Education

Michigan's Department of Human Services cracks down on high truancy rates

Stateside Staff — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:40:56 +0000

With school out for the summer, state officials are already looking for ways to get more students to show up for classes in the fall. The state Department of Human Services wants to expand pilot programs that put more social workers in schools with high truancy rates.

At the same time, DHS has a new statewide policy that threatens to take away welfare benefits from families with kids who persistently miss school.

But, critics say that still means too few families are getting the support they need to avoid losing their cash assistance.

Michigan Public Radio's Jake Neher gave us the full report.

MSU introduces new program to train autism specialists

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:59:10 +0000

For families who have children with autism, finding a specialist to care for their children can mean being put on a long wait list.

Currently, there are about 50 certified behavior analysts in the state of Michigan.

However, there are over 18,000 children with autism.

Ann Arbor to cut 30 teachers from district

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:21:19 +0000

At a meeting that lasted until almost 2 a.m., the Ann Arbor School Board voted to cut 27 full-time teachers from schools across the district. The school board also voted to eliminate three teachers from Ann Arbor's reading intervention program.

The board had to make some tough decisions for the 2013-14 school year, according to Board President Deb Mexicotte.

'It's so worth it.' The story of three girls, six buses and the hope for a better education

Jennifer Guerra — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:03:30 +0000

School is almost out for summer! For some students, that means camp. For others, it means time to get a job. For the three high school sophomores you’re about to meet, it means a break - not just from school, but from riding the bus.

Michigan facing a lawsuit over student loan program

Steve Carmody — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:13:00 +0000

The state of Michigan is facing a potential class action lawsuit over a student loan program.

Beginning in 2003, the Michigan Students First loan program offered college students an interest rate subsidy after their first 36 on-time loan payments, effectively reducing their interest rate to zero.

But in 2010, the subsidy was ended.

Attorney Jeff Hank says that left thousands of Michigan college students having to pay more in student loans than they had originally planned.

College grads could get tax credit for loans if they stay in Michigan

The Associated Press — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 14:35:32 +0000

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - New legislation would give college graduates an income tax credit for their student loans if they stay in Michigan after graduation.

The credit would be equal to half the amount paid on qualified student loans in a tax year but couldn't exceed 20 percent of the average annual tuition at Michigan's public universities. To be eligible, students would have to be a state resident, a graduate of a Michigan university and have earned a bachelor's degree.

Democratic Senator Glenn Anderson of Westland says his bill introduced last week gives graduates an incentive to stay in Michigan and helps address the "brain drain" of grads leaving the state. His legislation is backed by Democrats along with a couple Republicans in the GOP-led Senate.

State fines Muskegon Heights schools for hiring teachers without proper certification

Lindsey Smith — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:21:30 +0000

The Muskegon Heights school system has been fined nearly $100,000 by the Michigan Department of Education. The department launched the investigation after Michigan Radio reported the new Muskegon Heights charter school district had about 10% of teachers working without a valid teaching certificate or permit. It’s against state law to do that.

More Michigan schools running deficits, record 55 with deficits

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:15:44 +0000

To add to the woes of public education in Michigan, six new school districts are running deficits.

Forty-nine was the record, now make it 55 school districts – from the Traverse Bay Area to Wayne County – with deficits.

Wayne State University has a new President

Sarah Cwiek — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:09:07 +0000

The Wayne State University Board of Governors unanimously approved Dr. M. Roy Wilson as the school’s next President Wednesday.

Wilson is currently a deputy director at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. An ophthalmologist by training, he comes from a background in medical research that spans government and academia.

Schools that can’t follow deficit elimination plans could be dissolved under new bill

Lindsey Smith — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:39:44 +0000

State lawmakers are working on legislation they hope will prevent another crisis like the one in the Buena Vista school district. Students there sat at home while school was closed for two weeks last month because the district couldn’t afford to pay its teachers. Buena Vista is not alone; a number of districts have had problems keeping their doors open because of financial problems this year.

Need some inspiration? Listen to these high schoolers

Sarah Alvarez — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 17:42:24 +0000

State of Opportunity has a new storytelling booth that can easily go places and record lots of personal stories in one fell swoop.

For its first trip I took the booth to J.W. Sexton High School in downtown Lansing. I wanted to catch the graduating class a few weeks before their big day.

Classes count towards high school diploma and college degree under new pilot program

Lindsey Smith — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 22:09:01 +0000

Juniors and seniors at Rockford High School will be able to earn up to 30 credit hours at Ferris State University for free in a pilot program announced today.

Say you’re taking calculus at Rockford High School, when you get to college, you could test out of calculus but you wouldn't get any credits.

The pilot program differs from dual enrollment programs.

If a student passes a single calculus class, it will count toward both their high school diploma and their college degree.

"We have to teach ourselves:" students at Detroit's Catherine Ferguson Academy file federal lawsuit

Sarah Cwiek — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 19:39:37 +0000

Some students and staff at Detroit’s Catherine Ferguson Academy say their education is so lackluster, it violates their civil rights.

The Detroit Public Schools handed the school for pregnant and parenting girls over to a charter operator in 2011, after students and teachers fought to keep it from closing.

Despite restructuring, likely boost in state funding, Grand Rapids schools expects layoffs

Lindsey Smith — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 02:43:18 +0000

Grand Rapids Public Schools will have to dip into its savings account to cover a projected $7.9 million deficit next school year. That’s despite a major restructuring plan and a small increase in funding that’s expected from the state. Grand Rapids schools will still have to lay off roughly 70 employees to balance its budget next school year; 14 of them teachers.

GRPS will get an extra $11 per student next year if Governor Rick Snyder signs a school spending bill, as he's expected to.

The district’s business and finance director, Julie Davis, says that’s an improvement.

Feds dismiss state complaint regarding American Indian mascots

Sarah Hulett and The Associated Press — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 01:08:27 +0000

The U.S. Department of Education has dismissed a complaint from the Michigan Department of Civil Rights over schools’ use of American Indian mascots.

The civil rights department had argued that the images hurt Native American students’ academic performance, and create an unequal learning environment.

But federal education officials say opponents of Indian mascots and logos need to prove that they create a hostile environment for Native American students.