Grand Rapids Press

GRANDVILLE -- Katie Messina teaches to a sea of bobbing heads.

In this era of No Child Left Behind, I often cringe when asked what I do for a living, because I know when I say, "I'm an English teacher" I am about to get an earful.

Too much is at stake for school districts not to be actively engaged in Lansing. New legislation that would prohibit districts from hiring lobbyists is a bad idea that lawmakers should not allow to become bad public policy. School districts deserve the chance to have their stories told just like cities, universities and other groups. This bill is an excellent example of why. The legislation is unfair and of little value.

It's an old high school graduation tradition: choosing a valedictorian, a school's best and brightest. Some school leaders, however, are pushing for changes to highest grade-point formulas in favor of something that measures knowledge and also rewards students who take college-level courses.

GRAND RAPIDS -- Ed Kettle is running for a 1st Ward seat on the City Commission, but he also wants a shot at running Grand Rapids Public Schools. If elected, Kettle said he will urge the City Commission to petition the governor for a City Hall takeover of the city's schools system.

GRAND RAPIDS -- Grand Rapids needs to help stem the flow of city students to charter and suburban schools by better selling its programs -- with a new communications director, Superintendent Bernard Taylor says.

GRAND RAPIDS -- Board of Education members say boosting the police presence in Grand Rapids Public Schools will only contribute to problems. They want to reject a pilot program to post armed officers in high schools.

Classes resumed at Virginia Tech yesterday. But it will be a long time before things return to normal on the campus where 32 people were gunned down last week by a deranged student. But lessons can and should be learned from this tragedy, especially about mental health, gun laws and security.

When Roger Schindler began his teaching career at Central High in Grand Rapids 36 years ago, students had the option of learning Latin, Spanish, French, Russian, Swahili or Schindler's specialty, German.

EAST GRAND RAPIDS -- See the cool loft with dolls in a cradle and a dollhouse. See the cozy kitchen down below. See the place to draw, arrange magnets and even ride a hobby horse. This isn't home, or day care or preschool. It's the latest at East Grand Rapids Public Schools: in-house special education assessing.

GRAND RAPIDS -- Charter school students are losing their free pass into suburban high schools. County superintendents are changing their school choice plans, closing a loophole they say gave charter school students an unfair way around the transfer process into open seats in high schools in Kentwood, Forest Hills and other districts.

She said Michigan teachers historically have traded salaries for their generous benefits packages, which districts have little or no control over. But there also has been some recent movement on health insurance, with some local unions agreeing to plans that call for members to make some contributions.

By Tom Watkins
Have you ever had a leaky faucet, a tiny cavity in a tooth, or a small hole in the roof? What happens when you neglect these relatively small problems and do not address them? Most of us have had this experience and know the answer -- small problems grow into BIG problems if neglected and ignored. When you continuously neglect a problem, it does not go away; it festers and gets bigger.

For too many children, the traditional public school system isn't working. Charter schools offer a much-needed alternative to families tired of a desperate status quo. Charters aren't a cure-all for what ails inadequate school systems nor a panacea for every underachieving child. But the thousands of families on charter school waiting lists speak to their commitment to achievement and the desire for educational choice. That should motivate state lawmakers to expand charter schools

A hungry student is ill-prepared to concentrate on learning. The Grand Rapids Board of Education deserves credit for letting students eligible for reduced-price meals eat free. The progressive move this month removes a barrier to children of the working poor. Congress should give serious thought to funding a pilot project to test the elimination of reduced-price meals under the federal food program. Children should show up for school hungry for knowledge, not food.