Talent & Education

Students tell a forum hosted by Bridge Michigan, Chalkbeat Detroit and Detroit Free Press that they have little faith in the mental-health services they receive at school.

The pandemic exacerbated a slow-burning mental health crisis in Michigan’s schools. Whitmer wants to open 40 centers to help. Advocates say that’s not enough.

Some public schools are reporting double-digit declines, as certainty over in-person classes fuels increases in private school enrollment. Homeschooling also is up.

An unprecedented $6 billion in federal COVID relief money has come to Michigan to help schools, with mental-health support one of its pillars. It’s a lot of money, but young students will need a lot of help.

The educators, a wife and husband, say staying in a field they love became “unsustainable.” Their frustration and disillusionment is reflected in recent teacher surveys, which show roughly 1-in-5 Michigan teachers are thinking about leaving.

Fissures over COVID safety protections in schools have left a region divided and sent a veteran health officer packing.

Michigan State University announced Thursday that it will soon allow students and staff to be unmasked in many indoor settings. There are exceptions including in classrooms and in healthcare facilities.

If approved, parents could choose their children’s tutoring, software, or other education support from a “marketplace” of education vendors to help boost their education following the disruption of COVID-19.

Graduation rates in Michigan dipped for the first time in recent years.

A lawsuit challenging the university’s rule that students and staff must be vaccinated was dismissed Wednesday in federal court. The plaintiffs vow to appeal.

An elementary school principal tries to set a respectful tone as students and families return to class for the first time in a long time without the requirement of wearing a mask.

Detroit Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says he likely won’t seek to terminate unvaccinated employees, changing his position on enforcing the school district’s staff vaccine policy.

There does not appear to be a shortage of high school students eager to enroll in career tech. But it’s difficult to find CTE instructors because schools can’t match the salaries of industry.

Michigan’s career and technical education system is hobbled by enormous funding inequities across the state, even as Kalamazoo builds a state-of-the-art CTE center bankrolled by an anonymous donor.

The high school class of 2022 has been through a lot. From virtual learning in their bedrooms, to mourning the death of loved ones. Four seniors spoke to Bridge about all that they missed, and vowed “never to take anything for granted.”

Michigan’s efforts to boost third-grade reading skills took a hit during the pandemic, with teachers reporting less time to provide targeted support to struggling readers, particularly more vulnerable readers, an MSU report found.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed education budget plan focused mostly on the state’s struggling K-12 schools. But Michigan universities and community colleges would also get a big spending bump, assuming GOP lawmakers buy in.

In a survey by the Michigan Education Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union, educators noted more shortages and disruption than before and said they are less satisfied with their jobs.

More than $1 billion in federal COVID relief funds will be used for school COVID test kits and additional state lab capacity, less than a month after schools ran dangerously low on supplies.

Schools are battling teacher shortages, mental health concerns and more. Gov. Whitmer said she wants to make “bold investments” in education with billions of additional dollars in state and federal funds. Republicans say they are eager to talk, but wary of the tab.