Equity-Driven • Data-Centered • Student-Focused
Let’s get strategic in improving third-grade reading in Michigan
by Amber Arellano, Bridge Like so many of you, I’m a native Michigander who grew up proud of what I believe are shared Michigan values: a hard work ethic, a pa…
Has education in Michigan hit bottom?
The Detroit NewsFor the first time in state history, Michigan public schools are able to compare their performance in some subjects to nearly a dozen other sta…
Michigan spent $80 million to improve early reading. Scores went down.
by Ron French, Bridge Once a week, Amanda Price volunteers in a first-grade classroom in Lakeshore Elementary in Holland. “They’re doing great,” said the form…
Mich. dip in 3rd-grade reading worst of 11 states
by Jennifer Chambers, The Detroit News Despite investing heavily in early literacy since 2015, Michigan schools showed the largest decline in third-grade read…
Education Plan Missing Honest Data, High Goals & Accountability
by Brian Gutman, Detroit School TalkEvery Michigan student – regardless of race, family income or disability status – deserves access to a high-quality educati…
Embrace data-based ed solutions
by Amber Arellano & Brian Gutman, The Detroit NewsFor more than two decades, the best states for public education have shown the importance of providing th…
Michigan can learn from top education states
by Brian GutmanOver the last several weeks, contributors from a range of sectors have described a sad truth that has been revealed by the data for years. For n…
Improving early literacy the right start
by Amber Arellano, The Detroit NewsThe start of a new school year is usually greeted with a great deal of optimism among teachers, parents and students alike. …
Michigan Gambled on Charter Schools. Its Children Lost.
By Mark Binelli, The New York Times MagazineFree-market boosters, including Betsy DeVos, promised that a radical expansion of charter schools would fix the sta…
Hate comes in many forms, and we must stand up to them all
The outcry against the hate displayed in recent days in Charlottesville will fade. It is easy to be outraged when racism is marching up the street waving a bri…
Letter grades show school quality
Amber Arellano, Sandy Baruah, Dan Quisenberry and Doug RothwellThe Detroit NewsReport card time. You open the envelope, or perhaps the email, and see a ‘B’. Yo…
Dropping the M-STEP could ‘sabotage’ new school accountability system, group argues
by Brian McVicar, MLiveChanging Michigan's standardized test could "undermine" a new school accountability system proposed by the Michigan Department of Educat…
High academic standards help all students succeed
by Cheryl CorpusHigh academic standards are needed now more than ever.Growing up in a rural, blue-collar town here in Michigan, I often struggled to understand…
Education proposals this year could further harm Michigan students
Crain's Detroit Businessby Amber ArellanoWhatever you think about President-elect Donald Trump, it's clear that he has signaled a dramatically new direction fo…
Education proposals this year could further harm Michigan students
by Amber Arellano, Bridge MagazineWhatever you think about President-elect Donald Trump, it’s clear that he has signaled a dramatically new direction for the r…
A Moment for Education Leaders
Huffington Post, by Amber ArellanoThis letter first appeared in The Education Trust-Midwest’s weekly Michigan Education Update on November 22, 2016. Sign up fo…
Michigan must stay the course on M-STEP education test
by Brian CloydDespite modest gains, the data from the most recent M-STEP assessment, released by the Michigan Department of Education this week, show that Mich…
Editorial: Schools are still missing the mark
by The Detroit NewsThe test results released this week by the Michigan Department of Education put into focus how much work is needed to improve student learni…
Half of Michigan students still not ‘proficient’ on M-STEP
by Kate Wells, Michigan RadioWhile several grades made progress in certain subject areas, at least half of Michigan students still scored below “proficient” in…
Stay the course on M-STEP testing
by Ken WhippleThere’s a lot of bad news about Michigan’s educational performance these days, as our students fall further behind kids in nearly every other sta…
