K-12

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.

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.

Grand Rapids students tell policy makers what they want from school

Lindsey Smith — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:25:56 +0000

There are plenty of adults talking about what should be done concerning education in Michigan. But an event in Grand Rapids gave students an opportunity to explain what they need from their schools.

Lynn Heemstra helped organize the event, called “KidSpeak.”

“It’s my belief that a lot of people that have legislative responsibility don’t really know the extent of what young people are dealing with in the their lives and what they’re receiving in the way of day to day educational opportunities,” Heemstra said.

Former Grand Rapids schools superintendent gets $280,000 to settle lawsuit with district

Lindsey Smith — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:23:15 +0000

Bernard Taylor Jr. ran what’s now the state’s fifth-largest K-12 district for five years.

Eventually, Taylor and some members of the school board did not get along very well. By in the spring of 2011, it became clear Taylor was looking for a new job. He agreed to resign that summer and ended up signing a severance package.

But last month Taylor sued, claiming the district never paid him. He calculated GRPS owed him $330,000 including lawyer’s fees.

Former charter school director gets probation for lying about student enrollment

Lindsey Smith — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:34:57 +0000

A charter school in Muskegon County will have to repay the state close to $30,000 that, technically, the school shouldn’t have gotten in the first place.

The more students a school has the more money it receives from the state.

Barbara Stellard, who directed Waypoint Academy from 2002 to 2010, was charged in October with multiple criminal charges for reporting more students than actually attended the charter school.

Michigan Attorney General’s office spokeswoman Joy Yearout says another employee at Waypoint told tipped the state off to the scam.