In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic that has now killed over 1 million Americans, the federal government has allocated billions of dollars in funding for schools. Known as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), the funds were distributed in three separate tranches: ESSER I – On March 27, 2020, Congress set aside approximately $13.2 billion of […]

Years ago, I placed the blame for uncertified, unqualified edutourists who spent a year or two working in mostly urban schools before heading off to law school or cushy gigs at ed policy think tanks on the despicable persons heading up Teach for America–the Michelle Rhees and Wendy Kopps of the world–and not the fresh-faced, hyper ambitious noobs who applied […]

The following essay was written by my good friend Caitlin Muciek-Balkus, a young mother from the mid-Michigan area. In it, she describes the difficult position parents are in right now as things open up after a year-long shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While I appreciate the strong desire of so many to get people back to work, I think […]

The following essay was written by Trina Tocco. She is a resident of Royal Oak and has two amazing children who attend Ferndale Public Schools. When the pandemic hit, I had to make a choice – either one of my children wouldn’t be able to participate in virtual school because of mental illness or I would have to put my […]

Yesterday, I wrote about the one year anniversary of the first diagnosed COVID case in Michigan.  Today, I want to spend some time talking about the coordinated attacks Governor Whitmer has faced as she has tried to save the lives of Michiganders.  I have shared my previous thoughts on Senator Mike Shirkey. But those were merely his words and actions […]

We knew that March 10, 2020 would be a historic day as it was the Presidential Primary Election in Michigan and voters exercised their vote to select their party’s nominee for the Presidency. I spent Election Day, as I always do, fielding calls and questions from local clerks, ensuring that polls were open, tabulators working, and issues dealt with.  One […]

I’m seeing a lot of well-intentioned rhetoric lately about the importance of good ventilation in schools to mitigate the spread of Covid in school classrooms, with the best advice being to “just open a window,” and “use a simple box fan to circulate exhaled air.” The example shown was of a “real classroom” with an entire wall of windows, a […]

In Washtenaw County where I live, the COVID-19 infection rate of Black residents is 13%, about the same as the percentage of Black residents int the county (12.3%). However, of the people who are hospitalized, 27% are Black and Black residents are 23% of those who die from virus. Worse yet, statewide, less than 5% of the people who have […]

Nearly two months ago, the federal government made billions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds available to the states. Michigan is in line for over $5 billion in relief funding, including $2.1 billion to re-open schools in our state. However, so far, none of that money has been allocated and, if its not used by the end of March, we […]

In spite of most of the US public being supportive of public education, our schools, and our children’s teachers, a small but vocal minority has been growing increasingly rambunctious about reopening schools. Recently, Dr. Ben Linas, a physician in Brookline, MA, added his apparently cranky voice to this debate, penning a piece for Vox titled, “I’m an epidemiologist and a […]

Michigan Republicans have a long history of being on the wrong side of many of the issues the citizens of Michigan care most about. From education to privatizing essential government services like prisons and schools, they have invariably sided with the corporatists who stand to benefit most from shifting tax dollars to corporate bank accounts. I thought I had seen […]