The following essay was written by students in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. At a time when the Overton Window view about the role of policing in our society is shifting ever more to the left, their voice is important and deserves to be heard. Organized by the group 482Forward which is working for a quality education for EVERY […]

In a move you wouldn’t think necessary, this past week Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation into law that makes it illegal for undercover police officers to have sex with prostitutes while they are at work. No, I’m not kidding: Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday signed legislation officially outlawing police having sex with prostitutes on duty by removing an exemption […]

This post has been updated to correct information about training requirements for a “special police officer”. It takes a lot to surprise me when it comes to “Republicans Gone Wild!” type legislation in Michigan these days. After all, this is the state where Republicans passed a law forcing women to purchase special insurance to cover abortions – what I call […]

For a recent final exam, Nevada high school teacher Elizabeth Clausen showed her students this provocative painting by artist Michael D’Antuono and asked them to use critical thinking skills to form an opinion about how the art represents American society and our country’s history. A handful of parents were outraged and now Clausen is on temporary leave and may lose […]

They keep our country going strong. But many don’t earn nearly enough. The least we can do is show our appreciation. While many of us are enjoying a last blast of summer at barbecues, parades or festivals, others will be working on Labor Day. Firefighters, police officers and nurses will be on duty. Teachers will be preparing lesson plans for […]