#Union #Yes pic.twitter.com/XS0gJiwXvb

— Labor411 (@Labor411) September 21, 2018

Mount Pleasant – The Michigan Department of Education has heard thousands of complaints about proposed changes to state social studies standards that would delete references to gay rights, Roe v. Wade and climate change.

Now, comes the hard part: rewriting the standards to try to satisfy everyone.

Thursday evening’s forum in an auditorium in Central Michigan University’s student union was the 18th and last currently scheduled session to gather public input on the controversial changes to standards meant to set the parameters for what is taught in Michigan classrooms.

Over five months, about 800 people attended sessions, and another 4,000 left online comments for the Michigan Department of Education.

Concerns about the conservative changes were consistent over time and across the state, and are likely to have a major impact on how the draft standards are rewritten, said Linda Forward, senior executive policy advisor for the state’s education department.

“I’m embarrassed,” said Anthony Tuf Francis, an Oakland University assistant professor who typified the public comments Thursday. “These standards need to be rejected and rewritten by people who appreciate democracy.”

Source: A final meeting, and Michigan’s social studies standards head for a rewrite | Bridge Magazine

You, too, can write education articles! Just pick 1 item from column A and 1 from column B:
"Can (chess, dancing, sketch comedy, meditation, video games, eating olives, gargling) improve students' (attendance, engagement, math scores, graduation rates)?"

— Alfie Kohn (@alfiekohn) September 18, 2018

GRAND BLANC (WJRT) (09/20/2018) – The impetus behind a bill introduced in Lansing on Thursday started when a seventh grader saw a friend having his lunch taken away because of an overdrawn lunch account.

A Grand Blanc mother got involved, and now lawmakers are considering a “Hunger-Free Student Bill of Rights” to end “lunch shaming” in Michigan schools.

Source: Grand Blanc mom’s push to eradicate ‘lunch shaming’ helps shape new legislation

Students in Detroit still can’t get a drink from a water fountain. It’s been two weeks since the superintendent turned the taps off due to copper and lead contamination.

Another day, another failure of basic infrastructure. And another socio-economically disadvantaged and vulnerable population failed by government.

While the blame game has just started on whether the water utility or the supply lines to the schools are at fault, the core problem is that the way we are financing public infrastructure is stuck in the 20th century.

Source: Opinion | Fixing Michigan infrastructure crisis takes new thinking about funding. | Bridge Magazine

When you stop worrying about how students perceive you, you start making real progress with them.

Source: Stop Stressing About How Your Students Perceive You – NEA Today