Mid Michigan : Features

Attending school for the first time is a scary thought, especially as a kindergartner. Sycamore Elementary in Holt has implemented a new way to ease the process -- through kindergarten teacher home visits. 

Earlier this month, hundreds of Michigan’s most passionate educators, public servants and business leaders gathered in the RenCen for GES15, the Governor’s Education and Economic Summit. InspirED Michigan Editor Kate Snyder brought us back this report.

Imagine a future where every Michigan student not only went to college, but started that collegiate career before they even left high school. What would that mean for our state? For our high school graduation rates? For our economy? For the kids who are often forgotten? For those struggling to break out of poverty?

By the time senior year rolls around, many students find themselves bored of the traditional classroom setting -- books, assignments and exams begin to run together.

A few student participants of the In Her Cups fundraiser, Kaylee Milner, Madi Osburn, Lydia Stevens and Thaosia Yang, discussed their inspirations and thoughts on the Eaton RESA Career Preparation Center fashion program.  

From Pontiac to Baldwin, a number of Michigan public school districts spent the fall preparing for a big change. Spurred on by $2 million in Michigan Department of Education grant funding, the schools will pilot transitioning to a year-round school calendar. But for students, parents and staff at Horizon Elementary in Holt, Mich., year-round school is nothing new, and all groups have come to one agreement: there are definite benefits.

How did the Michigan Public Schools Partnership come to be, and why? InspirED Michigan talked with one of the initiative's founders from the Michigan Education Association (MEA) to learn more. As a UniServ Director in Livingston and Ingham Counties, Barbara Cameron represents school employees in Hartland, Howell, Dansville and Williamston. She shared with us her thoughts on partnership, public opinion and what's next.

For Deanna Dubay, a school nurse in Saginaw, there’s no such thing as an average day. Being a school nurse means being on call, ready to address whatever emergencies arise. Whether it’s a student experiencing a seizure or a fire drill that affects the whole school, she’s there. But what about other staff members? How can the whole school community be prepared to respond in an emergency?