Grading Michigan Schools

Michigan Radio's Grading Michigan Schools is a multi-part series that takes an in-depth look at education in Michigan. We hear why one college student feels let down by the public school system in the state. We find out about "unschooling," an education philosophy that abandons textbooks and a curriculum. We also look at how the public school system is serving at-risk students through education for the very young and early intervention for kids with special education needs.

Support for Grading Michigan Schools comes from the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, a founder of the Grand Rapids Education Reform Initiative, and The Skillman Foundation, a voice for Detroit children since 1960.

Pilot Schools in Grand Rapids

Nov. 12, 2007Grand Rapids Public Schools is announcing the creation of pilot schools to specialize in areas such as math and the envsironment. It's a…
Learning Must Start From Birth

Tracy Samilton

Nov. 13, 2007Low-income children from disadvantaged families usually do worse in school than other children. The No Child Left Behind Act says eliminating…
Special Ed Numbers Plummet When Teachers Ask For Help Early

Tracy Samilton

Nov. 14, 2007Asking for help used to be considered a sign of failure in teaching. It's encouraged in one district. Teacher support teams have cut special…
The Math Problem

Sarah Hulett

Nov. 15, 2007Arithmetic and algebra haven't changed for centuries. So why do kids - and adults - have such a hard time with math?One mathematician says he…
Bill Schmidt on the "Math Crisis"

Sarah Hulett

Nov. 15, 2007Bill Schmidt is well known in education circles for his research into the academic content in K-12 schools, testing, and the effects of…
High Schools Struggle with Curriculum Standards

Nov. 16, 2007Rick PlutaSome Michigan High Schools don't have the teaching resources to meet new curriculum standards
Shifting Demographics

Nov. 20, 2007Sarah HulettSeveral school districts in Metro Detroit have flipped from majority-white to majority black in a very short time. That's…
The Sea of Sameness

Nov. 21, 2007Sarah HulettA lot of students grow up going to schools where the other kids look just like they do. That means they might not be as prepared…
Islands of Success at DPS

Nov. 29, 2007Tracy SamiltonDetroit students score far below the state average in reading and math. But within Michigan's largest school district, a few…
The Dropout Dilemma

Nov. 28, 2007There are disagreements about just how bad the dropout rates are in many school districts. But what's being done to fix the problem?The ninth…