Detroit Free Press

Matt's Law, which would require every school to have an anti-bullying policy, passed the state House, but is stalled in the Senate, where it will die if it's not passed this fall.

Ellen Rose's sophomore language arts students weren't just reading an Arthur Miller essay. They were taking it apart, scribbling in the margins of the text questions about the essay, highlighting words they didn't understand, recording their observations and making notes about interesting phrases

East Detroit in Eastpointe is among a growing number of schools in the metro area to have opened freshman academies this year. Other schools have launched peer mentoring programs or teamed teachers together, all in the name of helping students through ninth grade.

Students want other paths to diploma A student group Tuesday recommended a dramatic change to Michigan's tough new graduation requirements, one that would give teens more routes to earning a diploma based on their plans to attend college, enter the workforce or pursue a fine arts career.

The rows of empty seats at Ford Field in Detroit provided the perfect backdrop Thursday as a group of students tried to estimate how many seats are in nine sections of the stadium.

More than 40% of surveyed adults with bachelor's degrees say they are interested in switching to teaching careers, but two reports released today conclude that higher salaries, incentives and stronger preparation programs are needed to help those interested make that leap.

When you head to the store with your child to buy back-to-school clothes -- are you a lion or a mouse? It's surprising how many parents don't feel comfortable saying no to clothing that's inappropriate for the classroom.

Communities across Michigan may be in for a surprise today when the state is expected to release graduation-rate data for the Class of 2007 that will show many schools with lower rates than reported in previous years.

Schools and teachers alone can't do all that No Child Left Behind aims to accomplish

BY SUSAN B. NEUMAN
Six years after the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind law, there is frustratingly little evidence that it will close the achievement gap between low-income, minority children and their middle-class peers. Despite the heroic attempts of many dedicated educators, NCLB-inspired school reforms, like so many others before, have failed and will continue to fail to change the trajectory of our disadvantaged children.

This is no typical summer math class. And Deborah Loewenberg Ball is no ordinary teacher. Cameras are recording every move the class makes. And in the back of the room, a group of adults are paying rapt attention. As is another group of adults watching on large screens in a room next door.

Michigan has the worst record of graduating black male students in the United States -- and Detroit Public Schools has the second-lowest rate for big-city school districts -- according to a national report released Friday.

District also sues 13 individuals, contractors to recover up to $46M in risk management funds. The Detroit Public Schools board Monday approved a two-year, $1.1 billion budget plan that includes laying off more than 1,700 employees to stave off a $408 million deficit.

BY ROCHELLE RILEY
The e-mail could have been written by any suburbanites who responded to my column about the lack of outrage over the failing Detroit Public Schools. The writer said there was no outrage because "the chips are all cashed in and there is NO hope left and people have stopped giving a rip. This is DPS -- it's over. Done. Stick a fork in it. Jesus Christ himself would have his hands full with that cesspool of failure, corruption and incompetence. Just need to find a way for the 900,000 left to speed to the exits in order to save their lives vs. being pawns to prop up a long failed institution so we can continue to pay the incompetents."

School districts across Michigan are increasingly altering long-standing rules that tie students' grades to how often they come to class. The changes are prompted by a state policy that now allows students to test out of a class.

Fewer students would drop out of high school if they took classes they found relevant, had help developing career goals and had strong relationships with adults they see as role models, according to a poll of 500 young adults in Michigan.