Fierce advocates for the high academic achievement of all students – particularly those of color and living in poverty.

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  • Mich. Ed. Roundup - May 23

    May 23, 2017 by

    Letter grades show school quality By Amber Arellano, Sandy Baruah, Dan Quisenberry and Doug Rothwell The following excerpt is from an article that ran in The Detroit News on May 19. The full text is available here. Report card time. You open the envelope, or perhaps the email, and see…

  • The Unfinished Work of Brown

    May 19, 2017 by

    Amber Arellano Sixty-three years ago this week, the United States Supreme Court shocked the nation by publicly stating what so many Americans already knew: that separate is inherently unequal. Through their landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the court formally ended our nation’s practice of…

  • Letter grades show school quality

    May 18, 2017

    Amber Arellano, Sandy Baruah, Dan Quisenberry and Doug Rothwell The Detroit News Report card time. You open the envelope, or perhaps the email, and see a ‘B’. You have a good sense of how your child is faring in class. Unfortunately Michigan is not nearly as clear about the…

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup - May 16

    May 16, 2017 by

    Michigan wants its ESSA plan back? Why a Lt. Gov. asked for a do-over The following excerpt is from an article that posted on May 11, 2017 on The 74 Million. The full text is available here. Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley has one message for U.S. Secretary…

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup - May 9

    May 9, 2017 by

    Funding Equity of Chief Concern among Black and Latino Parents In communities of color, there is an overwhelming sense of school funding inequities. Ninety percent of Black parents and nearly sixty percent of Latino parents do not think that schools in Black and Latino communities receive the same amount…

  • Mich. Ed. Roundup - May 2

    May 2, 2017 by

    College Decision Day Yesterday marked College Decision Day – the date when deposits are required for fall admission at many colleges and universities – and a day to celebrate the educational accomplishments of many Michigan students. Since 2007, Michigan’s dropout rate has been reduced by 41 percent and nearly 80…

  • Opportunities in Michigan’s State Budget for Advancing Equity in Public Education

    March 21, 2017 by

    ROYAL OAK, Mich. (March 21, 2017) – The proposed budget for Michigan’s public education system includes important investments for promoting quality and equity. For better results, however, education funds should invest in evidence-based strategies and monitored through the robust collection of data. In Opportunities in Michigan’s State…

  • In little more than a decade, Michigan has gone from a fairly average state to the bottom ten states for key subjects on the national assessment. It’s a devastating fall. Over the coming months, the state has an important opportunity for change in the crafting of the Fiscal Year 2017-18 state budget. The roughly $14 billion school aid budget is the primary source of public school funding in Michigan. To be clear, money alone will not necessarily produce dramatically better teaching and learning, especially if that money simply maintains the status quo. However, money invested in transformative, systematic changes has produced extraordinary improvement for student learning in leading states like Massachusetts. Likewise, it’s important that our most vulnerable students get the adequate dollars they need to be successful. Lawmakers and advocates alike will be debating the governor’s budget recommendations along with their own ideas for investing in Michigan’s public education system. In this brief, we highlight and analyze key areas of the governor’s recommendations that advocates and state leaders should watch out for in the upcoming fiscal year: FAIR AND ADEQUATE SCHOOL FUNDING In exchange for greater accountability for schools and educators, Massachusetts leaders committed to greater funding for its schools—particularly those that were high-poverty. Unfortunately, we know that Michigan is among the most inequitable states when it comes to funding inequities between high-poverty and low-poverty districts nationwide. i The governor’s recommendation includes an increase of $128 million for schools, which amounts to about $50-100 per student. The recommendation also includes $22 million for high schools operations, as these schools often have higher costs that elementary schools typically wouldn’t incur. In a smart cost-saving effort, online cyber schools are recommended to receive 20 percent less in per-pupil funding. Previously, these schools received similar funding levels as brick-and-mortar schools, even though online schools have little to no building costs. In addition, the governor recommends a $7 million investment for districts that have declining enrollments. Because funding is based on the number of students enrolled in each school, many districts—particularly high-poverty districts like Detroit or Benton Harbor—struggle to fill budgetary short-falls due to rapidly declining enrollment numbers. Lastly, the governor’s budget recommends a significant increase in funds dedicated to addressing the additional needs of low-income and low-performing students—also known as “at-risk” funding. The $150 million increase brings total funding for at-risk students to over a half billion dollars. In a similar light, due to upcoming reductions in federal grant dollars for high-poverty students, a proposed supplemental budget is being planned to fill these holes. These proposed funding increases—particularly for our most vulnerable students—are a positive step for Michigan’s public school students. We recommend that these investment recommendations be included in the state’s final budget.

    OPPORTUNITIES IN MICHIGAN’S STATE BUDGET: ADVANCING EQUITY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION

    March 20, 2017 by

    In little more than a decade, Michigan has gone from a fairly average state to the bottom ten states for key subjects on the national assessment. It’s a devastating fall. Over the coming months, the state has an important opportunity for change in the crafting of the Fiscal…

  • Ed Trust-Midwest Urges Superintendent Whiston to Stay the Course on Honest Public Reporting and Accountability

    March 14, 2017 by

    ROYAL OAK, Mich. (March 14, 2017) – This morning the Education Trust-Midwest urged State Superintendent Brian Whiston to stay the course on implementing the thoughtful school accountability and public reporting system recently proposed by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) as part of its Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA…

  • What Will It Take to Close the African American-White Completion Gap?

    March 2, 2017 by

    Ed Trust explores that question and identifies top- and bottom-performing institutions ROYAL OAK, MICH. (March 2, 2017) – More African American students are enrolling in four-year colleges and universities than ever before. But what happens to these students after they arrive on campus? Do they obtain the degrees…

  • Dropping the M-STEP could 'sabotage' new school accountability system, group argues

    March 1, 2017

    by Brian McVicar, MLive Changing Michigan's standardized test could "undermine" a new school accountability system proposed by the Michigan Department of Education, according to an analysis released Wednesday by Education Trust-Midwest, a nonpartisan education policy and research group. The Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress is the…

  • Becoming Top Ten Starts With Honest Data and Best Practice

    March 1, 2017 by

    New report finds both encouraging and troubling aspects of Michigan’s new education plan; Michiganders have critical opportunity for input now   ROYAL OAK, MICH. - (March 1, 2017) – Michigan’s new plan for improving student achievement shows significant progress in some areas, yet it also disregards best practice in other…

  • Becoming Top Ten Starts With Honest Data and Best Practice

    March 1, 2017 by

    ROYAL OAK, MICH. - (March 1, 2017) – Michigan’s new plan for improving student achievement shows significant progress in some areas, yet it also disregards best practice in other areas. These findings -- from a new report by The Education Trust-Midwest (ETM) -- come as the Michigan Department of Education (MDE…

  • the rapidian

    High academic standards help all students succeed

    February 23, 2017

    by Cheryl Corpus High academic standards are needed now more than ever. Growing up in a rural, blue-collar town here in Michigan, I often struggled to understand my place in the community. Being half-Filipino—my mom came to the United States from the Philippines when she was 18…

  • Michigan is Bottom Nationally for Student Learning: New analysis reinforces the importance of state leadership

    February 21, 2017 by

    ROYAL OAK, Mich. (Feb. 21, 2017) – According to a new analysis of national education data, Michigan is last nationally for growth since 2003, and among bottom ten states nationally for student proficiency in fourth and eighth grade reading and math.  The analysis from the Brookings Institute further enforces the importance…

  • John B. King Jr. to Serve as President and CEO of the Education Trust

    February 2, 2017 by and

      John B. King, Jr. to Serve as President and CEO of the Education Trust  Esteemed former Massachusetts charter school leader, former U.S. Secretary of Education and Commissioner of Education of New York State announced today  ROYAL OAK, Mich. (Feb. 2, 2017) - David V. Britt, chairman of the Board…

  • Education proposals this year could further harm Michigan students

    January 20, 2017

    Crain's Detroit Business by Amber Arellano Whatever you think about President-elect Donald Trump, it's clear that he has signaled a dramatically new direction for the role of the U.S. government in public education — one that will push ever-more decisions to the states. That means the…

  • Education proposals this year could further harm Michigan students

    January 19, 2017

    by Amber Arellano, Bridge Magazine Whatever you think about President-elect Donald Trump, it’s clear that he has signaled a dramatically new direction for the role of the U.S. government in public education—one that will push ever-more decisions to the states. That means the importance of…

  • DeVos Confirmation Hearing Highlights Importance of State for Ensuring Excellence and Equity

    January 17, 2017 by

    ROYAL OAK, Mich. (Jan. 17, 2017) – Earlier this evening, Education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos answered questions from U.S. Senators during her confirmation hearing. If confirmed, DeVos will become U.S. Secretary of Education at a critical time, as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) begins to take effect…

  • Michigan Among the Bottom Five States in the Nation for Low-Income Students in Eighth-Grade Math

    Michigan’s Most Vulnerable Students at Risk of Falling Further Behind

    November 28, 2016 by

    Over the last fifteen years, Michigan’s rank has fallen dramatically in early reading and math student achievement compared to the rest of the country. While the impact is felt across the K-12 spectrum, our most vulnerable students are ultimately most disadvantaged. With nearly half the students in our…

  • A Moment for Education Leaders

    November 22, 2016

    Huffington Post, by Amber Arellano This letter first appeared in The Education Trust-Midwest’s weekly Michigan Education Update on November 22, 2016. Sign up for weekly updates here. Dear Friends, Like you, my organization is deeply troubled by widespread reports of racially charged bullying, intimidation and harassment that…

  • Joint Letter Recommending Continuing with M-STEP

    October 10, 2016 by

                         October 10, 2016   Members of the Michigan State Board of Education, As you consider plans to comply with the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), our organizations wish to convey our strong opposition to replacing the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP).  Once approved…

  • New Assessment Scores Show Need for Michigan to Remain on Track with M-STEP

    August 30, 2016 by

    ROYAL OAK, Mich. (Aug. 30, 2016) – New results from the Michigan Student Test for Educational Progress (M-STEP) emphasize how critical it is for Michigan to continue providing honest and transparent data on student learning and school performance, according to Amber Arellano, executive director of The Education Trust-Midwest. Continuing…

  • Ed Trust CEO to speak today at Mackinac conference about need for equal funding, higher standards and accountability to improve education in Michigan

    June 2, 2016 by

    ROYAL OAK, Mich. (June 2, 2016) – The founder and CEO of the national Education Trust Kati Haycock will speak today to Michigan and national business and civic leaders at the Mackinac Policy Conference. Haycock, a nationally renowned advocate for vulnerable students, will speak on the importance of funding equity…

  • How to make Michigan a top education state

    May 31, 2016

    by Amber Arellano and Ken Whipple Michigan is facing a historic moment for the state and its children, a moment when our citizens and leaders must choose whether we will make Michigan a top education state again, or whether we will continue to suffer a dramatic demise. In little more…

  • Michigan’s business community must lead charge for better schools

    May 26, 2016

    by Brian Cloyd and Ken Whipple, Bridge Leaders of the business community care about education in Michigan not just because they’re trying to be good corporate citizens. It’s also because business leaders are connecting the dots between investment in education and its impact on the economic future of…

  • Michigan's education system falls further behind other states, report says

    May 19, 2016

    State's 4th-grade reading ranking falls from 28th to 41st in nation and could fall more, Education Trust-Midwest warns by Crain's Detroit Business Michigan's education quality is falling farther behind the rest of the nation from a perch that was already low, according to a…

  • Far from top ten in education, Michigan is falling further behind the rest of the nation

    May 19, 2016 by

    Business leaders’ voices are needed to help improve schools ROYAL OAK, Mich. (MAY 19, 2016) – Calling on Michigan’s top business leaders to be a thoughtful voice in solving the state’s educational crisis, today the non-partisan Education Trust-Midwest released new report that shows Michigan is falling…

  • Michigan's Talent Crisis: The Economic Case For Rebuilding Michigan's Broken Public Education System

    May 19, 2016 by and

    Michigan is at great crossroads – a historic moment when our citizens and leaders must choose whether we will take advantage of major new opportunities to become a top state economically and educationally once again – or face a continued and dramatic decline that will relegate the state and its citizens…

  • ETM proposes accountability for charter school authorizers

    February 26, 2016

    by Rachel Weick, Grand Rapids Business Journal Michigan’s statewide charter school system’s report card remains low compared to other leading academic performing states. In its latest report, Accountability for All: 2016, The Education Trust-Midwest has proposed implementing the first statewide performance-based accountability system to hold Michigan…

  • Michigan: The Poster Child for How Not to do Charter Schools

    February 16, 2016

    by Amber Arellano Behind the Detroit schools crisis lies a troubling charter school sector. As Detroit Public Schools' teacher sick-outs and mounting debt capture the attention of press around the world, it might be easy to conclude money alone will solve the Motor City's educational woes. The truth…

  • Here’s to Making Charter Schools Better in Michigan

    February 11, 2016

    by Valentina Korkes, Education Post Being from Michigan, generally, is a wonderful thing. Great people, Great Lakes, you get the picture. When it’s not so wonderful, however, is when you have to explain to other Michiganders that, in some other states, people actually like charter schools. There are states…

  • Bringing failing charter schools to heel

    February 11, 2016

    Detroit Free Press Gov. Snyder and would-be education reformers in both parties talk ad nauseum about holding allMichigan’s schools accountable. But charter schools, which now serve 145,000 K-12 students in Michigan and vacuum up more than $1 billion in taxpayer funds – remain maddeningly insulated from public…

  • We need performance-based charter authorizing system

    February 11, 2016

    by Amber Arellano and Sunil Joy With roughly half of Michigan’s charter schools ranking in the bottom quarter of all public schools for academic performance, it’s clear that the state has a serious charter performance problem. The challenge is particularly acute in Detroit, where the issue has wreaked…

  • Accountability for All: 2016; The Broken Promise of Michigan's Charter Sector

    February 11, 2016 by

    Michigan charter school authorizers’ performance overall has improved marginally over the last year, but remains terribly low compared to leading states’ charter sectors, according to Accountability for All: 2016, The Broken Promise of Michigan's Charter Sector. The report celebrates high-performing authorizers and sheds light on the devastatingly…

  • Michigan Achieves: Becoming a Top Ten Education State

    May 19, 2015 by , and

    Michigan is truly at a crossroads. After years of hard work to recover from the Great Recession, Michigan is beginning to rebuild its economy and many of our fellow Michiganders are getting back to work. While our recovery is fragile, there are economic signs of hope blossoming this spring…