‘When students who have untreated behavioral health issues do not receive support and intervention, they find other ways of dealing with those feelings,’ said Alycia Meriweather, deputy superintendent for the Detroit school district.
Results are beginning to climb back above pre-pandemic levels.
At Gompers Elementary-Middle School, Effie Harris plays the roles of investigator, counselor, spirit leader, and more.
A particular area of concern is students who were in kindergarten in 2020 when the pandemic hit. Their third-grade reading results were well below pre-pandemic levels.
Between intensive outreach, rewards, and early warning systems, staff at Gompers Elementary-Middle School managed to improve student attendance after a rocky year in the pandemic.
Governor’s executive order specifies that MiLEAP is not intended to infringe on the State Board of Education’s constitutional authority, so Nessel says it’s better to wait and see whether conflicts arise.
In Detroit, students returned to applause and new backpacks at Fisher Magnet Academy, while Frederick Douglass Academy students returned to a new building.
The year begins with big questions about how Detroit will manage its enrollment challenges and protect students from the impact of budget cuts.
Some members objected to what they saw as small gains, but the vote to approve was overwhelming.
Bonuses are back: $4,500 for veteran employees and a $2,000 retention incentive for all members.
Some parents who attended the meeting shared stories of their children’s struggles with literacy.
Proposal would let school officials request a transfer to a neighborhood school if family outreach efforts don’t work.
Ratification votes for the tentative agreement begin Monday evening and will last until Thursday afternoon.
With college on the horizon, Rahmyza Muhammad made photos to document her senior year at the Detroit School of Arts and her family’s transition from living in a shelter. Here is the result.
As senior year and adulthood approach, London Hill pointed a camera at her own life. Here is the result.

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“Each student has passion and curiosity inside them and I am so honored whenever I can play a small part in igniting these things,” said Matt Vriesman, who teaches at East Kentwood High School.
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, who has made higher staff pay a budget priority, says he’s confident about reaching an agreement before school starts.
The board wants clarification on whether MiLEAP would challenge its authority to oversee all public education.
The organizations will add an additional $1.8 million to the initial Ballmer Group donation of $2.76 million
After a group of students found most of their peers lacked a “fundamental understanding” of what constituted consent and sexual assault, they advocated for state legislation that would better inform teens. The bill just became a reality.
The tutoring program will exclusively work with K-8 students at eight schools next year.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer described the bills signed Wednesday as an effort to help recruit and retain teachers.
The proposal marks a reversal from policies the district adopted just five years ago to make discipline rules more uniform across the district.
MiLEAP will tackle early childhood education, after-school programs, and partnerships to promote career success
Now district officials are considering punitive policies against severe absenteeism, such as making students repeat a grade.
The nonprofit purchased a building that housed the Winans Academy of Performing Arts, a charter school that closed at the end of the school year.
District officials are eager to spend the money to hire more academic interventionists, but a task force will also seek community input
The budget provides money to support teacher recruitment, Detroit initiatives, community advocacy, rural schools, and transportation.
The health centers in 12 schools are intended to curb student absenteeism and provide families with critical and convenient resources.
“This year’s school aid budget represents a giant step toward righting past wrongs,” said Alice Thompson from the NAACP Detroit branch.
State laws designed to ensure the safety of children in schools went into effect in 2006.
“Why would you take away a program that’s highly successful?” teacher Kay Thomas asks. The district says it’s a budget decision.
‘No one told me anything,’ says a parent whose 12-year-old child was ‘left in a restraint chair for hours’
Researchers credit DPSCD for efforts aimed at ensuring that students can get support they’re entitled to under federal law. But they say there’s still a big undercount.
This will be the second straight year that classes begin before Labor Day in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.
Michigan Teacher of the Year Candice Jackson was inspired to enter the teaching profession after she taught basic accounting lessons to children in the community.
Four other district employees were also dismissed over allegations of physical altercations with students, possession of a weapon on school grounds, as well as inappropriate conduct.
The board’s resolution affirms that librarians have the professional expertise to select age-appropriate learning materials for students.
The end of federal COVID relief aid prompts belt-tightening to account for declining enrollment, but Vitti says few employees will actually face forced layoffs.
The summer programs helped keep some students engaged, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says, but they were not nearly as successful as officials hoped.
Teachers union leaders say that the provision, which applies to recent hires in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, is a ‘deterrent’ for current and prospective employees.
The survey results came weeks after the U.S. Census Bureau released new data showing Detroit lost 7,791 residents from 2021 to 2022.
DPSCD student enrollment and the city’s overall population have been on a steady decline in recent decades.
The experimental school opened to great fanfare in 2019, but the pandemic and leadership turmoil have clouded its brief history.
Many Michigan schools are trying different methods to recruit and retain teachers, including increasing compensation and providing development opportunities.