K-12 Education

State budget director Chris Kolb and the Legislature’s Republican leaders say they’ve reached a preliminary budget deal.  We have more from Rick Pluta.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer says the doors to school buildings are locked for the rest of this school year.  This is not a surprise.  It just makes permanent an earlier order that temporarily closed schools.  That was to buy time to come up with plans to address the rapid spread of the coronavirus.  But the governor says it won’t be safe anytime soon for students and teachers to return to school.  We have more from Rick Pluta.

Saying they are always looking for ways to be creative, Gem Advocacy Group co-founders Dr. Benjamin Edmondson and Jason Gold launched an online reading series to help kids from elementary school age to high school engage in literacy, while all schools are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with the Washtenaw County area men about their effort.

Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti Community Schools, and Washtenaw County have joined forces for an education initiative.  The program was announced Saturday morning.  89.1 WEMU's Jorge Avellan was there and has the story.
 

As we informed you in a brief story late last month, Ann Arbor resident and former Miss Washtenaw County Heather Kendrick was named Miss Michigan.  In this longer version, we explore more in-depth her platform of supporting the arts, including right here in Washtenaw County, as well as how the arts changed her life forever. 

It's been less than a week since Ann Arbor resident Heather Kendrick was crowned Miss Michigan, but the former Miss Washtenaw County is already hard at work. 

A state panel will be named soon to look into improving Michigan’s dismal literacy rate.  Governor Rick Snyder signed an executive order Wednesday creating the new PreK-12 Literacy Commission. 

Ypsilanti Community Schools officials continue to develop plans for year round schools.  The District plans on piloting a balanced calendar in one or two buildings starting in the fall.