, according to the Cheboygan Tribune. It would have allowed for the expansion of CTE programs and for funding to allow students to travel to and from school districts in the three counties to take CTE classes.

CTE is particularly limited in Washtenaw County. A report from the University of Michigan’s Youth Policy Lab said access in the county is inequitable, and that students from low-income homes and Black and Hispanic students “have less overall access to CTE programming compared” to more affluent and white students.

At Ypsilanti Community High School, Principal Chelsea Harris-Hugan told Chalkbeat last month that the school would add more CTE programs based on student interest if the measure passes.

“The millage is incredibly important to our students and to our community,” she said. “It provides a bigger pathway and a better opportunity for our students.”

Officials from the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, which will oversee the funding from the tax measure, told Chalkbeat recently that the additional money will allow the ISD to sustain current programs across the county, expand those with waitlists, and create new regional programs. Much of the initial efforts will expand access in Ypsilanti and Whitmore Lake school districts, because they have significantly fewer CTE opportunities than other districts.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

‘Broken’ and inequitable Michigan special education funding needs an overhaul, report says

2025-10-30T18:32:37+00:00

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A new report out Thursday calls for a huge shift in the way Michigan funds special education, including introducing a tiered system that funds students with disabilities based on how much support they need, with amounts ranging from $11,000 to $39,000 per student.

The recommendation is the work of a team that was created after the Michigan Legislature ordered a report in 2024 that designed a new way of funding special education in the state. More than a year of work went into the study, and more than 1,000 people, including parents, educators, advocates, and others provided feedback.

Advocates said there is an urgent need to reform the system, with the report citing low graduation rates for students with disabilities, low academic achievement, and growing needs as the population increases. Students with disabilities make up 15% of the school population in Michigan.

“For decades, our special education system has been stretched thin,” Heather Eckner, director of statewide education for the Autism Alliance of Michigan, said during a virtual news conference Thursday. “It’s underfunded, overly complex, and deeply unfair in how resources are distributed on special education funding in the state.

The recommended system would put the focus on the students’ specific educational needs. Schools would receive about $11,000, for instance, for students with “lower-intensity needs,” such as those with a speech or language disability or a specific learning disability.

Schools would receive about $39,000 for students who require full-time or intensive daily support. That includes students who have autism, a traumatic brain injury, an early childhood developmental delay, a visual disability, or an emotional disability.

Those per-pupil amounts would be on top of the $10,421 minimum amount the state provides to schools on a per student basis.

The report also calls for the creation of a high-cost fund that would reimburse 80% of any expenses schools spend above $57,615 per student. A news release accompanying the report said this fund would safeguard “districts that serve students with exceptionally high or complex needs.”

If the legislature adopts the recommendations, it would represent a huge shift in how students with disabilities are funded. Currently, districts must use general fund dollars if the cost of educating a student with a disability is higher than the $10,421 per-pupil grant. The state reimburses schools at a rate of just 28.6%.

That’s one of the lowest reimbursement rates in the country, Eckner said.

“It’s a question of fairness and opportunity. It means a child’s access to appropriate supports depends far too much on where they live and the wealth of their local tax base, and it means educators are constantly asked to do more with less, while families are asked to fight harder for services that should never be in question.”

The legislature didn’t ask the team to identify how the recommended funding structure for special education should be rolled out. But the report recommends phasing it in over six years, with full implementation estimated at $4.55 billion. The report offers two approaches, one in which the state assumes the full cost of eliminating inequities and the second being a shared model between the state and local districts.

Funding students based on their needs isn’t a new idea in Michigan. For the last few years, the state has used what it calls an opportunity index to provide additional funding for schools based on how many at-risk students they educate. A student is considered at risk based on multiple factors, including if they come from low-income homes.

Former Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, a parent of a child with autism and a longtime advocate for students with disabilities, called Michigan’s current system “broken.”

“When you have a funding system that doesn’t recognize the differences between what students need, it requires that parents fight for their services and puts them in kind of a defensive or an adversarial relationship with their school, which is exactly the opposite of what we would want,” said Calley, who currently is the president and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan.

Adequate funding for students with disabilities would be a boon for classroom teachers, said Alexandra Stamm, the education policy analyst for the Michigan League for Public Policy. Stamm and Eckner are former teachers. Stamm said she always had students with disabilities integrated within her general education classroom.

“I always felt like, ‘I wish that there was more of me. I wish that I could split myself into four so that my kids could get the services that are required and that they need per their IEPs (individualized education program).’ “

She said this amount of additional funding would mean “more supports for kids in terms of more paraprofessionals, more special education teachers, more speech and language pathologists, more help providing resources to the kids.”

Michigan schools have faced challenges in hiring enough special education teachers and related staff who provide critical services to students. That can cause delays in ensuring students are evaluated and receive the services they need. Whether additional funding would address those problems isn’t known, but Calley said Thursday that the money could help schools attract the staff they need by paying them more than they are now.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

As CTE programs expand in Michigan, not all students are getting opportunities

2025-10-29T15:51:47+00:00

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Small drones buzzed all around the small gymnasium at Ypsilanti Community High School, controlled by students competing to get them through an obstacle course fastest.

In this yearlong drone and aviation technology class, a new career and technical education offering at the high school, students who master flying the machines will earn an industry-level certification and potentially a career advantage. Those are big pluses in a state where officials have prioritized boosting skilled trades.

Kayden Ross, a senior, quickly took to the drone course and sees career potential.

“People are definitely starting to use it a lot more, especially for real world things like fires or scoping out things, or checking structures to see if there’s any damage,” Kayden said. “So I feel like people are going to pay a lot of money for people that really know how to do that.”

The class is providing a unique opportunity to the students who are enrolled, but it is one the few Career and Technical Education, or CTE, courses available to local students. By the state’s definition, Ypsilanti Community Schools is a CTE desert — an area where data show participation in career tech programs is lower than expected.

Kayden Ross, a senior at Ypsilanti Community High School, sees career potential in a new drone and aviation career and technical education program that he's enrolled in. Voters in Washtenaw County on Nov. 4 will consider a tax measure that would raise money to pay for CTE programs like the drone aviation class operating in Ypsilanti.

CTE programs are gaining traction in Michigan and nationwide, in part because of student demand but also as advocates promote them as a way for students to explore careers and gain important skills in emerging fields. But high costs, a lack of funding, and other barriers like transportation are creating significant inequities along not just geographic but racial lines.

The CTE outlook in Ypsilanti and across the rest of Washtenaw County could brighten come Nov. 4 if voters in the county approve a special millage, a kind of property tax measure, that would create new revenue to fund pre-kindergarten-12th grade CTE programs. The measure would raise approximately $25 million annually for 10 years, benefitting each of the county’s nine districts.

Such millages can help turn a CTE desert into an oasis because they provide sustained funding to create new programs and maintain funding for existing programs. That’s important not just here in Washtenaw County but across Michigan — 41% of Michigan school districts are CTE deserts.

The drone aviation program at the Ypsilanti high school is one of five state-approved CTE programs offered to students, with the others being in collision repair, automotive, culinary, cosmetology, said Ypsilanti Superintendent Alena Zachery-Ross. The school also has some career-focused electives.

The drone aviation class was able to launch this year thanks to a temporary grant that will expire in June 2026, Zachery-Ross said.

That’s why the tax proposal is so important.

If it passes, Principal Chelsea Harris-Hugan said, the school would look to add programs in hospitality, entrepreneurship, HVAC, and law enforcement.

“The millage is incredibly important to our students and to our community,” she said. “It provides a bigger pathway and a better opportunity for our students.”

Research finds career tech access problems across Michigan

If you look at CTE enrollment numbers in Michigan, the overall picture looks deceptively good. During the 2024-25 school year, 114,495 students were enrolled in CTE programs, and a record 55,431 completed a CTE program.

The enrollment number has consistently risen since the 2011-12 school year, when the state first began collecting the data, except for a pandemic-caused dip during the 2020-21 school year. Meanwhile, the number of completers is higher than it’s ever been.

But not all students are getting the opportunity. Not only are nearly half of all districts considered CTE deserts, but a 2022 report from the University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab found students from low-income homes, Black, and Hispanic students have less overall access to CTE.

A separate Youth Policy Lab report on CTE access in Washtenaw County, home to the Ypsilanti district, found similar gaps. The report said access is inequitable, and that the same groups mentioned above “have less overall access to CTE programming compared” to more affluent and white students.

When they aren’t being used, drones sit inside these cases in the drone and aviation technology classroom at Ypsilanti Community High School.

The data prompted the State Board of Education in January to adopt a resolution that called on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature to provide additional funding for districts to open new CTE programs. State lawmakers did exactly that in the budget that was adopted Oct. 3, though the $70 million in funding to CTE desert districts was less than the $125 million Whitmer proposed earlier this year.

Celena Mills, director of the office of career and technical education at the Michigan Department of Education, told Chalkbeat earlier this year that CTE programs give students an opportunity to explore careers and in many cases get a jumpstart on a career in which they have interest. Or they could learn that a career isn’t a good fit, she said. In general, CTE programs are focused on careers that are growing and are expected to grow.

“We have such a need in our economy for more of those jobs to be filled,” Mills said. “We need a workforce, and so we’re starting to think about how we can train students sooner to be able to do that, to fill those positions.”

When students lack that access, they lose out because they can’t start that career exploration early and often must wait until they graduate high school.

“They’re not able to have that competitive advantage and to move as far as fast as the rest of their peers,” Mills said.

Career and technical education millages are under the purview of intermediate school districts in Michigan, which distribute revenue from the millage to local schools and are responsible for monitoring the career tech programs. There are 56 such districts in Michigan, and they exist to provide a range of services to the local school districts within their borders. Many of these districts, 41, already have CTE millages. The Washtenaw Intermediate School District, which serves the nine local districts in the county, is one of 15 that don’t.

While Washtenaw County has been identified as having broad access issues, that doesn’t mean CTE programs don’t exist. Three districts — Ann Arbor, Whitmore Lake, and Ypsilanti — provide their own programs. The remaining five districts are part of the South West Consortium, a CTE program operated by the intermediate school district that allows students to take career tech classes outside of their districts, with most of the classes offered in Saline, which is in the southern portion of the county.

Even with this consortium, access problems exist. There are only so many openings each year in each program. Distance can be a barrier for some students. And some popular programs have a number of students on waiting lists, officials say.

“I hate telling students no when it’s something you know they can be good at or are passionate about,” said Michael Kapolka, superintendent of the Chelsea School District, which is part of the consortium.

“Students want these opportunities because they know what they can provide for them,” Kapolka said.

Ayden Sisson, a senior at Ypsilanti Community High School, is enrolled in a drone and aviation technology class but would love to see his school expand its career and technical high school options to include performing arts classes.

If the millage passes, the consortium programs, as well as the programs in districts that aren’t part of the consortium, would continue to operate as they do today. But the county schools would adopt a more centralized system “to sustain existing programs and expand those with waitlists, while also creating new regional programs in areas of need,” said Ashley Kryscynski, spokeswoman for the Washtenaw ISD.

Meanwhile, she said, while every district would receive money from the millage, “because some districts, such as Ypsilanti and Whitmore Lake, have significantly fewer CTE opportunities than other districts in our county, much of our initial efforts will be to increase access for these districts.

Drone aviation class opens up opportunities for Ypsilanti students

Even in the CTE deserts, school officials have found some resources to launch new programs like the drone aviation class at Ypsilanti Community High.

Last year, Michael Cushman taught fourth grade in West Bloomfield. But he has extensive aviation training, so he jumped at the opportunity to teach the new drone and aviation technology class at Ypsilanti Community High School.

Last year, Michael Cushman taught fourth grade in West Bloomfield. This year, he’s teaching the drone aviation class. It’s not as odd a shift as you might think. Cushman has a degree in aviation flight science from Western Michigan University. He has a commercial pilot’s license, was a certified flight instructor, and most recently earned the remote pilot certificate required to fly drones.

That’s also the same certificate he expects students to test for in the spring. They’ll need it if they plan to fly drones for commercial purposes, Cushman said.

For now, though, they’re still learning about the intricacies of flying drones and the coding that’s required to do it. When they first started flying the drones through the obstacle course in the gymnasium, it took about 50 seconds to navigate the course. On the day Chalkbeat visited Oct. 9, the students were down to 27 to 28 seconds.

“We get competitive with the obstacle course, and I’m competitive too,” Cushman said. “So I picked up the drone to see if I could beat some of their times, and some of these kids that had just picked up a drone for the first time were going through the obstacle course faster than I was.”

When junior Camari Vawters was around eight years old, his older brother had a drone. He remembers constantly crashing the drone when he would play with it. Now, he drives a drone with focus.

“I love it.”

Kayden Ross, a senior, wasted no time signing up for the class after seeing a demonstration during an assembly last school year. Cushman said Kayden, in particular, “has a knack for it,” and has “really taken to it very quickly.”

Kayden says it’s “definitely” a career option for himself.

Drone aviation classes are an example of how CTE programs have evolved over the years to keep up with changing technology and with burgeoning careers. What’s also changed is the CTE programs of years ago were mostly geared towards students who either had no desire or need to go to college. Now, Mills said, that mindset has shifted.

“Now we know that almost every student in almost every career requires some sort of post-secondary training,” Mills said. “What that looks like depends on the career that the student is interested in.”

Ayden Sisson illustrates how that strain affects students. The Ypsilanti senior is having a ball in the drone aviation class, which he signed up for because he’s always been fascinated by the drone shows he’s seen while watching sports events. But as much fun as he’s having, he still wishes his school had a performing arts CTE program — which the state of Michigan recognizes as a CTE field.

“We do have drama classes, we have musical theater and stuff like that,” Ayden said. But a single drama class doesn’t compare to a CTE program that might last one or two years. “If it was a CTE that would have made much more impact.”

Junior India Smith holds the drone and the device students use to control the drone during a class earlier this month.

India Smith, a junior at Ypsilanti Community High and a student in the drone aviation class, said she was inspired to enroll after attending an assembly during her sophomore year.

“I wanted to try something new,” India said.

Like Ayden, though, she has other career aspirations. She wants to be an artist, and is interested in animation. When the conversation turned to some of the potential new CTE programs that would benefit Ypsilanti students, said she was interested in learning how to use animation to draw. She’s seen people doing so on YouTube, Pinterest, and TikTok and has been intrigued.

“I’ve always wanted to do it.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

This story is part of an occasional look at career and technical education programs in Michigan. The reporting is supported with an Institute for Citizens & Scholars Higher Education Media Fellowship from the ECMC Foundation, a grantmaking partner of Educational Credit Management Corp. focused on improving higher education and career success among underserved populations.

Correction: Oct. 29, 2025: A previous version of this story said there are eight school districts in Washtenaw County. The story has been updated to say there are nine districts.

This Michigan alternative high teacher sees his students reach everywhere in his small community

2025-10-15T19:57:17+00:00

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Corey Rosser doesn’t have to go far in the rural community in which he teaches to see how much his former students have to offer.

When he goes to the bank, he’s likely to see students he taught at Quest High School, an alternative high school in North Branch Area Schools, working there. When his son broke his arm, the emergency room nurse was one of his former students. So was the coach for his son’s youth basketball team. And when their community needed a grand marshal for a Fourth of July parade, a former student who became disabled serving the country in the Middle East was chosen.

“The impact is everywhere in my rural community because my students are everywhere, and are the most likely to remain local,” Rosser said. “I am proud of the contributions my students make to the community they are now an integral part of.”

Rosser, Michigan’s Teacher of the Year for 2025-26, is a longtime teacher in an alternative program. He knows well the misconceptions people have about the students he teaches — that they’re lazy, unmotivated, have little to offer, and are unable to learn. He also knows well that those misconceptions couldn’t be further from the truth.

Corey Rosser is a program coordinator and teacher at Quest High School in North Branch Area Schools.

“They may either just be motivated differently or not motivated by what you are teaching,” Rosser said.

Often, it has nothing to do with education.

“When you have a student that works 40 hours a week to help pay their families’ bills, their poor performance has little to do with your curriculum. It has to do with competing interests,” he said. “My interest is the subject. Their interest is keeping the lights on. That is the challenge. You have to bridge that by providing an authentic learning experience that they see benefitting their lives.”

Rosser has been a teacher for 22 years and is the program coordinator and a teacher at Quest. He spoke with Chalkbeat about his career, his favorite lesson on political affiliation, and connecting with students.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I decided to become a teacher after working at Teen Ranch, a juvenile detention center, during my college summer breaks. It was the first time that I found a calling that wasn’t about me … and even greater, was bigger than me. It was the first time I wanted to be “better” for the sake of helping others. I knew that teaching was what I was meant to do.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My favorite lesson to teach about political affiliation through a political compass quiz. The political compass quiz asks students numerous questions about their ideology. At the end, it places them on a political compass scale that shows their leanings based on their belief system. As an educator, it isn’t about whether they identify with left or right leaning politics. It’s about their ability to articulate why they identify with a respective party. It forces students to think about what they believe and support that belief with sound rationale. It’s not teaching them what to think, but how to think.

After completing the test, students submit their results anonymously. I compile the responses and present them on a political compass chart, along with graphs and pie charts that display historical data from previous years’ students. This data allows students to identify trends and make inferences about the data. Engaging students through their direct participation in the political compass test draws them.

Additionally, we critically examine the validity of the political compass test itself. We ask important questions: What biases might exist in the test? What motivations could someone have for creating it? Were any questions slanted to favor one side over another?

This unit defines my teaching philosophy in several ways. I believe that the driving force of learning lies in questioning. We must strive to understand the world around us and identify how we fit into it. Each of us should have a set of principles guiding our behavior, and those principles should be consistent across all situations. Discourse is crucial, but even more important is understanding how to engage in discussions that lead to resolution.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom (or your school)?

I don’t like to think of it as something separate. That being community and classroom. The classroom is the community; the community is the classroom. As educators, we get wrapped up in our four walls, our curriculum. Those are obviously important, but if students can’t see parts of their community in the classroom, and if my community can’t see the impact we are having in classrooms then we have failed. We work to remove those barriers. I work with great students and families, but with working with at-risk youth they have few mentors that drive the community. Connecting them to the community is crucial to helping them see their future success in it. That is true with our learning community and the community of North Branch at large.

How do you approach news events in your classroom? Please provide an example.

I think you have to approach current events understanding that not everyone perceives an event the way you do. Fake AI-generated news on social media platforms makes it difficult. People’s social media algorithm feeds them news similar to their previous clicks. It has divided us more than ever. The first step is to sift through what is “news”. By that, I mean, what can we confirm to be true. The 24-hour news cycle can make it difficult as well with evening reputable news sources wanting to break information on the story. We start there. What is real? What do we know? How might perspectives on the event be different? How can we respectfully discuss it, acknowledging different perspectives, and feeling our perspective heard?

How do you develop relationships with students who have struggled in a traditional school setting?

In my experience, developing relationships with at-risk learners is more difficult because they don’t particularly care about the ethos. They don’t care about what you have accomplished. They want to know what you can help them accomplish. Their path is full of well-intentioned adults who are successful with most learners, but fail to connect with them. You have to care consistently and relentlessly. They have to see that you aren’t going away. You have to value what they value. You have to incorporate it in your approach. It can’t be one-sided with the student being expected to meet you even in the middle, not at first. But more than the individual relationships, it begins with a culture. If you have a school with a strong, inclusive culture that will get you over the first hurdle.

How will you use your voice as Michigan Teacher of the Year to advocate for teachers and for students?

My message to students is to take advantage of every opportunity. We live in a country where all doors are open to you. Your decisions in school can keep them open or start to close them.

My message to all teachers: “You Are Enough!”

Corey Rosser in his classroom at Quest High School in North Branch Area Schools.

The challenges we face in education can often feel overwhelming. We are frequently told that we don’t do enough — whether by society, parents, community members, or even administrators. The most painful critiques come from our students.

Many students face daily challenges that are unfathomable to most. You owe it to them to put forth the best version of yourself. Your efforts are enough.

I feel like a failure, at least at some point during each day. Some days I know I have done everything in my power. Some days I feel like a fraud. Being recognized as Michigan Teacher of the Year has not changed that. YOU ARE ENOUGH!

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

My own high school experience was very positive. I was a leader on my sports teams, captain and MVP of some. I was president of the student council. This gave me a very narrow view of what the high school experience was. I built leadership skills in so many ways. Early in my career, my view of students was that if they couldn’t achieve the same it was their lack of effort. I didn’t understand the many variables that kept them from the experience. More so, I didn’t fully understand that many of my students didn’t value those same things. The contrast between my experience and my students’ experiences was so stark it led to a lot of failure as a teacher early on. I was blessed to have great mentors to follow. I evolved and adapted to remain relevant in my students’ lives.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice that I received was that you have to let people try and fail. You can’t save them from every lesson they need to learn. Failure is the greatest teacher. When you rob a student of failure, you steal an opportunity to grow.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

I think one of the most influential books that I have read as an educator is “Detroit Divided.” The book was very eye-opening. Being from a small, rural community growing up, I tended to view the world as very black and white, right and wrong. There is much more gray than we care to admit. It showed me there was a deeper layer to any subject. While the book is a study of historical race relations in the Detroit Metro area, the theme can be applied in so many ways across social classes.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

State education board urged to reject proposed health and sex education standards

2025-10-14T23:01:11+00:00

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Some Michigan parents and community members sharply criticized the State Board of Education Tuesday about a proposed health education standards update they say will strip parents of their rights to opt their children out of lessons that don’t align with their children’s religious upbringing.

But officials at the Michigan Department of Education said parents can continue to opt their children out of sex education lessons. That opt-out provision is in state law.

This is the first update to Michigan’s health education standards since 2007, and people who spoke against it were most concerned with the addition of standards on gender identity for students in grades 6-8.

“This is not biology; it’s ideology,” John Grossenbacher of Clinton Township said of the proposed sex education standards. “These lessons promote gender theory and sexual identity discussions that belong in the homes guided by parents’ faith and values, not in classrooms.

But state education officials say the updated standards maintain a parent’s rights to opt their children out of sex education lessons.

Education officials also noted that local school districts can make individual decisions about how they incorporate the standards once they’re adopted. That means districts don’t have to align their curriculum on health and sex education with the standards.

These are among the standards speakers took issue with:

Define gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, and explain that they are distinct components of every individual’s identity.
Explain how biological sex, gender identity, and gender expression are distinct concepts and how they interact with each other.
Explain that romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attractions can be toward an individual of the same gender and/or different gender(s), and that attractions can change over time.
Analyze the similarities and differences between friendships, romantic relationships, and sexual relationships and discuss various ways to show affection within different relationships.
Describe how sexual health values and priorities may change with age, maturity, knowledge, and responsibilities.

Pamela Pugh, the president of the elected eight-member state board, said in a statement that politicians, media, and advocacy groups “have spread falsehoods to scare parents into thinking that schools would teach sex education to their children without giving parents a chance to opt out from the instruction. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

She reiterated that at the state board meeting Tuesday afternoon.

The update includes standards for both health education and sex education, which has led to concern from some about weaving the two together. An MDE official said that the two were part of the same package of standards in 2007.

The board first heard a presentation on the proposed update during a September meeting. Friday was the deadline for the public to provide feedback. Interim State Superintendent Sue Carnell, answering a question at the end of the lengthy meeting about the timeline, said the intent had been to bring the standards to the board for a vote in the next two months, but she said she will now “meet with the team” to reassess.

Grossenbacher was one of dozens of people who spoke in person at the monthly meeting of the State Board of Education in Lansing. The public comment period lasted more than two hours, and about 20 more people were in line to speak virtually, but the board voted to delay those comments until later in the meeting.

Some invoked the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Mahmoud vs. Taylor case, in which the court sided with religious parents who sought the right to opt their children out of LGBTQ+ inclusive instruction. Their district in Montgomery County, Maryland, had prevented such an opt-out for LGBTQ+ inclusive storybooks. Chalkbeat reported earlier this year that the court said preventing opt-outs interfered with a parent’s right to direct the religious upbringing of their children.

Matt Wilk, a former school board member in Northville, said if the standards are adopted, teachers would have to justify them to parents.

“What this does is it puts the teachers in the unfortunate position of trying to come between the parents and the kids. Rank and file teachers do not want to have to have this fight which you are going to force them to have.”

Taryn Gal was one of a few people who spoke in favor of the proposed updates. Gal is executive director of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health.

Misinformation about the standards, Gal said, “is doing harm not only to our trust in public education, but to the health and safety of Michigan students. We should not be fearing the adoption of these standards. We should all be fearing what will happen if they are not adopted.

“Michigan’s current health education standards have not been updated since 2007. This means that an entire generation of students has gone through school using outdated guidance that does not reflect what we now know about mental health, technology, vaping, healthy relationships, consent, among many other topics.”

State board member Nikki Snyder, a Republican from Goodrich, proposed the board approve a resolution that declared the proposed standards violate the U.S. Constitution and the precedent set in the Mahmoud v. Taylor case and should be stopped. The resolution failed on a 5-2 vote along party lines, with five Democrats rejecting it.

Tom McMillin of Oakland Township, the other Republican member of the board, supported the resolution and said “we should stop here and reevaluate.”

McMillin warned that if the board approves the standards, “Immense amounts of money will be spent on litigation.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

New state budget bars Count Day financial incentives, requires curriculum transparency for parents

2025-10-08T22:18:20+00:00

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The state budget Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed this week included transparency requirements — one would give parents more insight into what reading curriculum their school uses — and a new rule to bar schools from using financial incentives to encourage students to attend school on Count Day.

These were among some of the lesser known parts of the budget, with much of the attention going to record levels of per-pupil funding, a big increase in at-risk funding, and the protection of an initiative that provides free breakfasts and lunches to students regardless of income.

The budget also included more money for schools to lower class sizes in the lower grade levels, eliminated flexibility that allowed districts to hold up to 15 days of virtual instruction, and created a new funding source to provide additional pay for teachers.

The budget was approved after months of stalled negotiations, and after the legislature blew two budget adoption deadlines.

Some of the new provisions are puzzling because there was little to no discussion about them, said Robert McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance of Michigan, a group that represents the interests of dozens of school districts in the state. He raised concerns that the budget includes new curriculum requirements well over a month into the school year.

“This is just another example of how broken this budget process was,” McCann said.

Here are some details about the budget:

Parents to get a heads up if their child’s school uses a reading curriculum that isn’t recommended

New language in the budget requires districts to notify parents if their schools use a K-5 reading curriculum that isn’t on the state’s list of evidence-based curriculum, or that isn’t aligned with state standards. An evidence-based curriculum is one that research has shown to be effective. As part of that notification, schools must tell parents that the curriculum they’re using “could negatively impact student academic outcomes.”

Whitmer proposed such a transparency measure when she presented her budget proposal earlier this year.

The new requirement comes in the midst of disappointing student performance on state and national exams. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation’s Report Card, just 24% of Michigan fourth graders were considered proficient, and results overall showed little improvement even as other states showed gains. On the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, performance in many grades and subjects went up slightly, but third graders posted their worst reading scores in the 11-year history of the exam.

In addition to informing parents that the curriculum doesn’t meet state guidelines, school leaders must also let parents know why they’re using a curriculum that isn’t evidence-based and share a plan for when such a curriculum will be adopted.

If schools fail to notify parents, they risk losing up to 5% of their state aid.

No more financial incentives for Count Day

Another way schools can lose up to 5% of their state aid: by offering financial incentives to students to attend on Count Day.

Some schools have offered gift cards or other incentives for students who show up. But it’s unclear how widespread those practices are across the state.

There are two count days in Michigan: One on the first Wednesday in October and another on the first Wednesday in February. Student enrollment counts on those days largely determine how much state aid a school district receives.

And because schools are funded on a per-student basis, getting kids to school has been vitally important on those days. (Schools can still count some students who are absent on Count Day as long as they attend school within a certain time period afterward.) It’s why some enrollment-challenged schools entice students to attend by offering things like pizza parties for the classroom with the highest attendance, extra classroom credits, and fun activities.

Additional funding to lower class sizes

The budget sets aside $65 million, to be paid in grants, to allow school districts to maintain or establish lower class sizes in grades K-3.

School districts with large percentages of students from low-income homes would be eligible to receive the grants.

Class sizes would be capped at 19 students per class.

The budget identifies several school districts (Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System, Benton Harbor Area Schools, Flint School District, and Wayne-Westland

Community School District) to automatically receive these class size grants.

The budget also allows all districts to use up to 30% of their at-risk funding to reduce class sizes.

No more virtual instruction days

The budget eliminates language that allowed school districts to hold up to 15 virtual instruction days.

Michael Rice, who retired Friday as state superintendent, has pushed the legislature to remove that language, as well as flexibility that allows up to seven professional development days to count as instructional days. During professional development days, teachers spend the day training, and students stay home and receive no instruction.

The virtual hours provision was struck, but schools can continue to count the professional development days as instructional days.

New teacher pay fund

The budget includes $350 million in one-time grants to increase educator compensation, though details are still scarce about how the money can be spent.

Districts must report to parents on how at-risk grant money is spent

The budget increases funding for at-risk students by 25%, but it also adds a new reporting requirement for school districts.

Districts receiving the at-risk money must now provide a report to parents that shows how much funding they received, how the money was distributed, and what evidence-based interventions were used with the funding.

Districts must also provide a method for which parents can provide feedback on how the money is used.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org

Michigan schools budget includes free meals and a big bump in funding for at-risk students

2025-10-03T15:49:44+00:00

Michigan approved a $24.12 billion education budget early Friday morning, agreeing to record high per-pupil funding, no-cost lunch and breakfast for K-12 students, and a small bump for colleges and universities.

The deal, part of an $81 billion budget agreement to fund state government operations, was approved two days after the politically divided Legislature missed the constitutional deadline to approve a spending plan but passed a stopgap bill to avoid a state government shutdown.

A general government spending bill passed the Republican-led House 101-8 and the Senate 31-5. A separate education spending bill cleared the chambers in 104-5 and 31-5 votes, respectively. Both were heading to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her expected signature.

The school aid budget will “feed every child free meals at school, help our students succeed academically, and ensure Michiganders are safe in their communities,” Whitmer said in a 4:24 a.m. statement.

Supporters of the plan said the new budget would help close opportunity gaps for at-risk students and other kids who need additional support, as well as give educational leaders more flexibility to address local needs.

“This budget makes sure every young Michigander has a fair shot to thrive and build a future right here at home,” said Sen. Darrin Camilleri, a Trenton Democrat who chairs the Senate’s K-12 appropriations subcommittee.

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But some critics say the spending should have included policies to encourage better results.

“We already invest more per student than most states with below-average results,” said Sen. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell. “We should tie spending increases to policy changes that will truly improve student achievement.”

School groups slammed state leaders for not reaching bipartisan consensus sooner.

“To be clear, Michigan’s schools have been harmed throughout every step of this unnecessary, Lansing-made crisis and the lack of accountability as lawmakers continued to obstruct a budget from moving forward will not be forgotten,” said Robert McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance of Michigan, a group representing 123 school districts.

Here are highlights of the budget:

Foundation allowance

Public schools will receive $10,050 per student, up 5% from $9,608 per student.

Virtual cyber schools will receive the same amount as other public schools after previously receiving less.

School districts have wide flexibility for how they spend the per-pupil grants.

But school leaders criticized other changes in the budget, including continued diversion of School Aid Fund money to cover higher education.

Universal school meals

Leaders allocated $201.6 million for free breakfast and lunch for all public school students and private school students. It’s the third school year of the Michigan School Meals program, which covers the cost of meals for students who otherwise don’t qualify for federal meals benefits.

The funding is up slightly from the $200 million the Legislature put aside last year.

Many school districts warned parents they would need to start paying for meals again if a budget was not in place by Tuesday.

At-risk funding

The deal includes a 25% bump in at-risk funding for students. Districts received these funds based on the number of economically disadvantaged students and the concentration of poverty within their district.

School leaders will be able to use up to 30% of their funds to reduce class sizes.

School safety and mental health

Leaders agreed to $321million for school safety and mental health funding. Two years ago, leaders agreed to $328 million, with private schools being eligible for a small portion of the funds.

But last year, leaders initially only put $26.5 million for the program which school leaders decried as cuts. A few months later, leaders passed an additional spending measure to provide $125 million more toward the program. In that deal, leaders also provided $1 million toward a tipline for students to anonymously report guns in violation of the state’s safe storage law.

Higher education

Michigan universities will see funding boosts ranging from 1.9% to 4.8%, an overall $2.34 billion spend.

An effort by Republicans to slash funding for the University of Michigan and Michigan State University was dropped from the final bill.

The plan diverts about $1.3 billion from the state’s School Aid Fund, the main funding mechanism for K-12 schools, to community colleges and universities, an increase from the last budget cycle.

Lauren Gibbons is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at lgibbons@bridgemi.com.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemi.com.

GOP bill would force Michigan school board candidates to state their party affiliation

2025-10-02T15:07:27+00:00

This story was originally published by Votebeat. Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for Votebeat Michigan’s free newsletter here.

A proposed bill from House Republicans would make Michigan’s school board candidates declare a party affiliation, a change that’s drawing criticism from local election officials and school board members.

Under state law, school board positions are explicitly nonpartisan. House Bill 4588, introduced by Rep. Jason Woolford, would tweak the law to require candidates for local school boards to declare a party affiliation.

That requirement could force the races to have primary elections in August, in addition to the November general election when school board seats are typically voted on, officials said.

Michigan clerks warn that the bill could create a range of problems for local election offices, including longer ballots, voter confusion, and thousands of extra dollars in expenses.

For one thing, it would require changing the layout of primary ballots to include school board candidates in the partisan section, which could be confusing for voters and expensive to implement, Hillsdale County Clerk Abe Dane told Votebeat.

Woolford, a Republican from Howell, said Tuesday before the House Election Integrity Committee that his proposal would improve transparency around a candidate’s values and improve voter turnout.

“Party labels create policy consistency,” Woolford said. “Boards with clear ideological balances, whether conservative, progressive or mixed, can avoid gridlock and deliver on promises from better budgets to safer schools. Without labels, we risk surprises or recalls when candidates’ true colors show up too late.”

Education policy is largely determined by the state, but school boards have increasingly become a battleground for groups trying to influence policy at the most local level. In some communities, conservative groups have focused on school boards as a place to assert “parental rights” on everything from COVID vaccine requirements to LGBTQ inclusion.

A small number of states already use party labels on ballots for school board candidates, while others allow for it but don’t require it. In Michigan, candidates for the three public-university boards that are elected statewide are listed on ballots with their party affiliation. But these candidates are selected during party conventions, not through primaries.

It’s the prospect of partisan primaries for local school boards that has some election officials worried. Dane, in Hillsdale County, said that in counties like his where a single party dominates most offices, adding another race to the partisan section of the primary ballot could make ballots longer and costlier.

“If you throw in a second piece of paper for every single voter? God, help us,” Dane said. “You’re going to create nightmares for balancing, tabulator issues. Voters are going to drop off and give up after a while of filling out the ballot.”

He said the cost could easily run a clerk’s office thousands of dollars.

He dismissed the idea that a switch to partisan elections would improve voter turnout. “Anyone that is interested in a school board election is probably going to be voting in an August primary regardless,” he said.

School board members at the hearing overwhelmingly testified against the bill as well, arguing that requiring candidates to declare a party affiliation goes against the mandate for school board members to support students and schools.

Jennifer Smith, director of government relations for the Michigan Association of School Boards, said “the vast majority” of MASB members opposed the bill, because they don’t see themselves as political people. Such a change could discourage people from running for school board — at a time when many school board seats are already going unfilled — because candidates would have to be prepared to campaign in both a primary and a general election, she said.

In emailed testimony, Tom Buffett, president of the Okemos Public Schools board, wrote: “Frankly, in an increasingly polarized and politicized society, I view the prospect of having party-affiliated Trustees as a divisive distraction of what Boards of Education need.”

Democrats on the committee appeared opposed to the bill. Rep. Stephen Wooden, D-Grand Rapids, discussed the risk that partisan elections could lead to significant policy changes from one election to the next, to the detriment of students.

Even Republicans didn’t seem convinced. Rep. Pat Outman, a Republican from Six Lakes, said he wished “we could get the politics out of school,” citing President George Washington’s farewell address in which he warned against partisan factions. Outman said he hadn’t solidified his opinion yet but had concerns about the bill.

The committee did not vote on the bill Tuesday. Even if the bill were to make it to the House floor and through the chamber, it is unlikely to win favor in the Democratic-controlled Michigan Senate.

Hayley Harding is a reporter for Votebeat based in Michigan. Contact Hayley at hharding@votebeat.org.

Outgoing state schools chief: Students need more, not fewer, instructional days

2025-10-01T19:38:49+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Detroit’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system and Michigan education policy.

On Friday, Michigan’s State Superintendent Michael Rice closes the book on a decades-long career as an educator.

Rice, who has been the state’s top education leader since 2019, is retiring and paving the way for new leadership.

Glenn Maleyko, the current Dearborn Public Schools superintendent, takes over Dec. 8. Until Maleyko starts, Sue Carnell, the chief deputy superintendent at the Michigan Department of Education, will serve as interim state superintendent.

Rice led during a difficult time, with the pandemic upending education not even a year into his tenure. Students performed worse on state and national exams, chronic absenteeism surged, and student mental health concerns increased. Academic recovery has been slow, and despite small gains across the board on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress this year, third graders posted their worst reading scores in the 11-year history of the exam.

In a recent Chalkbeat interview, Rice talked about some key issues that are critical to improved outcomes for students, including his insistence that Michigan lawmakers must act to stop schools from being able to count seven professional development days as instructional days. He said that flexibility, and others, mean students across Michigan could be receiving far less than the 180 days of instruction that are required by law.

Here are four takeaways from that interview:

The state gives schools too much flexibility to reduce the number of instructional days

Rice has repeatedly asked Michigan lawmakers to change state law to ensure students are receiving 180 days of instruction.

Rice is concerned because in recent years, state lawmakers have added flexibility in the law that allows schools to count up to seven professional development days — days when teachers are training and students are not in school — as instructional days.

Professional development, Rice said, “is immensely important.”

“But prior to the 2019-20 school year, professional development did not compete with instructional time,” he said. “It now does. Children shouldn’t have to pay for professional development of staff with lost instructional days.”

Schools also can shift to online instruction — meaning students are taught virtually — for up to 15 days. While those are technically instructional days, pandemic experience demonstrated that many students struggle with virtual learning.

Meanwhile, classes can be cancelled for reasons beyond the control of administrators, such as snow days and emergencies that close buildings.

It’s unclear to what extent Michigan schools are taking advantage of the flexibility lawmakers have given them for counting professional development as instructional days or going online. There is no requirement schools indicate how many of their instructional days include this flexibility.

But Rice is convinced it’s a problem in part because “we wouldn’t have the challenges of getting it rectified in the state legislature.”

Michigan has some deep educational challenges, but there have been some wins

Michigan student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation’s Report Card, has been flat, with little improvement while other states are making significant progress. Literacy, particularly in the early grades, has been a challenge on state and national exams.

There have been some encouraging signs, which Rice easily rattled off during the interview as he discussed progress on the Michigan Department of Education’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan. That initiative outlines eight ambitious goals to improve education in the state and includes expanding early childhood learning, improving early literacy achievement, expanding postsecondary learning opportunities, increasing the percentage of students who graduate from high school, increasing the number of certified teachers in areas of shortages, and providing adequate and equitable school funding.

Rice cited examples of progress toward those goals: Lawmakers have allocated additional funding for some of the most vulnerable children — students from low-income homes, students with disabilities, students who are English language learners — to provide more equitable school funding. Substantially more children are enrolled in Michigan’s free preschool program, and the graduation rate of 82% for high school students is the highest it’s ever been.

But challenges persist, and the state hasn’t fully achieved any of the goals.

“If I could paraphrase Frost, and I like my poets, we have miles to go before we sleep on all of the issues. There’s been progress made … on every goal area, arrival on none,” Rice said.

Michigan can learn from Mississippi’s policies that led to big reading gains

A lot has been said about how the state of Mississippi has seen significant improvement in fourth grade reading on the NAEP, while Michigan’s performance has been flat. Mississippi was ranked ninth in the nation in fourth grade reading this year, up from 49th in 2013.

In Mississippi beginning in 2014, Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (or LETRS) training was required for teachers in some state schools. LETRS is a professional development program based on the science of reading. The science of reading refers to a body of knowledge that emphasizes phonics along with building vocabulary and background knowledge. (Since 2022, Mississippi has used AIM Pathways as its science of reading training.) Those schools were also required to hire literacy coaches.

Michigan has provided some funding in the state budget for the LETRS training, and more than 5,000 teachers have completed the training and another 7,000 have begun it, but Rice and the State Board of Education wants Michigan to make it mandatory for K-5 teachers. He has pointed to Mississippi as an example of why that’s important.

“The training was a priority, and it was a fundamental part in our progress toward understanding how our students learn to read through instruction aligned to structured literacy,” said Jean Cook, a spokesperson for the department.

Mississippi paid for training for general education teachers, special education teachers, administrators, speech-language pathologists, and other speech-related personnel, Cook said. As the state efforts grew, Cook said, “the training became strongly suggested rather than required.”

Rice said Mississippi “has been more focused than Michigan has,” and has “leaned into high quality, research based early literacy materials long before Michigan did.” He said they also recognized the value of low class sizes in high-poverty schools in grades K-3.

And just as important, Mississippi hasn’t allowed the incursions into student instructional time that Michigan has.

Michigan, to be sure, has focused efforts on literacy. In 2016, lawmakers passed legislation — the Read by Grade 3 law — that required schools to identify and intervene with struggling readers. The law also required schools retain struggling third-grade readers based on their performance on the M-STEP, though the law allowed a number of exemptions. The retention part of the law was rescinded in 2024.

Last fall, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed K-12 Literacy and Dyslexia Laws that require the Michigan Department of Education to identify reading curriculum that align with the science of reading, require schools to screen children to identify those who are struggling with dyslexia, and require teacher preparation programs to include instruction on identifying and addressing dyslexia.

Teacher shortages improving, but it’s not over yet

Michigan investments are paying off in reducing teacher shortages. Rice said that when he became state superintendent, there wasn’t any money in the state budget to address shortages. Since then, the state has invested millions of dollars in a number of efforts, including stipends for student teachers, scholarships for those going into teaching, and funding for “grow your own” programs. There has also been growth in programs aimed at strengthening the current workforce.

Teacher shortages “really had gotten quite acute immediately prior to the pandemic, and then exacerbated during the pandemic. We’re coming out of this,” Rice said.

He said the state went from having 23,000 people preparing for the profession in 2011 down to 9,500 in 2017. But now, he said, “we’re up to 18,000 preparing for the profession annually.”

But shortages are still a problem.

“When you go into the communities that are the most challenged, and you look in the classrooms and when they don’t have shortages, when they don’t have openings, when they have fully credentialed, strong teachers in every classroom, then we can say the shortage is over.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Free school meals will be limited beginning Wednesday in some Michigan schools

2025-09-30T22:46:47+00:00

Some parents of Michigan public school students will have to start paying for student breakfast and lunch on Wednesday as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and lawmakers continue to negotiate a state budget.

Because the budget is not yet done, “school meals will no longer be free for all students starting tomorrow,” Bloomfield Hills Schools told parents in a Tuesday afternoon email.

The message came shortly after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told state employees they will be paid and the government will continue to run Wednesday even if officials miss a midnight deadline to pass a state budget.

While a temporary spending bill could potentially help keep state government open, school officials said Tuesday they do not yet have any certainty how that process might affect them.

Without a finalized budget, Midland Public Schools will continue to offer free breakfast for all students but will start charging students who do not qualify for free lunches through federal programs, said Katie Guyer, director of communications and community relations.

Guyer said two of the six elementary schools in the district will continue to offer free school meals because of eligibility for a federal program. The district announced possible changes to the meal program in early August.

In the absence of a state budget that funds the program, it’s up to individual districts if they want to use other funds to pay for the cost of meals.

RJ Webber, superintendent of Northville Public Schools, said his district will pay for school meals for all students for a month even if there is no state budget. It’s estimated that will cost the district $400,000.

Webber said his district has a healthy amount in savings, and his “heart breaks” for districts that have to ask parents to start paying for meals.

‘No right or wrong answer’ for Michigan schools

Whitmer has championed the universal free meal program, which removed income restrictions and cost the state $200 million last year. But some conservatives have questioned free meals for affluent families.

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It’s not yet clear if the state budget for next fiscal year — which starts Wednesday — will include continued funding for the meals.

Whitmer “wants to continue this program and is working with the Legislature to finalize the budget over the next few days, so parents and kids can keep getting this benefit,” spokesperson Stacey LaRouche told Bridge on Monday.

Absent a late Tuesday budget deal, Whitmer and lawmakers could attempt to pass a continuing resolution by midnight that would maintain current funding levels for state departments and avoid a government shutdown.

Peter Spadafore, executive director of the Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity, which represents a group of school districts, said Tuesday afternoon that he is not sure what might be in a continuing budget resolution or how long an agreement would fund the government.

If lawmakers include universal school meal funding in some sort of agreement that passed with immediate effect and was quickly signed by Whitmer, then it would make sense for schools to continue universal school meals, he said.

“There’s no right or wrong answer for a superintendent for how to continue,” said Robert McCann, executive director of The K-12 Alliance of Michigan, a group of 123 school districts.

“They are simply trying to do what’s best for their students given all this uncertainty forced on them by this continued legislative failure to get a budget done.”

Previous warnings

School leaders have been warning parents of the potential change for weeks while also advocating for the Legislature to pass a budget. Parents can still fill out an education benefits form with their local district that may allow their child to qualify for free meals and other discounts on testing and extracurricular sports.

In recent weeks, Ann Arbor Public Schools has said it will start charging families for meals in October if a budget deal with universal meals is not approved.

But Holt Public Schools recently announced it would continue to offer all students free meals during the 2025-26 school year.

Huron Valley Schools said in a Sept. 12 notice it would use its “Food Service Fund surplus to continue offering free breakfast and lunch to all students for as long as possible.”

Okemos Public Schools officials previously announced the district would not offer free school meals to all students this year, in a move the superintendent blamed on a lack of guaranteed funding from the state.

Crestwood School District in Dearborn Heights said on its website last week it would continue to provide free meals to all students for the entire school year.

Ferndale Public Schools will also continue to provide free school meals for all students this school year.

“This ensures that every child has access to healthy meals, removes barriers for families and helps students stay focused on learning rather than worrying about food,” Superintendent Camille Hibbler told families in a message Tuesday afternoon.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for BridgeMichigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemichigan.com.

Michigan schools face uncertainty as government shutdown looms

2025-09-25T20:06:57+00:00

LANSING — Some Michigan schools are taking out loans, warning of food service cuts and possible preschool closures as lawmakers struggle to finalize a state budget by an Oct. 1 constitutional deadline.

Without a deal in the next week, the state government will shut down. Schools would stay open, but an extended impasse would jeopardize critical state funding, and educators are already preparing for that possibility.

If there is a shutdown, “the shorter the better” for Michigan schools, said Craig Thiel, research director at the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council. “The longer, the more uncertainty, the more work.”

For most of the past decade, lawmakers and the governor have finalized an education budget by July 1 to align with when the fiscal year begins for K-12 schools. That didn’t happen this year despite a deadline written into state law.

Now, a Republican-led House, Democratic-led Senate, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have just seven days left to agree on a state budget expected to include $21 to $22 billion for public K-12 schools and pre-K programming.

Whitmer on Monday criticized what she called “shortcomings” with a House GOP budget, but said she still believes a shutdown is avoidable.

“I think we can write a budget that checks off things on my list, checks off things that are on House Republicans’ list and the Senate Democrats,” she told reporters at an event in Kentwood.

State payments loom

The state budget funds schools on a per-pupil basis — $9,608 this year.

Districts receive that funding in 11 monthly state payments. The next is due Oct. 20 but would not go out if the state government is closed, which officials say could jeopardize bus service, after school programs, free meals, and more.

“In a shutdown, no state school aid flows,” the Michigan Department of Education warned in a Sept. 2 memo.

Education leaders warn a state government shutdown could impact some community child care providers even sooner — in early October, leaving them unable to make payroll.

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The uncertainty is prompting moves from educators that could have a lasting impact on the financial health of some Michigan school districts, including high-interest loans and delayed hiring decisions.

“There are school districts like mine that are borrowing way more money than we should ever have to because of all these uncertainties being created in Lansing,” said Laingsburg Community Schools Superintendent Matt Shastal.

Already one in 10 school districts say they’ve made classroom personnel cuts ahead of this academic year, according to a survey of school district leaders, though not all cuts are necessarily because of budget uncertainty.

Some, like House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, say they’re still “optimistic” leaders can avoid a government shutdown despite recent state budgets taking weeks to negotiate.

Any cuts schools are already making are “performative,” Hall recently argued, noting proposed budgets would each raise the per-pupil rate — to $10,008 in the Senate-proposed budget to up to $12,000 in the House-backed plan.

“If I was a school superintendent … and I saw that all parties wanted to increase my funding, I wouldn’t be making all of these crazy decisions,” Hall told reporters last month.

This weekend, Hall said that even if lawmakers can’t finalize a full budget by Oct. 1, he’s “hopeful” they can at least agree on an education spending plan “before there’s a shutdown, if there is one.”

Universal meals program at risk

With the potential government shutdown looming, several Michigan school districts are warning parents that school meals may not be free for all for long. They’re urging parents to fill out forms to assess whether their kids qualify for free or reduced price meals under federal programs instead.

“Students not qualifying for federal free or reduced benefits will not be eligible for free meals ” beginning Oct. 1 if there’s no funding certainty from the state, Bloomfield Hills Schools told parents last week.

Backed by Whitmer, Michigan’s universal free meals program covers costs for students who do not otherwise qualify for free meals through federal programs because their families earn too much money.

All students have qualified for free meals for the last two school years, and state funding currently goes through September.

The Michigan Department of Education has called on the Legislature to continue funding universal meals through a dedicated pot of funds. A budget plan approved by the Republican-led House did not include that funding, but it would give schools more discretionary money, allowing them to continue the universal meal program if they choose.

Whitmer said Monday she opposed the GOP approach, arguing it’s “important that we designate dollars for lunch and breakfast” in the budget. “If we don’t do that, we run the risk of some kids having access to meals and others not.”

In the meantime, Ann Arbor Public Schools has said it will start charging families for meals in October if a budget deal with universal meals is not approved. Midland Public Schools said it will offer free breakfast for the full school year but start charging for lunch in October if a deal is not reached.

Huron Valley Schools said in a Sept. 12 notice it would use its “Food Service Fund surplus to continue offering free breakfast and lunch to all students for as long as possible.”

A child care crunch

Paula Martin, director and teacher at Kidtime Child Development Center, in Lansing, said if lawmakers do not finalize a state budget soon, she may need to close her preschool for 4-year-olds in early October.

“How does it affect these children if we have to shut down and then later in a couple weeks say ‘come back?’ It’s going to be like starting school all over again from day one,” she told Bridge.

Martin operates her pre-K through the state’s Great Start Readiness Program, which provides funding for local schools, nonprofits, and businesses to provide no-cost preschool for 4-year-olds.

In Ingham County, that funding is first distributed by the intermediate school district, typically before the Oct. 20 state payment comes through so that those businesses make cash flow, according to Superintendent Jason Mellema.The first of those payments would typically go out Oct. 3.

Kidtime would normally get its payment Oct. 10, according to Martin.

“Where would we get those funds from? That’s a lot of money,” Martin told Bridge, noting about 80% of her operational funding is at risk.

It’s not clear if other intermediate school districts normally distribute funds earlier in the month. Thiel said he is not aware of others, and leaders in Oakland County and Midland County said they were not aware of pre-K providers saying they may shut down soon.

Emily Brewer, associate superintendent of early childhood at the intermediate district, told Bridge that the district works with 13 community based providers for pre-K. About half of them would likely be “in danger of not being able to make their payroll payments without a state aid payment” in October.

The tuition-free pre-K program used to be limited to the state’s neediest students, but the Whitmer administration is working toward making pre-K free for all 4-year-olds, regardless of income.

Brewer said Ingham County is also prepared to open up more classrooms and has a waitlist of students. But without budget certainty, parents are in a waiting period.

“Unfortunately I worry people are going to lose faith in the system because we have a lot of people on the waitlist,” Brewer said.

The director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential said in a statement last week that the House Republican budget would lead to fewer students in the pre-K program and fewer new classrooms.

The uncertainty could trickle down to child care for younger children too.

Providing infant and toddler care is costly and centers must staff those at a higher adult-to-child ratio than 4-year-olds.

Centers use the state pre-K program to help recoup some of the costs of caring for younger children. Brewer said she thinks it’s a “possibility” that care for younger kids is cut back in the meantime.

High-interest loans

Taking out loans to cover operating expenses isn’t out of the ordinary for Michigan schools, but some districts are opting to take out more than they may need just in case a state budget isn’t signed into law by Oct. 1.

That’s the case in Laingsburg, which opted to take out a $1.7 million loan earlier this month, according to Shastal, the superintendent.

That money will mostly go toward paying teacher salaries and other instructional expenditures, which account for nearly 60% of the district’s spending, according to the most recent publicly available data.

Interest and fee payments on the loan, which will total $65,000, are enough to pay for one teachers’ salary.

The lack of a state budget has also prompted the district to hold off on replacing two newly retired teachers and reduce one educator’s workload from full- to part-time, Shastal added.

While not uncommon for the district to take out yearly loans, Shastal said the district this year borrowed “way more than we would have” in order to “make sure we could keep the lights on, the doors open and keep kids educated.”

The state has a program allowing districts to borrow funds at lower interest rates because of the state’s strong credit rating, Thiel said. But the deadline for that has passed, so districts may incur more costs when borrowing.

In a recent survey conducted by the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators, 42 of 241 district leaders who responded said they have had to take out loans already.

More than a dozen districts said they would “have to consider closing down schools” at some point in October if a state budget isn’t done, said Tina Kerr, executive director of the association.

“After a certain period of time, you have to pay these loans back,” Kerr said. “You can’t borrow your way out of a hole like this.”

The Michigan government last shut down in 2007 and 2009 — but only a few hours. Those budget delays were quickly resolved without major disruptions to state operations — and long before any state school aid payments went out.

What about after-school programming, sports?

After-school programming could eventually be affected if lawmakers fail to strike a budget deal, according to officials.

The current state budget includes $57 million in grants for before-, after-, and summer-school programs.

That’s helped serve about 69,000 children across the state, providing homework help, tutoring, workforce development, and snacks, said Erin Skene-Pratt, executive director of the Michigan Afterschool Partnership.

Her group surveyed current grant recipients, and nearly 73% of respondents said they would have to reduce the number of children served if the funding was eliminated. Also, half said they have already “reduced enrichment activities” due to state budget uncertainty.

Major sporting events are not at risk, according to the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

“As far as anything we run, like Regionals or other postseason events, we will be playing as scheduled,” Geoff Kimmerly, MHSAA communications director, told Bridge Michigan in an email last week.

“While yes, the majority of our schools are public, we do not receive any money from the state government and our budget is instead derived primarily from ticket sales to our tournament events and then sponsorships.”

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemichigan.com.

Jordyn Hermani is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at jhermani@bridgemichigan.com.

This is why birth to 5 is a uniquely critical time for brain development in kids

2025-09-19T20:08:38+00:00

Early childhood educators and their advocates often talk about the crucial development that happens after a baby is born through age 5.

What is happening to a baby’s brain that makes these earliest years so important?

The answers should be universally known, said Beth MeLampy, who directs curriculum and staff training at Gretchen’s House, a network of locally owned early learning child care centers in Ann Arbor.

“There’s a general misunderstanding,” MeLampy said. “People don’t get how important 0 to 5 is in terms of setting that child up for future success if we get this right.” MeLampy said she wishes everyone could take a class to understand the impact of early brain development on a person’s ability to thrive in the future.

“If you want your kid to go to Harvard, make sure they have a responsive caregiver. Better than a tutor later on,” she said.

The Free Press spoke to several scientists and early educators about what’s happening in a baby’s brain before age 5, why it matters, and what parents should know about caregiving’s impact on their child’s development.

What is happening to a baby’s brain before age 5?

When babies are born, their brains are a quarter of the size of an adult brain. In the first year, a baby’s brain doubles in size. By 5 years old, 90% of brain development has occurred, said Alissa Huth-Bocks, professor at Wayne State University and clinical psychologist with expertise in infant and early childhood mental health.

What’s meant by “brain development” here is that before age 5, a baby’s brain is growing rapidly, both in terms of size but also connectivity and strength, she said.

During this period, a baby’s brain is creating connections between newly formed brain cells known as neurons. More than 1 million new connections are formed every second in the first few years of life, Huth-Bocks said.

Baby brains are like loaves of crusty bread, said Erica Schrodt, who used to work as an infant teacher at Gretchen’s House and now teaches there across age groups. Babies are born expecting human interaction and through their relationship with caregivers, these connections, known as neural pathways, get reinforced.

Like a knife slicing through the same spot over and over again, until the pathway is carved deeply, solidified, Schrodt said.

These reinforced pathways set the foundation for a person’s ability to learn, relate to others, and regulate their emotions, said MeLampy.

What do babies and toddlers need, particularly during this time?

The foundation of early brain development is social.

“As soon as babies are born, their bodies and minds are expecting, in some way, human interaction and relationship,” said Katherine Rosenblum, clinical and developmental psychologist and co-director of Zero to Thrive at the University of Michigan.

It takes another person to light up a baby’s brain and make it ready to take in information, said MeLampy.

One key way a caregiver participates in healthy brain development is through a process called “serve and return,” which refers to the back and forth interactions between a baby and a caregiver.

Rosenblum said this could look like a baby cooing and their parent responding to them as though they’re in conversation: “Are you talking to me?!”

Or a baby crying, and a parent giving them a compassionate look, asking what’s wrong, and picking them up to comfort them.

“These are the subtle back and forth ‘volleys’ that you might miss if you were not paying attention,” Rosenblum said.

Through this relational process, the brain’s neural connections responsible for healthy development — including how to interact with others and emotional regulation — become embedded into the brain. This process happens more than 100 times a day throughout infancy, said Rosenblum.

Why do doctors call this period the most important time in a human being’s brain development?

Healthy brain development happens in the context of highly responsive caregiving, said Huth-Bocks, meaning that the majority of the time, when a child indicates they have a need, that need is met in a timely and consistent way.

Consistent, responsive caregiving allows a baby’s brain to put more resources toward learning — from figuring out how to move the eyes in tandem to acquiring language. When caregiving is less responsive or consistent, the brain has less time to devote to developing new connections because it’s spending more energy on making sure it gets its basic needs met, MeLampy said.

The unique window the brain has at this moment in a child’s life makes it a crucial time to create “responsive, reciprocal and safe relationships,” to support healthy development, said Rosenblum.

Brains are plastic and can change and adapt, but Rebecca Knickmeyer, professor at Michigan State University’s Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, who has researched babies’ brains for nearly 25 years, compares the brain to a house.

“You can go back and make significant improvements, but you can’t tear down the foundation and build it back up again,” she said.

How to be a responsive caregiver

Parents should not feel guilty and don’t need more things to worry about, said Rosenblum. “The things babies need are many of the things most parents just do naturally: hold their baby, comfort their baby, talk to their baby, sing to their baby, play with their baby,” she said.

MeLampy says parents can turn to two easy tactics to make responsive caregiving feel less overwhelming.

First, be present — not on the TV, or on the phone. “Nobody is a superhero and it’s not about being perfect,” she said. “You can probably reflect and next time be a little more present and involve your child in conversation even if the child is not reciprocating, they are there and can hear you.”

The second is to build community. MeLampy says there’s so much information out there and confusion around which source is best or can be trusted.

“Instead of getting overwhelmed, call your friend with a 2-year-old or ask the person next to you what’s working for them,” MeLampy said.

And being a responsive caregiver cannot happen 100% of the time. Parents’ lives are busy and stressful, Rosenblum said.

When society recognizes how important early childhood is and values the work of caring for and developing young children, quality child care follows. “It shouldn’t always be on parents,” she said.

Beki San Martin is a fellow at the Detroit Free Press who covers child care, early childhood education and other issues that affect the lives of children ages 5 and under and their families in metro Detroit and across Michigan. Contact her at rsanmartin@freepress.com.

This fellowship is supported by the Bainum Family Foundation. The Free Press retains editorial control of this work.

Michigan child care workers face high stakes, hard work at $15 an hour

2025-09-18T19:19:42+00:00

Makenzee. Ja’Kari. Jordan. Arielle. Bella. Arianna.

Carla Brown gets to work a half an hour early, usually around 7:30 a.m. every morning, just to watch her babies walk in.

Sitting with her tea, she runs through her plans for each of the students in her classroom on a day last spring at Above and Beyond Learning Childcare Center, a child care center on Detroit’s northeast side. She lays out the items she’ll need for today’s activities with her toddlers, roughly between 2 and 3 years old.

Water bowls for finger painting. Dollar Store sponges Brown has cut up to teach the kids shapes. Tupperware filled with little toys to sound out letters and words.

The activities are sweet, but this is serious work. Early educators like Brown care for and teach kids during what experts agree is the most critical time for brain development. Brown doesn’t just watch over her babies; she’s setting the foundation for their future learning and success.

Born and raised on the west side of Detroit, Brown, 54, says she has been taking care of children on and off her whole life from around age 11.

“I’ve always been an old soul; people used to have me watching their 6-month-old children and I was only 12,” she says.

Even outside the classroom, it’s rare to find a moment where Brown’s mind isn’t consumed by the kids. On the weekends, she’s still hooked, spending her Saturdays and Sundays making new curriculum. She once crafted a sheep out of Q-tips for a game where kids practice their fine motor skills — it was an activity geared especially toward one of her students who is nonverbal and enjoys using her hands.

Brown’s friends often have to drop by her home to pull her away from her job.

“They say ‘We’re getting ready to go on a walk, I know you there working!’ ” she says.

Now, Brown’s up, busying herself in the moments of relative calm before sticky hands, impatient cries, and six different potty-training schedules become a deluge of demands pulling at her attention.

The dedication, extra hours, and the significance of the task at hand — to build young brains — translates to a $15-an-hour paycheck, an amount Brown could likely surpass working at any of the nearby fast food restaurants.

Low pay, hard work, and high stakes

Passion like Brown’s is what tends to keep child care workers in the job for longer than a few months — not the pay or benefits. As a toddler teacher, Brown gets paid around a dollar more than the state median hourly wage for a child care worker: $13.88.

Brown is on Medicaid, like 40% of child care workers in Michigan. The majority of this workforce lacks access to employer-sponsored benefits like health care and retirement.

A living wage for a single adult in Wayne County would be between around $20 and $55 an hour, depending on the number of kids in a household, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator.

Like Brown, the people who take care of Michigan’s youngest children — those between birth and 3 years old — receive low pay for a challenging job that plays a critical role in creating a society with a better shot at well-adapted, functioning adults — one with a higher-earning workforce and lower rates of school dropouts and incarceration.

Between birth and 3 years old, research shows a baby’s brain grows to 80% of its adult size, forming millions of new neural connections a minute that will lay the foundation for all kinds of skills that have implications for future thriving, like academic ability and emotional well-being.

And though infant and toddler care is also the most expensive in early childhood due to state ratios requiring more staff, advocates say state investment has not reflected the high costs and high stakes.

Most state investment has gone primarily toward 4-year-olds, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration expanded its prekindergarten initiative known as the Great Start for Readiness Program, or GSRP, which became available to all families regardless of income in August 2024.

According to a 2024 report from the Michigan League for Public Policy, Michigan spends $210 on the care and education of young children for every $1,000 it spends on school-age children. “Of that small amount, the majority — approximately 64% — is allocated to state-funded pre-K,” the report reads.

Above and Beyond Learning Childcare Center’s director Nina Hodge is able to pay her lead GSRP teacher a minimum of $30 an hour because of the funding she gets through the state for the program.

Hodge says she can’t afford to pay her non-GSRP employees, like Brown, a “livable wage” because the state reimburses her between around $6 to $7 an hour per child, not nearly what she says she actually spends for care in her infant and toddler classrooms.

The majority of Hodge’s families receive the child care subsidy so these state payments make up the bulk of her income. Hodge is disappointed that Whitmer’s proposed budget doesn’t include an increase in Michigan’s child care subsidy reimbursement rates.

She says her child care teachers are working just as hard as the GSRP teachers — building children’s foundations, teaching them how to walk, and potty-training — but the GSRP teachers are getting paid more.

Low compensation leads to high turnover, according to experts. After four years at Above and Beyond Learning Childcare Center, Brown is now Hodge’s longest serving employee.

Hodge acknowledges that GSRP teachers are required to have additional credentials, either a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, child development or the equivalent. Still, she sees it as unfair.

“You’re doing the same value of work I’m doing, and you’re getting paid more for it,” she says, putting herself in the mindset of one of her infant and toddler teachers. “Make that make sense.”

“Thank God we have love in the building,” Hodge says.

Educators, not babysitters

Brown doesn’t seem to sit down for more than a few minutes at her job. She’s standing or crouching. Tall in stature, she’s most often bending forward, back parallel to the ground, to bring herself closer to her kids.

Wearing blue scrubs, flats, and a headband to push back her bouncy black curls, at 10 a.m., Brown starts to wrangle the kids around the small table at the center of the room: It’s snack time.

It has not yet been two hours, but Brown and her toddlers have already done so much.

Toddler teacher Carla Brown, 54, of Detroit, right helps her student toddlers wash their hands after painting at Above and Beyond Learning Center in Detroit on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Infant and toddlers are the most expensive to take care of in the early education ecosystem and yet immense state funding for 4-year-olds with the state's universal pre-k program has not been matched for the state's youngest age group, resulting in low compensation for infant and toddler teachers as well as financial strain for these small businesses.

They’ve sorted through what Brown calls in a sing-songy voice, her Handy Dandy Letters! They’re alphabetically labeled Tupperware containers filled with little objects whose name begins with the corresponding letter. Picking up one of the Tupperware containers, Brown shakes it in her hands back and forth like a handleless maraca, whipping her head back and forth. Some of the kids shake their bodies along in excitement.

She cracks the container open. “B is for?,” Brown prompts her students, taking out the first object. Bell. Bottle. Ball.

Along with practicing the alphabet and vocabulary this morning, the toddler room has also practiced how to share, go to the bathroom on the toilet, put toys away after playtime, and learned the different sounds animals make.

For a 2-year-old’s sponge-like brain, every moment is an opportune time for learning, and Brown doesn’t seem to miss any. Even something like helping wipe the table down post-snack time is an opportunity to practice their fine motor skills.

People don’t understand what goes into the work of infant and toddler care, says Barb Newkumerat, 30, the lead infant teacher at It’s a Small World Daycare in Ypsilanti.

“We are intentional teachers,” Newkumerat says. “Not just babysitters.”

Newkumerat, who has worked at It’s a Small World Daycare for nearly five years, finds that people don’t understand that even though they’re working with young kids, infant and toddler teachers do skilled work.

“High quality teaching is incredibly demanding cognitively, physically, emotionally,” says Holly Brophy-Herb, a developmental scientist studying infants and toddlers at Michigan State University.

In Newkumerat’s classroom of infants ranging from 6 weeks to 15 months, Newkumerat and her assistant teacher are tracking 34 standards on a daily basis. These include creative arts, initiative and planning, and, surprisingly, mathematics.

“In their case, it’s the ability to look at your pile of blocks and theirs, and recognize that you have more,” she said. “It’s measurements.”

The work is complex, in some ways even more so for infant and toddler teachers because their kids can be on such vastly differing developmental levels, says Brophy-Herb.

Teachers are “making hundreds of decisions in their heads every moment to meet these individualized needs, to keep these children on these developmental milestones and to deliver individualized, responsive programming,” she said. “It’s not just one size fits all.”

For Brown, it’s exhilarating to see the fruits of her labor.

“One little boy, I didn’t know he could say anything,” she says. Recently though, while making handprint art for Mother’s Day, she asked him what color his handprint was. He replied correctly: yellow and blue.

“‘Wait a minute,’ I’m thinking,” Brown says. “Some can talk, but not him — so I get excited.”

She has shepherded along almost all of her kids into speaking.

“When I first was working with them, none of them were verbal and now I got a background singer!,” she says, referring to Makenzee’s — one of her students — chattiness.

Brittany Christian, Makenzee’s mom, says that’s all thanks to Brown. Christian, who lives on the east side of Detroit, also has two older boys. But because their grandmother would watch them when they were little, Makenzee was the first kid she has put in child care.

Christian says she was shocked by how fast Makenzee developed as a result of being in Brown’s classroom, especially compared with where her sons were at Makenzee’s age.

“It’s stunning me a little,” Christian says of her daughter. “She can tell you what she wants, tell you that it hurts, tell you what’s wrong. I’m like, ‘Girl, slow down!’ ”

Christian says her daughter can also count to 10, went from being able to say “two words to 20” over the course of her year in the classroom, no longer needs a sippy cup, knows her colors, and how to spell, and is fully potty trained.

“It just blew me away; she turned 2 in January,” she says.

Now, Brown asks Makenzee to help her pass out the paper plates for snack time. As they munch on their Goldfish crackers, Brown sits for the first time to take morning attendance.

“Ja’Kari, is Ja’Kari here?,” Brown asks looking around the table in mock confusion, pretending to look for Ja’Kari, who sits right in front of her.

Ja’Kari raises his hand. “Here!”

“I’m glad to finally get a word out of you!”

Mid-conversation one child spills her orange juice, putting her hands to her face in a mixture of disappointment and shame.

“It’s OK, it’s just an accident!,” Brown says, unfazed by the first mess of the day. “Everybody say: ‘It’s OK!’”

A chorus of little voices repeat after her, reassuring their classmate. Brown is back up on her feet.

Little investment in the state’s youngest

In 2025, Michigan’s state budget for child care was around $70 million. For preschool, its budget was around $655 million.

If ages birth to 3 is such an important time in a child’s life, and if the providers like Hodge and educators like Brown taking care of this particular age group are so clearly struggling to stay afloat, why has the lion’s share of state investment gone toward 4-year-olds?

It’s political, says Tyler Huntey, president of the Michigan Child Care Provider Collective’s board, which advocates for providers in the state. Huntey is also a provider himself of Huntey’s Clubhouse, six early learning centers across central Michigan.

“(Universal pre-K) was a hot topic and you had an administration that knows child care is a challenge,” Huntey said. “It was an easy political win.”

Huntey says universal pre-K provided a simple answer in a very complicated early education landscape.

Easy to explain and to implement within an already existing state program, the policy was also an easy sell to stakeholders like school districts that stood to gain from the investment. (Districts receive funding from the state to open pre-K classrooms.)

Not as easy is explaining the return on investment for funding the care of the state’s youngest, Huntey says.

It would cost $120 million annually to pay for the over 8,000 infant to 3-year-olds currently served by the child care subsidy, according to Jeanna Capito, the author of a Think Babies analysis of cost of care in Michigan. That estimate includes paying staff a living wage.

But the amount of kids currently being served only represents a fraction of who qualifies for and needs subsidized child care in Michigan, she said. Annual state funding for birth to 3-year-olds climbs to $840 million to pay for every kid who qualifies and needs the subsidy — nearly 60,000 kids — if rates included paying staff a living wage.

There hasn’t been political will for that kind of investment, Huntey says.

Early education providers have continued beating the same drum: to support them, the state must increase reimbursement rates for the Child Development and Care subsidy, or CDC, Michigan’s child care subsidy program for low-income families.

According to a 2024 state survey of providers, over half of the nearly 3,000 Michigan child care providers who responded to the survey care for kids who use the CDC and are reliant on the state funds to make up what parents can’t pay. Significant increases in rates would allow providers to increase infant and toddler teacher wages.

This would mean less staff turnover, fewer empty classrooms, and more families able to access child care, providers and experts say.

The state has only increased the CDC reimbursement rate incrementally over the past few years — most recently by 15% in fiscal year 2025. The current rate is slated to remain the same in Whitmer’s 2026 budget.

“They say they want quality, but they’re not giving us enough money for quality,” said Candies Rogers, who owns Circle Time With Friends Learning Center Too in Detroit.

Whitmer’s budget maintains the fiscal year 2025 rate increase, in addition to including other investments aimed at lowering costs for families like Tri-Share, which splits child care costs between families, businesses and the state, according to MiLEAP, a state agency overseeing early education initiatives.

Some early childhood advocates acknowledge that while investment in the child care subsidy is important, it’s just one piece of the puzzle to fund infant and toddler care and lower the cost of child care in Michigan.

The state has tried a number of solutions, many temporary, and experts say there are a number of other policies Michigan could implement that have found success in other states.

Teachers spread thin

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah hurrah! Brown sings to coax her kids into a neat single-file line out to the playground.

Recess can be a high stress time for Brown because of the fear that one of her kids with disabilities will take off, climb up something, and hurt themselves, she says. Brown has taught multiple kids with developmental disabilities throughout her years at Above and Beyond Learning Childcare Center and says it’s the hardest part of her job.

It’s difficult to balance the needs of a classroom when one child requires more attention. It “throws the other ones off, or makes them feel some kind of way,” she says.

Betty Favors, 67, owns Cribs2College Academy in Detroit and says she sees the strain that working with children with disabilities places on her early education teachers. Without resources from the state for such kids, like additional state subsidy dollars, it becomes impossible to afford things like teacher training or hiring certified therapists to support students, Favors said.

Brown said she thinks state ratios should be smaller in classrooms with kids who have more severe disabilities.

“How can you be teaching other kids when your mind have to keep this one from practically killing themself?” she said.

Stay or go?

Kids have begun filtering out of Above and Beyond Learning Childcare Center for the last hour. Brown sets up a game for the three toddlers left.

A few of the kids take their turns, and right as it comes time for Arielle’s, her mom arrives to pick her up. Arielle is worried she won’t get her turn, but as her mom chats with Hodge in the other room, Brown looks conspiratorially at her. “OK, let’s do it, quick!”

When Arielle is called again to come meet her mom, she runs toward the front office, waving distractedly to the group behind her.

“OK, love you and see you tomorrow,” Brown calls after her. Arielle doesn’t hear her.

“Arielle, love you,” Brown says, laughing.

Arielle realizes Brown is talking to her and runs back to give Brown a hug. “Byeeeee,” Arielle coos.

Brown says she has considered leaving the profession.

“I know I need more money,” she says. “As soon as you pay the bills, it’s time to pay again.”

Before starting back in child care work at Above and Beyond Learning Childcare Center, Brown considered a job at Chrysler, but was drawn back into child care — she loves working with kids, plain and simple.

She has also considered pursuing additional education that would allow her to teach in a higher-paying GSRP classroom, but has been held back by worries that she wouldn’t be able to teach older kids, like 4-year-olds as well. Though, she says, she recognizes, “Wait a minute! It’s practically what I’m doing.”

Whether to stay in toddler care is a looming question for Brown.

“It’s back and forth, you know,” she says. “But then, who would have my children?”

This fellowship is supported by the Bainum Family Foundation. The Free Press retains editorial control of this work.

Glenn Maleyko, Michigan’s next state superintendent, will earn $272,000 annually

2025-09-16T21:12:17+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Detroit’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system and Michigan education policy.

Glenn Maleyko, selected last month to be Michigan’s next state superintendent, formally signed a three-year contract on Tuesday.

Maleyko, currently superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools, will begin the job Dec. 8. He will earn an annual salary of $272,000.

Earlier this month, the State Board of Education appointed Sue Carnell, the chief deputy superintendent at the Michigan Department of Education, to the interim superintendent position effective Oct. 3 and lasting until Maleyko takes over. Current State Superintendent Michael Rice is retiring effective Oct. 3

In August, Maleyko was chosen by the board in a 5-3 vote from among three finalists. The other two were Lisa Coons, former state superintendent in Virginia and a former Tennessee education official, and Judy Walton, superintendent of Harrison Community Schools.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support children and families, educators, and other school staff at all of Michigan’s public schools,” Maleyko said in a Michigan Department of Education statement Tuesday.

“From my experience in Dearborn Public Schools and the relationships I have with educators across the state, I know that local districts, the Michigan Department of Education, and the State Board of Education are all strongly committed to doing whatever we can to improve student achievement.”

He will be taking on the job at a critical time. State test results released a day after he was selected showed slight gains for students in many areas, but third grade English language arts results reached an 11-year low. There has long been criticism and concern about school performance in Michigan, especially in literacy, with the most vocal critics being many Republican lawmakers and even Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who said earlier this year that the state must “face our literacy crisis with fierce urgency.”

The contract was signed Tuesday by Pamela Pugh, the president of the State Board of Education, and Judy Pritchett, the board secretary. On Sept. 9, the board voted to allow Pugh to negotiate on its behalf with Maleyko.

Here is a breakdown of the contract’s benefits:

He’ll be eligible for the same retirement, insurance benefits, and deferred compensation plans as other state of Michigan cabinet level officials.
He’ll receive 104 hours or 13 days of sick leave each year.
He’ll receive 240 hours or 30 days of annual leave.
He’ll be provided with a state vehicle for work within the scope of his official duties. The vehicle can be used for personal use, but Maleyko will have to reimburse the state each year.
The board will evaluate Maleyko’s work each year. If his work is deemed satisfactory, his salary will be increased by “at least the average percentage increases granted to other department directors in state government,” according to the contract.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

State education board appoints interim state superintendent

2025-09-09T21:27:14+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Detroit’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system and Michigan education policy.

Sue Carnell, the chief deputy superintendent at the Michigan Department of Education, will take over as interim state superintendent in October and serve until the man who was selected to permanently take the job can step into the role.

The board last month voted to offer the state superintendent job to Glenn Maleyko, who currently is the superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools. On Tuesday, the board approved allowing Pamela Pugh, the president of the board, to negotiate with Maleyko and his attorney on its behalf.

It’s unclear when Maleyko will begin. The board’s timeline for the superintendent search process had set Oct. 4 as the start date for the new leader.

Tom McMillin, a board member from Oakland Township, asked about the start date during Tuesday’s monthly meeting, saying “I’m just wondering if January or April,” or another date. McMillin said there had been some suggestion that Maleyko might need to remain in his Dearborn role through December.

“All I can say is that we are negotiating,” Pugh said.

Carnell will begin as interim superintendent Oct. 3, the last day for current State Superintendent Michael Rice, who is retiring.

She will be the first Black woman to serve as state superintendent in Michigan’s history, according to the MDE.

Carnell has had a 40-year career in education government, according to an MDE news release. She was superintendent in Westwood Community Schools, deputy superintendent in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, and an administrator in the Southgate Community Schools. She has also served as education policy advisor for former Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Pugh said in the news release that Carnell “is just the right person to lead MDE as we transition to a new state superintendent.” Carnell said she looks forward “to supporting the staff at MDE as we work with our education partners, the governor’s office, legislators, and families to continue the momentum of improving outcomes for children,” according to the release.

In his final remarks as state superintendent at a board meeting, Rice doubled down on criticism he has made recently about the Michigan legislature’s failure to adopt a budget for the current fiscal year. Lawmakers are required by state law to adopt a budget by July 1, but that deadline has come and gone, and there could be a state shutdown if a budget isn’t approved by Oct. 1.

“This is unacceptable,” Rice said. “The failure to pass a budget timely has led to districts being more cautious in their spending decisions, including their staffing decisions this summer into the beginning of the school year.”

He said some districts are now informing parents that some programs could be eliminated or will be eliminated because of the budget stalemate.

The Democrat-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House are far apart on how they would fund schools.

During the public comment period of the meeting, the board heard from a number of education leaders who praised Rice for his role in education leadership, including from a tearful Flint Superintendent Kevelin Jones, who said Rice mentored him during his tenure as the district leader. Rice thanked the leaders for their words.

“And I also want to thank the two people who said good riddance to me. Amen to that,” Rice said.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Detroit school district leaders ask Education Secretary Linda McMahon to preserve Title I funding

2025-09-09T19:36:31+00:00

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Detroit school district leaders expressed the need to protect federal assistance for schools serving students from low-income homes during a private meeting with Education Secretary Linda McMahon at Renaissance High School on Monday, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told Chalkbeat.

The brief sit-down with McMahon, which included Vitti and two Detroit Public Schools Community District board members, was part of the education secretary’s nationwide “Returning Education to the States Tour,” which is focused on defending her plans to dismantle the Department of Education. Critics say the stop is the most recent example of the education secretary publicly touting the services the federal government provides to vulnerable students while at the same time working to cut the programs that offer support.

McMahon also visited Pembroke Academy, Washington Parks Academy, and Hillsdale Academy charter schools, and gave a speech at Hillsdale College, where she criticized university diversity efforts. Only the Pembroke Academy visit was open to members of the media, the Detroit News reported.

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat from Royal Oak, told Chalkbeat McMahon’s stops at Michigan schools should have been open to the public so community members could ask questions about federal education policy.

“You don’t have to hold a secret meeting if you’re doing something good,” she said of McMahon’s sit-down with leaders from DPSCD.

McMorrow added that the education secretary chose a school in a district that serves a predominantly Black student body and stands to lose crucial federal assistance for a photo opportunity.

“They are using kids as pawns for a photo opportunity and then turning around and slashing funding,” said McMorrow.

Since McMahon was confirmed as education secretary in March, the department has slashed staff that enforced student civil rights, rescinded guidance on English learners’ rights, proposed cuts to competitive grants aimed at improving literacy, and wiped out dollars for education research.

Detroit Federation of Teachers President Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins said in a prepared statement that she was “deeply disappointed” by McMahon’s visit given her support of the Trump administration’s proposals to cut billions from the federal K-12 education budget.

“These visits are nothing more than staged photo opportunities designed to sell policies that will hurt our students and our schools ... at a time when Detroit children need smaller class sizes, better resources, and stronger supports,” she said.

Jennifer Mrozowski, senior director of strategic communications and external relations for the research and advocacy group Education Trust-Midwest, said in a prepared statement the Education Department’s focus on “returning education to the states” raises “serious concerns.”

“Shifting core responsibilities—such as civil rights enforcement, Title I funding, and student loan protections—entirely to the states risks widening opportunity gaps and undermining consistent standards, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities,” she said in the statement.

At Renaissance High School, McMahon’s stop included “a walkthrough of classrooms and then a conversation in a separate room where Secretary McMahon asked ways that the federal government can better assist schools and districts,” Vitti said in an email.

The superintendent and the board members also discussed the need for more flexibility of funding to allow the district to increase teacher salaries and make improvements to school buildings, Vitti said.

State Rep. Matt Hall, the Republican speaker of the House, was also in attendance for McMahon’s visit to Renaissance.

Photos of the visit released by the Education Department show DPSCD board members Ida Carol Simmons-Short and Steve Bland Jr. there as well.

Bland told Chalkbeat in an email the work McMahon and Hall saw students doing in Renaissance classrooms highlighted the opportunities state and federal funding can provide children.

The board member said he used the visit to tell the education secretary and Hall that both the federal government and the state have a responsibility to ensure equity for Black students.

Simmons-Short did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the visit.

The Department of Education released this image of a private meeting between DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, two board members, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and State Rep. Matt Hall on Monday.

Board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo told Chalkbeat that though she supports the idea of communicating and compromising across the aisle, she chose to skip the visit to Renaissance.

“Due to the lack of a concrete agenda to include concerns from our district, I felt it best to respect our Detroit Caucus Members, many of which were protesting the fact that they have struggled to lock in a budget that doesn’t adversely impact our students,” Gay-Dagnogo said in a text message.

The board member said representatives had contacted her to express the challenges they’ve had with Hall in negotiating a state education budget.

The Michigan legislature missed the July 1 deadline to adopt a state budget, leaving local districts to adopt their own budgets without knowing if they will have to make later cuts. Republicans and Democrats each blame each other for the delay, saying negotiations have stalled.

In May, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved a proposed education budget that would increase per-pupil, as well as at-risk funding, and would continue programs like free school meals.

The Republican-controlled House proposed a plan that would give one lump sum to districts to use as they see fit instead of allocating dollars to specific programs. Democrats argue the House proposal would risk programs that benefit the state’s most vulnerable children.

According to Vitti, during McMahon’s visit, Hall told a board member the state budget would be completed “in time to ensure school districts had their funding.”

Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of budget negotiations.

Typically, state education funds are distributed starting in October each year. State lawmakers must adopt a budget by Oct. 1 to prevent a government shutdown.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan introduces new requirements for teaching English learners as federal support is rolled back

2025-09-04T22:03:40+00:00

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As the Trump administration pulls back support for English language learners, Michigan is rolling out new requirements for schools to educate such students.

Starting this school year, Michigan districts will be required to meet minimums of specialized instructional time for English learners. Districts will risk losing state funding allocated for those students if they do not comply.

State Superintendent Michael Rice also reminded local school leaders in a recent memo that the Trump administration’s revocation last month of guidance that spelled out the rights of more than 5 million English learners in the U.S. does not “alter the rights of students under Michigan law.”

Even without the guidance, federal legal protections for English learners remain.

In Michigan, there are more than 104,000 English learners, which make up about 7.3% of the total student population.

“Although federal protections may seem fragile, Michigan’s commitment to fairness and access in education remains steadfast,” he said in the memo to school leaders. “The legal protections afforded by our state have not changed, and Michigan continues to uphold the principles of inclusion and non-discrimination for all students.”

Still, some advocates fear the rescission of the guidance will cause confusion for local schools and weaken federal oversight of students’ rights. Educators say the guidance was a key part of determining what schools are required to do for students – without it, they fear English learners across the state will see a reduction in services or go without.

Jennifer Mrozowski, senior director of strategic communications and external relations at the research and advocacy group Education Trust-Midwest, said the rollback of the guidance “is a step backwards.”

“It builds upon the Trump administration’s ongoing and immoral attacks on not only public education but on our most vulnerable students,” she said.

An Education Department spokesperson told Chalkbeat it rescinded the 2015 Dear Colleague letter “because it is not aligned with Administration priorities.”

The rollback of the guidance comes as the Education Department considers winding down an online toolkit for helping English learners and the Trump administration proposed phasing out Title III funding for English language education, among other measures.

Earlier this year, the federal government ended the decades-old practice of treating schools and child care centers as “protected” locations where immigration arrests would not occur. The policy change left many families in Michigan in fear of dropping off and picking up their kids from school.

Immigration crackdowns have affected Michigan students in recent months, including the deportation of a Western International High School student in Detroit.

Samantha Magdaleno, executive director of youth-led immigrant rights organization One Michigan, said President Donald Trump’s actions send the message that immigrant students are not welcome in schools.

“We should be focused on helping children and giving them an education,” she said. “This is a basic human right.”

Michigan schools have four years to meet staffing needs for educating English learners

In addition to Michigan’s existing laws protecting language access for students, this year will be the first that local districts will have to follow specific requirements for educating English learners.

Last year, the Democrat-controlled Michigan legislature amended the state school aide act to require schools to provide English learners with a mandatory number of minutes in language instruction.

Federal law and precedent do not require schools to provide any particular kind or amount of service, nor did the rescinded guidance.

The Michigan Department of Education, or MDE, and Michigan’s English Learner Advisory Committee created the framework for the new requirements. Their recommendations were based on a review of settlements and agreements from 24 federal civil rights complaints over the last 20 years in multiple states. One of the cases was a 2014 complaint against the Crestwood School District in Dearborn Heights.

Settlements made between all of the school districts and the federal Education Department included plans to implement appropriate hours of language instruction from teachers with additional training in multilingual education.

Michigan’s new requirements for students with lower proficiency in English include at least 150 minutes of language acquisition instruction, provided separately from other classes with a teacher with multilingual or bilingual education credentials. Another 150 minutes can be integrated into general education classrooms, and it may include working with a second teacher endorsed in English as a second language education.

Students with higher proficiency levels are only required to receive 150 minutes a week in either type of classroom setting.

Those who are phased out of English language programs after reaching proficiency must be monitored for four years after fully integrating into general education classrooms.

Students’ English language proficiency is based on results from annual assessments given to newcomers to the U.S., students who change districts, and those who are identified by educators as potential English learners.

The new required minimums likely mean some districts will have to hire or train more multilingual teachers. School systems without enough teachers to meet the requirements must have a plan to hire more staff in four years or less, according to the MDE.

Districts will be required to submit reports on how they use state funding for English learners to the MDE each year. If districts do not comply, the MDE may withhold the state funding.

Marcie Lipsitt, a Michigan education advocate who helps families with civil rights complaints, said she is skeptical that the state will be able to enforce the new requirements.

English learners have long been underserved in the state, said Lipsitt. Language barriers and immigration fears often prevent families from filing formal civil rights complaints when students don’t receive the education to which they are entitled, she added.

“As an advocate, you can’t file a complaint on behalf of someone else in Michigan like you can at the federal level,” said Lipsitt. “That’s a huge roadblock because I can’t even help protect a family by filing for them.”

Magdaleno said some of the youth she works with struggle to learn English in Michigan schools, despite existing protections.

English learners can still file federal or state complaints

English learners’ rights are not found in any one law. Instead, they come from a culmination of federal laws and court cases.

The 40-page Obama-era Dear Colleague letter listed those protections in one document.

It provided educators with examples of how schools should serve students in order to comply with the legal precedent, case law, and federal requirements it cited.

Among the framework the document laid out were common areas of noncompliance in schools, such as failing to identify and assess potential English learners, inadequate staffing, and unnecessary segregation of students. The letter also provided fixes to ensure programs’ effectiveness.

For example, the document offered a solution that many school districts found to streamline evaluating potential English learners. The guidance suggested asking parents to complete a home language survey to help assess students’ needs before school starts and testing those identified as possibly needing services within the first week of class to minimize disruptions.

English learners may still file complaints about their education because the legal protections cited in the letter remain in place.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights handles such cases, but many parents and advocates report their complaints have been stagnant since the Trump administration laid off the staff of seven of its 12 civil rights enforcement offices in March. One of those closed was the Cleveland office, which handled cases for Michigan and Ohio.

Also in March, the Trump administration laid off nearly every staff member tasked with ensuring states and schools properly spent hundreds of millions of federal dollars earmarked to help educate the more than 5 million English learners in the U.S.

English learners may also file complaints of discrimination based on race or country of origin with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, which enforces the state’s civil rights laws.

Michigan’s 1977 Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race and national origin in educational institutions. Michigan’s 2023 Meaningful Language Access to State Services Act also requires state agencies make services accessible to non-English speakers.

“Ensuring meaningful access is not only a legal issue,” Rice said in his memo to school district leaders. “It is a reflection of our shared values and our collective responsibility to the students, parents, and communities that we serve.”

Bob Wheaton, the Michigan Department of Education’s director of public and governmental affairs, told Chalkbeat the agency will review the need for any additional guidance in light of the federal changes and will “continue to provide guidance, monitoring, and technical assistance to districts to ensure clarity around compliance.”

Lipsitt said parents and community members should also take complaints to local school leaders.

“Go to your elected school boards,” she said. “Hold them accountable.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan third grade student proficiency on M-STEP exam reaches a new low

2025-08-27T19:37:33+00:00

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Last spring, Michigan third grade students recorded their lowest performance in English language arts in the 11-year history of the state test.

Only 38.9% of the third graders were proficient in ELA, down from 39.6% in 2024, according to latest results released Wednesday from the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, known as the M-STEP.

There are some positive trends: Test scores are up in four out of six grades in both English language arts and math. Still, overall proficiency rates remain below pre-pandemic levels in all subjects and grades except eighth grade English language arts.

Those eighth grade students were third graders when schools shut down in spring 2020 because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The results show Michigan’s educators still face an uphill battle to recover learning lost during the pandemic. Michigan has fared poorly compared to most states in national tests, with its students among the farthest behind compared to where they were before COVID disrupted learning across the country.

The state’s students fell behind peers in places like Mississippi despite tens of thousands of additional staff, free early childhood education, and greater free nutrition options.

State Superintendent Michael Rice, who is leaving his post soon, focused his comments on recent gains and made little mention of the steep losses students registered in 2022 and 2023.

“It is noteworthy that in many grades, Michigan students posted the highest math and ELA proficiency rates in the last three school years,” Rice said in a news release. “At the same time, however, ELA scores in grades 3 and 4 remain a concern. Once fully implemented, historic 2024 laws to address early literacy and dyslexia will help substantially, but we must do more to improve literacy skills of young readers.”

Lawmakers passed two bipartisan laws last year aimed at improving how schools teach literacy skills. The laws will require schools to screen students for characteristics of dyslexia and provide evidence-based literacy instruction. Plus, educator preparation programs will be required to train future teachers on dyslexia and student support strategies. The state is also investing millions in teacher training and curriculum materials.

The Michigan Department of Education did highlight that students who were learning remotely in 2020-21 continue to struggle.

MDE determined that of all economically disadvantaged 3-7 graders who spent seven months or more studying from home that year, 16.9% were proficient in ELA this past spring, compared to 27.6% of those who were in school more frequently.

In math, the gap was similar: 10.4% who were homebound for seven months or more compared to 22.3% who were not.

Those same gaps affected those who are not economically disadvantaged. In ELA, 45.6% of students in longer remote settings were proficient compared to 56.8% of those who were in school more. In math, the gap was bigger: 36.8% proficient for the remote students compared to 52.8% to those in school longer.

School districts administer the test to students in the spring.

Here’s how students in some Michigan districts performed

Dearborn Public Schools: The Wayne County district’s fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh grade math scores are up compared to pre-pandemic. Its reading scores are down in most grades tested but up in fifth grade. Superintendent Glenn Maleyko is poised to become the next state superintendent.

Detroit Public Schools Community District: The state’s largest public school district reports higher ELA scores compared to pre-pandemic scores in all grades tested. Math is also up in fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh grade. The proficiency rates are still much lower than the statewide numbers. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has testified in support of bills to help students with dyslexia, and DPSCD has hired more than 250 academic interventionists to help students, using funds from a literacy lawsuit. (DPSCD’s results are labeled “Detroit” in Bridge’s searchable database.)

Ann Arbor Public Schools: The Washtenaw County school district’s scores are below pre-pandemic levels across third through eighth grade in both ELA and math. But ELA and math scores are up in all grades compared to last year, except third grade ELA.

Grand Rapids Public Schools: The Kent County district’s sixth and seventh grade math scores are higher than pre-pandemic along with the seventh grade ELA. Compared to last year, math scores are up in each grade, but ELA scores are down in each grade.

Literacy scores remain a concern

During the first school year that the M-STEP was administered, 2014-2015, half of the third grade students were proficient. Last year, 39.6% of third grade students were proficient in ELA.

Rice reiterated calls for several funding and policy changes. The Legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have failed to meet a school budget deal, blowing past a July 1 deadline in law.

“The Michigan legislature needs to provide our children with lower class sizes in high-poverty K-3 classrooms, more in-person instructional time, funding for more research-based, early literacy materials that help drive improved student achievement, and mandatory training in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) on the science of reading for teachers and administrators in grades K-5 and all literacy coaches,” Rice said. “These research-based measures would also help students improve their reading skills.”

The Senate Education Committee heard testimony earlier this month about a pilot project to fund lower class sizes in specific districts. Rice has called for the state Legislature to double the funding for evidence-based literacy materials.

Recently, 561 school districts received a total of $87 million to purchase materials but they had to select from either curriculum funds, professional development, or “interventions.” The state offers grants for LETRS training, but the training is optional.

State Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, who helped lead the charge to pass the literacy laws, told Bridge the “test scores confirm that we need to make changes around literacy.” Change will take time, he cautioned.

“I think the changes we made last fall are absolutely necessary and important.”

State House Rep. Jaime Greene, R-Richmond, said the results underscore the importance of the legislation. School districts have a few years before the requirements fully kick in, but Greene said districts that can should “fast track” changes “because what they are currently doing is absolutely not working.”

Venessa Keesler, president and CEO of school reform group Launch Michigan, told Bridge “Literacy has to be the state’s top priority. And the good news is we actually know what to do, and we’re doing most of it.”

She called for high-quality curriculum and teacher training requirements. Additionally, she said districts should use assessments that determine if students have decoding skills, and then use that data to make changes to course correct more quickly.

Income gap drops

The latest test results show that the gap between students from low-income homes and those who are not remains vast in Michigan —with the latter group of students having proficiency rates that double those of students from low-income homes — but it has shrunk since the pandemic.

But it’s contracted largely because overall proficiency rates among students who are not from low-income homes fell even farther than their peers. For instance, 31.3% of third graders from low-income homes were proficient in English in the 2018-19 school year, compared to 62.8% of those who are not from low-income homes.

The scores of students who are not from low income homes, however, fell 7.1 percentage points, to 55.7% this past spring, while their peers’ scores fell 5.6 percentage points to 25.7%; the gap shrunk from 31.5 points to 30. That runs counter to some research that has found that the gap nationally actually widened since the pandemic.

Mike Wilkinson is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach him at mwilkinson@bridgemi.com.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemi.com.

Dearborn superintendent Glenn Maleyko selected as Michigan’s state superintendent

2025-08-26T22:34:10+00:00

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Michigan’s State Board of Education has selected Glenn Maleyko as the next state superintendent.

The selection of Maleyko, who currently serves as the superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools, is pending contract negotiations. He will take over from Michael Rice, who announced earlier this year that he is retiring effective Oct. 3.

Maleyko’s appointment is happening at a critical moment in Michigan, largely because of criticism over the lackluster student performance on state and national exams. The criticism has especially targeted low literacy rates on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or the Nation’s Report Card, where just 24% of Michigan fourth and eighth graders were proficient on the rigorous exam, which is given to a representative sample of students from each state. Also concerning is that 31 states scored higher in fourth grade reading than Michigan.

Maleyko was chosen on a 5-3 vote among a field of three finalists that included Lisa Coons, former state superintendent in Virginia and a former Tennessee education official; and Judy Walton, superintendent of Harrison Community Schools. All three were interviewed in two-hour sessions Tuesday.

His selection created some division on the eight-member board, with Republicans Tom McMillin from Oakland Township and Nikki Snyder from Goodrich voting no. They were joined by Democrat Mitchell Robinson of Okemos, who supported Walton as the superintendent. Democrats control the board, with Snyder and McMillin the lone Republicans.

“I really appreciated his passion around public education as an entity,” board member Ellen Cogen Lipton, a Democrat from Huntington Woods, said of Maleyko. “In a system where 90% of our students are going to public schools, having someone who is an advocate and a believer of our public education is really important.”

Maleyko, who has spent his career as a teacher, principal, administrator, and superintendent in the Dearborn district, told the board at the end of his interview that he was ready to lead because of all of the relationships he’s built across the state.

“Education is complex,” Maleyko said. “But the mission is simple, whether we’re here debating policy, workforce shortages, or navigating a lot of politics … if you hire me, you’re going to see me always bringing it back to what is the impact on students.”

His vast relationships across the state were seen as an asset to Board President Pamela Pugh, a Democrat from Saginaw. She said she heard positive remarks in conversations with Dearborn district staff and parents who appreciate his style of leadership.

Pugh said the state needs someone who “can come in and pick up the helm and run as fast as they can to address our literacy issues in the state.” Maleyko, she said, “understands the importance of the laws that are in place now and I believe can help to move those laws forward.”

She was referring to recently enacted legislation aimed at improving literacy in the state by requiring dyslexia screening for students. It also requires the Michigan Department of Education, or MDE, to recommend for local school districts reading curriculum that is aligned with the science of reading, which refers to a body of knowledge that emphasizes phonics along with building vocabulary and background knowledge.

Snyder criticized those voting for Maleyko, saying “he did not come nearly as prepared as Judy and Lisa.” She also repeated a claim she made at a previous meeting, when she said there was a clear favorite. On Tuesday, she said there was “bias towards him in closed session.” She said she can’t be specific about her claim because the discussion happened in a private meeting.

Snyder specifically noted that Coons “blew these interviews out of the water and brought to the table an entry plan. It’s shocking. Whoever you guys do choose as a majority of the board, please feel free to hijack her plan. It’s an excellent plan.” She also noted that not choosing either of the candidates she believed set themselves apart is “something we’re going to be accountable for.”

The board will discuss the superintendent selection at a Sept. 9 meeting, when their search firm will provide an update on contract negotiations. A vote to approve the contract is possible at that meeting. According to a calendar the board set at the beginning of the search process, Maleyko would begin by Oct. 4.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

First day excitement as metro Detroit students return to school

2025-08-25T14:44:29+00:00

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It was a nippy August morning outside Richards Middle School in Fraser, but the arrival of the fall-like chill didn’t stop the back-to-school fashion show on the first day.

Girls wore their jean shorts, tinsel glittering in their hair, and boys donned their basketball shorts, artfully paired with socks and sandals. Several clutched Alani Nu energy drinks as they hurried to the school gymnasium for a quick introductory assembly.

For half of the students sitting in the gym, the eighth graders, middle school is the last stop on the way to high school. And for the seventh graders, it’s the next stop after elementary school.

For the 30 minutes before the assembly started, the gym was a cacophony of student voices. In the tweenager stage of their lives, the middle-schoolers lived up to some of the stereotypes of their age: Boys and girls mostly sat in separate groups. Moms kissed stoic kids outside of school. Braces abounded. Someone shouted, “I have a boyfriend!” to teachers.

Shatara Johnson kisses her daughter, Katelyn Roney, on Monday at Richards Middle School. It was Katelyn's first day of seventh grade.

But eighth-grader Elijah, 12, excited for his first algebra class, said middle school is not all awkward or challenging.

“It’s not as hard as some people say,” he said.

These scenes of excitement and jitters played out across metro Detroit as students returned for the first day of school. But the first day also was clouded with concern as an ongoing impasse among lawmakers over the state budget has meant school district leaders are still uncertain about how their schools will be funded.

Michigan lawmakers have been unable to agree to a budget, with the House and Senate both far apart in their proposals for funding schools. As a result, some school district leaders have made staffing cuts, according to a recent survey of school officials.

The impasse is happening during a school year for which there is a growing chorus of people calling for change. High rates of chronic absenteeism and lackluster student performance on state and national exams, have led to renewed criticism of the state’s school system. Even Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, during an address earlier this year, said low literacy rates are “not acceptable.”

Richards Middle School seventh grader Nikola Bilbilovski, center, sits with classmates on the bleachers as their first day of school began.

Federal policies impact southwest Detroit schools

Meanwhile, fears about how Trump administration actions, from promised cuts to federal education funding to increased immigration enforcement, have further fueled uncertainty.

The crackdown was on the minds of some students filing into Western International High School in southwest Detroit Monday. In May, a junior at the school, Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, was detained by immigration officials. In June, he was deported to his native Colombia.

Students file into Western International High School before the first bell.

Natalia Quinomez, a junior, stood in front of the school about thirty minutes before the first bell rang as she looked for a friend. Her mind was also on Maykol.

“He was about to graduate, which makes it really sad,” said Natalia. “Like, he was so close, but he was detained.”

Natalia said people in her community don’t feel safe as federal immigration crackdowns continue in the city. The school, the student said, also could have done more to make her and others feel supported after Maykol’s arrest.

As cars lined up for blocks on Scotten Street on Monday, Maria Ruvalcaba walked her daughter Camila Gallardo to her first day of her freshman year.

Ruvalcaba said (her daughter translated) that she thought the school “more or less” did well in handling Maykol’s arrest. More security at the school would make the family feel more safe, she added.

For many, worrying about immigration enforcement is nothing new, said John Henriques, a senior at Western.

“I don’t really worry that much,” he said. “It’s just normal life.”

At the Southwest Detroit school Monday morning, students were greeted by a staff member on a bullhorn as they filed into the building.

“Good morning, good morning, good morning,” he said. “It’s going to be a great year.”

Detroit International Academy for Young Women seniors Assia Kaddoumi and Aysha Uddin hug.

Aiming for continued improvement in reading and writing

The pink-and-gray lined hallways at the Detroit International Academy for Young Women were full of excitement Monday morning as clusters of girls spilled out of their classrooms to head to their next class.

“Good morning! Have a good first day!” a male and female teacher called out to the students. One girl gave the female teacher a hug before heading down the hall.

Lakesha Spears, a fifth grade social studies and English teacher at Detroit International Academy of Young Women, in her classroom on the first day of school on Aug. 25, 2025 in Detroit.

Lakesha Spears, a fifth grade social studies and English teacher at the school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, was going around to different classrooms to check on the new teachers at DIA. Spears is in her 25th year teaching and her second year at DIA.

She said her goals for the year are to continue improving reading and writing scores for her students. Some of the strategies she uses include having students read 20 minutes a day.

“They did wonderful last year. They continued to grow in both reading and writing,” Spears said. “Fifth grade in particular did wonderful on M-STEP and i-Ready. We’re looking forward to continuing showing them some positive strategies to continue with reading growth.”

Students sit in class on the first day of school at the International Academy for Young Women.

Spears said she is enjoying her time at DIA. As a mother of two sons, teaching boys was more familiar for her, but said teaching at an all-girls school has been rewarding.

“I’ve been teaching a long time, and I’ve been waiting a long time to find a place like this where you’re happy and willing to serve. The girls are really eager to learn here. I feel like I’m a better teacher now.”

Vitti begins his ninth year as superintendent with school visits

DIA was DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s first stop.

As he visited classrooms and walked the halls, Vitti said he is looking forward to starting his ninth school year leading the district. He decided to visit DIA on the first day because of the school’s improvement in English, math, and social studies. Vitti recalled that when he first became superintendent in 2017, the building where DIA is housed was closed. It got rebranded as the academy.

“I think DIA is a good example of what we’re doing differently in the district,” he said. “You have your neighborhood schools, you have exam schools, but also single gender opportunities for boys and girls, and it’s just a menu of options for parents in the city.” Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men is the district’s all-boys school.

One of Vitti’s goals for the school year is continuing to improve student attendance and achievement.

“By improving attendance, we’re going to accelerate student achievement,” he said. “We’re narrowing the gap between the district and the state, but we want to accelerate it.”

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, greets students in the cafeteria of Bates Academy on Monday.

As school districts wait for the state budget to be passed, Vitti said the holdup will not directly impact the district, specifically when it comes to free lunches, as those are funded through the federal government.

“I would say we’re not going to have any kind of impact unless the budget is not approved by the beginning of October,” he said. If the impasse continues beyond that, Vitti said, “we’ll have to start dipping into our reserves to fill the gap, to keep everyone employed, and to keep student programming.”

Meanwhile, when it comes to the search for Michigan’s next state superintendent, Vitti believes the three finalists–former Virginia state superintendent Lisa Coons, Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Glenn Maleyko, or Harrison Community Schools Superintendent Judy Walton– will continue the work of current superintendent Michael Rice, who is retiring Oct. 3.

“I’m hopeful that the state superintendent, whoever he or she is, is going to advocate for equitable funding and improve statewide accountability structures throughout the state so the state can start improving academic performance,” Vitti said.

Practice makes perfect, unless you’re dealing with those tricky locks

In Fraser, nerves were on display in the seventh grade hallway as students traveled from the gym to Richards’ main seventh grade artery, a hallway flanked by narrow beige lockers. The new students were particularly bedeviled by the combination locks. One student told another that he’d practiced at home, but the twists and turns required by the elusive lock still tripped him up.

Students rose early to prepare for the 8:05 start at Richards.

Catalina Norberto, 11, woke up — though “woke up” is a stretch, as Norberto said she could barely sleep because she was “overthinking everything” — at 5 a.m. to prepare and call her friend Marley Franchi, 12. The pair said they are particularly nervous about learning how to switch classes.

“I have a class upstairs. I’m scared,” Marley said.

Fraser is a suburban school district of about 4,400 students down from nearly 5,300 in 2015, according to state data. Fewer students means less per-pupil funding, though overall funding levels have risen with recent state budgets. But a school bond approved by Fraser voters in 2023 means that Richards has a new HVAC system, roof, and cafeteria this year. The school bond money makes them fortunate, said Principal Huston Julian. (Not all districts can successfully persuade voters to approve bond money).

“Our community has always supported our schools,” he said.

But the unknowns around the state budget still concern the district, said Kristin Sommer, a district spokeswoman. The district is particularly interested in whether lawmakers will approve universal school meals again, as the proportion of Fraser students eating free breakfast and lunch has risen with the Michigan School Meals program.

Richards Middle School seventh grader Kayla Pittman, center, looks over a friend's class schedule during at Richards Middle School.

In Richards’ seventh grade hallways, students found their first period class, consulting adults eager to help them crack the school’s layout. About 30 students sat in Andy Brodi’s first hour science class as it began. When Brodi first began teaching in 1998, he said even 25 students in a class seemed like a lot. In 2025, around 30 is the norm, and “it’s not a big deal,” he said.

On Monday, Brodi acknowledged to his students that he probably felt the same way as many of them did: With 180 faces, of course he had some first day jitters.

“It’s such an overwhelming thing,” Brodi later said. “They’re seeing seven teachers for the first time, they’re seeing 300 different kids. … It’s more just a comfort level the first day, just to know that we want them here and we can’t wait to teach them.”

Lily Altavena is a reporter for the Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at laltavena@freepress.com.

Hannah Dellinger is a reporter for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org

Micah Walker is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com.

Here’s what Chalkbeat is watching as the new school year begins in Detroit

2025-08-22T10:00:01+00:00

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Monday is the first day of school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District and many others across Michigan, but educators face uncertainty about how schools will be funded.

Michigan lawmakers have yet to agree on a budget that will determine how much money schools will receive. The delayed budget is one of many issues Chalkbeat will be keeping an eye on during the 2025-26 school year.

DPSCD also is starting a pilot program that will provide yellow school bus transportation to students at two high schools in a bid to improve attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism. The Trump administration’s actions, including cuts to federal funding, could affect Michigan schools. And we’re interested in whether a change in leadership at the Michigan Department of Education and a governor’s race will elevate the conversation about improving Michigan schools.

Here’s more on what we’re watching.

Budget stalemate leave school districts in limbo

Free school meals for all Michigan children is a potential casualty of a budget stalemate that has lasted for months.

July 1 was the deadline for the Michigan Legislature to adopt a state budget. Lawmakers have blown that deadline and don’t appear close to resolving it. Blame is flowing between Democrats and Republicans, each blaming the other for the delay. Meanwhile, school leaders who had to adopt budgets by June 30 are left to wonder if they’ll have to lay off staff if the state budget, when it’s finally adopted, doesn’t align with their spending plans.

It’s not the first time the school year has begun without a state budget, but in years past when this has happened, there weren’t major differences between the House and Senate. This year, though, the Republican-controlled House budget makes substantial changes to how schools are funded. Instead of a separate line item funding the free school meals, the House budget creates a separate funding stream from which local districts can choose to pay for a number of items, including meals. The Democratic-controlled Senate maintains dedicated funding for free school meals.

“I don’t ever recall in my career so little clarity about approximately where school funding in the annual budget will land. It is troubling and, if not rectified very soon with the passage of a reasonable budget for schools, will ultimately hurt children,” State Superintendent Michael Rice said at a recent State Board of Education meeting.

As far as the school meals are concerned, state funding runs out Sept. 30. Districts are being urged to continue providing the free meals at least until that date. But if the date comes and goes and there is still no budget, or no explicit funding for the meals, it could result in some students going hungry.

Education a key issue in Detroit mayoral election

Detroiters on Nov. 4 will decide who will be the next mayor of Detroit. Mary Sheffield, the president of the city council; and Solomon Kinloch, the senior pastor at Triumph Church in Detroit, were the top vote-getters in the primary held earlier this month.

Both cited the need for the city of Detroit to play a stronger role in education in the city, particularly as it relates to fighting chronic absenteeism. Whoever is elected will take over from Mike Duggan, who has been mayor for more than a decade.

The desire to get involved in education issues is happening at a critical moment in the city. Low academic achievement and high rates of chronic absenteeism are among the biggest challenges schools face. But contributing factors such as poverty, housing instability, transportation, and safety concerns — issues schools alone can’t resolve — impede school success for many students.

Sheffield said in a response to a Chalkbeat survey that her role would “be a solutions-oriented advocate on behalf of parents, teachers, students and community members.” She said she would “commit significant resources” toward improving conditions that affect education that the city oversees.That includes Infrastructure, quality of life for students and families, safety, and funding advocacy.

Kinloch, on his website, said he will appoint a senior cabinet level position on education and that person would be “specifically tasked with working with our school administrators, educators, parents, and children to coordinate city services that support student success.”

How to address troubling academic performance for Michigan students

There are many reasons to believe improving Michigan schools is a top priority at the state level. But the selection of a new state superintendent and a governor’s race where education is expected to be a key issue, should fuel discussion.

Student performance on state and national exams has been troubling. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, just 24% of fourth graders were considered proficient in literacy, and 31 states scored higher in fourth grade reading than Michigan. Results are similarly lackluster for the other grades and subjects tested, as well as on the state’s Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress.

Candidates hoping to become Michigan’s next state superintendent, a process that will continue Aug. 26 with the interviews of three finalists, all cited literacy as a key priority in improving school performance.

On the campaign trail, some of the candidates vying to become Michigan’s next governor identified improving schools as a key issue, with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan releasing his education plan earlier this year.

The big question we’ll be seeking answers to is what can be done to help students succeed academically. Michigan has tried many reforms, but few have stuck for an extended period of time. Some have been abandoned completely.

How Trump administration affects education

School district leaders also must contend with the uncertainty about how the Trump administration’s actions will affect schools.

Massive layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education has meant Michigan parents who filed federal civil rights complaints against their local districts are in limbo waiting to hear if and when their cases will be held — and if their children with disabilities will get the services they need to succeed.

Stepped up immigration crackdowns have been felt in Detroit and will likely continue to be an issue throughout the 2025-26 school year. Near the end of the last school year, Detroit teen Maykol Bogoya-Duarte was detained while on his way to a field trip. He had been working toward citizenship and was just three credits shy of earning a high school diploma. He was deported to his native Colombia in June.

The budget bill Congress passed last month cuts Medicaid spending, affecting districts that rely on Medicaid reimbursements to provide services to some students. And it’s unclear whether the Trump administration will attempt to cut key federal funds, particularly after the government froze — but eventually released — more than $6 billion in school funding.

Yellow school buses for some Detroit high school students

In DPSCD, a pilot program might answer questions about whether providing yellow school bus transportation to high school students could help combat chronic absenteeism.

It’s the district’s latest effort to address its attendance issues, and it involves offering bus transportation to students at Henry Ford High School and East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney.

DPSCD currently doesn’t offer yellow bus transportation for most high school students. Transportation concerns are among the factors that have resulted in the district having a 60% rate of chronic absenteeism, well above the state average of 30%.

Chronic absenteeism is a problem in many school districts across the state, and it affects student performance. It’s an issue Chalkbeat Detroit has covered extensively since 2022, and we will continue to make it a priority.

Some Detroit students with disabilities move to a different school

Big changes are coming to DPSCD’s special education programs.

In the fall, the district will increase the number of self-contained classrooms, where students with disabilities receive instruction from a special education teacher for most of the day, from 174 to 185 classrooms. Self-contained classes are designed for students to get the services they need while still attending general education schools.

However, services will be offered in fewer schools, going from 60 to 38. Some students will have to transfer to one of the new sites that offers a program specifically for their disability.

The restructuring is happening to ensure every special education classroom is fully staffed with teachers and support staff. And it reduces travel time for families by offering programs in their high school feeder pattern — the school they would be assigned to based on where they live, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said at a June school board meeting.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan board is closer to hiring a superintendent to lead schools. Meet the three finalists.

2025-08-20T00:58:57+00:00

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Michigan’s State Board of Education is closer to filling the top education post after choosing Lisa Coons, Glenn Maleyko, and Judy Walton as finalists to be the next state superintendent.

Over two days, the board interviewed seven candidates to find the best applicant to succeed State Superintendent Michael Rice, who announced in April that he is retiring effective Oct. 3. Rice has been in the role since 2019.

The board interviewed four candidates on Monday but ended up selecting as finalists all three of the applicants who interviewed on Tuesday. They are:

Lisa Coons, former state superintendent in Virginia and former chief academic officer for the Tennessee Department of Education.
Glenn Maleyko, superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools
Judy Walton, superintendent and curriculum director for Harrison Community Schools

The three finalists will come back next week for a final interview with the board.

The four semifinalists that didn’t make it to the next round were Paul Salah, superintendent for Huron Valley Schools; John Severson, executive director of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators; Thomas Ahart, an education consultant and former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools; and Christopher Timmis, superintendent for Dexter Public Schools.

Some of the board members noted that they had a strong field of semifinalists.

“We’ve heard from an incredible group of educators who are doing amazing work across the state and beyond,” board president Pam Pugh said.

Board member Tom McMillin, a Republican from Oakland Township, advocated for Timmis and was disappointed he wasn’t a finalist.

“He’s a change agent,” McMillin said, citing what Timmis said about moving away from what he described as a system that rewards seat time toward one that rewards student engagement and attainment of knowledge and skills.

“If we don’t get him, someone else will,” McMillin said.

He voted no on the finalists and fellow Republican Nikki Snyder, who is from Goodrich, initially passed on voting but then said, “You’re welcome to put it as a no.” Snyder and McMillin had advocated for including Timmis as a fourth finalist, but the consensus was to go with three candidates. The six Democrats on the board voted in favor of the finalists.

Here’s what they heard from the candidates, as well as their application materials:

Maleyko: Working together will make it happen

Maleyko, the Dearborn superintendent, said his vision for public education in Michigan is aligned with what the State Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education, or MDE, have already established as goals toward improving education. Among those eight goals are expanding early childhood education, improving early literacy achievement, increasing graduation rates, increasing the number of certified teachers in areas where there are shortages, and providing adequate and equitable school funding.

“These are all things that we know other states have been successful … at implementing,” Maleyko said.

But academic performance has struggled in Michigan, and other states are showing more improvement on a rigorous national exam.

Maleyko said Michigan needs stronger collaboration between the state and local districts, the business community, students, and other stakeholders to move the state forward.

“We know there’s strengths in Michigan, but there’s also areas where we can improve, and I think together, we can do that, and I’m steadfast in my belief that working together will make that happen,” he said.

Candidates were asked about how their experiences as educators shaped their approach to leadership. Maleyko, in his response, talked about when he was a first-year third-grade teacher at Salina Elementary School in the Dearborn district. A young boy had drawn a picture in his journal of someone being shot. Maleyko, concerned, consulted his principal and the school social worker. The parents, who spoke little English, came in. Through translation, the meaning behind the drawing became clear.

“It turned out that that student saw his uncle get shot … in Iraq after the first Gulf War in the 90s,” Maleyko said. “It was eye-opening, because here’s the thing, I grew up middle class. I didn’t have to deal with what that student had to deal with.

“But the one thing as an educator is that I could work my hardest to make sure that that student will receive the highest possible, best education they could, so that they would be successful in society. That has stood with me throughout my career.” That student’s story has stuck with him for years, and it helps him remember that many other students are dealing with challenges.

Walton: We must grow the ‘future stories’ of students

The school year that began this week in Harrison Community Schools is the fourth one that has had a “future stories” theme. Superintendent Judy Walton said her vision for public education is to expand that theme across the state.

“We want to grow their future stories,” Walton said. “That has to be our vision, and we can’t do anything along the way that takes options off the table for them. It’s their job to write that story, and it’s also our job to sometimes help them see that future, even when they can’t because of things that are impacting them.”

In order to invest in those future stories, she said, Michigan will need to ensure there is “sustainable, equitable funding that recognizes the uniqueness of districts.” Each district has its own challenges and opportunities, and they vary in size and location, she said. In a small rural district like hers, she said, there is less red tape, but there are also fewer opportunities for competitive grants because of their size.

“Overall, it still matters the ZIP code of a child as to what kind of education you get, and that’s still not okay.”

Walton said there needs to be more of a connection between the MDE and districts, teachers, and students. The state education department, she said, must be the leader in making those connections happen and to build on “the great work that’s been happening.”

“We need to be out in front, making those connections, helping districts network with each other, because great ideas are everywhere in the state. But if we can’t connect people to them, they sit in silos, and a silo will be the death of great education across the state.”

When it comes to students, Walton said the Michigan Merit Curriculum, which outlines what classes students need to take for high school graduation, affected how many opportunities students had in school.

“It really impacted elective choices and things like [career and technical education] and things like work-based learning. … I think it also really dampens some of the creativity and love of learning that our kids have. And so I think we have to provide more choices for them, not let go of rigor, not saying we don’t want you to be able to compete. We’ve got to figure out more ways to help have more of their own voice heard in their path to a diploma.”

Coons: Improving early literacy is a key priority

Coons spoke extensively about her experiences in Tennessee and Virginia and described herself as passionate about literacy. When she became executive officer of priority schools in Nashville, at a time when a growing number of struggling schools were at risk of a state takeover, it became imperative to “walk through every single classroom to see what was happening.”

As they walked through second grade classrooms, one troubling theme emerged. “No one was teaching reading. In every single second grade classroom I walked through, they were coloring. Not only were these students having a lot of challenges outside of the classroom, they weren’t having the opportunity to learn to read inside the classroom.”

When she sat down with the principal and second grade teaching team, she asked why they weren’t teaching reading. “And they said, ‘Our children can’t sit still. We are not able to teach.”

Thus began an intensive approach to turn around that school.

“We started with teacher training, instructional materials, partnered with a nonprofit to give deep, deep coaching for our teachers on classroom management and how to implement strategies, but also to our school leaders so they could track the data and understand data,” Coons said.

She told the board that the goal to improve early literacy must be the biggest priority and that Michigan needs to ensure that school districts across the state receive the resources and support they need. She said that how MDE partners with districts will be different in different parts of the state.

“It’s an incredibly important space for us to be over the next five years, to make sure that, first and foremost, our students have the opportunity at the end of third grade [to learn to read], because we know that opens doors for their futures.”

Coons said the MDE goal to increase the percentage of students who graduate from high school is also an important part of the state’s vision for improving education.

“As a student walks the stage, if they’re only ending with graduation, we haven’t served their next step. It’s incredibly important for us to think about what are those post-secondary opportunities that they’re having in high school that help them solidify their steps after they graduate?”

Michigan, she said, has a lot of different opportunities for high school students, such as early college programs and workplace readiness programs.

The goal should be that as students graduate, they’re not asking ‘What’s next?’ but are instead thinking, ‘This is where I’m headed.’

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan superintendent candidates agree the state needs a vision to improve student achievement

2025-08-19T00:17:45+00:00

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Candidates hoping to serve as Michigan’s next state superintendent say they see students’ lackluster literacy performance, the need for more student engagement, and high rates of chronic absenteeism as key issues when it comes to improving schools.

The State Board of Education on Monday interviewed four of the seven semifinalists, in 90-minute time blocks. The remaining three candidates will be interviewed Tuesday and after those sessions, the board will select the finalists.

The superintendent’s job is the top educator position in Michigan. That person oversees the Michigan Department of Education and presides over, but doesn’t vote at, state board meetings. They also advocate in the community and with the Michigan Legislature on issues relevant to the state’s public schools. Hiring the superintendent is one of the state board’s main functions.

Those interviewed Monday were Paul Salah, superintendent for Huron Valley Schools; John Severson, executive director of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators; Thomas Ahart, an education consultant and former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools; and Christopher Timmis, superintendent for Dexter Public Schools.

Tuesday’s interviews will be with Glenn Maleyko, superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools; Judy Walton, superintendent and curriculum director for Harrison Community Schools; and Lisa Coons, former state superintendent in Virginia and former chief academic officer for the Tennessee Department of Education. The interviews begin at 9:45 a.m. and can be viewed on YouTube.

It’s no surprise academic achievement was top of mind for the superintendent candidates. Just 24% of Michigan fourth graders were proficient in reading on the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, a national exam given to a representative sample of students in every state. While Michigan’s performance has been stagnant in literacy, other states have seen significant growth. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called out the poor performance earlier this year when she noted that Michigan spends more money than many other states but is getting less achievement.

“It’s not acceptable,” Whitmer said. “Let’s face our literacy crisis with fierce urgency.”

The candidates largely offered similar sentiments.

“We need to accelerate third grade reading proficiency dramatically,” said Ahart, who led the Des Moines district for a decade before resigning in 2022.

He suggested that local school boards should focus their meetings on student outcomes instead of on things that are “two or three or four degrees removed from what’s actually happening with students.” Des Moines implemented a program that specified that 50% of a board’s time in meetings should be spent talking with principals, central office teams, students, and families about student achievement.

“That helps not only the board put more focus, obviously, on student achievement, but it also greatly narrows the focus of the entire district staff, because they know all of their work is being put on public display once a month or twice a month, and it opens a very big window to the community to understand better what’s happening,” he said.

Student engagement is a major priority for Timmis, who has been a superintendent in Michigan for 18 years. He said the current education system is designed to sort and select kids.

“And it does a great job of it. Some kids are successful, and we sort others right out of the system.”

Under this system, he said, “we are failing way too many kids.” He noted that the graduation rate for students with disabilities is 60% in Michigan.

He said his goal in the first five years as state superintendent would be ensuring that every student graduates on time ”with the skills and the knowledge to be successful as healthy and happy adults.”

Timmis advocates for a competency-based system focused on measuring student engagement rather than the current system, which he says is largely focused on seat time.

For 10 years, the Michigan Department of Education has touted an initiative aimed at helping the state rise to among the top 10 in the nation in education by this year. The state is far from reaching that goal.

One of the initiative’s goals was related to literacy, which continues to be a pain point.

Salah said one of the greatest challenges in addressing the “alarming” literacy rates in Michigan is that there have been “fits and starts” in efforts to turn it around. State lawmakers in 2016 passed a third grade literacy law that called on greater investments in literacy coaches and early intervention. It also called for holding back some third graders who were far behind , though that part of the law was repealed in 2024.

Schools invested heavily in literacy efforts as a result of the law, but the pandemic stalled those efforts, Salah said. More recently, laws were enacted that require students to be screened for dyslexia and require the MDE to recommend reading curriculum that is aligned to the science of reading, a body of knowledge that emphasizes phonics along with building vocabulary.

Salah said the state needs a consistent vision for improving literacy.

“The focus on phonics, science of reading, LETRs (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading) training is all important,” Salah said. However, he later said, “we have to continue to fund this literacy initiative.

“We cannot stop in a year from now because there’s a different focus,” he said. What successful organizations do “is they focus on a few rigorous goals, and they stay the course.”

Digging deeper on literacy is important, Severson said. He noted that the MDE has trained thousands of teachers in LETRs training and said the training should continue and be incentivized. There currently is no requirement that teachers take the LETRs training.

Also important, he said, is “training elementary principals to be stronger instructional leaders.

He also wants to address chronic absenteeism. In Michigan, about 30% of students are chronically absent, according to the latest statewide data from the 2023-24 school year. In some districts, the percentages are even higher.

“If students aren’t coming to school, they can’t learn, right? So we need to look at this problem systemically, not just what schools can do, but what all we can do in the community,” Severson said.

Monday’s interviews were disrupted several times when one board member wanted to ask a question about a parent’s rights related to gender identity.

Tom McMillin, a Republican from Oakland Township, asked Salah, the first interviewee, whether he would stop efforts to “deceive parents” by keeping information from them about their children’s gender identity, pronouns, and the bathrooms they use.

He was referring to MDE training videos that sparked media attention in 2022. In the videos, a trainer suggested that teachers can talk with parents about a student expressing suicidal thoughts without having to reveal that gender identity or sexual orientation is a cause of their distress.

Board President Pam Pugh, a Democrat from Saginaw, immediately interjected, saying the question wasn’t on the approved list, prompting McMillin to say, “I’m being silenced. Are you serious?”

After a break, Pugh reiterated her stance, saying that the question wasn’t on the list, but noting that board members could ask follow-ups questions as long as they were relevant to the question that had just been asked and answered. She didn’t object when McMillin asked the same question to Severson after the candidate answered a question about Michigan’s political landscape.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Who will be Michigan’s next state superintendent? Here are the semifinalists.

2025-08-12T19:06:08+00:00

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Michigan superintendents in the Dearborn, Dexter, Harrison, and Huron Valley school districts are among the seven semifinalists for the state’s top education leader position.

The semifinalists for the state superintendent job also include Virginia’s former top education leader, a former Des Moines superintendent, and the head of a Michigan association of intermediate school district administrators.

Michigan’s State Board of Education chose the seven semi-finalists Tuesday after a closed session in which they reviewed 33 applications for the top job. They are seeking to replace State Superintendent Michael Rice, who announced in April that he is retiring, effective Oct. 3.

The semifinalists will be interviewed by the board in 90-minute sessions next week, on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19, during the first round of interviews. The board will then choose finalists, and the schedule includes making a final decision in early September.

Here are the seven people who will interview for the job:

Thomas Ahart, education consultant and coach, and former superintendent of the Des Moines Public Schools
Lisa Coons, former state superintendent in Virginia and former chief academic officer for the Tennessee Department of Education
Glenn Maleyko, superintendent, Dearborn Public Schools
Paul Salah, superintendent, Huron Valley Schools
John R Severson, executive director, Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators.
Christopher Timmis, superintendent, Dexter Public Schools
Judy Walton, superintendent and curriculum director, Harrison Community Schools

The seven semi-finalists were recommended by representatives of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, the search firm assisting the board.

Max McGee, an associate with the search firm, told the board the seven recommended are the candidates whose experiences and background best meet the 12 desired characteristics and qualifications that the firm developed based on what they heard in interviews with stakeholders, focus groups, forums, and survey results.

The board approved moving those seven recommended candidates to the first round of the interview process, with member Tom McMillin, a Republican from Oakland Township, the lone “no” vote among the eight members. McMillin had motioned to include an eighth candidate as a semifinalist, but that effort failed.

McMillin explained that his vote “doesn’t mean I oppose them all” and doesn’t mean he won’t eventually vote for one of them.

Fellow Republican Nikki Snyder, from Goodrich, voted to approve the semifinalists, but said the search process “has been inherently flawed.”

“I do believe the candidate has already been chosen,” Snyder said.

Marshall Bullock, a Democrat from Detroit, said he hasn’t chosen a candidate.

“I take some kind of dislike to that commentary that we’ve already selected a candidate. This is all very fresh to me,” Bullock said.

Earlier in Tuesday’s meeting, McGee read a list of 10 candidates for the job who had not requested confidentiality in releasing their names prior to interviews. None of them, however, were among the semifinalists. One of them was Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, a member of the Detroit Public Schools Community District board and former Michigan lawmaker and teacher.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan schools urged to provide free meals to all students despite budget stalemate

2025-08-11T16:02:54+00:00

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State Superintendent Michael Rice is urging Michigan school districts to continue offering free school meals at the start of the school year, despite uncertainty about whether the state will provide funding for the meals program.

School officials don’t yet know how much funding they’ll receive for school meals because the Michigan Legislature missed its July 1 deadline for passing a budget for the current fiscal year.

Part of the delay has been a divide among lawmakers about whether to continue paying for free school meals. The Democratic-controlled Senate passed an education budget in May that continues the funding for the meals program. The Republican-controlled House budget does not include the money.

In a memo sent last week, Rice urged lawmakers to pass a budget soon “so that schools and districts do not have to begin the new school year with uncertainty.”

Michigan began funding free meals for students, regardless of income, in the 2023-24 school year. The initiative also receives federal dollars through the Community Eligibility Provision run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Michigan funding runs out Sept. 30, Rice said.

“MDE strongly recommends that local districts offer free meals at the beginning of this school year to take advantage of the student health, attendance, and performance benefits of school meals,” Rice said in the memo.

Rice said the department cautions districts “from making too quick a decision” regarding participation in the meals program because the Agriculture Department has made it clear that if a district changes its participation, those changes “cannot be reversed within the same school year.”

Okemos Public Schools notified parents last week that it will no longer be providing free meals because of the budget stalemate, and students who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for a free or reduced-price meal because of their family’s low income will now be required to pay for their meals.

That decision in Okemos prompted Democrats and Republicans to blame each other for the budget stalemate.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

State Canvassers deadlock on language for petition raising taxes on high earners to fund schools

2025-08-04T20:18:18+00:00

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Supporters and opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment to fund schools with a new tax on wealthy Michiganders came out in force last week, as members of the Board of State Canvassers worked to finalize petition language summarizing the effort.

However the board ultimately deadlocked on the summary language, unable to find a middle ground detailing how the amendment would impact small business owners and whether the proposal can guarantee funds are used for specific investments into schools.

While the board previously approved language for the Invest in MI Kids initiative at its June 27 meeting, procedural issues resulted in the board rescinding its approval, sending the initiative back to the beginning of the process.

The initial summary presented to the board on Thursday used the same language they approved in June. However, the board was split with Vice Chair Mary Ellen Gurewitz and Canvasser Heather Cummings, both Democrats, in support of reapproving the previous language, while Board Chair Richard Houskamp and Canvasser Paul Cordes, both Republicans, argued they should alter the summary in light of Thursday’s testimony.

“We approved the summary. And now everybody who doesn’t like the summary wants, as Ms. Cummings says, they want a second bite at the apple, and I don’t think we should give it to them,” Gurewitz said.

The Invest in MI Kids coalition is proposing a 5% “fair share surcharge”on individual filers making more than $500,000 and over $1 million for joint filers, with the coalition arguing the effort would address $4 billion to $5 billion of underfunding Michigan schools.

However, business groups from throughout the state argued before the board that the effort would amount to a graduated income tax and would bring harm to small businesses owners.

“Many small businesses are organized as S corps, LLCs, partnerships and sole proprietors, which means they claim business income on their individual income tax. And this proposal narrows in on that specifically,” said Kelli Saunders, vice president of policy and engagement for the Small Business Association of Michigan. “The $500,000 to $1 million reportings are not their take home pay. Small business owners must leave earnings in the business for hiring, expanding salary and benefit packages, cost increases, capital expenditures and normal increases in day to day operations to keep the doors open.”

Anne Kuhnen, Kids Count policy director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, said the proposal would raise over $1.5 billion in revenue to help educate the future workforce, emphasizing that the tax would be applied to individuals, not businesses.

“The surcharge applies to all income an individual taxpayer earns from salaries, gambling or lottery winnings, investments, capital gains, spousal incomes and businesses, as well as other eligible sources. But it is not a business tax … This surcharge also does not enact a graduated income tax. Instead, it proposes a new separate tax at a simple flat rate,” Kuhnen said.

While the amendment would require money from the additional tax go toward classrooms in local school districts, including funding for career and technical education, attracting and retaining high-quality educators and reducing class sizes, Brian Shoaf, vice president of Public Policy and business advocacy at the Detroit Regional Chamber, argued the Legislature and the governor have the final say over how these funds are spent.

State Rep. Regina Weiss, a Democrat from Oak Park disagreed, offering her opinion as a lawmaker and former chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and Education that the Legislature could not spend that money for any other purpose than what is outlined in the amendment language.

In hopes of breaking the deadlock, Steve Liedel, attorney for Invest in MI Kids, offered to meet with Michigan Director of Elections Jonathan Brater and Eric Doster, attorney for Small Business for Better Michigan, which is opposing the effort, with Brater drafting a new summary based on the conversation.

Not included in the conversation was Daniel Ziegler, an attorney representing the opposing Coalition to Stop the Business and Family Tax Hike, who objected to his exclusion.

However, the new proposal language, and the subsequent tweaks made to the summary were not enough to bring the board into agreement. With Gurewitz bringing a vote to approve the revised petition summary, the board voted on party lines, failing to approve the language.

However, the board did vote to approve the form of the constitutional amendment. With that approval, Molly Sweeney, organizing director of 482Forward, a member of the ballot proposal coalition, said the plan is to move forward and distribute the petitions using the language previously approved by the board and presented by Brater earlier in the meeting.

“We’re going to make sure it gets through and we believe the law’s on our side. We have an approved petition, we have an approved form, and we’re ready to go,” Sweeney said.

While petitioners can ask the director of elections to prepare a summary to be approved or rejected by the board, they are not required to use that summary. However, a summary approved by the board cannot be challenged on the grounds that it is misleading or deceptive.

Regardless, Liedel dismissed any concerns that the effort would not be permitted to move forward under the previously approved summary.

In order to make the ballot in 2026, Invest MI Kids will need to gather 446,198 signatures within 180 days to be placed on the statewide ballot in the 2026 election.

However, Houskamp told reporters that if the matter does make the ballot, the next battle over this petition will likely involve the ballot summary language.

In addition to arguing the proposal cannot truly require the Legislature to spend funds raised by the amendment in specific ways and that the matter amounts to a graduated income tax, Houskamp also took issue with placing tax policy directly into the Michigan Constitution, where it cannot easily be altered.

“The 1,000-word summary doesn’t mean anything at the end of the day. The trouble is, if you catch somebody standing in front of the library and you read that 100-word summary, that makes it sound like this is a great deal. You flip it over and read the petition, and you really read it, well, yeah, it’s got a couple flies in it. And I think that those little issues with that petition are not little issues. I think they’re major issues,” Houskamp said.

Kyle Davidson is a reporter for Michigan Advance. You can reach him at kdavidson@michiganadvance.com.

Michigan House bill banning cellphones in schools will see a rewrite after failing to pass

2025-07-30T20:49:35+00:00

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The Republican sponsor behind the Michigan House of Representatives’ plan to ban cellphones in all K-12 schools said Monday that he is going back to the drawing board to rewrite the legislation, which died on the chamber’s floor last week.

Democratic lawmakers and some members of the GOP House caucus coalesced to defeat the bill July 24 after initial bipartisan support. The measure was even floated by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in her annual State of the State address earlier this year, showing a statewide appetite to ban phones in schools.

State Rep. Mark Tisdel, a Republican from Rochester, sponsored House Bill 4141, which would have prohibited cellphone use in schools during instructional hours only. The 53-43 vote on the House floor last Thursday saw nearly every House Democrat voting against the measure.

In an interview with Michigan Advance on Monday, Tisdel said that he plans to rewrite the bill before reintroducing it — this time with a strict bell-to-bell prohibition on cellular or wireless devices in K-12 schools.

The new bill will be based on New York state’s pending bell-to-bell cellphone ban mandating that devices must not be used for the entire school day. All public school districts there are required to publish new distraction-free cellphone use policies by Aug. 1.

Whitmer in February floated the idea of bringing a school cellphone ban to Michigan, but Tisdel said he has been working on the House’s version since 2023. A lot of that work sought to incorporate input from both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate and other stakeholders.

With the pending rewrite, Tisdel told the Advance that he was done with the “Mr. Nice Guy stuff.”

“We had it put together, incorporating the best language from all sides … and [House Democrats] played games,” Tisdel said. “If a Democratic legislature and a Democratic governor in New York, a very blue New York state, can see the value in a bell-to-bell prohibition in K-12, somehow that can’t work in Michigan? … If [Whitmer] wants a cellphone bill signed during her term, that’s what it’s going to be.”

Additional resources informing the rewrite include recommendations for the American Legislative Exchange Conference, the Manhattan Institute for Public Policy and Research, and the Brookings Institution, Tisdel said.

The conservative, nonpartisan American Legislative Conference leans toward more conservative ideals like limited government, support for free markets, and federalism.

The Manhattan Institute is generally perceived as a right-wing think tank, while the Brookings Institution is perceived to be more left-leaning.

Although he’s eying a strict bell-to-bell ban, Tisdel added that he would incorporate exemptions from federal law and would be open to allowances for “dumb” phone devices, like flip phones without broad and user-friendly access to the internet and social media applications.

“I don’t have a problem with that. That was in the last bill, and that was one of the concessions I put in,” Tisdel said. “When you’re using a flip phone, you make the phone call, you hang up, and you put the phone away, because there’s nothing else you can do with it. The problem with smartphones is you never put them away.”

Tisdel noted that he had good working relationships with two Democrats in crafting the original bill, including state Sen. Dayna Polehanki of Livonia and state Rep. Regina Weiss of Oak Park.

However, after the bill’s defeat, Tisdel blamed Democrats.

Tisdel said that some Democrats, like state Rep. Noah Arbit of West Bloomfield, publicly supported his legislation. Arbit told The Pulse on Fox 2 Detroit that he agreed with Tisdel that a ban was needed, that he supported the House legislation, championed it being passed by the Michigan Senate and then signed by Whitmer.

Arbit voted against the bill Thursday evening.

Tisdel said he received strong signals of support from Democrats in private conversations, and that he was working with some House Democrats on the legislation to make it a stronger bipartisan effort. He was also forging a deal with Polehanki to get it done in the Senate, even as the Senate was shopping its own school cellphone ban.

Tisdel was not alone in placing the blame on his Democratic colleagues: Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican from Richland Township, echoed some of Tisdel’s talking points when speaking to the Michigan Capitol press corps following Thursday’s session.

A message seeking comment from a House Democratic caucus spokesperson regarding those criticisms, and the alleged broken deals, was not returned at the time of publication.

Several key Republicans who could have moved the measure over the finish line either voted against the bill or were absent from session.

Notably, Republican state Reps. Steve Carra of Three Rivers, James DeSana of Carleton, Jaime Greene of Richmond, David Martin of Davison, and Pauline Wendzel of Watervliet were either absent or voted in opposition to House Bill 4141.

The Detroit News reported last week that DeSana was absent from Thursday’s session in protest of Hall not taking up his legislative priorities. Tisdel said he believed that DeSana would have been a likely yes vote.

Messages seeking comment from Carra, Greene and Wednezel were not returned at the time of publication.

When Tisdel was asked about those defections, he said the situation was unfortunate, but also represented just another day in Lansing with political games aplenty.

He was disappointed, however, in some of his more conservative colleagues who voted against the bill.

“It’s a 2-to-1 legislative layout, the governor and the [Democratic-controlled] Senate against us,” Tisdel said. “We don’t need any barrels inside the caucus pointing at us, as well. It’s just frustrating. I don’t know how this perception got to be that some of these individuals who vote no all the time are the most conservative members. They’re simply enablers.”

Ben Solis is a reporter for Michigan Advance. You can reach him at bsolis@michiganadvance.com.

Michigan’s state superintendent demands release of $160 million in federal funding

2025-07-02T21:30:34+00:00

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Michigan’s top education leader is urging the Trump administration to release nearly $7 billion in funding the federal government is withholding from schools nationwide.

In Michigan, that includes nearly $160 million.

The funding, approved by Congress earlier this year as part of a continuing budget resolution signed by President Donald Trump in March, was supposed to be distributed Tuesday. But the Trump administration said Monday it would not release the funds, Chalkbeat reported.

“These federal dollars support some of our most economically disadvantaged and vulnerable students,” Michigan State Superintendent Michael Rice said in a statement Wednesday. “The U.S. Department of Education should provide the approved funding immediately.”

The money funds programs that support migrant education ($5.4 million), services for English learners ($12.8 million), staff professional development ($63.7 million), before- and after-school programs ($36.7 million), and academic enrichment ($38.3 million), Rice said.

Rice said that based on past practice, “local school districts were rightly counting on this approved funding by July 1.”

He said the Michigan Department of Education, which he oversees, “is working with colleagues across the country and with legal counsel to reflect upon the adverse impact to students, staff, and schools of this withholding.”

It was unclear Wednesday afternoon if the department is considering legal action.

A spokesperson for the White House Office of Management and Budget, said Wednesday that the move to withhold the funding was part of an ongoing programmatic review of education funding, and that no decisions had been made yet.

Initial findings, the spokesperson said, “have shown that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda.”

Chalkbeat senior national reporter Kalyn Belsha contributed to this report.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Will Michigan pass new restrictions on student cellphone use before the school year starts?

2025-06-26T22:51:04+00:00

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At the beginning of the year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked Michigan lawmakers for a bill that will limit students’ cellphone use to improve learning outcomes after the state ranked 44th in the nation for fourth grade reading.

With two months to go before school starts for many districts in the state, there are two proposals.

One – sponsored by Democrats in the Senate – would essentially continue to allow school systems to decide their own policies. The other – sponsored by Republicans in the House – would have more specific requirements for districts to prohibit cellphone use during instructional time in all grades.

“The governor will work with anyone to ensure our students can focus on learning, and we will closely review legislation as it makes its way to our desk,” Stacey LaRouche, Whitmer’s press secretary, said this week.

Republican State Rep. Mark Tisdel, who introduced the more prescriptive bill, told Chalkbeat his goal is for new cellphone rules to be in place before the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Tisdel said both Republicans and Democrats, as well as the governor, have similar objectives and are working on the details of what will be enacted into law.

“We’re all working in the same direction,” he said.

Here’s what the two bills propose

Senate Bill 234, introduced by Democratic State Sen. Dayna Polehanki, would only require school boards to adopt policies that “seek to limit” student cellphone use on school grounds, but would leave the specific rules to the districts.

“I believe that each school district should be able to devise a policy that is right for the school community it serves, which is why my legislation provides flexibility for schools to create plans that best suit their needs,” Polehanki said at an April 22 committee meeting when the bill was introduced.

A staff member from Polehanki’s office told Chalkbeat they could not comment on whether that is still Polehanki’s position.

The bill passed May 6 in the Senate. It has not yet been taken up in the House.

House Bill 4141 would require every district in the state to ban students from using electronic communication devices during instructional time, with some exceptions.

Additionally, elementary and middle schoolers would not be allowed to use cellphones during recess, breaks, or lunch.

The bill unanimously passed on May 14 in the House Education and Workforce Committee, including support from the three Democrats on the committee. The full House has not yet voted on the bill.

Tisdel said less restrictive laws similar to Polehanki’s were passed in states like California and Ohio. California has since replaced its law with a ban. The Ohio legislature is currently considering a ban as well.

“Why don’t we skip that part and go the direction most states end up going anyway?” he said.

At least eight states have enacted bans or restrictions on student cellphone use during class. Many local Michigan districts also have put restrictions in place.

Though supporters of the restrictions cite anecdotal evidence that they have positive results, there is limited empirical evidence and new research on outcomes vary.

Tisdel said he’s been working on his bill for two years.

“I’d like to see it implemented as quickly as possible,” he said.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Twelve years after merger, schools of choice battle rages on in Ypsilanti

2025-06-24T12:00:04+00:00

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When it was time to choose a school for his daughter, Mike Sotiropoulos debated selecting one outside of Ypsilanti Community Schools, his home district.

Under a longstanding state law, he had the option to look elsewhere. He considered Ann Arbor Public Schools, which has better test scores than Ypsilanti, but ultimately decided to stay in YCS because of its International Baccalaureate programming.

“A lot of times I feel like schools put too much emphasis on (test scores) and less emphasis on other things that we were more interested in,” said Sotiropoulous, whose daughter now attends Ypsilanti International Elementary School. “We just wanted to get our daughter to a school with caring staff and maybe a little bit more emphasis on learning by play.”

Another parent, Marissa Harding, made a different choice. A lifelong resident of Ypsilanti Township and a former paraprofessional in the school district, Harding believes the quality of instruction has suffered since Ypsilanti Public Schools merged with Willow Run Community Schools in 2013 and rebranded as Ypsilanti Community Schools, or YCS. She enrolled her child at Global Tech Academy, a charter school located across the street from Ypsilanti Community Middle School, on the east side of the district.

“I hadn’t been hearing the best things about YCS in the past few years,” Harding said, adding that part of Global Tech’s appeal was its small class sizes.

More than a decade after the two school districts merged, YCS has worked hard to get parents like Harding and Sotiropoulos to enroll their children, with aggressive marketing campaigns that promote the two communities, once fierce rivals, as “stronger together.” Still, more than half of the students who reside in the district’s boundaries choose to attend school somewhere else, according to state data.

With K-12 enrollment declining statewide, state officials have encouraged consolidation of schools, or even districts, as an option to pool resources. In many ways, what has happened in YCS is a case study of the ups and downs of mergers, a strategy that is often unpopular with school communities and families. In Michigan’s competitive school environment, it also can be difficult to stand out when families can select from an array of charter schools and schools outside their home district through the state’s nearly 30-year-old “schools of choice” program.

In a statement, Carlos Lopez, assistant superintendent in YCS, acknowledged that the appeal of neighboring school districts and charter schools can pose a challenge in attracting and retaining students. YCS’ boundaries, which encompass the City of Ypsilanti and two surrounding townships, include 8,227 K-12 students. Of those, 4,317, or about 53%, chose not to enroll in the district’s schools this year, state data shows.

After enrolling more than 4,500 students in its first year as a combined district, YCS saw an immediate decline, dropping down to 3,699 five years ago. Since then, the district has increased

its enrollment by 8% to 3,872. It also has seen an uptick in the number of students using schools of choice to enroll, with 488 this year — the highest total YCS has seen since the two schools merged.

Ypsilanti Community Middle School band teacher Derrick Shelton teaches his class on April 30, 2025

Lopez attributed the recent increase in enrollment to new, innovative programming, such as the K-12 International Baccalaureate, an elementary Spanish immersion program, and STEAM programs in every school.

The district also moved its middle school into the former Willow Run Middle School building last fall. The move was made, in part, to reconnect with the east side of the district, where some parents felt Willow Run’s roots had been neglected, Lopez said.

School district mergers are often an unpopular choice. But at the time of the merger, Ypsilanti and Willow Run were in such financial peril that the districts risked state takeover, said former Washtenaw Intermediate School District Superintendent Scott Menzel, who oversaw the process.

Other districts had set an example of what could happen: Detroit had undergone a state takeover. Inkster Schools was dissolved around the same time, with its students spread across four neighboring school districts. Consolidation seemed like a better outcome, he said.

“In order to get a different outcome than what we had seen previously, we had to really take advantage of the opportunity to truly hit the reset button,” Menzel said of the community support for the merger. “That meant doing some things that were uncomfortable and having people interview for their jobs. We had to tackle the difficult questions about how many buildings needed to be open and how do we ensure that both communities are served well in that transition.”

Still, district mergers remain uncommon. Rather than consolidate, other school districts in Michigan have opted to reduce the number of school buildings and make infrastructure improvements — efforts supported with “consolidation grants” awarded in April by the Michigan Department of Education.

Flint Community Schools, with a $35.9 million state grant, plans to close four of its 11 school buildings and build a “state of the art” high school, according to the state. Union City Community Schools, with a roughly $23.6 million grant, plans to demolish a middle school and renovate elementary and high school facilities, reducing its buildings from three to two.

And North Central Area Schools plans to use a state grant of $15.4 million to upgrade its facilities and decrease its footprint from two buildings to one. The project includes “investments in technology, flexible classroom spaces, and modern amenities that support innovative teaching and learning,” according to the state.

“The ability to keep our students safe and secure while also improving our aging facilities makes this a game-changing moment for our district and our entire community,” Union City Superintendent Chris Katz said of the grant. “We love our small-town atmosphere. These funds coupled with additional dollars from our voters will put us in a strong position for many years to come.”

YCS loses students to charters and neighboring districts

By 2012, the year before the merger, both Ypsilanti and Willow Run had steadily declining enrollment driven by academic achievement issues, families selecting charters or other public schools through schools of choice, and subsequent budget woes.

Voters approved a merger of Ypsilanti and Willow Run schools by a 61% vote that year.

Schools of choice, which passed in 1996, gave students additional enrollment options, including letting them select their school within the home district. While optional for districts to participate in, schools of choice also permitted local school districts to enroll students from other districts within the same intermediate school district.

In its final year, Willow Run’s enrollment was just 1,442, down by nearly half from 2,673 in 2003.

At first, Ypsilanti seemed like it was in a better position than Willow Run. It opted into schools of choice early on, gaining 1,091 students in 2009 from other school districts, while losing just 436 to other public school districts from within its boundaries.

Students get ready for band class inside Ypsilanti Community Middle School on April 30, 2025

That advantage wasn’t enough to cover the additional loss of students to charter schools, however, causing Ypsilanti’s budget issues to intensify, with the district losing nearly twice as many students to schools of choice as it gained by 2012.

Both school districts faced a “death spiral,” said Menzel, former superintendent of Washtenaw Intermediate School District, the intermediate school district for Ypsilanti and Willow Run.

Menzel, who facilitated the 18-month consolidation process between the two districts, said pitches from neighboring districts and charter schools drew some parents away as Ypsilanti and Willow Run grappled with budget issues and the prospect of closing school buildings.

While the legacy debt both districts carried into consolidation has been relieved by the state, YCS still struggles to keep its students in-district, he said.

“As soon as other neighboring schools saw that opportunity, because the money follows the kid, they took advantage of it,” said Menzel, who is now the superintendent of Scottsdale Unified School District in Arizona. “In a competitive choice and charter environment, people are always working to recruit kids, and those who had the ability to leave left.”

National Heritage Academies, which operates several schools within YCS boundaries and Washtenaw County, has been a strong competitor for the school district, increasing its enrollment in the Ypsilanti area after the two districts merged.

NHA schools account for more than 1,300 of the 2,600-plus Ypsilanti-area students who enrolled in charter schools, like Fortis Academy in Ypsilanti Township and South Pointe Scholars in the heart of the former Willow Run district.

NHA Spokesperson Leah Wheatlake said parents who choose charters are seeking educational opportunities for their children because they “want more for them than they had.”

“Choice provides parents that advantage – to choose the educational setting that meets their family’s needs,” Wheatlake said. NHA schools point to higher test scores, a “safe environment,” and character-building curriculum as some of the reasons that parents select them.

Ypsilanti Community Middle School, located at 235 Spencer Lane. The former Willow Run Middle School, which was built in 2004, had sat vacant since 2018, when the district moved its middle school students to the former East Middle School.

Ann Arbor Public Schools has been the most popular public school choice for families living within YCS’ boundaries, along with Lincoln Consolidated Schools and Van Buren Public Schools. Ann Arbor began participating in schools of choice in 2010 to counter the losses of its own prospective students. Of the 2,008 students who enrolled in Ann Arbor from other districts in the 2024-25 school year, 1,001 were from YCS, according to state data. That’s up from 220 in 2012-13, the year before the merger.

Dawn Linden, assistant superintendent in Ann Arbor, said the district uses schools of choice to cover expected shortages and to counteract the loss of its own students to neighboring school districts and charters. It offers seats to in-district students first, before opening remaining slots to students using schools of choice.

The law doesn’t allow school districts to select which students it wants to enroll or to control how many students come from a particular school district, Linden said.

“There’s no ‘Hey, we’re going to take a certain maximum from this school district and that school district,’” Linden said. “The rules for schools of choice do not allow for that, nor would we want to.”

Parents’ school choices reflect location, test scores, housing options

For parents considering Ypsilanti Community Schools, a number of factors are in play, from location to test scores to perceptions of the school system that have lingered since the merger.

After sending his son to Ypsilanti International Elementary through third grade, Djaun Boyd said he felt like teachers weren’t able to connect with him and challenge him to learn. He transferred him to the nearby South Pointe Scholars charter school last fall. His daughter, on the other hand, is enrolled in Lincoln Consolidated Schools’ early childhood program at Model Elementary.

Boyd said each family’s situation requires a different approach, but he has been happy with his decision to move away from YCS.

“My son is going to thrive wherever he’s at,” Boyd said. “We felt like it was better for him to thrive over there [South Pointe] because there wouldn’t be any more distractions.”

Harding said she couldn’t shake the feeling that Ypsilanti Community Schools hadn’t been embedded in the community the way that Ypsilanti and Willow Run schools were prior to the merger. She said she didn’t see the different student groups, like bands or choirs, at popular Ypsilanti events, or hear about the district’s accomplishments in the news.

“They were very successful, good graduation rates, you know, kids going to college, stuff like that,” Harding said of the district prior to the merger. “Even by the time I got there, it wasn’t as good as they had been in those years. It’s kind of just dropping off, getting worse in recent years.”

Those who remember the two districts before consolidation might view Ypsilanti Community Schools in a different light than those who moved into the district more recently.

Steve Kwiatkowski moved to the city with his family after a failed attempt to buy a home in Ann Arbor. He heard good things about the Ypsilanti schools from other families and decided not to pursue other options.

“I know [Ann Arbor Public Schools] has such a great reputation, but we already spent so much time in Ypsi, going to the coffee shops and restaurants and kind of like the vibe here,” Kwiatkowski said.

A sign advocating for parents to "SAY YES" to Ypsilanti Community Schools outside of Ypsilanti Community Middle School.

Matt Kirkpatrick, who has lived in Ypsilanti since 2014, said his child was offered a spot at Carpenter Elementary in Ann Arbor Public Schools, but ultimately decided to enroll his child at Ypsilanti International Elementary because of the pathway it offers to the well-regarded Washtenaw International High School.

“The school felt like our community,” he said. “We knew a lot of our parent friends were sending their children to school here, which is a factor, too.”

Sotiropoulous felt if he was going to live in the Ypsilanti community, he should support the local school system.

“We’re Ypsi residents, so we felt like if we could get her into an Ypsi school that would be better than sending her to Ann Arbor for schools of choice,” he said.

For many parents, school decisions are often circumstantial and can change.

Laura Herbert home-schooled her two children before her daughter expressed an interest in attending public school a year ago.

A Ypsilanti Township resident, Herbert didn’t give YCS serious consideration. She wasn’t impressed by the district’s test scores and described the school buildings’ conditions as “subpar.” She found a better fit at Washtenaw International Middle Academy, an Ypsilanti-based public consortium and International Baccalaureate school.

“I felt like it was the best option that we had for a public school, and because we’re in Ypsi, she can take the bus,” Herbert said.

Some parents attend Ypsilanti schools because they don’t feel the choices available are workable for their family.

“The reason why my kids go to Ypsilanti Schools is because it’s closer,” said Teaha Jackson, who has 10 children enrolled in the district and noted that transportation isn’t included in schools of choice.

Ypsilanti wants to replant roots in Willow Run

No building is more representative of Ypsilanti Community Schools’ recruitment efforts than its middle school. Constructed as Willow Run Middle School in 2004, the building sat vacant for nearly a decade before the district brought students back last fall.

The building has some advantages over the old East Middle School, where students had learned since the 2018-19 school year. It is 45 years younger and almost twice the size, offering two gymnasiums, a large auditorium, and “dens” for each grade level, which help avoid altercations by keeping grades separate during class transitions throughout the day.

Ypsilanti Community Middle School Principal Charles Davis talks with students in the halls of the former Willow Run Middle School on April 30, 2025. The district moved its middle school students back to the building after housing the middle school at the former East Middle School since 2018-19.

With newer amenities and more space, Ypsilanti Community Middle School Principal Charles Davis said he has made it his mission to make sure students don’t attend the charter school across the street.

“I want every fifth grader who attends [elementary in Ypsilanti] to attend school here — we want every last one of them,” Davis said. “We’re very intentional about keeping our students and welcoming others.”

The district has implemented a number of measures over the years to curtail fights in the middle school setting, including bringing in a team from the Detroit-based 180 Program to act as behavior interventionists who can free teachers and administrators from the burden of disciplinary referrals.

Several students said the new building has made them feel safer.

“In the old building, you were kind of scared of getting jumped,” Elovie Mazama, an eighth grader said. “It was more chaotic in the old building, and we would have fights every week. In this building we barely have any fights.”

Menzel, the former superintendent who facilitated the consolidation of Ypsilanti and Willow Run, said the combined district still faces some of the same challenges when it comes to attracting families in a competitive environment. But he believes YCS is stable with positive signs for the future.

“I think it’s a testament to the strength of the process that more than a decade later, Ypsilanti Community Schools still exist in serving kids in the community, and they’re doing some very innovative and creative things to try to draw people back into the system,” he said.

Michigan House GOP K-12 state budget proposes penalty for DEI programs, transgender rights

2025-06-11T22:31:00+00:00

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Michigan House Republicans on Wednesday proposed one of the largest increases to per-pupil funding for public schools in years, but their Democratic colleagues argued that many key costs for school meals and at-risk programs would come out of classroom funding.

It would also come with a 20% foundation allowance penalty if districts were noncomplaint with proposed boilerplate language prohibiting race, gender, and DEI instruction or initiatives. That includes any curriculum that includes supposed race or gender “stereotyping,” allowing transgender girls to participate in girls’ sports or providing multi-stall unisex bathrooms.

The school aid budget reported Wednesday by the House Appropriations Committee would allocate $21.9 billion with $69.9 million coming from the state’s general fund, a 5.5% increase from last year’s approved budget.

Per-pupil funding in the House version of the school aid budget would be increased by $558 million gross funding to provide a $417 per-pupil increase, moving it to $10,025 per student.

State Rep. Tim Kelly, a Republican from Saginaw Township and chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and Department of Education, said his subcommittee’s budget aimed to redirect funds away from the “expansion and explosion of categoricals” and to provide funding that Lansing Republicans felt was a “more than adequate amount of money to provide a quality education to every Michigan student.”

“We are hoping to have the performance that our citizens demand,” Kelly said.

State Rep. Ann Bollin, a Republican from Brighton and chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said the House school aid budget proposed funding that was higher than the dollars proposed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in her executive recommendations released earlier this year and the Senate’s version of the school aid bills passed months ago.

The committee’s Democratic members, however, said they had several concerns.

State Rep. Natalie Price, a Democrat from Berkley, noted that the budget completely eliminates line item funding for the state’s universal school meal program. Price said that when kids are hungry, they can’t learn as well and do worse in school.

“I hear you saying that we want to improve education scores and we know this program has helped,” Price said.

Kelly turned and asked Price if she had proof on whether school meals actually helped student performance, noting his belief that student performance was better before the universal school meal program was introduced.

Price countered by noting that Kelly wanted to give districts the option on how they fund that program, but said that money will undoubtedly come out of classroom budgets, which she said would lead to lower test scores.

Bollin again noted that the decision on how districts move forward with school meals would go back to them as opposed to Lansing bureaucrats.

“Nobody wants to see anybody go hungry,” Bollin said.

State Rep. Donavan McKinney, a Democrat from Detroit, raised concerns about the cuts to at-risk funding. MKinney said without at-risk funding or after-school programs, some children in impoverished areas with high crime would not even be attending class because their lives would be cut short outside of school walls.

“These programs saved my life as a child,” McKinney said before noting that the House school aid budget represents a major cut and completely zeros out funding for programs to help at-risk students. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t hear a gunshot in my community. So what are we doing? And what are the considerations that you are taking to cut these programs?”

Kelly was adamant that the school aid budget doesn’t wrap up at-risk funding, but said House Republicans wanted to “eliminate excuses, to try and provide as much as much money up front as we can to the classroom, the student, for the schools, to deliver what with think is a quality education.”

“We think it’s adequately funded,” Kelly said.

State Rep. Regina Weiss, a Democrat from Oak Park, who does not sit on the appropriations committee but appeared to testify in opposition to the budget bill, said she was alarmed to see a $2.5 billion hit in the House proposal to the school aid fund to fund other purposes — and she said those are currently unknown because the House’s general fund and other government spending budgets haven’t been completed.

She mentioned the House Democrats school budget proposal released Tuesday as one that adjusts for inflation and offers stability.

The Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity in a news release said the House budget proposal for K-12 schools ignores student needs.

“The House Republicans’ education budget proposal leaves behind the most vulnerable students in our state and underscores the urgent need for Michigan to prioritize true equity in funding for students with the greatest needs,” said Peter Spadafore, executive director of the Alliance. “While we’re encouraged to see the foundation allowance proposal reach $10,025, the highest of the three budgets this cycle, that’s unfortunately where the good news ends.”

Spadafore also questioned if the plan, which holds at-risk funding flat, is a functional cut when inflationary pressures are factored in. More concerning for the Alliance were the targeted eliminations of certain programs designed to address unique student needs.

“The new categorical introduced by the House – which provides about $1,975 per pupil – might seem like a step forward. But it comes at the expense of targeted funding for student supports,” Spadafore said. “Without any increase in the [School Finance Research Collaborative]-recommended weights for students in poverty, English learners, or special education, this proposal fails to recognize the higher costs of educating students with the greatest needs.”

The House budget would also erase the Michigan Public School Employee’s Retirement System, or MPSERS, savings achieved last year, and shift school aid funding for classrooms that comes from lottery proceeds to universities.

“We know that funding alone doesn’t close opportunity gaps, but it is the foundation for smaller class sizes, mental health supports, wraparound services, and other resources that help level the playing field,” Spadafore said. “This proposal misses the mark by ignoring the fundamental reality that it costs more to educate economically disadvantaged students because of what poverty means in real terms. Our students need more than a flat increase; they need a commitment to funding equity.”

Ben Solis is the senior reporter for Michigan Advance. He can be reached at bsolis@michiganadvance.com.

Who will be the state’s next education leader? Answer could come by early September

2025-06-10T19:54:02+00:00

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The State Board of Education could select Michigan’s next top education leader by Sept. 4, seeking input from the public on the qualifications that person should have.

Representatives from Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates, the search firm the board hired to assist in conducting the search, presented the timeline to the board during a meeting Tuesday. The firm was hired after State Superintendent Michael Rice announced earlier this year that he is retiring Oct. 3.

Mike Richie, a vice president at the Arlington Heights, Illinois, search firm, said during the meeting Tuesday that the next superintendent is expected to begin the job Oct. 4.

The search for the next superintendent comes at a time of increased focus on the state’s mixed education record. While graduation rates are at their highest levels in 16 years, performance on a rigorous national exam showed Michigan students aren’t making progress. Just last week, Rice and Pamela Pugh, the president of the state board, faced criticism from Republicans on the House Oversight Committee because of low literacy rates in the state.

Pugh, in a statement sent Tuesday during the board meeting, said the board “is committed to finding a new state superintendent who will be dedicated to continuing the progress we have made on behalf of Michigan school children under Dr. Rice’s tenure.”

Here are the key dates Ritchie outlined in the search timeline:

June 11-July 20: Aggressive recruiting of candidates will take place.
June 12-18: The search firm will conduct interviews with each of the eight members of the State Board of Education. The interviews will help the search firm develop the job posting and advertisements for the position.
June 25: The state superintendent position posting will go live.
June 23-July 3: The search firm will conduct interviews, focus groups, and forums with key individuals and organizations. Board members will help to determine who that outreach should include. An online survey would also be available for anyone to share feedback.
Aug. 12: The search firm will present the board, during its monthly meeting, with a slate of “tier one candidates” it considers the best fit for the job. The board will choose, from among that slate and/or from among the rest of the applicants, and those will be invited to interview with the board.
Aug. 13-15: The search firm will provide the board with some interview questions.
Aug. 18-20. The board would conduct interviews with the semifinalists Aug. 18 and 19. On Aug. 20, the board would whittle the list of semifinalists down to two to three finalists.
Aug. 25-26: The board would conduct interviews with the finalists.
Sept. 5: The board would select from the finalists.
Oct. 4: The next state superintendent would begin the job.

The outreach to the community is a key part of the search process, because it will help shape the questions the board will ask candidates and provide insight into the kind of candidate the public wants to see in the position.

The board brainstormed groups the search firm should reach out to for interviews or focus groups. Among those cited were groups that represent the interests of teachers, superintendents, and principals; student and parent groups; organizations that fight for equitable funding for schools; advocates for students with disabilities; and groups that advocate for transparency.

Board member Nikki Snyder, a Republican from Goodrich, said the list should also include literacy experts.

“You might even need to go outside of Michigan to seek the curriculum changes that have been made nationwide in states that are making major strides in literacy,” Snyder said.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan education officials on the hot seat over the state’s poor academic performance

2025-06-04T21:02:40+00:00

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Two top officials with the Michigan Department of Education on Tuesday defended the current state of Michigan schools amid House Republican calls for dismantling the department.

Board of Education President Pamela Pugh and Superintendent for Public Instruction Michael Rice appeared Tuesday before the Michigan House Oversight Committee, which included a lengthy presentation on the department’s goals, its latest budget requests, and some heavy back and forth between Republican lawmakers.

Several Republican members of the committee, including its chair, Rep. Jay DeBoyer, a Republican from Clay, lambasted Pugh and Rice over low literacy rates and flailing math scores. Eventually, the specter of tearing down the department and starting anew with a department controlled closely by the Michigan Legislature materialized from Rep. Jaime Green, a Republican from Richmond.

Before dismantling the department became a topic of conversation, Rice and Pugh attempted to show the committee that schools, students, and educators have been making progress in multiple ways to achieve Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Plan, which did include record achievement in several areas.

Part of that forward progress was seen in the passage of new literacy and dyslexia laws, some of which were spearheaded by Greene, who worked closely with Rice to make that reality. Rice and Pugh extolled how much of a difference those laws will make in the screening of all children for dyslexia, for example.

The pair also praised the Legislature for increasing funding to public schools over the last few years, but said those budgets did not make up for decades of underinvestment in public schools a decade earlier.

Pugh discussed some of the challenges currently facing schools and the effect disinvestment has had on public schools, not only on student needs and achievement but also the state’s teacher shortage.

“It is critical and crucial to understand that the challenges before us are not new,” Pugh said. “They are the result of longstanding policy decisions that prioritize cost-cutting over sustained investment in our children and our schools. Despite these challenges, the state Board of Education has remained resolute in our mission to reverse those harms and build an educational system that truly serves all Michigan students.”

Pugh said students, as well as teachers, parents, and administrators, were doing their best to provide a quality education in the face of crowded classrooms, aging buildings, limited access to mental health and special education services, and what she called an alarming shortage of adequately paid teachers.

“These issues are not anecdotal,” Pugh said. “They are symptoms of systemic neglect.”

Rice added that Michigan’s four-year graduation rate had improved to the highest level in state history, growing to about 83% in 2024, which is also the highest that figure has been in the last 10 years. The percentage of adults with a post-secondary certification (51.8%) was on track toward Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Sixty by 30 goal. The initiative aims to have 60% of Michigan adults between ages 25 and 64 holding some sort of postsecondary credential by 2030.

There were moments of seeming common ground between Rice and the Republicans who control the powerful House Oversight Committee, with Rice praising Public Act 146 and Public Act 147 of 2024 addressing literacy coaching and dyslexia screening assessments and interventions.

Progress was being made, but Rice noted that Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, or LETRS, training was needed for educators to keep up pace and do better on the literacy front. Rice called for mandatory LETRS training for kindergarten through fifth grade classroom teachers, and lower class sizes for kindergarten through third grade classrooms.

Rice said there was also a need for more in-person instructional time, as there had been cases of professional development days being treated as student instruction days in 2019, and 15 virtual days being counted as the same in 2023.

The meeting, however, was not one of the House Education Committee meant to discuss budgetary needs and goals, but rather one designed as a means to grill department officials over failures in public education.

That became clear in lines of questioning from Rep. Brad Paquette, a Republican from Niles, who engaged in a lengthy and at times testy tit-for-tat with Rice and Pugh.

Paquette, a former teacher, said he’s seen all the headlines showing the breadth of Michigan’s public schools struggles and that he has been on various House committees in the past that dealt with public education and the budget. In that vein, Paquette said he’s seen similar presentations from Rice before and, despite additional funding over the last few years, Michigan schools are continuing to struggle.

“We’ve increased funding yet results are still tracking downward,” Paquette said. “When does accountability come into play?”

As Paquette became frustrated with Rice and Pugh’s answers, Pugh said accountability needed to be based in reality.

From there, Greene, who received a shout out from Rice for her work on the dyslexia screening law, turned the conversation toward the perceived need to dismantle the department, echoing Congressional Republican calls to do the same at the federal level.

Pugh said that studies have shown that states with elected boards like Michigan’s, and not under the control of the governor’s office or the Legislature, provided critical checks and balances, and correlated with better student outcomes. Those systems were also tied to more equity in funding and policy consistency.

Rep. Josh Schriver, a Republican from Oxford, hailed the fact that the “Greatest Generation” of the early 20th century had class sizes of 30, 40, or sometimes 50 children and they fared fine. He made other comments before being cut off by DeBoyer in the essence of time.

As the meeting wrapped, Rep. Dylan Wegela, a Democrat from Garden City, tried to set the record straight on various comments made by his Republican colleagues.

Wegela called out Schriver’s point, noting that the early 20th century was a time of rampant racial segregation, and literacy rates today were far higher than they were in the 1920s. Schriver at one point brought up school vouchers, and Wegela said in Arizona it was found that parents spent that money on items like toys and other merchandise instead.

He also noted that Michigan cannot talk about its problem with schools without looking at funding adjusted for inflation.

“Record funding is only as good as saying we have record wages today,” Wegela said. “When you adjust for inflation, we are barely ahead of the year 2000. This has created a classroom size problem, and a teacher shortage.”

Ben Solis is a reporter for Michigan Advance. You can reach him at bsolis@michiganadvance.com.

Michigan Senate Democrats won’t consider a trans athlete sports ban. Will Trump target the state?

2025-05-30T21:40:19+00:00

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The Republican-controlled House passed two bills last week that would bar transgender girls from competing on girls sports teams. But Democrats, who control the Senate, say they will not consider the legislation.

“Our legislative agenda is long and attacking kids is not on it,” Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, a Democrat from Grand Rapids, told Chalkbeat in a statement.

Failure to take up the Republican-sponsored bills could draw unwelcome political attention to Michigan at a time when the Trump administration has targeted for investigation states that don’t comply with its view on Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex.

Since taking office for the second time, Trump has issued several executive orders targeting the rights of transgender Americans. One in January said the U.S. government would only recognize two genders, male and female, while another issued that month attempted to ban gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. A February executive order called for schools to block trans girls from competing on girls sports teams.

Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that don’t comply with his executive orders.

Executive orders cannot override existing state and federal statutes, though, and there have been legal challenges to the constitutionality of Trump’s executive orders.

But the Trump administration’s threats to states that don’t comply with the order have stoked fears over how he intends to enforce it. Multiple federal agencies opened investigations into Maine this year after a heated exchange between Trump and the state’s Democratic governor, Janet Mills, in which she promised to follow the state’s law protecting transgender rights.

In one of those federal cases, a judge issued an injunction to stop the government from freezing federal funds to the state. But there are two other open cases that have been assigned to the Department of Justice to enforce.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said other states are at risk of losing federal funding for Title IX violations, specifically singling out California and Minnesota. Officials in those states have said their civil rights laws preclude them from complying with Trump’s executive order. Bondi’s office announced Wednesday that it has opened an investigation into California.

Like some other states, Michigan recently expanded state protections from discrimination on the basis of sexuality and gender identity and expression. The expansion of those protections two years ago has long been a signature issue for Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

She signed the expansion of the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act in 2023, saying in a statement that “Michigan is a place that will fight for your freedom to be yourself.”

It is possible what has happened in Maine could happen in Michigan, said Nancy Chi Cantalupo, associate professor of law at Wayne State University.

“But what is happening in Maine is in no way a success for the current administration at this point,” she said, noting that the federal government has never withdrawn funds from a state under Title IX or any other civil rights statutes it enforces.

“It’s not like there’s a light switch the federal government can use to just turn off federal funds at its whim,” she said. “There are a lot of steps it has to go through.”

Brinks did not respond to a question about whether she or others in the Democratic Party have concerns Michigan may be targeted by the Trump administration.

Whitmer’s office did not respond to questions about the bills.

In Michigan, a prohibition against trans girls competing on girls sports teams would affect few athletes statewide. The Michigan High School Athletic Association, the private organization that runs the state’s high school sports competitions, said there were no trans girls competing on spring sports teams this year. None played on winter sports teams, while two played on fall teams.

About 25 states have already passed similar laws restricting trans girls from playing on sports teams aligned with their gender identity.

Advocates for transgender rights say sports bills aren’t really about limiting the teams trans girls and women can play on.

“If this bill were just about sports, it wouldn’t be proposed in coordination with all of these other anti-trans bills [nationwide,]” said Kye Campbell-Fox, a research assistant and laboratory manager at Michigan State University, who studies the impact of legislation targeting the rights of trans kids. “This is a coordinated campaign to push trans people out of public life.”

Advocates say trans youth don’t feel safe as their rights are attacked

Though the Michigan bills have effectively died, advocates say lawmakers’ focus on the issue — and the language they often use to talk about trans athletes — is still harmful to all trans children.

The Michigan bills, for example, referred to trans girls as “biological males,” ignoring their gender identities. And some lawmakers have said that the presence of trans girls in locker rooms could lead to sexual violence against other girls.

Rep. Mike Harris, a Republican from Waterford, said during a hearing for the bills that he was concerned about the potential for sexual assault if trans girls use girls locker rooms.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to place biological boys and girls in the same room, to strip down naked next to each other,” he said.

There is no evidence to support the idea that trans girls will assault other girls, though there is evidence that trans populations face increased risks when they use bathrooms according to the sex they were assigned at birth.

Republican lawmakers’ rhetoric has emboldened some students and adults to feel freer to make hateful remarks, and LGBTQ+ youth are being affected by it.

“I’m hearing a lot of fear from youth,” said Jude Krajnyák, a regional coordinator for a research policy project at the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health. “Things everyone else gets to take for granted — like playing soccer in middle school — are rights that are being taken away from us.”

Krajnyák said he heard from a trans girl in middle school who gave up on playing soccer because she said “it’s just not worth” the backlash.

Currently, the Michigan High School Athletic Association determines eligibility for trans girls to play on girls teams on a case-by-case basis. The executive director of the association, Mark Uyl, makes the determination based on a number of factors, including what gender is recorded on the students’ school documents and other paperwork. Students are also asked whether they’ve begun hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries.

“The MHSAA asks for documentation on therapy and surgery as our policy allows for a waiver to be both approved and denied — and part of that decision is based on where in the transitioning process a student is at the time,” Geoff Kimmerly, director of communications for the association, told Chalkbeat.

The policy went into effect in 2012, according to the association. It aligned with federal law during the Obama administration, as well as federal requirements from the Office for Civil Rights during Trump’s first term and Biden’s presidency.

“The MHSAA follows and will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws,” said Kimmerly in a statement. “We are monitoring developments in this regard closely.”

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Vitti talks pot dangers, fighting poverty, and what Michigan needs in the next state superintendent

2025-05-29T17:35:35+00:00

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MACKINAC ISLAND – Beyond its struggles with chronic absenteeism and academics, another ongoing challenge for Detroit’s public school district is a “disruptive” proliferation of marijuana.

“It’s so accessible and prevalent now within the city and metro Detroit, it’s easy for everyday kids to come into contact with edibles,” Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told BridgeDetroit about an influx of dispensaries in recent years.

Vitti said the district has at least one incident a week when students between third and 12th grade are either experimenting with edibles or don’t know the products they are consuming are laced with marijuana.

“We haven’t lost any children, but it leads to vomiting, hallucinations, and kids being rushed to the hospital, which is traumatic and disruptive to the learning environment,” he said.

The Detroit public schools leader has been vocal about his concerns over the volume of marijuana businesses. In March, Detroit’s City Council approved an ordinance that bans advertisements for marijuana and nicotine vapes within 1,000 feet of schools, libraries, parks, recreation centers and other places likely to attract children. For its part, Vitti said the district is consistent with robocalls, letters, discussions with students and backpack checks – but a more aggressive campaign about the dangers of marijuana, responsible storage, and edibles are in order.

In the last five years, the state’s poison control center received about 1,500 reports of kids under 6 being exposed to or ingesting CBD, THC, or other cannabis products.

“We need ads, billboards, similar to what we saw in the ‘90s with cigarette campaigns. That worked. As long as we can educate our families and our children, we can curb it,” he said.

Vitti detailed the concerns during a wide-ranging interview with BridgeDetroit during the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference and discussed building repairs, plans to phase out low-enrollment schools as well as absenteeism, his future goals, and the expectation of a bond to continue capital upgrades.

With less than two weeks left in the school year, Vitti said things are trending positively.

Graduation and literacy rates are improving, and a high school attendance incentive program has yielded some positive results, too. The program offered students $200 gift cards for perfect attendance over certain two-week periods this school year. The district, he said, saw a 2% increase in average daily attendance and an 8% drop in chronic absenteeism. The effort will continue next year and there’s potential to expand it to middle school students, he said.

During the 2023-24 school year, 66% of students in the district were chronically absent, which means they missed 10 or more days during the school year. Issues related to the city’s high rate of poverty have fueled the problem.

Vitti said the district has worked to attack concentrated poverty through health hubs, mental health support, and medical services, family resource centers that offer canned goods and other nonperishable items, eviction prevention services, and utility aid. It’s serving thousands of families, he said.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s the district that should be doing that. But this is how we’re filling the gaps in a society that still hasn’t built out the right social networks to fill the gaps of poverty,” Vitti said during the Wednesday interview at the Grand Hotel.

The services, he said, are privately funded for the next two to three years and “it’s something we hope to sustain and scale as we go into the future.”

Vitti also reiterated the district’s use of $700 million in federal pandemic dollars toward building upgrades. Part of that is phasing out schools with low enrollments, he said.

Some schools are upwards of 80 years old and there aren’t residency rate increases. The district, he said, wants to put students in the best buildings possible, but DPSCD is avoiding random school closures, which wasn’t the case under emergency management.

“We were intentional with phase-outs,” he said. DPSCD’s facility master plan calls for phasing out low-enrollment schools over the next several years.

The end of this year won’t see those changes, but possibly next year to get ahead of potential federal cuts in Congress, Vitti said. “If we accelerate the closeout of about four to five schools, we might generate anywhere from $11 [million] to $19 million in general fund that we can use to possibly fill gaps that are created at the federal level that may not happen going into this school year, but the following school year.

“We’ve been phasing out those schools for the last three years, parents are well aware that this would come,” he said. “It was a way to not pull the rug out on those families.”

Other concerns looming for the district include the uncertainty surrounding Medicaid reimbursement, other federal programs that support educational services, and initiatives being floated that could impact the budget.

Vitti’s second contract renewal as superintendent is set to expire at the end of 2028.

He’s proud of the work he’s done in the past eight years for the district to be “now operating normally,” but said there’s much more to do.

DPSCD has seen some achievement gains, but overall proficiency on state exams remains low. Vitti said he has a “sense of pride” over the improvements, “but I’m not satisfied.”

“Our improvement in achievement is the highest it’s ever been as a district, but narrowing the gap between us and the state is what I want to continue to do,” he said. “We’ve seen anywhere from 3 to 5 percentage point improvements, which is a positive trajectory from even the state that’s been stagnant or declining. Obviously, we’re doing something better and differently, but it’s maturing systems, processes, and continuing to develop leaders.”

In the midst of a 2025 city election year, Vitti stressed he has no interest in the concept of an education commission in which he, school board members, and representatives from city government would discuss school-level issues.. It’s a concept that has been proposed in the past but been met with pushback.

“The people of Detroit elected a school board and that school board is elected and in power. It took a long time to get to this point and our track record of success is clear; whatever data point you want to look at, we’ve improved,” he said.

Vitti cited a reduction in teacher vacancies and a boost in teacher pay and retention. Detroit, he said, is now near the top in teacher retention in metro Detroit, and the DPSCD graduation rate is at 78%, only 4 percentage points away from the state average of 82%.

“The conversation (among mayoral candidates) should be less about ‘We should do something different from the governance point of view’ and think more about partnerships. How do we fill gaps that our families and our students experience through city partnerships,” he said.

“[Outgoing] Mayor [Mike] Duggan has done a great job of saying, ‘I’m gonna focus on the city, you focus on the school district. Let’s collaborate on things you can help me with and I can help you with,’” he said.

On Wednesday, Herb Strather, a real estate investor and chairperson of Strather Associates, said he is pitching plans to save two of the Detroit Renaissance Center towers pegged for demolition as part of billionaire Dan Gilbert’s redevelopment proposal.

Strather said he’s hoping to bring the idea to Duggan and General Motors Co. during the policy conference.

Strather said the Detroit Association of Realtors is seeking to purchase the towers from GM, and the concept calls for one to be used as a data storage facility. The other would be renovated into dormitories for 3,000 homeless students identified within DPSCD.

“It’s in our city’s interest to keep these buildings,” Strather said.

Vitti said the concept shows some promise, so long as someone else renovates the aging tower. Chronic absenteeism is directly connected to housing stability, but Vitti said DPSCD has enough on its plate with upgrading aging buildings.

“If the right people come to the table and the funding is there, there’s certainly an opportunity to create maybe a boarding school for boys or for girls or for families, just to continue to address the instability of housing,” Vitti said.

With the planned retirement of State Superintendent Michael Rice, Vitti also shared thoughts on what he’s seeking in Rice’s replacement: alignment and coherence.

Michigan students continue to struggle. The state’s fourth and eighth graders were behind peers nationwide in reading and about the same in math, according to 2024 data released earlier this year from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

“Michigan continues to lag behind other states because we just don’t have coherency around what we should be doing in K-12,” he said. “Everyone agrees we need to do better. Most people agree on that, but we haven’t really seen alignment between whoever is in the governor’s seat, the legislature, and the Michigan Department of Education.

“As we look to the future – whether we are talking about a new state superintendent or a new governor – I think that’s going to be key if we’re going to improve systemically across the state.”

Vitti remains encouraged and motivated by Detroit and said he is not interested in the state-level post.

“But I’m certainly encouraging others to apply and talking to people on the side about who I think is the right person,” he said. “Ultimately, it should be someone who has a systemic view of what Michigan needs to improve systematically and has the track record of building those systems across the entire state, or at least a large district.”

As for his future with Detroit’s public schools, Vitti said academic and enrollment gains will be his focus throughout the remainder of his contract.

“Those are the couple things that I still want to accomplish,” he said. “Then hopefully, if I feel like it’s time and the board thinks it’s time to be part of a succession management process and we all agree on who the next superintendent is, I can help that person transition and the work can continue with continuity and not disruption.”

Christine Ferretti is the managing editor for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at cferretti@bridgedetroit.com.

Malachi Barrett is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. You can reach him at mbarrett@bridgedetroit.com.

Federal library funding cuts could mean the end of services for Michigan K-12 students

2025-05-13T22:50:25+00:00

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Proposed cuts to federal funding for local libraries could end essential services for Michigan students, particularly in rural and impoverished communities, according to state officials.

The Trump administration’s proposed 2025-26 budget would eliminate the federal department that provides funds to state library agencies. The cuts would mean the loss of nearly $4.8 million for the Library of Michigan, as well as grants that support Native American libraries in the state. The funding provides services that support K-12 students, such as early literacy programs, as well as access to the internet, technology, testing materials, tutorials, and online databases.

While most of the state’s library dollars come from local sources, rural, small, and lower-income communities struggle to raise enough revenue to maintain basic services and must rely on federal funds, said Diane Golzynski, deputy superintendent of business, health, and library services for the Michigan Department of Education, during a State Board of Education meeting on Tuesday.

Potential cuts to statewide library services come as the number of school librarians in the state are dwindling and gaps in student literacy achievement are widening.

On March 14, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling to eliminate funding for the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services – the largest source of funding for state library agencies– as well as several other agencies.

Since then, 21 states, including Michigan, sued the federal government arguing the cuts would effectively dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services and two other agencies. The complaint argues that the executive order violated federal law because the institutions were created and funded by Congress.

A federal judge earlier this month issued a preliminary injunction in the case, temporarily preventing the cuts.

The Library of Michigan recently was notified it will receive federal funding already granted in a contract through the end of September 2026, said State Librarian Randy Riley during the board meeting.

“But after that, everything’s up for grabs,” he said, adding that the cuts proposed in Trump’s budget “would be terrible for what we do.”

Riley said there’s a risk that the statewide public database services the Library of Michigan provides – including the Michigan eLibrary, which gives access to online books, and the Michigan eLibrary Catalog, which lets residents order physical copies of books from collections in other parts of the state to their local libraries – could end or be significantly altered.

Or, the state might need to increase funding for local libraries to replace potential federal funding shortfalls in the future, Riley said.

The role of Michigan’s 397 local libraries in K-12 literacy has become more important over the years, advocates say, as school libraries have become more rare.

The number of school libraries in the state is unclear. However, data on the number of full-time certified librarians employed by districts suggests funding for school libraries has declined significantly in recent years.

The state ranks 47th in the nation for school librarians per student, according to the most recently available data analysis. The number of school librarians in the state dropped 73% between 2000 and 2016 – one of the biggest declines in the country.

Decades of research show access to well-sourced libraries and certified librarians help improve student outcomes.

In a recent national assessment, Michigan ranked 44th in the nation for fourth-grade reading.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Alternative high school teacher Corey Rosser named Michigan Teacher of the Year

2025-05-06T20:27:17+00:00

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A man who teaches social studies at an alternative high school in Lapeer County is Michigan’s newest top teacher.

Corey Rosser was named Michigan Teacher of the Year Tuesday in a surprise announcement at Quest High School. The school is part of the North Branch Area Schools just north of metro Detroit.

Rosser was one of 10 Michigan teachers named in February by the Michigan Department of Education as regional teachers of the year for the 2025-26. About 500 teachers were nominated for the state’s highest teacher recognition award.

“Corey is incredibly gifted at connecting with students who have struggled in a traditional program,” North Branch Superintendent Jim Fish Tuesday said in a news release from the MDE. “The relationships he builds with students are instrumental in guiding them to believe in themselves and their future.”

Quest High, which has around 40 students, opened in 2004, and Rosser has worked there since its opening.

“His approach of truly getting to know them on an individual basis, understanding their goals and the challenges they have faced, is crucial to the program,” Principal Doug Lindsay said in the MDE release.

Rosser “focuses on developing a relationship with his students and providing them the necessary support to achieve their goals” as soon as students join the program, Lindsay said.

Rosser said during the ceremony following the surprise announcement by State Superintendent Michael Rice that “I think you could throw a pebble down our hallway and probably find a teacher more deserving than me,” according to the release.

“I work with so many amazing people here … Really, to me this is all about a culmination of what our students have been working toward. We’ve had 580 or so graduates over 20 years. Any teacher knows they all remember you. They create a really special place to learn and a really special place to teach.”

After he was named a regional teacher of the year, Rosser told The County Press that if selected as the top educator in Michigan this year, he would advocate for alternative education students.

Rosser and the other nine regional teachers of the year will serve this year on the Michigan Teacher Leadership Advisory Council, lending a teacher voice to the most pressing issues facing the state’s education system.

He will attend monthly meetings of the State Board of Education as a non-voting member and serve on the Governor’s Educator Advisory Council. He will also be Michigan’s nominee for the 2025 National Teacher of the Year award.

Here are the other nine regional teachers of the year:

Susan Solomon, an elementary teacher at JKL Bahweting Anishnabe Public School Academy in Sault Ste. Marie.
Thomas Schultz, a science teacher at Charlevoix Middle/High School in Charlevoix Public Schools.
Sarah Kresnak, an elementary teacher at Discovery Elementary School in Kentwood Public Schools.
Heather Wolf, a social studies teacher at Shepherd High School in Shepherd Public Schools.
Becky Manore, a Spanish teacher at Grand Ledge High School in Grand Ledge Public Schools.
Lindsey Cook, an elementary teacher at Sonoma Elementary School in Harper Creek Community Schools.
Deidra LaPointe, an elementary teacher at Luther C. Klager Elementary School in Manchester Community Schools.
Stephanie Jaskolski, an English language arts teacher at Woodhaven Upper Elementary in Woodhaven-Brownstown School District.
Susan Kelsey-Brewton, a science teacher at Hope Academy in Detroit.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan commission calls for increased funding, efforts to reduce youth suicide

2025-05-02T18:06:48+00:00

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A state commission created in the wake of the 2021 deadly school shooting at Oxford High School has issued a final report that calls for steps to improve school safety, reduce youth suicides, and strengthen the mental health of students and their families.

The School Safety and Mental Health Commission was created in 2022 because of the Oxford shooting, which left four students dead, but also because of the student mental health challenges that soared during the pandemic and continue to be a concern.

Terry Dangerfield, superintendent for Lincoln Park Public Schools in Wayne County, said in a Thursday press release about the report that data shows about 16.5% of children between the ages of 0 and 17 have a diagnosable mental health disorder, and one in five have emotional or behavioral concerns.

“These numbers represent real students in classrooms who are trying to learn while struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or other serious concerns, ” said Dangerfield. Michigan, he said, must invest in mental health resources to ensure students not only succeed academically but are able to “lead healthy, full lives.”

The report, which is dated April 14 but was publicly released Thursday, includes 10 recommendations for policymakers. It comes at a time when Michigan lawmakers have made school safety a priority. In January, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law legislation that would require every public school to have a behavior threat assessment and management team, require the Michigan State Police to create standardized terminology for use during school emergencies, and require the MSP to make training available to schools on how to use threat assessment materials, among other new initiatives.

Lawmakers in the Michigan Legislature are currently weighing additional safety bills that would create a comprehensive “school-community mental health system” and put additional crisis teams in schools.

Here are some of the recommendations. To read the full report and all of its recommendations, go here.

The state must provide consistent funding on a per pupil basis to support schools in ensuring they are provided with the resources needed to support their students.
The state must work with schools to ensure that the true impact of policy changes is understood, because policy changes can create additional burdens for districts and require them to hire additional staff or enter into costly contracts. Michigan schools currently struggle to hire mental health professionals because of shortages.
Minimize risk for suicidal behaviors by promoting safe environments, resiliency, and connectedness. Increase awareness of warning signs, provide opportunities for selective screening of high-risk youth, train on risk assessment and communication strategies for youth at-risk for suicide, and improve referral channels to facilitate care for youth at-risk for suicide in their communities.
Increase and expand access to care to support those at risk of suicide.
Improve suicide prevention training and education for school staff and volunteers.
Continuing to expand the 988 (a suicide and crisis hotline) line’s accessibility, including adding text and chat capabilities, with the aim of reducing youth suicide Michigan.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

DOGE cuts to AmeriCorps leave Michigan tutoring program searching for new funding

2025-05-01T22:40:35+00:00

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A Michigan program that deploys reading and math tutors to schools to help struggling students faces an uncertain future because of Trump administration cuts.

Holly Windram, the executive director of the Michigan Education Corps, said she learned Friday that the federal Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, had terminated funding for AmeriCorps, a government agency focused on national service and volunteerism.

That affects the Michigan Education Corps work because it is part of AmeriCorps.

The immediate impact came this week with a stop-work order from the Michigan Community Service Commission, the administrative agent for the AmeriCorps program in Michigan. And it means funding for the 2025-26 school year that had been included in the continuing budget resolution Congress passed in March has also been terminated.

The cuts don’t just affect education programs like the academic intervention provided by the Michigan Education Corps. AmeriCorps programs also affect disaster response, public health, economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, and other areas. Those programs also face an uncertain future.

“This is an urgent situation,” Windram said of the wide scope of the cuts. “This is an absolute disaster for our communities.”

The cuts have the potential to upend efforts to improve student achievement across the nation. Many districts had used federal pandemic relief money to provide tutoring in an attempt to help students recover from the public health crisis. But that money has dried up and the AmeriCorps volunteers have helped maintain that work in many schools.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel earlier this week joined with 22 other attorneys general as well as two states in filing a lawsuit challenging Trump administration’s termination of the grants and staffing cuts to the agency.

“The President and his administration’s ongoing disregard for the rule of law is once again on full display in their attempt to dismantle AmeriCorps,” Nessel said in a statement earlier this week. “By canceling grants and slashing AmeriCorps’ workforce, the administration is illegally undercutting a Congressionally established and funded independent agency, while harming communities across Michigan.”

Despite the stop-work order, the Michigan Education Corps has enough money to continue paying tutors through the end of the current school year.

“The question mark is next program year,” Windram said.

This uncertainty was unexpected for Windram. When Chalkbeat first talked to her about potential federal funding cuts on April 17, DOGE had already cut a significant portion of the AmeriCorps staff but Windram was optimistic because the budget resolution had kept the funding for the next school year. Now she has to step up efforts to seek additional funding.

Windram has worked to diversify the program’s funding, and currently federal funding covers about 20% of the cost. She’ll now need to find sources of funding that can cover what will be lost if the federal funding cuts stand.

There is much at stake. The program serves 3,740 students from age 3 through grade 8 (the agency includes an early childhood component). Data shows that 75% of them meet or exceed their academic growth target. Windram said that’s important because the program isn’t just seeking to demonstrate growth with students, but instead seeking to have them close achievement gaps.

At Ralph J. Bunche Elementary School in Ecorse, a wall of fame in a hallway features students who were placed in the reading intervention program and have improved enough to no longer need the help. The smiling students are photographed holding their certificates, some posing with their tutors. The wall is a symbol of the impact of the work that happens when the tutors meet one-on-one with the struggling students.

When Chalkbeat visited Ralph J. Bunche Elementary School in Ecorse on April 4, there was already concern about whether the reading and math tutors would be able to continue beyond the current school year.

“That is very worrisome,” said Sandra Fuoco, the school’s Title I teacher, whose position is funded by federal money. “I have my interventionist wondering what’s going to happen? Do they look for a new job over the summer? They want to come back. They’re wonderful, wonderful workers, and we don’t want to lose them.”

The AmeriCorps cuts are happening as uncertainty swirls about potential federal education funding cuts that could affect everything from school meals for students to early childhood programs. Fuoco and Bunche Principal Toyre Burks worry that politicians and policymakers proposing such cuts don’t understand how much cuts could affect students.

“I have my concerns around us being able to meet our kids where they’re where they’re at,” Burks said. “We’re in an at-risk district. Our kids, they need the breakfast, lunch, sometimes even dinner and snacks that we’re giving them.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

These are the education reforms Michigan lawmakers want to make so far in 2025

2025-04-25T21:47:10+00:00

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More than three months into the 2025 legislative session, Michigan lawmakers have introduced new proposals that aim to make schools safer, allow home-schooling students to take more classes in public schools, and put more restrictions on closing school buildings.

Since taking control of the House, Republicans have introduced a flurry of proposed legislation they say will help improve student achievement, in addition to bipartisan school safety efforts that have potential to pass muster with the Democrat-controlled Senate and governor’s office.

Having accomplished most of their education policy priorities in the last legislative session and with less leverage this year, Democrats have introduced fewer bills so far this legislative session compared to last year.

This year, however, both parties introduced bills that aim to limit student cellphone use. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for such reforms in her State of the State address earlier this year.

Here is a round up of some of the education bills currently moving through the legislature:

Senate Bill 76, introduced by Sen. Michael Webber, a Republican from Rochester Hills, would require public and private schools to install mobile panic alert systems. The systems would notify law enforcement, first responders, and school staff of school emergencies, such as active shooter situations. Another bill would allocate around $6.7 million in state funding to install the new systems by September 2027. The bills were referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

House Bill 4315, introduced by Rep. Mike Harris, a Republican from Waterford, would require the Office for School Safety, the Michigan State Police, the attorney general, and the Michigan Department of Education to develop school safety and security training materials and best practices. All public and private school staff in the state would participate in annual training developed by the agencies. The training would be tailored to staff member’s roles. Another bill would require schools to ensure their staff complete the training by the 2026-27 school year. The bills were referred to the House Education and Workforce Committee.

Senate Bill 204, introduced by Sen. Stephanie Chang, a Democrat from Detroit, would require local school districts and charter schools to create policies around closing school buildings. The procedures would include creating transition plans for student records to new schools, notifying families and employees of the school with at least one-month notice, and holding at least one public meeting before closing the building. The bill was referred to the Senate Education Committee.

House Bill 4330, introduced by Rep. Jennifer Wortz, a Republican from Quincy, would allow home-schooling or private school students to enroll in any class at their local public schools. Currently, the law only allows state funding to be used for home-schooling and private school students to attend elective courses and excludes them from taking core subjects (math, English, science, and social studies) at public schools. The bill was referred to the House Education and Workforce Committee.

House Bill 4345, introduced by Rep. Cameron Cavitt, a Republican from Cheboygan, would provide exceptions to minimum school hour and day requirements for schools in northern Michigan counties that were impacted by the March ice storm. Because the severe weather and its aftermath forced schools to close for many days, their school years would otherwise have to run much longer than usual. The bill was referred to the House Education Committee.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan lawmakers answer Gov. Whitmer’s call for legislation limiting student cellphone use

2025-04-22T20:53:33+00:00

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Democratic senators answered Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s call for legislation to limit student cellphone use and classroom distractions in response to Michigan’s lagging performance on recent state and national assessments.

A bill filed this week would require local school boards to develop policies around the use of wireless devices for all grade levels starting in the 2025-26 school year. The legislation allows flexibility for local districts to decide how the use of electronic devices will be limited for their students.

“I believe that each school district should be able to devise a policy that is right for the school community it serves, which is why my legislation provides flexibility for schools to create plans that best suit their needs,” Sen. Dayna Polehanki, a Democrat from Livonia who introduced the bill, said Tuesday during a Senate Education Committee hearing.

A Republican House proposal seeks to require more restrictive policies. That bill would entirely ban students in kindergarten through fifth grade from bringing phones to school. It would also disallow middle schoolers from using mobile devices at any point during the school day and prohibit use for high schoolers during class.

Whitmer, a Democrat, asked lawmakers for bipartisan legislation to combat the detrimental effect smartphones and social media may have on student mental health and educational outcomes during her State of the State address in February.

Her policy push came after a national assessment showed Michigan students are still struggling to get back to where they were before COVID-era school closures.

Many other states have passed similar legislation amid a national push to restrict cellphone use in schools.

Around 90% of educators surveyed in 2024 supported districts adopting policies limiting the use of phones during instructional time, according to a poll by the National Education Association, a teachers union.

In Michigan, some school districts have already implemented their own policies, such as requiring students to place their phones in magnetically sealed bags during the school day. Some principals and superintendents report anecdotal evidence of fewer suspensions, less bullying, and improved student achievement.

However, empirical evidence is limited, and new research suggests varied results.

Under the Michigan Senate proposal — which is also sponsored by Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat from Royal Oak, and Erika Geiss, a Democrat from Taylor — districts could limit or ban the use of mobile devices on school grounds during instructional time, lunch, breaks, and recess, as decided by local boards.

One of the main criticisms of school bans on mobile devices comes from students and parents who fear they would not be able to get in touch with each other during emergencies.

The Senate proposal would require school policies to make exemptions for emergencies.

Devices for medical needs, or those included in a student’s individualized education program would be allowed. The policies would also have to allow principals and chief administrators to make other exemptions at their discretion.

Districts would be required to post their cellphone policies on their websites.

Olivia Ponte, the legislative liaison for the Michigan Department of Education, said the agency supports the Senate bill because it addresses the need to put restrictions in place but allows for flexibility.

“A one size fits all approach would not work in Michigan,” she said. “What works in a large urban district may not work in a small rural one.”

Under this proposal, one district could altogether ban cellphone use while another may allow them only for educational purposes.

Venessa Keesler, president and CEO of Launch Michigan, a bipartisan nonprofit education advocacy group, said this bill could help students be better prepared for the workforce.

“When we’re in our cellphone, we’re only interacting with the people who are most directly related to us or who we want to interact with,” she said. “We aren’t in different groups of people. We aren’t working on that conflict resolution, that communication, that teamwork.”

Keesler added, “If we really want our students to be prepared for the future, they have to be able to do more than just interact on their wireless devices.”

Jennifer Smith, director of government relations for the Michigan Association of School Boards, said her organization supports the bill.

Smith said some school board members are concerned about the requirement to enact policies by the start of the next school year, asking for more time for local boards to have discussions and get public input.

Polehanki said she is willing to reconsider the timeline of the bill.

The senator also said she is drafting an additional provision to ensure districts enforce the policies they adopt.

There are still several more steps in the legislative process before the bill can become law. The Senate Education Committee will vote to move the bill forward to the full governing body. After passing a vote in the Senate, the bill would move to the House before being signed by the governor.

The House Education and Workforce Committee is scheduled to discuss the Republican proposal during a meeting on Wednesday.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Republican school safety bills move forward in Michigan House

2025-04-16T23:17:43+00:00

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Amid a bipartisan push to improve school safety and students’ mental health, Republican lawmakers have put forward a package of bills that aims to create a comprehensive “school-community mental health system” and put additional crisis teams in schools.

The bill package cleared a legislative hurdle on Wednesday when the House Education and Workforce Committee voted to move it forward.

Last year, the legislature passed several bipartisan school safety bills that were introduced after a student shot and killed four students at Oxford High School in 2021. Those measures took lawmakers more than three years to approve, in part, because Democrats wanted to include gun reforms in proposed measures, and Republicans wanted to leave those measures out. A bipartisan House of Representatives school safety task force also researched the issues and interviewed school and public safety officials, community members, and survivors of school shootings, including Oxford, and their families.

Democrats eventually altered their proposals to gain support from Republicans.

Some of the newly introduced Republican bills touch on areas the original school safety task force agreed would be priorities: physical security, mental health, data processes, staff, and education. The bills do not address firearms and criminal justice, which were also among the original goals of the task force.

Rep. Kelly Breen, a Democrat from Novi, said in a March 26 hearing for the bills she was “alarmed” that the legwork the taskforce did and the input from school and public safety officials was not reflected in the new Republican bills. For example, Breen said the bills require hiring of hundreds of new mental health staff while schools already struggle to fill open positions.

One of the bills that moved forward this week would require every intermediate school district — or regional agencies that work with the Michigan Department of Education and local school districts to develop programs and meet goals — in Michigan to hire a mental health coordinator to develop and implement the comprehensive system. It would integrate community or faith-based mental health services in public and private schools. Few details about how this would play out in schools were available.

With state funds, the coordinator would also facilitate and deploy a behavioral health care technology platform for schools, as well as oversee and monitor Medicaid billing and the Caring 4 Students program, which partially reimburses school districts for mental health services for students who are eligible for Medicaid.

The bill would also require each ISD to have at least one emergency and safety manager to serve as a liaison between state and local school and law enforcement entities. The manager would perform risk assessments, facilitate response training with schools, and implement prevention programs.

It could cost an estimated $16.8 million in state funding for every ISD in the state to add the staff, according to a fiscal analysis of the bill. Schools would not have to meet the requirements if the state does not allocate the money to fund the positions, according to the bill.

The House Education and Workforce Committee voted to move the bill forward during a meeting Wednesday.

Republican state Reps. Nancy DeBoer, Rylee Linting, Joseph Fox, Tom Kunse, Joseph Pavlov, and Alicia St. Germain voted in favor of moving the bill to a vote in the full House. Democratic state Reps. Matt Koleszar and Regina Weiss voted against it.

Democratic state Reps. Jimmie Wilson Jr. and Erin Byrnes abstained, as did Republican state Rep. Brad Paquette.

Here’s what the other new Republican proposals would do

Require every public school to establish its own crisis team by July 1, 2026. The team would be responsible for initiating lockdowns, helping evacuate students and staff, as well as reuniting families after a safety crisis. The teams would include the school’s principal, vice principal, a school resource officer, and other school personnel. Private schools would have to establish an emergency operations plan.
Change the requirement for public schools to review their emergency preparedness plans with local law enforcement from every two years to every three years. Private schools, which currently are not required to share their plans, would also have to adhere to the requirement.
Local schools that don’t currently have temporary locking systems – or systems that immediately lock doors as a barrier in active shooter situations – would have to install them.
Increase the number of lockdown drills schools must complete each school year from three to four. At least one of the drills would have to take place during lunch, recess, or another time when students are gathered outside of classrooms. At least one would have to take place between class periods.
Require public and private school identification cards to include contact information for the OK2SAY program, which facilitates anonymous tips on potential threats to school and student safety. An existing provision that schools are not legally liable when suicide prevention numbers are not included on student IDs would be extended to situations in which schools don’t include OK2SAY information.
Require the Michigan Department of Heath and Human Services to make materials related to suicide, depression, and anxiety available to private schools that request it. Public schools can already receive such materials.
Require the Michigan State Police’s Office of School Safety to compile quarterly reports on the OK2SAY tips it receives for the School Safety and Mental Health Commission.

The bills will go forward for a full vote in the Republican-controlled House. In order to become law, they would also need to pass votes in the Democratically controlled Senate, and be signed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Earlier this year, Whitmer signed several other school safety bills into law. Among the measures, public schools now must have behavior threat assessment and management teams.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan parents of students with disabilities feel ‘hopeless’ as civil rights cases remain in limbo

2025-04-14T10:00:00+00:00

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There was a time George Finley Jr. was on the honor roll.

After the seventh grader started having epileptic seizures a couple of years ago, he experienced memory loss. Now, he’s far behind where he should be academically. The Detroit Public Schools Community District agreed in November to pay for outside tutoring to help him catch up, records show.

That still hasn’t happened, and the school year is near its end.

“My son is not progressing,” said his mother, Sheri King.

She was close to getting an answer from the district. But the Trump administration gutted the U.S. Department of Education’s workforce weeks later, and the civil rights attorney who was helping facilitate King’s communication with George’s school stopped responding to her emails. His position, along with hundreds of others, was eliminated. With new leadership, the department shuttered more than half of its regional civil rights enforcement offices, which had investigated and resolved complaints for decades. Now, remaining offices must take on the backlog of cases.

King is in the same position as many families in Michigan and across the country. Parents of students with disabilities and those who experience racial discrimination or sexual violence in schools are uncertain of the fate of their federal complaints. Many say they have not gotten updates on their cases since the regional offices closed. Some, like King, fear what the future will look like for their children.

Hundreds of federal civil rights cases were put on hold after President Donald Trump took office in January. On Feb. 20, Craig Trainor, now the deputy assistant secretary for policy in the Office for Civil Rights, ended the pause on cases that solely dealt with disability discrimination. Staff were still told not to pursue race- and sex-based discrimination cases. At the same time, under new guidance, targeted investigations of school programs that promote diversity and policies that support transgender students were initiated.

Sheri King and her son, George, pose for a portrait in Detroit.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon lifted the freeze on all cases on March 6. However, the department laid off the staff of seven of its 12 civil rights enforcement offices on March 12. The closures included the Cleveland office, which handled cases for Michigan and Ohio.

Advocates said the move effectively decimated the department’s workforce and sabotaged its ability to enforce civil rights protections for students.

Former attorneys at the Department of Education said the nearly 50% reduction in staff will undoubtedly add to an existing backlog of cases.

“The reality is, cases aren’t moving, period,” one former Cleveland office staff attorney told Chalkbeat on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution.

The gutting of the department added to an existing backlog of thousands of open complaints. In Michigan alone, there are currently 782 civil rights cases under investigation, according to the department’s list of records published online. Of those, 462 are disability discrimination cases. Those investigations were opened before the dramatic changes to the department.

Michigan special education advocates said many of the parents they work with have not heard updates on their cases. Some had pending mediation hearing dates with their districts scheduled that have since passed.

Jacquelyn Binford, whose son, Rocco, is in first grade in Chippewa Valley Schools, was scheduled to have a mediation hearing on March 19 for a complaint she filed in December 2023. She hoped the district would agree to provide more occupational therapy to help her son develop his motor skills.

The district’s representative never responded to confirm the hearing date.

Since then, all of Michigan’s cases were assigned to the federal department’s Denver office. Binford said she hasn’t gotten any updates about the case.

“Here we are now,” Binford said. “This could have already been resolved.”

Chippewa Valley Schools did not respond to a request for comment on Binford’s case.

Detroit Public Schools Community District officials said they “respect the challenges that all parents with students” with individualized education programs, or IEPs, have.

The district said it will continue to “problem solve through the challenges they are facing to ensure their children succeed in school with the limited resources the District receives to educate each child with an IEP.”

Critical services, safety at stake for children, workers say

The Office for Civil Rights is charged with investigating and enforcing federal protections for students in K-12 schools, as well colleges and universities. It also facilitates mediations to come to voluntary agreements between parties.

The department is mandated to promptly investigate and resolve complaints against local and state education agencies as an impartial third party.

The federal laws it seeks compliance with include Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which ensures students with disabilities have a right to equal access to educational opportunities and services.

Quickly resolving complaints is crucial to the safety and educational outcomes of many children, former federal workers say.

“There could be a kid staying at home because they’re the survivor of sexual assault and there are no measures in place to ensure their safety,” the former Cleveland staff member said. “Or there could be a student with a behavior plan that’s not being implemented and that student is being restrained.”

Before his departure, the attorney said there was a case close to mediation that involved a high school student in a juvenile detention facility. The complaint alleged the facility did not have the special education services that would allow the child to graduate.

“I did feel like there could be a pathway to see this kid graduate,” the attorney said. “We had to cancel mediation because we were told not to do any communication with schools.”

Because the department missed the opportunity to intervene before the end of the school year, the attorney said the window to help the student graduate is gone.

A large part of the work of attorneys at the Cleveland office fell outside of investigations and mediations to reach early resolutions, another former staff member told Chalkbeat.

George Finley Jr. and his mother, Sheri King, hold hands.

In King’s case, a mediation agreement was already made. But, the mother told the attorney who was assigned to her original complaint that the district was not complying with the tutoring portion of the agreement.

The attorney was in the process of finding the point of contact in the district to finalize George’s enrollment and payment for the tutoring program before the Cleveland office was shuttered.

Binford said while she waits for an answer from Chippewa Valley Schools about whether they will provide in-school occupational therapy for Rocco, he struggles to keep up with his peers in gym class. He still needs help developing his muscles to open and close zippers, write, and cut food.

Michigan families are also awaiting the outcome of an Office for Civil Rights investigation that found the Michigan Department of Education allegedly violated the rights of students with disabilities during COVID-era school closures.

The state agency was accused of repeatedly giving incorrect information about students’ rights to parents and schools, according to legal filings. The federal investigation also alleged the state agency knew districts were failing to provide services to students with disabilities.

The federal investigation alleged students at the Michigan School for the Deaf, which is operated by the Michigan education agency, had their instructional time reduced by 43% during the 2020-21 school year. Students didn’t get speech language pathology, social work, or visual impairment consultation services for long periods of time, according to the federal agency.

The complaint seeks compensatory services for all students with disabilities in the state who were denied adequate educational support during that time.

Attorneys for the agency asked multiple times for the case to be thrown out. The Office for Civil Rights accused the state agency of attempting to shield itself from scrutiny and said in case filings it had not provided any proof that its alleged violations have been remedied.

Marcie Lipsitt, a special education advocate who filed the initial complaint against the state agency, said the administrative law judge assigned to the case was not impacted by the cuts to the Department of Education. She said a final hearing date for the administrative judge to issue a ruling has not yet been set.

“We’re still waiting every day to see what happens,” said Lipsitt.

The Michigan Department of Education has denied any wrongdoing.

Caseloads have doubled since federal cuts, former staff say

The federal Department of Education handles thousands of cases each year. In 2024, it received nearly 23,000 complaints.

Now that 240 staff members at the Office for Civil Rights have been laid off, those who remain are saddled with more than double their usual caseloads, according to former Cleveland attorneys.

Staff working at the regional offices that are still open also will have to learn the idiosyncrasies of state-specific laws. The attorneys who were laid off took with them decades of institutional knowledge, according to former staff.

A federal lawsuit filed on March 13 against the Education Department, Trainor, and McMahon, alleges the agency’s “complaint and investigation processing functions have fallen under attack.”

Two parents and the nonprofit association Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, including two Michigan members, are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs allege the department “has abdicated its responsibility to enforce civil rights protections, leaving students who should be able to trust and rely on their government to protect and defend their rights to instead endure discriminatory and unsafe learning environments without recourse.”

The Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment.

Michigan families say they have run out of options

Many families feel they have run out of options after years of fighting for their children to receive appropriate education and support.

Lyn Hollister, mother of twins in ninth grade in Tri County Area Schools, filed federal complaints in February and still hasn’t heard anything about their statuses.

Shelbie, Hollister’s daughter who has autism and mild cognitive impairment, is still waiting for the district to modify her curriculum to focus on life and job skills. As she waits, Shelbie is suffering from mental health issues because of the stress to meet grade level standards.

Last week, the district agreed to put Hollister’s other daughter, Makenzie, who has cognitive impairment and severe cerebral palsy, on a track to receive a high school completion certificate instead of a diploma. The change will allow Makenzie to get more thorough transition services after high school, her mother said.

Hollister requested the same for Shelbie but is still fighting for the change.

“When your child comes home on certain days they have struggled and wrap their arms around you crying because they are so overwhelmed that day because of what is put on them, you just break down,” she said. “And your hands are tied.”

A representative for Tri County Area Schools declined to comment on Hollister’s case.

Hollister said she plans on moving her daughters to another school in the fall. They qualify for a Section 105c waiver, which will allow them to attend a school outside of their district.

“We’re hoping in this new district, they can finally have a team to support our children to be the best that they can be,” she said.

Mother and son Sheri King and George Finley Jr. embrace for a portrait.

King, the Detroit mother, said if she could afford to, she would move to another part of the state in hopes of finding a district that might provide a better outcome for George.

Options like private school wouldn’t work for Rocco, said Binford.

“I worry he would be forgotten about,” she said. “They don’t have the resources or the training to support him in a private school. We really do rely on the public education system.”

In some cases, complaints filed with the federal department can be handled by state or local agencies. That depends on what protections states have covered in their own civil rights laws.

In Michigan, the state education agency’s Office of Special Education enforces compliance with parts of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and state law. The office investigates and mediates state-level complaints. Complaints can also be filed with local intermediate school districts.

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights enforces the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which includes protections from discrimination based on gender, sexuality, religion, race. It also enforces the state’s Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act.

Binford said since she hasn’t heard anything back from the federal office, she was advised by an advocate to make a mediation appointment with Macomb Intermediate School District.

Another avenue for parents are lawsuits. However, legal cases are costly and timely. The standard of proof in the court system is also higher than in administrative proceedings.

King said after years of fighting for her son, she is left with limited choices.

“I feel hopeless,” she said. “I don’t know where to go from here.”

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan state superintendent signals he won’t sign Trump’s anti-DEI certification

2025-04-10T22:48:44+00:00

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Michigan’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Rice on Thursday responded to the Trump administration’s demand to certify that it does not illegally promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education gave state education agencies 10 days to sign a certification that they are in compliance with the administration’s controversial interpretations of civil rights laws. The department said states that don’t sign will not receive any federal funding.

In his letter, Rice told the federal government the Michigan Department of Education had previously certified its compliance with civil rights laws, as all states are required to do so regularly. The superintendent also said he believes all of the state’s more than 800 local education agencies have also previously given the same assurances.

For instance, Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District — the state’s largest school system — told Chalkbeat Wednesday it “does not use preference or quotas regarding race in any area so that restriction does not apply to us.”

Rice said his letter would serve as the state’s response to the federal department’s April 3 demand.

Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement last week that states use DEI programs to “discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics.” Trainor alleged such programs violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race or shared ancestry.

Though schools must regularly certify Title VI compliance, the federal department’s demand goes a step further. It asks schools to confirm they are in compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. The decision meant colleges could no longer use race as a deciding factor in admissions. The Trump administration’s interpretation of the precedent is that it bans many diversity practices and programs.

Rice said in a memo to local school leaders any programs in Michigan schools that may be considered to fall under the broad definition of DEI do not illegally discriminate against any groups of students.

“Many efforts to promote programs that support diversity and inclusion seek to expand opportunities, not limit them, and therefore do not discriminate,” said Rice in the letter.

The superintendent told Chalkbeat in February that President Donald Trump’s January executive order attempting to ban DEI in schools would not change the state’s efforts to incorporate curriculum that reflects its diverse student body.

Rice said in addition to those efforts, many federally mandated services could be considered DEI, such as educating students in the least restrictive learning environment.

“Pre-K-12 programs that promote diversity representing all children, regardless of race, and inclusion of all children, regardless of race, do not inherently harm particular groups of children and are not de facto violations of Title VI,” said Rice.

States have until April 24 to sign.

Other state education agency leaders have had mixed responses.

In Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, top education leaders said they will not sign the certification. Similarly to Rice, they said their states already certify compliance with civil rights laws.

The Indiana Department of Education said it will sign the certification and collect signed forms from local schools.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan State Superintendent Michael Rice announces retirement

2025-04-04T20:11:58+00:00

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Michigan State Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Rice announced Friday he is retiring from his position.

Rice’s retirement from leading the Michigan Department of Education will be effective Oct. 3.

“It’s been an honor to serve Michigan’s 1.4 million public school children over the last six school years,” said Rice in a statement.

Rice was appointed to his position by the State Board of Education in May 2019.

Pamela Pugh, president of the board, said in a statement Rice is committed to “putting children first.”

“Even in moments of disagreement, his focus on what was best for students never wavered,” she said.

Pugh cited the state’s highest recorded four-year graduation of 82.8% in 2024, measures to rectify the ongoing educator shortage, expansion of career and technical education, and expanded school mental health services, among the outcomes Rice helped the state attain.

In recent months, Rice was outspoken about school leaders’ obligations to enforce legal protections for LGBTQ+ students, as well as the state’s continuing efforts to make curriculum reflect diverse perspectives under the Trump administration.

But under Rice, Michigan public schools did face growing criticism, including from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, because of weak student performance on state and national exams.

Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Rice’s departure.

Rice defended the department’s record during a contentious House Appropriations subcommittee meeting last month.

“How do we keep going the wrong way and you still have a job?” said Rep. Timmy Beson, a Republican, during the hearing.

Rice said in response that “based on a number of metrics, we’re going in the right way,” citing rising graduation rates and the increased number of students entering postsecondary education.

Republican members of the State Board of Education last year criticized Rice’s public silence on the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights investigation of the state education department, which stemmed from allegations that the department violated the rights of students with disabilities during COVID-era school closures.

The state has denied any wrongdoing in the case, which is ongoing.

“I expect to return to working eye level with children, work that I have missed enormously these last six years and to which I look forward,” he said.

Before working at the state education department, Rice was superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools for 12 years and in Clifton, New Jersey for five.

Rice began his career in education teaching French in District of Columbia Public Schools.

He graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and graduated from New York University with a master’s degree and a doctoral degree in public administration.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan school buildings will need $23 billion in repairs and upgrades

2025-03-20T20:03:57+00:00

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A first-of-its-kind report says Michigan’s K-12 school buildings need $23 billion of work over the next decade — a dire situation that some superintendents said should prompt urgent policy discussions at the state level.

A large chunk of that dollar amount, $10.9 billion, is for basic needs such as repairing HVAC systems and roofing.

“Students deserve to learn in schools that ensure basic safety, health, and wellness standards are met,” Kenneth Gutman, superintendent of the Oakland Schools intermediate school district, said during a media roundtable Thursday. The study, he said, “tells us we are a long way from our schools meeting those basic standards.

But Michigan does not provide direct funding to schools for facilities. Districts must seek voter approval for funds to improve buildings and make major repairs.

“We know what the facility needs are, and so now we have to decide as a state, what do we want to do?” Gutman said.

The study was completed by the School Finance Research Foundation, which was created after state lawmakers called for a comprehensive report on the true cost of meeting basic K-12 education needs. The foundation has previously released studies showing what it costs to educate students — and the prevailing inequities in Michigan’s school funding system. Some of its findings have already prompted action by state leaders, including a system created under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that provides more funding to districts for the most vulnerable students, including those from low-income homes, students with disabilities, and English language learners.

This is the first time this group or anyone else has done such a comprehensive study of school buildings in the state. It doesn’t include the state’s nearly 300 charter schools, though, in part because most of their buildings are privately owned. The study also did not include school district administrative buildings, athletic facilities, and other district-owned facilities that don’t provide direct instruction to K-12 students.

During Thursday’s roundtable discussion, superintendents of seven intermediate school districts across Michigan spoke of the facility needs.

In rural and northern Michigan communities, districts have had to defer maintenance work, because it is becoming harder for them to pass bond proposals to fund facility improvement projects, said Nick Ceglarek, superintendent of the Northwest Education Services.

Meanwhile, the costs of upkeep keep growing. “As school districts defer replacement of these key systems and patch them and patch them and patch them, that really just increases their operating costs and takes more money away from the instructional process,” said Steven Ezikian, executive director of the research foundation.

The facility problems create inequities, superintendents at the roundtable said, because school districts in wealthier communities with higher property values can afford to raise money to fix buildings through voter-approved bond proposals, while less wealthy communities struggle.

As part of the study, which was conducted over two years, the research team evaluated 2,534 buildings in more than 500 school districts to determine the cost of having them meet health, safety, and wellness standards, said Steven Tunnicliff, superintendent of the Genesee Intermediate School District.

Engineers studied 89 individual components of a school facility, including HVAC, ventilation, lighting, electrical, fire alarms, plumbing, fire protection, foundations, staircases, elevators, and kitchens, Tunnicliff said.

For the most part, Ezekiel said, schools “have been doing a good job maintaining their buildings. We’re not looking at situations, for the most part, where buildings are falling apart.”

But they encountered a handful of buildings that were over 100 years old, and a number of buildings that were built before 1970.

The big concern raised in the study is whether schools will be able to address their facility needs over the next decade. That may be particularly important given the potential cuts to federal funding. The Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress seem determined to reduce spending across the board, including funding that supports education. It’s still unclear, though, how much of those cuts schools will have to deal with.

“The question is, how can we continue to support and elevate the level of funding in Michigan to properly and appropriately educate each of our scholars across this great state,” said Daveda Colbert, superintendent of the Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit and writes about Detroit schools. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan leaders push back on Trump’s attacks on DEI

2025-03-19T22:12:59+00:00

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The Michigan Senate this week passed a resolution to encourage schools and other institutions to adopt and uphold the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The move comes as some education leaders in the state have pushed back on President Donald Trump’s attempt to withhold federal funding from public K-12 schools that teach “discriminatory equity ideology” or “gender ideology.” The resolution was approved a week after the State Board of Education took its own action to support diversity in schools.

The resolution, introduced by state Sen. Stephanie Chang, a Democrat from Detroit, recognized diversity, equity, and inclusion,or DEI, as “essential foundational principles for achieving the American Dream.” It calls on educational institutions — as well as other entities across the state and the nation — to continue such efforts.

“As attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion continue at the federal level, we must remind ourselves that we’re not talking about an acronym — say each word and consider its impact for real people,” said Chang during the Tuesday afternoon Senate session. “We must consider our values and our responsibility to every Michigander, no matter who they are.”

Chang listed examples of DEI, including inclusive education for students with disabilities, Black history month programs on college campuses, and LGBTQ+ student centers.

The Senate voted along party lines, 19 to 18, to pass the resolution.

State Sen. Aric Nesbitt, a Republican from Lawton, said during the session he would vote against the resolution because the body should be focused on “real priorities.”

“We all want hardworking Michiganders to succeed, but not through a system that sacrifices merit for discriminatory quotas,” he said.

Resolutions are not laws and can be used in the Michigan legislature to call attention to issues.

Since Trump issued an executive order seeking to ban from schools anything “that treats individuals as members of preferred or disfavored groups” rather than as individuals, experts have questioned its legality and how it would be enforced in local schools.

Craig Trainor, the U.S. Department of Education’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote in a Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter that schools taking steps to enroll more students of color and hire more diverse staff would be investigated.

The Education Department announced last week it is investigating 45 schools, including Michigan universities, for offering programs and scholarships with eligibility based on students’ race.

Federal officials alleged the schools are violating the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin.

Michigan leaders have pushed back against the Trump administration’s attacks on DEI and attempts to ban lessons on race and racism.

Last week, the Democratically controlled State Board of Education passed a resolution “defending public education, civil rights, and democracy against executive orders and directives that threaten children and communities.”

The resolution, introduced by Democratic Board President Pamela Pugh, condemned Trump’s executive orders related to schools as “attacks on educational access.” It also asked the legislature to enact state-level protections for DEI, special education funding, and local control of curriculum.

The board’s resolution, which passed 5-2, asked local districts to maintain DEI within existing legal frameworks and to continue to provide safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Rice, center, during a recent State Board of Education meeting.

Michigan’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Rice said last month Trump’s executive order would not impact efforts to incorporate curriculum that reflects diverse perspectives.

Rice also sent a memo to local school leaders clarifying the Michigan Department of Education’s stance on the federal “Dear Colleague” letter.

Citing the Fourteenth Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act in the memo, Rice said educators must provide an education to every student, regardless of race, religion, or national origin.

The state superintendent also listed examples of DEI in Michigan’s public schools, such as diversity in literature, comprehensive history, grow-your-own student teacher programs, student advisory councils, and language access.

Rice said those efforts don’t discriminate on the basis of race but expand opportunities for students.

Rice also noted multiple federal laws prohibit the Department of Education from exercising control over local schools.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Trump Education Department layoffs challenged in court by 21 state attorneys general

2025-03-13T21:13:01+00:00

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A group of 21 Democratic attorneys general has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration aiming to stop the mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education.

The lawsuit comes days after the department announced it would cut its workforce nearly by half by the end of the month, a massive reduction that the U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said is a first step toward eliminating the department.

The layoffs represent President Donald Trump’s hostility to the Education Department, which he recently called a “big con job” and has promised to eliminate. As a matter of law, only Congress can eliminate the department. McMahon said the staff cuts reflect her department’s “commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.” But such deep cuts could leave the department unable to provide the services it has previously performed.

That has raised deep concerns among parents, educators, and advocates, which the state attorneys general are highlighting in their lawsuit. The suit states, for example, that the layoffs this week have led seven regional offices of the department’s Office for Civil Rights — including in Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia — to “have been closed down entirely.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is among the 21 state law enforcement officials who filed the suit Thursday, said in a statement that the lawsuit’s purpose is to “stop the targeted destruction of this critical federal agency that ensures tens of millions of students receive a quality education and critical resources.”

The lawsuit says the layoffs “are an effective dismantling of the Department,” and that decision to make the staff cuts “leaves the nation rudderless to provide the necessary funding, support, and enforcement that all 1.4 million Michigan students rely upon,” Nessel said.

“It’s dangerous, reckless, and unacceptable,” Nessel said.

Other attorneys general who filed the lawsuit shared similar sentiments.

“This evisceration of the agency will harm Coloradans, undermine our education system, and create chaos,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. “And it is plainly unconstitutional, as only Congress can lawfully dismantle the department that it created or shut down services it has required the federal government to fund.”

Nationally, Nessel said, U.S. Department of Education programs serve over 50 million K-12 students. In Michigan, the federal programs serve 1.4 million students. She noted that the 212,000 students with disabilities and the 681,000 Michigan students from low-income homes “are some of the primary beneficiaries of DOE services and funding.”

The lawsuit received support from Michigan State Superintendent Michael Rice and Pamela Pugh, the president of the State Board of Education.

“The slashing of staff at the U.S. Department of Education is an attempt to circumvent the authority of Congress regarding the protections of vulnerable children,” Rice said in a statement. “It is an outrage that, if unstopped, [the cuts] would have profound adverse impact on children’s education and supports across the country, as cuts at the U.S. Department of Education foreshadow cuts to education funding for thousands of districts and millions of public school children across the country.”

School districts nationwide are already bracing for cuts to federal funding that supports schools.

Last month, for example, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution that could mean 12 million students no longer automatically qualify for free meals. The resolution also calls for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce to cut spending by $330 billion over the next 10 years, although Republican proposals to reach that number have focused on higher education.

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, said at a school board meeting Tuesday that education leaders are anticipating a 25% cut. But it’s unclear whether that will be an across-the-board cut to federal programs or cuts to certain programs.

Nevertheless, he told board members the district is already beginning to prepare for various scenarios. More than 30% of the district’s annual budget relies on federal funding.

“Unfortunately, there’s a lot to be concerned about, but there are more questions than answers,” Vitti said.

Nessel and Weiser filed the lawsuit along with attorneys general for Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.

The lawsuit names as defendants McMahon and Trump in their official capacities, as well as the Education Department.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Whitmer touts pre-K enrollment as she asks the Michigan legislature for the funds to expand it

2025-03-12T23:47:03+00:00

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More than half of Michigan’s 4-year-olds enrolled in free preschool programs this year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday, touting the record enrollment as she seeks support for her goal of universal preschool.

More than 47,500 kids enrolled in the state’s Great Start Readiness Program, or GSRP, this school year, according to early reports from intermediate school districts. That’s a nearly 24% increase since the governor announced her plan in 2023 to gradually move to a universal prekindergarten initiative. When it is fully implemented, all 4-year-olds in the state will be eligible for the program, regardless of income.

The record enrollment in the program marked a step toward Whitmer’s goal of offering free preschool — one of the last remaining education policy priorities of her administration.

“In this year’s budget, we can build on this momentum to set up more kids for lifelong success and save even more families more money,” Whitmer said at a preschool in Livonia.

(The figure that Whitmer cited — that 56% of Michigan 4-year-olds were enrolled in free preschool this year — includes kids enrolled in federally funded Head Start, developmental kindergarten, and early childhood special education.)

The governor proposed entirely removing GSRP’s income eligibility requirements for families in next year’s state budget.

The proposal would also change the GSRP funding structure for local programs to be more aligned with the number of students applying, instead of just the number the program is currently able to serve.

Whitmer also proposed continuing some funds, including $28 million for transportation for GRSP students, $25 million in start-up grants to attract new providers, and $61 million to expand pre-K to 3-year-olds in the Strong Beginnings program.

Securing the funding for all of Whitmer’s initiatives may be a challenge this legislative session, as Democrats no longer have a trifecta over the state government. House Republicans approved a bare bones budget proposal last week — a move some Democrats called a ploy to get an advantage in budget negotiations. Republican lawmakers said they will flesh out a full funding plan later in the process.

While the governor announced her news in Livonia, hundreds of early childhood advocates were in Lansing as part of Early Childhood Capitol Day. Some said universal preschool isn’t a top priority when the early childhood system is struggling with inadequate funding and low pay.

The main challenge early educators say continues to make preschool for all a challenge is a shortage of teachers.

Angela Mentink, director of Early Impressions Preschool and Childcare in Jackson, said during a panel that legislators should look at what has worked in other states to attract and retain early educators, such as a pay equity fund or tax credits.

“There are options out there, and we need to come up with a plan really quickly before the crisis becomes any worse,” she said.

Michigan early childhood teachers often live in poverty, according to a 2022 report by the Michigan League For Public Policy. The most recently available salary analysis of the program shows GSRP teachers made a median annual salary of $43,094 in 2021-22.

Furqan Khaldun, the partnership director for Detroit Champions for Hope, said at the advocacy day legislators need to be intentional about the way the state attains pre-K for all.

Under the current child care system, Khaldun said the 4-year-olds in preschool subsidize the costlier care of infants to 3-year-olds in the same center. When those 4-year-olds are moved out of a child care center to a GSRP school, “it really jeopardizes the whole childcare system,” he added.

“We have to make sure that while we praise and want the pre-K for all, which is a good thing, we want to make sure there’s not any unintended consequences that could wreck the whole child care system,” he said.

Rachelle McKissick-Harris, a mother of three from Grand Rapids, said she went to Lansing to advocate for more support for families before kids get to preschool.

“I think universal pre-K is a good structure, but it needs to stretch beyond that,” she said. “It really needs to be universal early childhood.”

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

With control of the House, Michigan Republicans push for education reforms

2025-03-11T21:46:00+00:00

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With control of the House, Michigan Republicans are pushing myriad education policies including creating a new pathway for emergency teacher certification, keeping transgender students out of sports, and potentially cutting billions of dollars in funding for schools.

In the first three months of the legislative session, Republicans have offered a view into how they want to shape public education in the state now that Democrats have lost their trifecta over state government. Democrats, who still control the Senate and the governor’s office, will likely have more difficulty passing their education policy priorities this session, unless they focus on bipartisan measures.

The shift in power has already impacted state school budget negotiations this year, with Republican leaders taking a bullish approach.

Without advance notice last week, House Republicans passed a bare bones $15.6 billion education budget proposal they say would fund essential government functions if negotiations stall in the summer.

Speaker of the House Matt Hall said during a press conference Tuesday the proposal is a “government shutdown prevention plan” — not a fully fleshed out budget.

“For anyone to say that this is the Republican budget is absolutely false,” he said.

The budget proposal passed by the House only included funding for mental health and school safety, special education, and allocations to the Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System. The proposal would increase the foundation amount local districts get per student from $9,608 to $10,025. It left out funding for everything else, including transportation and school meals.

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month proposed a $21.2 billion education budget that also would increase the foundation allowance. Her proposal also included increased funding for students considered to be “at-risk,” early literacy grants, early childhood education, and special education.

Democrats expressed concerns last week over the proposal the House moved forward, calling it a ploy to get an unfair advantage in budget negotiations.

“This is a sad day for Michigan students and families,” said State Rep. Stephanie Young, a Democrat from Detroit, in a prepared statement. “Every Republican in this chamber voted to put students at risk of not receiving the quality education they deserve, whether it’s kids learning on an empty stomach or losing out on quality investments in classroom programs.”

On Tuesday, Hall also highlighted bills introduced by Republicans so far this session that will “reform the education system” in the state.

“We developed this education plan that focuses on real life skills,” he said.

The House Education and Workforce Committee last week moved forward a bill that would let local schools issue temporary teaching certificates and another that would get rid of fees for those applying to become educators. Both bills were introduced in an effort to address the state’s ongoing teacher shortage.

In order to become law, those bills will have to go to a vote in the full House. The Democratically controlled Senate would then have to approve them before being signed into law by Whitmer.

House Bill 4153, which moved to the House for a full vote, would allow public schools to issue local teaching certificates. The certificates would only allow those individuals to teach a specific subject in the districts in which they are issued. Special education teaching certification would not be included.

Those who receive the certification would have to hold a degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the same subject area and have graduated with at least a 3.0 grade point average.

The certificates would be temporary and not last longer than five years, unless the certification is for teaching career and technical education. The bill also has a sunset provision to end the authorization after July 1, 2035.

The current law only allows people with state teaching certificates to work in public schools unless they meet alternate requirements. Requirements for Michigan teaching certificates, which are issued only to those who pass state teaching exams, are determined by the state superintendent.

Also under the current law, teachers in their first three years working in classrooms must be assigned a master teacher as their mentor. This bill would make exemptions for those teaching with local certification.

House Bill 4150 would get rid of fees for people applying for teaching certificates, endorsements, and permits. The Michigan Department of Education, or MDE, would not be allowed to charge fees to receive or process the applications. The same would apply to renewals.

It can cost from $50 up to $210 for initial application fees, depending on the type of permit or certification and whether the educator is applying from out of state. Renewal fees range from $60 to $160.

House Bill 4024 and Senate Bill 9 would restrict transgender students’ access to the bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

House Bill 4066 would prevent transgender students from participating in school sports teams that align with their gender identity.

Similar bills have been introduced in Michigan in previous sessions. None moved forward.

The House Education and Workforce Committee also moved these bills forward:

A House bill that would require an additional subject area endorsement on teaching certificates for certificate holders who pass multiple subject areas on the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification.
A House bill that would require teacher preparation universities to ensure its math and science programs are developed in consultation with “a professor or other content expert” in those fields by Sept. 30, 2027. Programs that don’t meet that deadline will have their authorization for existing programs revoked.
A House bill that would allow intermediate school districts to contract with each other to operate career and technical education programs. The bill would allow ISDs to use money raised with millages in one region to contract with another ISD.

Other Republican bills introduced this session include:

A House bill that would require local districts to post student achievement data on their websites.
A House bill that would restrict cellphone use for students.
A House bill that would require core curriculum standards include the science of reading and interventions for students who exhibit signs of dyscalculia, or trouble processing and using numbers.
A Senate bill to require all public schools in the state to have mobile panic alert systems.
A House bill to require the MDE to publish a list of “recommended” curriculum and assessment companies for local public schools to choose from. The curricula provided by those companies would have to align with the state’s academic standards and “provide evidence of effectiveness through independent research or other reliable data.”
A joint resolution to amend the state constitution to make the state superintendent of public instruction, who runs the MDE, be appointed by the governor instead of the State Board of Education after Jan. 1, 2027.

The final state education budget will need approval from both the House and Senate before being signed into law by the governor. Democrats in the Senate will likely reject the House’s proposal. The deadline for the budget is July 1.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan LGBTQ+ students fear ripple effects of Trump’s political rhetoric

2025-03-07T12:00:00+00:00

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Sebastian Eaton-Ellison doesn’t feel safe in his school.

The gender-fluid 12th grader at West Senior High School said other students relentlessly bully him. They call him homophobic slurs on a regular basis. They have thrown rocks at him. Two pushed him up against a wall in a bathroom and choked him.

Last month, he chose to speak out publicly for the first time about the harassment he’s experienced since middle school, doing so at the Traverse City Area Public Schools board meeting. Moments before he got up to the podium, another speaker denied Sebastian’s identity and declared President Donald Trump “was right” when he said there were “only two genders: male and female.”

“A lot of people say I’m confused or unnatural,” Sebastian said to the board. “This has been happening to me since 10 or 11. And the whole time, I knew many of those in power either supported it or did not care.”

Groups and individuals have voiced homophobic and transphobic rhetoric in northern Michigan communities like Sebastian’s for years. But many students say they see more people emboldened in expressing those views since Trump won his second term as president, much as they did after the election in 2016. They fear the direct impact of Trump’s policies — which include a flurry of executive orders aimed at curtailing the rights of transgender students — as well as the ripple effects of his dehumanizing language.

Sebastian Eaton-Ellison, 17, sits for a portrait at a coffee shop in Traverse City.

The recent attacks on LGBTQ+ student protections come at a time when the same kids are already disproportionately impacted by the ongoing youth mental health crisis because of the stigma, discrimination, harassment, and violence they face.

“Students thought they were raised in an environment where they get to have more freedoms than their parents,” said Carrie Fiocchi, rural community outreach coordinator for the advocacy group Equality Michigan. “Instead, their rights are being squashed and they feel powerless.”

Skyler Eisele, a nonbinary 16-year-old in the Marquette Area Public Schools district, said they “feel scared people will be more confident deadnaming me or misgendering me.”

Advocates say the executive orders could harm LGBTQ+ youth

Trump made his opposition to transgender rights a centerpiece of his campaign. In the days since he took office again, he’s signed several executive orders targeting LGBTQ+ students and their families.

Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 28 that attempts to ban gender-affirming health care for all transgender youth under age 19. Another signed that day threatens to stop federal funding for local schools that promote “gender ideology,” which could include allowing transgender students to use bathrooms or participate in sports teams consistent with their gender identities. On Jan. 30, he signed another order that said the U.S. government will only recognize two genders, male and female.

The executive orders are not law, and some already face legal challenges. The directives are, however, causing confusion and creating real effects in some cases, such as one Michigan hospital temporarily pausing gender-affirming hormone therapy for new minor patients.

Trump’s administration has already threatened to withhold federal funding from Maine for its statewide protections for transgender athletes. The U.S. Department of Education said it will investigate a Denver public school and several school districts in northern Virginia over restroom access for transgender students.

A seagull flies over Grand Traverse Bay, left, and Sebastian Eaton-Ellison.

“These executive orders really are aiming at doing harm to these young people,” said Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBTQ+ Project.

Kaplan said Michigan schools must still comply with the state’s existing laws, including the Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act.

“We have comprehensive civil rights protections for transgender students in our state,” he said. “We believe taking those actions in the executive order violates those laws.”

Additionally, Kaplan said the executive orders don’t allow the federal government to take away funding already committed to public schools by Congress.

A coalition of state attorneys general on Wednesday issued new guidance noting schools have a legal responsibility to develop and execute plans to protect students vulnerable to harassment on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.

Taryn Gal, executive director of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, a nonprofit advocacy group, worries local districts might still “preemptively censor” their existing policies, even though there is no law requiring them to do so.

Before Trump was inaugurated, a federal judge axed Title IX protections for transgender students, which were added by the Biden administration in 2024. Trump was expected to rescind the rules when he took office.

Conservative activists recently filed Title IX complaints against four Michigan school districts — Rochester Community Schools, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, Hartland Consolidated Schools, and Mt. Pleasant Public Schools — because they claim the districts' policies on gender identity violate federal law.

Since Trump took office, health data, guidance, and resources for schools on how to best support LGBTQ+ students have been removed from federal websites.

Downtown Traverse City shops and restaurants along East Front St.

Creating affirming and safe spaces for youth is potentially life-saving, data from surveys by the nonprofit advocacy group the Trevor Project suggest. The opposite is also true, with more youth reporting suicidality in environments where they don’t feel safe.

“It makes people feel like they can’t be themselves,” said Skyler, the Marquette student. “It’s like people get more closed off from their community.”

Gal said politics can have the same effect.

“We know that 89% of LGBTQ+ students in Michigan reported that recent politics negatively impacted their sense of well-being,” she said.

Michigan Republican lawmakers introduced anti-transgender bathroom and high school sports bills in past sessions. There are several such bills up for consideration now, though they will likely not move forward in the Democratically controlled state government.

Xye Fiocchi, a gender-nonconforming 10th grader in Ishpeming Public Schools, said though Trump’s executive order on gender may seem “ridiculous,” it can’t be ignored.

“It sets a path for people to be more confident when repeating this,” they said.

LGBTQ+ students could be afraid to go to school, state officials say

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Rice sent a memo last month to local school leaders reminding them of their legal and moral responsibility to educate and welcome LGBTQ+ youth, which include around 1 in 4 students.

Rice said in an interview with Chalkbeat he is concerned schools could become less safe for LGBTQ+ students because of the new federal policies — and that students could feel apprehensive about going to school at a time when the state already has a problem with chronic absenteeism.

“We wanted to remind our educators we care deeply about our children — all of our children — that they all have rights,” Rice said of the memo.

The state has a number of existing legal protections in place for LGBTQ+ students, as well as recommendations like the State Board of Education’s anti-bullying policy model for local districts and its guidance on safe and supportive learning environments.

Gal said some Michigan school systems and intermediate school districts have sent out statements of support for LGBTQ+ students in recent days.

Traverse City West Senior High School in Traverse City.

Sebastian, the Traverse City teen, said he experiences both support and discrimination in his community, where liberal and conservative values tend to clash.

He sees the contrast play out at school everyday: There are safe spaces, such as the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, but he often finds an anti-gay slur written in the dust on the window of his car in the school parking lot.

Sebastian feels most of his teachers are affirming, but he said some school administrators ignore his complaints about bullying.

John VanWagoner, superintendent of Traverse City Area Public Schools, said in an email after this story originally published on Friday that the district “takes all reports of bullying seriously.” He added students can report incidents online or in person.

“Every report is investigated thoroughly and in alignment with our board policies,” he said, though he didn’t respond to questions about specific incidents.

Xye said schools should offer more training for teachers on how to address the issues LGBTQ+ youth face.

“A lot of teachers have no idea what to do when a student comes to them and says, ‘Hey, I’m being bullied for being queer, and I’m depressed,’” they said. “That tends to feel very invalidating.”

Wiley Steeland, a bisexual student in Marquette, said more teachers should intervene to stop bullying.

“It’s a small thing they can do,” she said. “Knowing you can go to a teacher to deal with homophobia in the student body is really helpful.”

A suburban area outside of downtown Traverse City.

LGBTQ+ students are speaking up

LGBTQ+ youth say the increase in hate speech from adults and peers since the election will have a lasting impact on them.

Skyler, the Marquette student, said there’s been more kids in their school saying “your body, my choice.” Wiley said more students in her school are using the word “gay” as an insult.

Xye said a car full of students recently screamed a homophobic slur at one of their friends walking home from school.

“I’m really fearful how this is going to affect the future,” said Wiley.

But just as students report escalating hostility, some say they’ve also seen more people willing to speak out against hate. The painful political rhetoric is fueling a desire among some youth to seek justice and an end to the trauma they endure.

Sebastian, for example, said the tension in his community made him want to bring awareness to the violence he’s survived for years. He wants adults to stop turning a blind eye to it.

“I wanted to stir up more of a movement,” he said. “I want people thinking and talking about this more.”

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan Gov. Whitmer to call for legislation restricting student cell phone use

2025-02-24T23:56:53+00:00

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to call for bipartisan legislation to limit cell phone use in Michigan classrooms during her State of the State address Wednesday.

The policy push is intended to combat the detrimental effects smartphones and social media may have on teen’s mental health and educational outcomes, according to Whitmer’s office.

The announcement comes after a national assessment showed Michigan students are still struggling to catch up to where they were before COVID-19 school closures and amid a national push to restrict cell phone use in schools.

“I think it would be really useful because literally, kids are all day, every day on their phones,” Victoria Garcia, a senior at Western International High School, said on Monday after school. “It’s just so normalized, and teachers just give up.”

Garcia said she could see the potential for cell phone restrictions to help her and other students focus more in class. The 17-year-old also acknowledged that spending prolonged periods of time on social media likely has a negative impact on youth mental health.

Those opposed to such legislation cite safety concerns and parents’ need to get in touch with their children about transportation.

Currently, there is no statewide law requiring districts to set specific policies around student cell phone use. Many local districts in Michigan, however, have adopted their own policies.

Last year, Rep. Mark Tisdel, a Republican from Rochester, introduced a bill that would have created a statewide ban on students using cell phones during class. The bill did not move forward in the legislature.

Eight states have already approved legislation limiting cell phone use in schools. Another six states have created policy recommendations or pilot programs, while legislation has been introduced in 12 states.

Many schools that have implemented such policies have reported anecdotal evidence of fewer suspensions, less bullying, and improved student achievement. But empirical evidence is limited and new research suggests varied results.

A poll by the National Education Association, a teacher’s union, found 90% of surveyed educators supported policies to prohibit cell phone use during instructional time at the district level.

Some education experts and advocates have called on Michigan lawmakers in recent weeks to make drastic changes since the release of the “nation’s report card” showed Michigan fourth and eighth graders did not improve their reading scores in 2024 after a 30-year low the previous testing period.

Michigan’s state assessments last school year showed similar results, as did benchmark assessments that measure student progress at the beginning and end of each school year.

Earlier this month, Whitmer also proposed requiring elementary schools to be more transparent with parents about whether they are using a high-quality curriculum.

Whitmer’s office said she will also propose higher taxes for vaping products because of the industry’s “predatory marketing of children.”

Money generated from the additional taxes will go toward smoking prevention, youth health programs, and cancer prevention, her office said.

Whitmer will deliver her speech to the state Legislature at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. It will be streamed on the governor’s website and broadcast on some local channels.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Talent Together creates alternative path to recruit and train Michigan teachers

2025-02-24T11:00:00+00:00

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In her 31-year career as an educator, Detroit Public Schools Community District teacher Susan Waldecker held teaching gigs throughout Michigan and beyond.

Now, she’s taking on a new role as a student.

The 57-year-old teacher at the Neinas Dual Language Learning Academy in Southwest Detroit is enrolled in Talent Together. The statewide initiative trains individuals to become certified teachers, offers pathways for those without bachelor’s degrees, and it aids certified teachers — like Waldecker — in broadening the areas they are eligible to teach.

Waldecker is taking online courses through Central Michigan University to earn a certification in English as a second language. She gains hands-on training at Neinas, which has a large Hispanic student population. Waldecker said she had several migrant students in her classes last year and struggled to communicate with them.

“That [the ESL certification] will be added to my teaching certificate and I’ll have more knowledge and expertise in teaching kids who don’t speak English,” she said. “I’m already using a lot of what I’m learning in my class. The difference between this year and last year is night and day. I just feel better prepared.”

Talent Together works with 56 intermediate school districts and 18 colleges to match participants with accredited and approved Michigan educator preparation programs, paying full tuition and fees.

The effort welcomed 800 fellows into its first cohort in 2023, with another 550 joining the second cohort last fall. Overall, there are about 1,100 aspiring teachers in the pipeline. The program achieved a 94% candidate retention rate in its first year, meaning most educators who started the training continued it the next year or graduated, said Jack Elsey, CEO of Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative, an education nonprofit helping lead Talent Together.

While taking classes, prospective teachers take part in a one-year apprenticeship and receive mentorship and support from established educators. Target candidates for the program are community members interested in working in a school setting, paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, and current teachers.

As schools in Michigan and across the country attempt to find solutions to solve the teacher shortage, “grow your own” pipeline programs have begun popping up in recent years. All 50 states now have some kind of alternative teacher certification program, according to a report from think tank New America.

Along with Talent Together, other programs across the state include Teach for America Detroit, which has since expanded into TeachMichigan. On the local level, DPSCD has its own alternative teacher certification program On the Rise Academy, along with New Paradigm for Education, which manages the Detroit Edison Public School Academy network of charter schools.

State officials are beginning to invest in “grow your own” programs, with lawmakers approving $175 million in 2022 to train existing school personnel or community members to become teachers.

The state also invested in Talent Together. In recent years, the program, along with the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative, have received $101.4 million in taxpayer funds.

Elsey, whose organization is dedicated to eliminating the state’s educator shortage, said programs like Talent Together are the future in terms of recruiting and training teachers.

“What we’re learning is the current modes of staffing teachers are not diverse enough and they have a lower success rate than we would like,” he said. “And most, if not all, the Talent Together participants are not people who would have gone to a traditional educator preparation program. These are new people we’ve identified because current educator preparation programs were really not accessible to them, whether that’s for cost reasons or logistical reasons or others.”

A possible solution to Michigan’s teacher shortage

For many Michigan districts, a teacher shortage has been brewing for years, beginning with the Great Recession, which left many schools reeling financially and caused widespread job uncertainty for staff. Meanwhile, fewer people were choosing the profession to begin with. In 2014-15, there were 14,749 people enrolled in teacher preparation programs. But numbers are beginning to rebound, with 16,260 people enrolled in 2022-23.

Pay and an aging workforce are also factors. Beginning teachers average $37,320 annually, according to the Michigan Education Association, and it can take years for a new teacher to reach the top of the pay scale. Michigan teachers also tend to be older — 62% of teachers in the state are over the age of 40.

On top of those challenges, school districts with the highest concentrations of poverty in the state struggle significantly more than wealthier school systems to attract and retain experienced teachers.

Elsey said after he founded the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative in 2022, he began talking to educators across the state about possible solutions to the teacher shortage.

“We spent the summer of 2022 really ideating, talking to some national experts, just sort of figuring out what role could a public/private partnership between districts and a nonprofit play in bringing a solution to Michigan for the teacher shortage, and ultimately, that became Talent Together,” he said.

Elsey said in the first year, a small group of K-12 superintendents worked closely with the program and spread the word to local school districts. Now, participating districts have a formal consortium with a board that meets quarterly.

In November 2022, Talent Together released a Request For Proposal (RFP) for colleges and universities statewide, inviting every educator preparation program in the state, Elsey said. Some of the colleges that are involved in the program include Central Michigan, Davenport University, Concordia University Ann Arbor, and the University of Michigan-Flint.

In addition to ushering in the next generation of teachers, Talent Together is dedicated to closing the gap between white teachers and teachers of color. According to a 2021 report from the Michigan State University group Education Policy Innovation Collaborative, the proportion of Black teachers in Michigan slightly increased from 5% to 5.8% over the past decade — an addition of 469 Black teachers. The proportion of Hispanic teachers in Michigan increased from 1.0% to 1.4%, equaling 295 teachers.

“Currently 31% of Talent Together participants identify as [Black, Indigenous, and People of Color],” Elsey said. “It was a little over 20% in cohort one and it’s about 42% in cohort two.”

Ultimately, Elsey said the issue isn’t that people don’t want to become teachers, it’s that they’re looking for a way to make the process faster and more flexible than a traditional teacher’s program.

“We have to make it feasible for someone who is, say, a paraeducator or a tutor, but doesn’t have the ability to quit their job to enroll in college or doesn’t have the money to pay for college,” he said.

Opening doors for the next generation of students

Along with Waldecker, Neinas staff member Lizbeth Diaz enrolled in Talent Together last fall. The native Detroiter is an academic interventionist, working directly with teachers to help students with their reading and math skills.

Diaz, 27, is taking the steps to become a teacher herself, as she works to obtain her certification in online classes through Concordia University.

Some of the things Diaz has been learning include classroom management, creating positive relationships with students and best practices to teach students how to read, including English language learners.

“Right now, we’re taking the science and math course but it’s broad enough where one week was about physical education in the classroom,” she said. “So, we’re learning a lot of diverse topics that support the whole child development.”

Meanwhile, Waldecker is learning how to use the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model, which has proven effective in addressing the academic needs of multilingual learners. In her spare time, Waldecker is also taking Spanish classes to better communicate with her students.

“We’re not just reading a book together, I’m also intentional about what language skills I’m focusing on in that lesson,” she said. “The bottom line is I’m learning how to better include my students who don’t speak English, including them in the lesson and holding them accountable for learning the same things that the other kids are learning, and that’s been a game changer for me this year.”

The two said juggling a work/life balance has been challenging since joining Talent Together, especially for Diaz, who has a toddler at home. But Waldecker and Diaz said it’s worth it to gain new skills and receive their certifications.

Diaz hopes to eventually become a math or science teacher, while Waldecker wants to transition into a position teaching English language learners. Both want to stay at Neinas.

Diaz has a personal connection to the school as a former student and wants to give back to the students who are at Neinas today.

“I’ve always felt that education needed to be better,” she said. “I am a product of DPS, and when I got to college and I was trying to keep up with classes, I wasn’t able to, so I wasn’t measuring up to what my peers were doing in college. Why is there such a disparity in our education? And that’s always kind of pushed me to want to pursue this.”

Bridge Michigan reporter Isabel Lohman and Chalkbeat Detroit Bureau Chief Lori Higgins contributed to this story.

Michigan’s high school graduation rate is nearly 83%, a new high for the state

2025-02-21T22:54:19+00:00

Michigan’s four-year high school graduation rate reached its highest level in 16 years.

It’s welcome news in a state where nearly 1 in 3 students is chronically absent, and test scores show many students remain below proficiency in English language arts and math.

Michigan’s four-year high school graduation was 82.83% in the 2023-24 school year, up slightly from the previous year and above pre-pandemic numbers, according to data released Friday by the state Center for Educational Performance and Information.

The Class of 2024 entered high school in 2020 as the pandemic altered the way schools delivered instruction.

To calculate the graduation rate, the state uses a model that measures the time it takes for ninth grade students to earn a high school diploma. That formula has been used since the 2007-08 school year.

Michigan’s high school dropout rate slightly lowered as well, at 7.68% for the Class of 2024, compared with 8.13% the previous year.

Some students take longer than four years to graduate, including those in early middle college programs who take five years but leave high school with a diploma and an associate degree or other advanced certificate. The state also publishes five- and six-year graduation rates.

It’s not clear yet how Michigan’s graduation rate compares nationally. During the 2022-23 school year, the national rate was 87%. A rate for the 2023-24 school year isn’t available.

Superintendents told Bridge Michigan and Chalkbeat they are providing students with ways to recover learning or credit through after-school tutoring, virtual classes, and summer school. They say these efforts are paying off based on improved graduation rates.

How one district improved its rate

Ecorse Public Schools, just outside of Detroit, had a four-year graduation rate of 74.81% in the 2023-24 school year, a jump of 14 percentage points from the 2022-23 school year and nearly 8 percentage points higher than it was before the pandemic.

For three years during the pandemic, many high school students at Ecorse attended tutoring sessions two days a week after school. That tutoring, which was mandatory for some, meant the school day was extended for two hours. Teachers were paid more to stay late, and the district provided transportation home for students, a key feature given many students are bused in from Detroit. Federal COVID relief money paid for that investment.

The gains, Ecorse Superintendent Josha Talison said, validate the work of the district’s staff, who “were really on the kids,” to make sure they were learning and getting the help they needed. Talison said the improvement also “shows how we spent the money in an effective way.”

The district over the years has overhauled its curriculum and instruction across all grades and subjects, working to increase academic rigor and support for students.

“If you’re going to do things transformationally at the high school, it has to start at the kindergarten level,” Talison said.

That federal money is now gone, and the district has focused its efforts on providing a “myriad of supports for our high school students” within the regular school day.

The district enrolls 1,150 students, more than 80% of whom are eligible for a free- or reduced-price lunch and 42% of whom live in extreme poverty.

“We’re working very hard to make sure our student’s zip code doesn’t dictate,” how well they can achieve, Talison said.

From the highs in Marquette to the lows in Flint

Here’s what the rates looked like in several other Michigan districts:

Airport Community Schools in Monroe County had a four-year graduation rate of 86.36%, up from 79.82% the previous year and similar to the 86.27% pre-pandemic rate. The dropout rate was 9.09%, compared to 16.06% the previous year and 6.01% pre-pandemic.

Detroit Public Schools Community District had a four-year graduation rate of 78.09%, up from 74.26% the previous year and 75.84% pre-pandemic. The district’s dropout rate was 16.15%, a slight decrease from the previous year but well above the pre-pandemic rate of 11.71%.

Flint Community Schools had a four-year graduation rate of 44.55%, up from 35.03% the year before and well below the pre-pandemic rate of 64.85%. The district’s dropout rate saw a small decrease to 33.66%, from the 34.46% rate the previous year. But it has soared since the pre-pandemic rate of 19.8%.
Grand Rapids Public Schools had a four-year graduation rate of 82.53%, up from 82.39% the previous year and 76.2% pre-pandemic. The district’s dropout rate was 10.37%, up from 7.48% the previous year but in line with its pre-pandemic rate of 10.34%.

Kalamazoo Public Schools had a four-year graduation rate of 75.31%, up from 65.85% the previous year and above the pre-pandemic rate of 73.44%. The dropout rate was 10.48%, down from 16.27% the previous year but up from 8.89% pre-pandemic.

Marquette Area Public Schools had a four-year graduation rate of 91.22%, up from 87.4% the previous year and 84.48% pre-pandemic. The dropout rate of 1.15% was similar to the previous year and lower than the 4.14% pre-pandemic rate.

Getting students ‘across that line’

The stakes are high.

“In today’s world, if you don’t have a high school diploma, it’s just awfully hard to get ahead and not live in poverty,” Traverse City Area Public Schools Superintendent John VanWagoner said.

His district offers traditional high school with an early middle college option and an alternative high school where students who have fallen behind on credits or need a smaller learning environment attend.

At the alternative high school, the district is trying to improve the graduation rates by offering online courses that allow students to take more than their typical courseload. The district also offers summer school and dual enrollment options where students can earn both college and high school credit at the same time.

The alternative high school had a 25.64% four-year graduation rate and a 47.89% six-year graduation rate. The district graduation rates were 88.45% and 91.62%, respectively.

VanWagoner said it’s important “now more than ever” to ensure staff is working to build relationships with students, citing that many are homeless.

At Lansing School District, Superintendent Ben Shuldiner credited teachers, principals, and graduation support specialists for creating a sense of trust with students. He said the district’s 5.04% dropout rate — a significant drop from 17.35% in 2020-21 school year — showed students are staying connected to their school even if they are unable to complete their degree in four years.

The district’s four-year graduation rate was 88.34%, up from 62.1% during the 2020-2021 school year.

Bridge Michigan previously reported that Lansing district leaders monitor student data closely, have protocols for following up with students and parents when students miss school, and offer multiple ways for students to make up missing credits.

For VanWagoner in Traverse City, the goal is “get kids across that line and with some additional experiences” as employers’ jobs demand more skills than a high school diploma represents.

Role of career, other education programs

State Superintendent Michael Rice credited career technical education and other programs as reasons for the increased graduation rate.

“These rigorous secondary school programs — CTE, dual enrollment, early middle college, advanced placement, and international baccalaureate — contribute to improved graduation rates by engaging students deeply in learning,” Rice said in a statement. “When students are exposed to courses of study that interest them, they are more likely to graduate — and at the same time are preparing for rewarding careers.”

Not all students have the same rate of success. The four-year rate for students from low-income homes was 73.12%, while it was 60.97% for students with disabilities, and 59.53% for students experiencing homelessness.

Graduation and dropout rates do not add up to 100% because the state also considers students who receive a special education certificate of completion, earn a different certification, age out of special education services, complete a GED, and those who are still in school working toward a high school diploma, according to an explanation of the model from the state Center for Educational Performance and Information.

Isabel Lohman is a reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can reach her at ilohman@bridgemi.com

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan’s superintendent says Trump’s ‘equity ideology’ executive order won’t change state policy

2025-02-14T17:16:58+00:00

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Michigan schools’ efforts to incorporate curriculum that reflects its diverse student body won’t be changed by President Donald Trump’s executive order attempting to ban schools from teaching “discriminatory equity ideology” and “gender ideology,” the state superintendent of public instruction says.

In an interview Thursday with Chalkbeat, Michael Rice said the Michigan Department of Education believes in teaching comprehensive history and literature, including lessons around race, racism, sexism, and xenophobia.

“We think that there’s power in the whole,” he said. “We think that there’s richness in the whole – that we should be teaching not just the soaring moments of U.S. history, but the searing moments of U.S. history.”

On Thursday, Rice also sent out a memo to local superintendents in response to the executive order emphasizing that educators have a moral and professional responsibility to protect and support LGBTQ+ students. The letter cited legal obligations under the state’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Neither a presidential executive order nor federal regulations, whether related to federal funding or not, can supersede or otherwise set aside our obligation to comply with a validly enacted state anti-discrimination law,” the memo read.

On Jan. 29, Trump issued an executive order that sought to withhold federal funding from public K-12 schools that teach “discriminatory equity ideology” or “gender ideology.”

Experts say it will likely take months for the full impact of the executive order to be known and it will likely face legal challenges.

The executive order said anything “that treats individuals as members of preferred or disfavored groups” rather than as individuals constitutes discriminatory equity ideology. That includes teachings related to racism, the concept of white privilege, unconscious bias, and sexism.

It’s not yet clear how the federal government will investigate whether schools are violating the executive order or how it will determine if violations warrant reprimanding.

Since Trump took office, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into a Denver school for converting a girls restroom into an all-gender restroom. The investigation, however, was announced a day before Trump signed his executive order on “gender ideology.”

It’s not apparent whether the federal government has the authority to enforce the executive order, given that existing laws already prevent it from mandating what local schools can and can’t teach.

Trump’s executive order directs the incoming secretary of education to make a plan on how to end lessons around these topics within 90 days.

Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee to lead the Education Department, said during a Senate confirmation hearing Thursday she wasn’t sure if classes covering topics like African American history would be allowed under the executive order.

Rice said he fears the executive order may create a chilling effect for districts and teachers who fear retribution from the federal government.

“I think that there will be teachers in our state and in other states that feel uneasy or fearful teaching the broadest reach of history,” he said.

Rice said he doesn’t believe there is a real threat for local districts to lose federal funding under the current executive order.

“Remember that this president said that his goal was to return public education to states and local school districts,” Rice said. “But in fact, what he is doing is imposing his will on states and local school districts. He is in fact, paradoxically increasing the federal footprint, not diminishing it.”

Federal funding makes up about 8% to 10% of funding in K-12 schools across the nation. But, schools with higher rates of poverty stand to lose more because they qualify for more federal aid.

In the Detroit Public Schools Community District, the largest school system in Michigan, around 32% of funding comes from federal grants.

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Detroit school district, said in an email Thursday he is “seriously concerned” Trump’s executive orders and subsequent legal challenges “could lead to the withholding, delay, and reduction of funding.”

Vitti said he anticipates “several constitutional crises on the horizon” that will be a distraction from “real reform work.”

“The District has produced a legacy of leaders who have fought against injustice, and in this moment, we will go back to our roots and follow the example of those before us to protect our children and community from harmful policy,” he said.

Michigan’s approach to teaching diverse perspectives

In recent years, Michigan K-12 schools have sought to include more culturally responsive lessons that reflect the experiences of its diverse student population.

Nearly 19% of Michigan public school students are Black and 10% are Latino. There is also a large population of Indigenous students in the state. Official data is an undercount of Indigenous students, advocates say, because of the way the state collected the information.

The 2023-24 state school budget included $6 million for a grant program for teachers to get resources for teaching diverse histories, including the histories of communities of color.

Teachers from 18 districts across the state were awarded grants from the program and are implementing it in their classrooms this school year.

A bill that languished during the last legislative session would have made teaching diverse histories a standard for curriculum in all public schools in the state by 2027-28.

An optional module on Indigenous history is currently being developed by the MDE’s Indigenous Education Initiative in collaboration with the Confederation of Michigan Tribal Education Departments.

The lessons will include teachings about the state’s history with federal boarding schools that preyed on Indigenous students. It will be available for middle and high school social studies classes.

Many Michigan schools now offer Advanced Placement African American Studies, which became a lightning rod among some conservatives who thought it included so-called “critical race theory,” which is defined as an academic framework that examines how policies and the law perpetuate systemic racism. The AP course was banned from being taught in Florida, Arkansas, and South Carolina.

The MDE creates standards for curriculum and may provide resources and recommendations around teaching subject areas, but it does not write curriculum for local districts..

Its standards for K-12 social studies includes mentions of racism, race relations, civil rights, and gender discrimination.

Some local districts, which have the power to choose their own curriculum, have opted to add more cultural inclusivity to classroom lessons beyond state standards.

DPSCD, the largest district in Michigan, spearheaded many efforts in recent years to shape its curriculum to include diverse perspectives and offer learning materials to kids that reflect their own experiences.

The district created a Social Studies Culturally Relevant Taskforce in 2020 to support “anti-racist teaching.” And last year, it formed a group of students to weigh in on social studies lessons to ensure they were representative of its majority-Black student body.

In partnership with the Skillman Foundation, the school system in 2021 launched the Detroit Perspectives Project to review and update its high school English language arts curricula to be more inclusive.

How is Michigan responding to Trump’s other education policies?

Michigan leaders are pushing back against a number of Trump’s policies that could impact children in the state.

Rice joined advocates during a virtual press conference Monday to condemn Trump’s plans to abolish the Education Department, and Michigan joined other states in a lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship.

Last month, when the Trump administration ended the decades-old practice of treating schools and child care centers as “sensitive” or “protected” locations and limited immigration enforcement in those settings, the MDE sent guidance to local districts on establishing protocols for interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Advocates released best practices for districts to follow given the policy change. The MDE encouraged districts to review the recommendations with their attorneys.

Rice said he fears the changes to immigration policy will increase absenteeism and negatively impact student achievement.

The MDE “takes issue” with federal policy that adversely affects young people, he said, adding that schools should be sanctuaries.

“We disagree regularly with different people in public squares about public policy – that’s fine,” said Rice. “Adults can disagree about what’s best for adults, but the argument shouldn’t harm school children in the process.”

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Will affordable educator housing help northwest Michigan address its teacher shortage?

2025-02-14T00:01:38+00:00

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Chandra Fles, a behavior interventionist in Traverse City Public Schools, lived out of a tent with her dog for three months after being evicted from the home she had rented for years.

Fles looked for another home, but couldn’t find one she could afford – and was considering quitting her job at Cherry Knoll Elementary School to move somewhere else or change careers.

Luckily, just before the start of the 2022-23 school year, she found a new rental close to her budget. Still, it was $300 a month more than what she was accustomed to paying. She had to pinch pennies to make it work.

Fles’ struggle is a common one for educators in the scenic tourism hotspot of northwest Michigan, where housing stock is scarce and pricey. Every year, teachers who are offered jobs in the region rescind their acceptances because they can’t find a place to live. School leaders say the housing landscape makes it difficult to fill longstanding vacancies amid the ongoing teacher shortage.

Chandra Fles speaks during a press conference about the housing project with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and State Sen. John Damoose.

So lawmakers and school officials in the region decided to try a creative approach to chipping away at the problem: building subsidized educator housing. The project will be the first of its kind in Michigan.

Their goal is to ultimately build around 144 units of duplex-style one- and two-bedroom apartments on land owned by Traverse City Area Public Schools next to Blair Elementary School, which is about 10 miles south of Traverse City.

“The reality is, our largest school district had 25 retirements last year,” said Nick Ceglarek, superintendent of the intermediate school district Northwest Education Service Center. “Educators fresh out of college really cannot afford to get access to a home, either by renting or buying.”

The district, which enrolled nearly 9,000 students in the 2023-34 school year, employed 394 teachers and around 1,500 total staff that year.

Ceglarek said the district and other schools in the area will soon see many more retirements in the coming years, which will exacerbate the existing need for more educators.

The average starting teacher salary in Traverse City Area Public Schools is around $44,000.

The median rent in Grand Traverse County in 2022 ranged from $1,400 for a one-bedroom unit to $1,970 for a three-bedroom, according to the most recently available report by the nonprofit Housing North. The median home price in Grand Traverse County was $350,000.

While the details are still being decided, Ceglarek said he anticipates rent for the new educator may be between $1,300 and $1,600. The final amounts will be based on area median income, he added.

The project’s goal is not only to make housing more affordable for educators, but to also create more available units in a place where any vacancies are hard to find. Many of the homes in the region are used solely as vacation rentals.

Rental vacancies in 10 northwest Michigan counties are scarce – at about .7%, according to Housing North. A healthy vacancy rate is between 5 and 8%, according to real estate market analysis firm Bowen National Research.

More than 31,000 additional homes are needed in the region to meet the community’s needs, Housing North estimates.

How is northwest Michigan aiming to ease the problem?

The plan to build subsidized educator housing began when a group of school leaders in the area came together over a year ago to brainstorm ideas for attracting and retaining more teachers.

They recently formed the Grand Traverse Housing for Educators to serve as the entity to oversee the project.

The consortium includes Northwest Educator Services, Traverse City Area Public Schools, Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools, and Interlochen Center for the Arts.

To get the initiative started, lawmakers allocated $5 million in this year’s state school budget. The first phase of the project, which could produce 60 to 72 housing units, will cost an estimated $12 million.

Ceglarek said the group is applying for additional grants from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

The project is still in its early stages, with tentative plans to break ground in the next year and half, said Ceglarek.

The next step will be for the district to appraise the land and sell it to build out the project.

“If we were able to wave a magic wand and have all the funding we need, the ideal goal would be for people to be able to move in in fall 2026,” said Ceglarek. “We are encouraged and hopefully we have the momentum to move toward that direction.”

Who will qualify for the future housing?

Any K-12 educator in the region who makes 40% to 80% of the region’s median income will qualify to apply for housing.

The median household income in the region was around $77,000 in 2023, according to U.S. Census data.

In addition to teachers, eligible applicants include all school support staff, such as food service workers, bus drivers, classroom aides, and custodians.

Educators from any K-12 school in the region, whether public or private, are also eligible and

Ceglarek said applicants will likely be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

The project’s likely target will be for around 20% of the tenants to be support staff and around 80% to be staff members early in their careers, said Ceglarek.

Will this be a model for other communities?

While the project will be Michigan’s first, other states have already embraced affordable educator housing.

In California, legislators are pushing districts to make their vacant property into teacher housing, while in Colorado, a district built housing on land they received from developers in lieu of school impact fees.

A Kansas City nonprofit is building a “teacher village” that rents duplexes to educators for a fraction of the market rate.

Rep. Betsy Coffia, a Democrat from Traverse City who helped secure the northwest Michigan project’s initial funding, said it’s an “innovative” way to approach a problem that spans wider than the education system.

The lack of available and affordable housing in her district impacts every sector of its workforce, she said.

“I don’t think the end of the road needs to be a company town situation where your boss owns your housing,” said Coffia. “I think the bigger approach should include looking at how restrictive zoning keeps us from building the kinds of housing we need.”

The housing challenges in her district are personal to Coffia. When she was a special education assistant in the mid-2000s, she also struggled to pay rent.

“I think people who are renting their property have to take a look at what kind of a community they want to live in,” said Coffia. “The amenities we enjoy are directly tied to the workers we are not able to attract here.”

As a former educator, Coffia also saw many of her peers leave the public school system due to low pay.

The teacher shortage won’t be fixed with more affordable housing options alone, she said.

“At the state level, we have to give funding to local districts to give teachers the raises they deserve,” Coffia said. “We have to make it an attractive profession again.”

Fles, the Cherry Knoll behavior interventionist who also serves as president of the Traverse City Education Association, said pay is the root of the teacher shortage.

“A teacher with a master’s degree and 10 years in the district shouldn’t face having to live out of a tent,” she said.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

After years of advocacy, foster youth say Michigan schools still need to fix a key systemic problem

2025-02-12T01:18:58+00:00

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Students in Michigan’s foster care system are still routinely denied access to their school records, despite years of raising concerns about the problem.

On Tuesday, foster youth and advocates told the State Board of Education they want the Michigan Department of Education and lawmakers to address the systemic problem by requiring schools to provide immediate access to transcripts, creating a centralized statewide database of records, and forming a multi-department taskforce to lead reform efforts.

Foster youth have lost years of education because they could not find or access their records, as NBC News first reported in 2022.

“This isn’t just a broken system — it’s a betrayal of the very youth it was meant to present,” Donella Anderson, a foster youth, said during Tuesday’s board meeting. “And every day that passes without action is another day that we are left behind — another day I am left behind.”

There are an estimated 10,000 kids in foster care in Michigan, but the total number is unknown because many go uncounted, advocates say. For example, people ages 18 to 23 who are still eligible to receive state services are not included in that count.

Michigan foster youth have a high school graduation rate of around 40% — about 40 percentage points behind the state’s overall graduation rate. That figure doesn’t include youth who drop out or complete high school in residential facilities.

Three bills signed into law last year addressed some of the issues that foster youth brought to the attention of legislators. One required residential facilities to enroll students in school within five days of placement and to provide an education that meets the state’s graduation requirements.

Another bill required the MDE to oversee residential facilities’ schooling programs and enforce compliance with the new education requirements.

The other required the MDE, the MDHHS, and the state Center for Educational Performance and Information to track the number of children in foster care, where they are, and how they’re progressing in their education. That information must be reported to the legislature.

Many of the youth who helped inspire those bills said at the board meeting they feel unheard after years of advocating and sharing their own traumatic stories.

“I cannot stand here today without addressing the reality that is weighing on me and so many others,” said Alyssa Andrews, one of the former foster youth who helped advocate for the recent legislation. “It feels like not only have you stolen our voice, but you have also taken our accomplishments and celebrate them without us. The work, the advocacy, the relentless fight, it came from us.”

Trinity Jones approaches the State Board of Education to make a public comment during Tuesday's meeting.

Bob Wheaton, director of the MDE’s Office of Public and Governmental Affairs, said in an email Tuesday the department appreciated the youth sharing their experiences during the meeting.

“We will continue to do what we can to support positive educational outcomes,” he said. “Youth experiencing foster care across the state deserve a partnership involving MDE, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), intermediate school districts, local school districts, and advocates to ensure implementation of new state statute that provides these students with educational opportunities.”

Wheaton added Michigan schools must follow a current state law that requires districts request in writing transfer students’ records from their previous schools within 14 days of their enrollment.

“MDE is working with MDHHS to implement the new laws and to ensure that existing laws are followed for the benefit of these children,” said Wheaton.

“The department supports additional changes to state law to better support children who are experiencing foster care, the juvenile justice system, or homelessness,” he added.

Tuesday’s outcry was prompted in part by a presentation given by the education department about its efforts to uplift the voices of foster youth.

Advocates and kids from Park West, a Michigan nonprofit that supports foster youth and advocated for the legislative changes, felt the MDE’s attempt at centering youth voices in a new initiative was shallow and would not bring any real change.

“Instead of doing real work, they spend more time co-opting, you know, and making it look like something is happening,” said Saba Gebrai, program director at Park West.

Advocates say Michigan schools don’t interact with the courts and the MDHHS to establish who holds parental educational rights for children in the foster system.

This means that schools aren’t sure who to share educational records with – birth parents, foster parents, or other family members. And that leaves kids in limbo.

Tiffany D. Tilley, member of the State Board of Education (center), speaks with foster youth and advocates outside of the meeting on Tuesday.

Teenagers who opt to get jobs and support themselves can’t get their transcripts because they are not recognized as their own guardians. Many have to wait until they turn 18 to see their records.

Alexia Roberts, a foster youth who wanted to speak Tuesday but wasn’t called on during public comment, wasn’t able to access her transcripts after she was kicked out of her home by a relative when she was in 11th grade.

“The principal, office staff, and teachers were not aware who my educational rights holder was,” she wrote in a speech she prepared ahead of time. “My parents were unable to check about my progress or anything from my schooling period.”

Roberts said she had to wait until she turned 18 to get her transcripts to enroll in an alternative high school.

Saba Gebrai speaks during the Michigan State Board of Education meeting on Tuesday.

Requiring the immediate transfer of school records was a key piece left out of the bills, said Gebrai.

That piece could have been included in the legislation, but it wasn’t due to a lack of collaboration on the MDE’s part, Gebrai said.

While a change to the law is needed, Gebrai said the MDE could provide guidance to districts to make transcripts immediately available.

Gebrai said the youth she works with have researched solutions other states have found to the same problems. They don’t understand why Michigan can’t do the same.

“There’s no interest or there’s no real direction,” she said. “The need is there and the solution is there. Why not? What’s the holdup?”

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Michigan advocates present ‘united front’ against dismantling of U.S. Department of Education

2025-02-10T21:01:12+00:00

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A cross-section of Michigan advocacy groups and individuals that included State Superintendent Michael Rice vowed Monday to push back against the Trump administration’s plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

“We’re a united front in Michigan and we’re not backing down,” said Molly Sweeney, director of organizing for 482Forward, an education justice advocacy group based in Detroit.

President Donald Trump has vowed to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, prompting increasing concern in recent days. Those who spoke during a Monday press conference said they are concerned that dismantling the department could pave the way for funding that helps the most vulnerable students — including students with disabilities and students from low-income homes — to be cut or eliminated.

Rice said he doesn’t expect the department to be eliminated because “such a decision would require an act of Congress, and the votes aren’t there.”

The bad news, he said, is that he expects the administration to try to cut programs.

“The issue will be that the president, in his assault on the U.S. Department of Education, is in fact threatening the programs and protections of our children and by extension, our children themselves.”

In addition to the concerns about funding potentially being cut for students with disabilities and students from low-income homes, Rice also cited concerns about English language learners, students experiencing homelessness, and migrant students.

Rice was joined at the conference by Rachelle Crow-Hercher, co-executive director of the Michigan Education Justice Coalition. She spoke about her two children, both of whom have received special education services.

“Both of my children are flourishing because of the special education speech intervention they received from their public schools,” Crow-Hercher said. “My concern continues to be for the civil rights of all children that are protected by the Department of Education. My other concern is that without funding, special education services will cease to exist for families like mine.”

Those who spoke Monday said they are launching grassroots efforts to mobilize residents across the state and contact state and congressional lawmakers. The goal is to stop the Trump administration’s efforts. The leaders spoke Monday, just days before Trump’s pick for education secretary, Linda McMahon, undergoes confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate.

“We’re all uniting against the destruction of our public schools that’s really happening before our very eyes,” said Imani Foster of 482Forward. “Today, we are going to call on our congressional delegation to stand up and to fight back against policies that we know would hurt Michigan students.”

Sandra Duhkie, president of the school board for Ferndale Public Schools, said she has a petition signed by 60 board members from across Michigan that she intends to deliver to Michigan’s congressional delegation asking them to protect the federal education department “and safeguard our democracy.”

The Trump administration has already targeted transgender students, issuing an order calling on schools to bar transgender girls from playing on female sports teams. Trump also has said he wants to withhold funds from schools that teach about gender identity.

“What our community, and especially transgender young people and their families have endured in the first 20 days of this administration is nothing short of some of the eeriest, both dystopian sort of themes one could read even in a novel,” said Emme Zanotti, director of advocacy and civic engagement for the Equality Michigan Action Network, which advocates for LGBTQ+ residents.

Since Trump issued an order halting funding for gender-affirming care, she said, kids have lost access to “essential, evidence-based gender-affirming health care,” and clinicians and providers are reaching out because “they’re terrified and they know what will happen if they can no longer provide the services to these young people and adults.

“It’s simply chaos and confusion,” Zanotti said. “And what’s happening with education and public education is no different.”

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Whitmer: Schools should be required to inform parents about ineffective curriculum

2025-02-10T15:51:39+00:00

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s education budget proposal for the 2025-26 school year would require elementary schools to notify parents if they are using a high-quality curriculum to teach students.

It’s one of the initiatives in her budget proposal, introduced Wednesday to the Michigan Legislature, that requires schools to be more transparent with parents about how their children’s schools are performing.

Her proposal also includes an increase in state per-pupil funding for schools, as well as increases in funding for early childhood programs, at-risk students, and career and technical education programs, and to increase funding for districts that follow best practices.

The parent transparency efforts are a key part of the governor’s hopes. The recommendations come on the heels of the state’s disappointing scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, a national exam given to a representative sample of students in each state. The scores released last week show Michigan students aren’t making much progress academically.

“By providing this information to parents, buildings using less-than-effective curriculum will be held more accountable,” the proposal says of the parent notices.

Schools serving students in grades kindergarten through five would have to mail parents a report if their curriculum isn’t “evidence-based” and include a “plan for how and when the district will implement more effective instructional practices.” It was unclear Wednesday afternoon who would determine what is considered evidence-based and how they would make that determination.

Several other parent transparency efforts include:

Parents would also have to be notified if their children’s schools fall in the bottom 5% academically among schools statewide on the state’s accountability system, or if subgroups of students — such as students from low-income homes — perform near the bottom of academic rankings. “Districts will be required to outline a plan to remedy this situation as well as a mechanism for parental feedback,” the proposal reads.
Districts would have to send a report to parents showing how they are spending money provided by the state for at-risk students. The report must show how the districts will “equitably target those dollars toward highest need schools,” and what evidence-based interventions are being used.
School boards would need to have a discussion and provide time for public input on how it will enhance parental engagement, on school academic outcomes, on improvement on benchmark and state exams.
Districts would be required to add a link on the main page of their website that links back to the state parent dashboard, which is aimed at giving parents information to gauge how their children’s schools are performing.

Here are some of the governor’s other education spending proposals:

The minimum per-pupil grant for Michigan schools would increase by $392 dollars, to $10,000 per student. Online cyber schools that operate virtually 100% of the time would receive 20% less than that amount, or $8,000 per student.
The state would increase by 4.1%, or $94 million, the amount of money targeted at students who are considered at risk, students with disabilities, and English language learners. It also includes increased payments for students enrolled in career and technical education programs, students enrolled in rural and isolated districts, and for intermediate school districts.
The state would continue to invest in providing its PreK for All initiative. That includes increasing the per child allocation by $392, to $10,577. The proposal also includes allocating $25 million in start-up grants for new providers and classrooms.
The budget would also provide increased funding for literacy supports, mental health, teen health centers, and before- and after-school programs.
A proposed $232 million for districts that implement best practices and high impact tutoring. It’s unclear what those best practices would be, but the proposal said it would be a “pre-defined list” of best practices.

Correction: Feb. 10, 2025: This story was corrected to note that full-time cyber schools would receive 20% less than the $10,000 per pupil all other K-12 schools would receive.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.