The University of Michigan is closing its office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and shutting down diversity initiatives campuswide, in response to executive orders from the Trump administration and internal discussions on campus.
The moves were announced in a campus-wide email from university President Santa Ono and other top leaders Thursday afternoon.
The changes will also affect the Office for Health Equity and Inclusion at Michigan Medicine.
In the email, university leaders acknowledged the diversity initiatives had been successful on some measures.
“First-generation undergraduate students, for example, have increased 46% and undergraduate Pell recipients have increased by more than 32%, driven in part by impactful programs such as Go Blue Guarantee and Wolverine Pathways,” the email read. “The work to remove barriers to student success is inherently challenging, and our leadership has played a vital role in shaping inclusive excellence throughout higher education.”
The University of Michigan has frequently been at the center of conversations about diversity on college campuses; it was the defendant in two lawsuits that reached the Supreme Court in 2003, resulting in rulings that partially struck down affirmative action programs on campus at the time.
Last year, the New York Times reported on UM’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, saying the university had poured more than a quarter of a billion dollars into the programs since 2016, but many critics remained on campus.
In 2023, the university launched what it called its DEI 2.0 strategic plan, which was announced as a five-year plan to run through 2028. On Thursday, the university announced it would abandon the plan, as part of the other cuts to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on campus. It said it would also update university websites to remove mentions of the DEI efforts.
In a post on the social media site “X”, university regent Sarah Hubbard said cutting the DEI offices on campus would free up money to spend on other student programs.
Today the University of Michigan is ending implementation of DEI.
We are eliminating programs, eliminating affiliated staff and ending the DEI 2.0 strategy.
Late last year we ended the use of diversity statements in faculty hiring. This is now expanded university wide and…
— Sarah Hubbard, Regent @umich (@RegentHubbard) March 27, 2025
“We are eliminating bureaucratic overspending and making Michigan more accessible,” Hubbard wrote, citing the expansion of the Go Blue Guarantee scholarship program, which had previously been announced by the university.
Editor’s note: The University of Michigan holds Michigan Public’s broadcast license.
Student loan debt is massive in the U.S., totaling $1.7 trillion. There are over 42 million student borrowers with federal loan debt, and the cost of tuition keeps going up.
Since 2010, the cost of attending college has gone up more than 35%. After adjusting for inflation, college tuition has increased nearly 200% since 1963.
Trump promised to dismantle the Department of Education when he was elected, and has since followed through. He cut the department’s workforce in half and signed an executive order to shut it down, saying education should be entirely in control of the states, not the federal government. Last week, Trump announced that the administration of federal student loans would now be the responsibility of the Small Business Administration.
The Department of Education’s primary functions included administering federal student loans and payment plans for college students and graduates, making college accessible for students of all income levels.
Today on The Metro, we talk about recent administrative changes with Michelle Zampini, the senior director of college affordability for The Institute of College Access & Success. The federal financial aid system is raising concerns about potential processing delays, legal challenges, and impacts on access to loans and grants.
The importance of programs like Pell Grants and income-driven repayment plans was emphasized, along with concerns that administrative breakdowns could hinder their availability.
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Editor’s Note: This story is part three of a new four-part series from WDET’s Nargis Rahman called, “Shustho: Mind, Body, and Spirit,” exploring health care and health care access for Bangladeshi women.
The Health Unit on Davison Avenue in Detroit (HUDA Clinic) is the largest free health care clinic in Wayne County. It serves uninsured and underinsured patients helping about 5,000 patients annually.
Nurse Practitioner Joann Harrison says about 30% of HUDA’s patients are Bangladeshi women. She says many struggle with mental health and chronic conditions due to lack of access to regular care.
“There are problems with hypertension and diabetes. I just see a wide variety of issues, a lot of it has to do with not knowing how to manage or not having the resources to manage issues,” she said.
Within that care, Harrison says Bangladeshi women are more receptive to female health care providers.
“I think they’re more open to talk with us. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case that we have female providers available or female translators available, but I do feel that when there is someone present, there is more openness, more freedom to speak with us,” she explained.
The clinic also provides interpreters and translated educational materials.
Harrison, who is Black, said she is learning more about Bangladeshi culture, including about food and family values, to better serve her patients. “I’m learning all the time about how to help them, especially the women, to better care for themselves and what issues affect them.”
Dr. Nashita Molla is a Bangladeshi American physician who volunteers at the HUDA Clinic. Part of her care is educating Bangladeshi women about preventive care.
“In Bangladesh there isn’t a whole lot of cancer screening, so patients don’t have a PCP that they go to continuously and get colonoscopies every 10 years, or pap smears every three to five years,” she said.
Molla said having more Bangladeshi doctors and health care providers who are women could improve care for Bangladeshi women patients.
“If I’m not there, or, you know, another female Bengali provider is not there, or then they’re not going to be as open with those other providers. They might not do those tests because they don’t understand why they need those things,” she shared.
Dental students providing care for a patient at the HUDA Clinic.
Molla said there’s a need for more free clinics and educational materials in Bengali, such as informational videos on diabetes and hypertension, which are rampant among Bangladeshis.
“I think it helps if there’s another Bengali female saying, like, ‘hey we gotta cut down the portions of how much they’re eating, and cut down on the fried foods, and it’ll mean a lot more coming from them than it would like any other culture,” she said.
Like some patients served at HUDA Clinic, some Bangladeshi women end up in the Emergency Room for primary care because they don’t have adequate insurance.
Dr. Farjana Alam is an emergency medicine physician who works at several hospitals in metro Detroit.
She says socioeconomic barriers contribute to these challenges.
“Poverty is higher in our people. I’ve seen lack of education is higher. And so I think that also plays into effect with all the health literacy gaps which then leads to like issues with chronic illnesses and not having an overall, as great of a health outcomes as, like other people,” she said.
Alam grew up helping her immigrant parents navigate the health care system. As a result, she said she understands firsthand how having limited resources affects one’s health.
Social determinants of health, factors such as limited English proficiency, inadequate insurance and needing help with transportation can make a big difference in health outcomes, she said.
“You can’t compare someone like a white female from a family who has all the resources in the world, who has all the money in the world, her health outcomes, to this Bangladeshi female who barely finished school, who has all these financial constraints over her; like you can’t compare those health outcomes,” she said.
Alam said despite these barriers, Bangladeshi women in metro Detroit are empowering themselves by learning English, learning how to drive, and educating their children to assist them to have better health outcomes.
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Education in the U.S. is facing upheaval. The Department of Education is dissolving as President Donald Trump makes good on his campaign promise to dismantle it.
Last week, Trump signed an executive order directing the education secretary to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”
States and local communities already largely control education in the U.S. But some conservative activists have long opposed the department and its role as a civil rights watchdog. Since Trump took office in January, the department has paused thousands of its civil rights investigations.
Trump has blamed the department for lagging student achievement. He argues it is part of a “bloated federal system” that must be eliminated.
One of the department’s key roles is distributing funding to many low-income districts, including Detroit schools. The Department of Education provides around 30% of the funding for the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said.
Trump claims low-income districts will still have access to this crucial funding. But school officials like Vitti remain concerned.
He sat down with The Metro co-host Robyn Vincent to discuss how the dismantling of the Department of Education would affect “all Detroit kids.”
He began by discussing one of the most pressing issues facing Detroit schools: a lack of funding — and why federal money is vital for Detroit students.
Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.
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Several education bills have passed in the Michigan House including one to eliminate the fee to apply for a teaching certificate and renewal.
Last week three bills passed, one of which was sponsored by state Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-55th District Rochester and Rochester Hills), eliminating hundreds of dollars in fees for teachers on everything from teaching certificate applications and renewals to new endorsements and permits.
Fees are usually $160 for the initial application and then $100 to renew every five years, or $210 for an out-of-state teacher to become a teacher in Michigan. There are other fees for more advanced certificates.
Those fees would be eliminated.
“In an age where schools are struggling to keep our best teachers on the job, nickel and diming our educators every year can no longer be an option,” Tisdel said in a statement after the bill passed. “We need to make it as easy as possible to start a career in education and stop punishing teachers for staying in that important job for the long-term.”
Another bill co-sponsored by Tisdel, allows teachers to fill critical vacancies when they have subject area expertise.
“Many schools that can’t fill specific areas will wait until next year to hire someone, and teachers who want to teach a new subject often have to go through a lengthy process instead of simply adding a new subject area endorsement to their license,” said Tisdel. “If a social studies teacher has a background in literature and wants to step in and teach English, they should be able to do so when it makes sense.”
House Bill 4153 co-sponsored by Tisdel, Tom Kuhn (R-57th District Troy and Madison Heights) and others addressed hiring local experts to teach specific classes, like asking software engineers to offer courses in computer science and bringing in retired statisticians to teach statistics.
“The private sector is laying people off and wouldn’t it be great to give them a path to coming into a classroom and continuing to show their knowledge and skills to the next generation of students?” said Tisdel.
Other bills under consideration in the House include:
House Bill 4156: Overhauling the Michigan Merit Curriculum system by allowing students to pursue paths that match their talents and interests. Alternatives include:
Allowing two out of four math credits to be replaced by career technical education or college dual enrollment classes;
Adding computer science classes to the list of courses that count toward science, math and art credit requirements;
Including coding classes as options to fill foreign language requirements;
requiring a class in personal finance and offering multiple options for electives, like business mathematics, agribusiness and computer science.
House Bill 4154: Adding trade school options to dual enrollment.
House Bill 4148: Changing the state Board of Education election process, so board members are nominated at the local level to represent their communities.
House Bills 4155 and 4159: Creating and publishing a list of proven curriculum options and resources for teachers, giving educators access to a vast array of resources in line with the highest state and national standards. In 2022 alone, elementary teachers used 444 different language arts curriculum resources statewide.
House Bill 4147: Boosting teacher pay and hiring more teachers by helping schools spend less on overhead.
“These bills are not tied together, but there is a common element to all of them aimed at making the education process easier,” said Tisdel. “They are to clear as many obstacles and fences out of the way as possible and make life a little easier for the teachers.”
“The other bills in the education package are still working their way through committee or on the floor, but haven’t come up for final passage yet,” said House Republican Senior Communications Advisor Jeremiah Ward.
Tisdel also presented two bills last year that could be voted on later in the spring.
The first bill amends the Revised School Code to require public and nonpublic schools to implement a mobile panic alert system beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
The bill requires the system to ensure real-time coordination between schools, 911, law enforcement, and first responders; and must directly integrate with local public safety answering point infrastructure to transmit 911 calls and mobile activations with continued two-way communication between 911 and the school.
The bill is a variation on Alyssa’s Law, named after 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, who was killed in a 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The second bill would ban or restrict smartphones in schools throughout the state.
Tisdel estimated that only 27 out of 538 public school districts in the state currently have some form of cell phone ban or restrictions in place and is looking to create legislation to cover all schools statewide. Armada schools in Macomb County implemented a new cell phone policy last month.
Although cell phone bans have been passed in seven different states, including Ohio, Indiana and Minnesota, Tisdel said he worked with other legislators and experts over two years to create the language for the bill rather than duplicate the policies implemented in those states.
“We started from scratch. I targeted it off of what some of the school districts have already had some experience with and established a minimum baseline and then in the legislation school districts are allowed to be more strict or add additional guardrails if they so choose,” said Tisdel.
State Rep. Mark Tisdel has also proposed a school cell phone ban bill and mobile panic alert system bill.
photo courtesy Michigan House Republicans
Michigan libraries are some of the latest local institutions preparing for the effects of the Trump Administration’s slashing of federal agencies.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The institute is an independent federal agency that distributes grants to libraries and museums across the country, including in Michigan.
There are nearly 1,300 libraries in Michigan. Last year, the institute provided them with nearly $4.8 million in funding.
Michigan State Librarian Randy Riley said the federal cut will especially hurt under-funded and rural libraries statewide, while negatively affecting diverse library users and students on a daily basis. He said the institute’s funding helps provide books and other media, as well as career development training, kids’ reading programs, and technical support.
“Not having that would be devastating,” he said. “Not just for the Library of Michigan, but for libraries, library users, schools, academic institutions in the state of Michigan.”
Riley said 75% of the funding from the institute has historically gone towards Michigan eLibrary (MeL) content, and the Michigan eLibrary Catalog. These programs provide statewide access to online databases, e-books, and journal subscriptions, as well as physical books and other borrowable items.
Riley said that with federal cuts, there’s a large chance these programs wouldn’t survive. It’s a move he said would lose the huge return on investment that the two programs annually provide: For every $1 spent on the MeL databases and catalogs, the return on investment is $27 and $25, respectively.
“Those are significant numbers of what we’re able to do,” said Riley. “We’re able to have a huge impact on the state and make a difference. And the thought that [this] would go away saddens me.”
Eliminating the department altogether would be a hard task, and will likely require an act of Congress. Trump has already cut the department’s staff in half since returning to office. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has already cut dozens of contracts and has gutted the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.
We reported on Feb. 21’s Detroit Evening Report that Michigan could face major challenges if the federal department is cut. Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during a virtual budget meeting with more than 1,000 attendees that the elimination of the department could lead to many things, such as less monitoring around discrimination claims.
The superintendent noted that the effects could be catastrophic to the largest district in the state.
President Trump has said that low test scores nationwide is part of the reason for making this order, but hasn’t explained how moving federal responsibilities to the state will help increase scores.
Other headlines for Friday, March 21, 2025:
The city of Dearborn will hold a small business pitch competition in May. The city’s Economic Development Department is encouraging start-ups and established businesses to join. Eligible innovators are U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, with a brick-and-mortar business located in Dearborn. Food and beverage-based businesses are not eligible to participate. The first place winner will earn $25,000. Second place is $10,000 and third is $5,000. The competition will be held at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center on May 13.
Applications for vendor spots at the Dearborn Summer Market are now open. The market will be located at Peace Park West and will run through July and August on the second Friday of each month. Those interested in reserving a vendor spot are required to apply online by March 31.
March Madness is upon us and the No. 2 seed Michigan State Spartans makes its 27th straight NCAA Tournament appearance on Friday when it takes on the No. 15 seed Bryant Bulldogs in a first-round matchup in the South region. Michigan State’s streak of 27-straight NCAA Tournaments is not only a Big Ten record, it’s also the third-longest in NCAA history and is officially recognized by the NCAA as the longest active streak. This is the 38th NCAA Tournament appearance all-time for MSU. The game airs at 10 p.m. Friday on TBS.
The 14th-ranked and No. 5-seeded University of Michigan men’s basketball team squeaked out a three-point victory, defeating No. 12-seeded UC San Diego, 68-65, on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. A pair of late Vladislav Goldin free throws helped the Wolverines advance to the second round. Their next game is at 5:15 p.m. on March 22, on CBS.
Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Moving to fulfill a campaign promise, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the Education Department, an agency Republicans have talked about closing for decades.
The order says Education Secretary Linda McMahon will, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”
Eliminating the department altogether would be a cumbersome task, which likely would require an act of Congress.
In the weeks since he took office, the Trump administration already has cut the department’s staff in half and overhauled much of the department’s work. Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has cut dozens of contracts it dismissed as “woke” and wasteful. It gutted the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.
The agency’s main role is financial. Annually, it distributes billions in federal money to colleges and schools and manages the federal student loan portfolio. Closing the department would mean redistributing each of those duties to another agency. The Education Department also plays an important regulatory role in services for students, ranging from those with disabilities to low-income and homeless kids.
Indeed, federal education money is central to Trump’s plans for colleges and schools. Trump has vowed to cut off federal money for schools and colleges that push “critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content” and to reward states and schools that end teacher tenure and support universal school choice programs.
Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. Colleges and universities are more reliant on it, through research grants along with federal financial aid that helps students pay their tuition.
Here is a look at some of the department’s key functions, and how Trump has said he might approach them.
Student loans and financial aid
The Education Department manages approximately $1.5 trillion in student loan debt for over 40 million borrowers. It also oversees the Pell Grant, which provides aid to students below a certain income threshold, and administers the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which universities use to allocate financial aid.
President Joe Biden’s administration made cancellation of student loans a signature effort of the department’s work. Even though Biden’s initial attempt to cancel student loans was overturned by the Supreme Court, the administration forgave over $175 billion for more than 4.8 million borrowers through a range of changes to programs it administers, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
The loan forgiveness efforts have faced Republican pushback, including litigation from several GOP-led states.
Trump has criticized Biden’s efforts to cancel debt as illegal and unfair, calling it a “total catastrophe” that “taunted young people.” Trump’s plan for student debt is uncertain: He has not put out detailed plans.
Civil rights enforcement
Through its Office for Civil Rights, the Education Department conducts investigations and issues guidance on how civil rights laws should be applied, such as for LGBTQ+ students and students of color. The office also oversees a large data collection project that tracks disparities in resources, course access and discipline for students of different racial and socioeconomic groups.
Trump has suggested a different interpretation of the office’s civil rights role. Under his administration, the department has instructed the office to prioritize complaints of antisemitism above all else and has opened investigations into colleges and school sports leagues for allowing transgender athletes to compete on women’s teams.
In his campaign platform, Trump said he would pursue civil rights cases to “stop schools from discriminating on the basis of race.” He has described diversity and equity policies in education as “explicit unlawful discrimination.” His administration has launched investigations of dozens of colleges for alleged racial discrimination.
Trump also has pledged to exclude transgender students from Title IX protections, which affect school policies on students’ use of pronouns, bathrooms and locker rooms. Originally passed in 1972, Title IX was first used as a women’s rights law. Last year, Biden’s administration said the law forbids discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, but a federal judge undid those protections.
College accreditation
While the Education Department does not directly accredit colleges and universities, it oversees the system by reviewing all federally recognized accrediting agencies. Institutions of higher education must be accredited to gain access to federal money for student financial aid.
Accreditation came under scrutiny from conservatives in 2022, when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools questioned political interference at Florida public colleges and universities. Trump has said he would fire “radical left accreditors” and take applications for new accreditors that would uphold standards including “defending the American tradition” and removing “Marxist” diversity administrators.
Although the education secretary has the authority to terminate its relationship with individual accrediting agencies, it is an arduous process that has rarely been pursued. Under President Barack Obama, the department took steps to cancel accreditors for a now-defunct for-profit college chain, but the Trump administration blocked the move. The group, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, was terminated by the Biden administration in 2022.
Money for schools
Much of the Education Department’s money for K-12 schools goes through large federal programs, such as Title I for low-income schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Those programs support services for students with disabilities, lower class sizes with additional teaching positions, and pay for social workers and other non-teaching roles in schools.
During his campaign, Trump called for shifting those functions to the states. He has not offered details on how the agency’s core functions of sending federal money to local districts and schools would be handled.
The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a sweeping proposal outlining a far-right vision for the country, offered a blueprint. It suggested sending oversight of programs for kids with disabilities and low-income children first to the Department of Health and Human Services, before eventually phasing out the funding and converting it to no-strings-attached grants to states.
Reporting by Annie Ma and Collin Binkley, AP Education Writer
Timing, dedication and passion all played a role in four teachers being named as Oakland County Teachers of the Year.
Earlier this week all four were surprised by Oakland ISD Superintendent Ken Gutman with their awards.
They were among the 65 teachers from 22 school districts nominated for the award.
For the 2025 awards there was a new category for Early Childhood teachers along with elementary, middle/junior high, and high school teachers.
Leah Lynady was the first recipient of the Early Childhood teacher of the year for her work at the Lamphere Early Childhood Center.
Lynady has been an early childhood teacher for over 25 years. She came to Lamphere three years ago after spending five years in the Berkley school district.
She admitted she was not looking to change districts, but after being contacted by Lamphere Early Childhood Center Director Nicole Crousore, Lynady accepted her offer before the end of her first interview.
“It was not something I was looking to do, but it has turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made,” said Lynady. “The timing just worked and they have supported everything I have wanted to do since coming here. It is an amazing atmosphere in this district.”
Crousore, who has been in the district for over 20 years and is in her third year as director, said Lynady is the first teacher she has ever hired after only one interview, but has not regretted the decision.“Having Leah here is not about the educator she is, it is about the person she is and what she brings to the table,” said Crousore. “She has changed the culture of this program since coming here. She was exactly the kind of person we were looking for.”
“In addition to her work with students, Leah plays a vital role in connecting parents to valuable resources and ensuring families have access to everyday necessities,” the district said in a statement after Lynady received her award. “She even started a care closet to provide essential items to those in need.”
Lynady said she has found a home at Lamphere and is looking forward to finishing her career there.
“This is the best possible place anyone could dream of working,” she said. “I’ll be here until I retire, I’m sure of it.”
Lamphere Early Childhood teacher Leah Lynady was the first to receive the award for Early Childhood teacher of the year.Photo courtesy LSD
Lynady was not the only Lamphere teacher honored with an award.
Edmonson Elementary third grade teacher Sarah Vrabel also received a surprise visit from Gutman and was honored as the elementary teacher of the year.
Vrabel has been in the district for 14 years and has been teaching third grade at Edmonson for nine years. She was a teacher in Arizona for four years before coming to Lamphere.
She has taught kindergarten, first and second graders in the past, but loves what third graders have to offer.
“Third grade is such a great grade level. They are at that age where they are still just sponges and they love learning and want to please you, but they have an independence to them as well,” said Vrabel. “I will retire as a third grade teacher if they let me.”
Vrabel said one of her goals is to continue the type of teaching she has tried to implement since students returned to the classroom after the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on having students socializing, interacting and collaborating in the classroom rather than the solitude of at-home virtual learning.
“When we came back into the classroom, the kids needed joy and they needed to be engaged and make them want to be at school,” she said. “So that has really been my mission these past few years. Doing things like wearing funny outfits or turning my class into a courtroom and letting the kids debate with each other. Just fun ways to keep them entertained, but still working on keeping high educational standards.”
Lamphere third grade teacher Sarah Vrabel celebrates her award with her class.Photo courtesy LSD
Erik Meerschaert has been dedicating himself to creating new standards for his special education students at Lake Orion High School since coming to the district six years ago.
His efforts helped earn him high school teacher of the year.
Meerschaert came to Lake Orion after ten years of teaching at Eaton RESA in Eaton County.
He works with Cognitive Impairment (CI) special education students and has been working to help integrate them with other students at the high school through a unified sports program.
The program just completed their first season of basketball playing against other schools with the same type of program.
“It is a combination of general education and special education students, with three special education players on the court along with two general education peers,” Meerschaert explained. “We typically play between the junior varsity and varsity games.”
Meerschaert said the idea for the program began when he arrived at Lake Orion through an initiative created by the Michigan High School Athletic Association and Oakland County schools. He has been working to build the program ever since and has even branched out to help create a unified robotics program as well.
“It started slowly, but now we have the basketball team, started competing in robotics this year and we hope to have a soccer team start playing next fall,” he said. “It has been a lot of work both inside and outside the district, but seeing what my students get out of it has been great to see.”
Last week the team played in an unforgettable final game of the season.
“We played in the middle of the school day in front of the entire student body which is about 2,300 students; probably the biggest crowd some of these kids will ever play in front of,” said Meerschaert. “It was a great experience and for a lot of our students that was the highlight of their season to be able to play that game in front of all of their peers and teachers at the school.”
He joins Orion Oaks Elementary teacher Norman Wright as Lake Orion recipients of the county honor. Wright was selected in 2024.
Erik Meerschaert celebrates his high school teacher of the year award with his students.photo courtesy LOSD
Huron Valley teacher Samantha Samuels was the final teacher to have a surprise visit to her Oak Valley Middle School classroom on Wednesday.
Samuels is a Music, Choir and Performing Arts teacher for grades 6-8 and is in her sixth year in the district. She had been teaching at various charter schools for the previous ten years.
She said interest in music and the arts has been growing over the last few years and enjoys nurturing interested students after they get “the bug” for music or performing.
“In past years I have had around 30 people in my musicals, but in the past two or three years I have had around 50 or 60 come out to be a part of the production,” she said. “Middle school is the best place for kids to explore that side of the music and performance avenue. They can learn or grow or they can decide it’s just not for them and move on.”
Samuels said the pandemic made an impact on the arts at Oak Valley and they are just now rekindling interest and getting students involved again.
“The pandemic really did a number on us and it has been a process trying to regrow our program and to spark that interest again and kids know it is safe to perform and get out of their shells,” she said.
Samuels still has former students in high school and college return and let her know the impact she has had on them.
“I absolutely love what I do. Being a music teacher is a sense of pride. It is now just what I do, it is who I am,” said Samuels. “I love those kids. The music classroom and the theater classroom is a family and these kids come back year after year. So many of them still reach out to me and stay connected.”
The award includes a $2,000 prize from the Oakland Schools Education Foundation to each winner and they will all be recognized at a special event on May 8.
Oak Middle School Music teacher Samantha Saunders reacts to Oakland ISD Superintendent Ken Gutman coming into her classroom and surprising her with her teacher of the year award.
Phot courtesy HVSD
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has suspended approximately $175 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania over the participation of a transgender athlete in its swimming program, the White House said Wednesday.
The Ivy League school has been facing an Education Department investigation focusing on in its swimming program. That inquiry was announced last month immediately after President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls and women’s sports.
But the federal money was suspended in a separate review of discretionary federal money going to universities, the White House said. The money that was paused came from the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.
A Penn spokesperson said the school had not received any notification or details of the action.
“It is important to note, however, that Penn has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams,” spokesperson Ron Ozio said. “We have been in the past, and remain today, in full compliance with the regulations that apply to not only Penn, but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions.”
The investigation opened by the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights at Penn focuses on Lia Thomas, who swam on the school’s women’s team and was the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title in 2022.
The agency also opened reviews of San Jose State University volleyball and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.
The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
FILE – University of Pennsylvania signage is seen in Philadelphia Wednesday, May 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Confronted with huge cuts to its funding, Columbia University’s leaders face a grim decision: They can yield to the Trump administration’s demands over allegations of antisemitism — ceding extraordinary control to the federal government — or they can fight back, potentially risking even more debilitating cuts in an escalating clash.
However it responds, Columbia carries tremendous weight. It’s the first school to face such aggressive intervention from the Trump administration, but dozens of others have been put on notice they’re next if they defy the president’s orders on issues around pro-Palestinian activism, diversity programs or transgender women in girl’s sports.
“People in the academy around the country are looking to see what Columbia does here,” said Samuel Bagenstos, a law professor at the University of Michigan who served until December as general counsel for the Health and Human Services Department.
The Trump administration is acting quickly to make an example of Columbia as it demands stronger action against allegations of anti-Jewish bias on college campuses. On March 7, just 32 days after opening an investigation at Columbia, the Trump administration pulled $400 million in research grants and other federal money. It threatened to cut billions more over the university’s handling of protests against the war in Gaza and allegations of antisemitism.
The threats escalated last week with a list of demands that Trump officials called a “precondition” for receiving federal money. It told the college to place its Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies Department into “academic receivership” and reorganize discipline processes, among other changes.
It gave Columbia until this week to comply.
Columbia hasn’t signaled its plans. Responding to the latest demands, interim President Katrina Armstrong promised the school “will stand by its values” but did not elaborate. School leaders previously pledged to work with the Trump administration to fight antisemitism.
Internally, Columbia faces pressure to fight back. Some faculty want it to resist demands they see as an assault on academic freedom, and some students are condemning its recent decision to expel some students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests last year.
Supporters of Israel and Trump administration officials have framed the protests at Columbia and other schools as antisemitic and “pro-Hamas,” but people involved in the demonstrations reject that characterization. They say advocating for Palestinian human rights and territorial claims, or criticizing Israeli military action, isn’t antisemitic. Some Jewish students and groups have participated in the protests.
Some Jewish students at Columbia, though, have complained the protest rhetoric has gone beyond criticism of Israel’s policies, and led to a hostile environment in which Jewish students felt threatened.
Several law scholars said the school could make a strong case that Trump officials illegally pulled Columbia’s federal money.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 allows the Education Department to terminate funding to colleges that violate civil rights laws, but only after taking certain steps. Title VI of the law says the department must first make a formal finding of noncompliance, offer a hearing, notify Congress and then wait 30 days before pulling aid.
It appears at least some steps weren’t followed, Bagenstos said.
“There has been no express finding, there has been no record, there has been no opportunity for a hearing,” he said. “This is just dramatically in violation of the procedural requirements under Title VI.”
Seven professors at Columbia Law School issued their own legal analysis Saturday, finding that the Trump administration’s letter violates the Title VI standards along with First Amendment protections and due process rights, among other problems.
The government’s demands threaten “fundamental legal principles and the mission of colleges and universities across the country,” according to the analysis, posted online by David Pozen, a constitutional law professor.
Columbia has little precedent to draw upon as it weighs its next steps. Presidential administrations traditionally have taken a cooperative approach to get colleges to comply with federal law, favoring voluntary agreements over sanctions. But the Trump administration is taking an adversarial role, moving quickly from demands to penalties with little room for negotiating.
Kenneth Marcus, who led the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights during Trump’s first term, said the administration appears to be using its wide latitude over federal contracts to pressure Columbia, rather than limiting itself to the “cumbersome, bureaucratic, and relatively weak” Title VI process.
“The Trump administration is moving faster and punching harder than we’ve seen in the past, and that clearly is going to have a greater impact than prior administrations,” said Marcus, who now leads the Brandeis Center, a Jewish civil rights nonprofit.
Marcus called it a creative and novel strategy that hasn’t been tested in the courts, but he said Columbia is wise to take a cooperative stance.
“Columbia no doubt realizes that the initial $400 million problem can balloon into a multi-billion dollar disaster if they respond poorly,” he said.
The administration’s strategy is part of a hardline approach laid out in a March 7 memo placing antisemitism as a top priority for the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. Instead of ending cases with “toothless reform proposals,” it demands meaningful changes to campus policies with a “strong emphasis on compliance.”
One of the office’s new goals is to deter “would-be civil rights violators from engaging in this conduct in the first instance,” according to the memo, obtained by The Associated Press.
Columbia’s response will set an example for the rest of higher education but there are no easy options, said Rachel Moran, a law professor at Texas A&M University. It appears the Trump administration improperly cut the university’s funding, she said, but there’s no guarantee a judge would restore the aid amid a legal challenge. And Columbia has to consider other factors, including the possibility of future retaliation from the administration.
“It’s a very, very tough situation,” Moran said. “And Columbia really is in some ways exhibit A in this controversy.”
Bagenstos sees it as another attempt by the Trump administration to test legal boundaries and see what kind of pushback it gets.
“Columbia is one of the largest, most prominent, most well-resourced higher education institutions in the world. And they have a very strong case,” he said. “If they’re not pushing back, that is going to send a signal to the Trump administration and to the rest of the academy. There’s no doubt about that.”
The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
FILE – Police officers stand guard outside Columbia University, Thursday, May 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
Four teachers from around Oakland County could receive a surprise visitor to their classrooms in a few weeks
They will be among the 65 teachers from 22 school districts who have been nominated for the Oakland County Teacher of the Year award.
For the 2025 awards there is a new category for Early Childhood teachers along with elementary, middle/junior high, and high school teachers.
“Early childhood educators lay the foundation for a child’s entire educational journey,” said Dawn Koger, Oakland Schools director of early childhood. “This new category recognizes their incredible dedication, highlights their critical role, and celebrates their lasting impact on students’ lives.”
Early Childhood nominees must be certified, full-time teachers in a public school or Great Start Readiness Program in Oakland County. Junior Kindergarten programs also fall under the elementary category.
Each district may submit one nominee in each of the four categories:
Early Childhood (Before Junior Kindergarten)
Elementary (Junior Kindergarten – 5th grade)
Middle School (6th grade – 8th grade)
High School (9th grade – 12th grade)
Nominations are coordinated by the teacher’s principal and supported by current or former students, parents and colleagues and judged by a committee that includes representatives from Oakland Schools, education leaders, and community members.
The 2024 winners were:
Elementary Teacher of the Year – Norman Wright, Orion Oaks Elementary, Lake Orion Community Schools.
Middle School Teacher of the Year – Molly Darnell, Oxford Virtual Academy, Oxford Community Schools.
High School Teacher of the Year – Shannon Graham, Lamphere High School, Lamphere Public Schools.
The award includes a $2,000 prize from the Oakland Schools Education Foundation to each winner, who will be announced in mid-March and recognized at a special event on May 8.
“Teaching it is not an easy profession and requires a lot of heart and dedication and they do it because they love it,” Foundation Executive Director Andrea Berry. “Teachers have been asked to take on more and more roles than before, so we feel it is important to let them know that they are recognized and appreciated for all of the hard work that they do.”
For more information go to: https://www.oakland.k12.mi.us/student-programs/otoy.
2024 winners: Pictured (L-R) Middle School Teacher of the Year, Molly Darnell, Oxford Virtual Academy, Elementary Teacher of the Year Norman Wright, Orion Oaks Elementary, and High School Teacher of the Year, Shannon Graham, Lamphere High School.
photo courtesy Oakland Schools
After almost four decades in education, including eight as the head of Royal Oak’s school system, Mary Beth Fitzpatrick is retiring.
Fitzpatrick announced her retirement in a letter accepted by the Royal Oak Schools Board of Education during its meeting Thursday.
“From the start of my career in 1986, I have passionately pursued teaching and learning,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “Each role has allowed me to work with outstanding educators in two amazing communities.”
According to her LinkedIn profile, Fitzpatrick earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Detroit.
She started her career in 1986 as a special education teacher in Berkley Public Schools before expanding into instructional support and staff development.
During her 30 years in Berkley, Fitzpatrick served as an assistant principal and principal at both the elementary and high school levels before taking a job as assistant superintendent of curriculum, technology, assessment and grants.
She joined Royal Oak as superintendent in 2017. She said that among her most notable accomplishments was shepherding the 2017 passage of a bond for $60 million, providing funding to improve facilities, technology and other resources.
She also helped secure grants, including an Oakland County Schools Mental Health Grant, which helped the district promote student well-being, and a recent Safe Routes to School “mini-grant” that helped improve student safety through infrastructure improvement and community engagement.
“There have been many successes, and we have faced various challenges; the key to both has been our ability to work together and support one another,” Fitzpatrick said.
In the community, Fitzpatrick was a board member of the Royal Oak Rotary Club and South Oakland YMCA, and had roles on organizations like the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce Legislative Subcommittee, Oakland County Superintendents Association and Metropolitan Detroit Bureau of School Studies Inc.
Her retirement takes effect July 31.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
Royal Oak schools superintendent Mary Beth Fitzpatrick is retiring .
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday that she will travel to Washington D.C. soon to lobby federal officials against proposed big cuts to the U.S. Department of Education and new tariffs against Canada and other trading partners.
As a new round of Trump administration tariffs are set to go ahead early next month, Whitmer said the nascent trade war is unwelcome on both sides of the Michigan-Canadian border.
“Indiscriminate tariffs on our allies — they’re going to put Michiganders out of work,” she said. “They’re going to hit Michigan harder than any other state and drive up costs for consumers.
“I know the business community is very worried too,” she said. “They want stability and predictability — and I think all these things present a lot of challenges — and so I’m going to be in D.C. trying to lobby on behalf of the state of Michigan. I hope people continue to raise their voices because they’ve got to hear us loud and clear.”
Last week, business leaders said they were relieved with the delay in the first round of Trump administration tariff hikes but pleaded for a permanent moratorium.
“While another postponement of the White House’s proposed tariffs on automotive-related trade between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico is somewhat of a reprieve for the industry, damage has already been done,” said Glenn Stevens Jr., vice president of automotive and mobility initiatives at the Detroit Regional Chamber. “For an industry that operates in three-to-five-year product cycles, this level of day-to-day uncertainty is debilitating.”
The Whitmer administration did not immediately share a travel date or itinerary. Canada and the European Union are responding to steel and aluminum tariffs that could place a burden on U.S. manufacturing. Michigan also faces a freeze in disaster funding.
Whitmer also said she hopes to avert deep cuts to the U.S. Department of Education that would dramatically affect Michigan schools. Those could include funds to help low-income students who are struggling and for special education services.
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The Department of Education plays a vital role in supporting some of Michigan’s most vulnerable students, which is a key reason that education advocates are alarmed by President Donald Trump’s vow to shut it down.
Last week, Trump was reportedly gearing up to sign an executive order to end the department. While this hasn’t happened yet, newly appointed Education Secretary Linda McMahon confirmed to Fox News that the fate of the agency she leads hangs in the balance.
“He wants me to put myself out of a job,” McMahon said about Trump’s campaign promise to abolish the department. She said diminishing the department’s power would “move education back to the states” and provide educators and students with researched methods to increase test scores.
But McMahon misrepresents what the Department of Education does. K-12 education in America is already largely controlled at the state and local levels. Some of the Department of Education’s current roles include supporting low-income kids and monitoring how schools treat students with disabilities, in addition to providing much-needed funding for schools across the board.
Ed Trust-Midwest Director of Policy and Research Jen DeNeal joined The Metro to explain what would happen if Trump dismantled the Department of Education. DeNeal joined the show just hours before the department announced it was firing half of its staff.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
WDET’s Natalie Albrecht contributed to this report.
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WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. Because you value WDET as your source of news, music, and conversation, please make a gift today.
When Illinois coach Brad Underwood met with reporters Friday night at the State Farm Center, he was asked where his confidence level stood after the Illini closed the regular season with an 88-80 victory over then-No. 18 Purdue.
“It grew a lot tonight,” Underwood said at his postgame news conference. “Just simply the confidence to win a close game when things are really, really hard against an unbelievably good opponent and a team that has the best offense in the league, to get stops when you need them. To find enough moxie when you’re down four or five and to make plays, man, my confidence is really high.”
After a bumpy patch in mid-February, the Illini finished the regular season with three straight convincing victories: against Iowa, at then-No. 15 Michigan and the finale at home against the Boilermakers, who had won five straight in the rivalry.
The Illini — who reentered the AP rankings at No. 24 on Monday — hope that confidence and momentum will carry over this week to the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, where they are the No. 7 seed and will take on the Iowa-Ohio State winner at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Underwood credited the leadership of junior guards Kylan Boswell and Tre White with helping pull the Illini out of their funk following a 110-67 loss to then-No. 3 Duke on Feb. 22 at Madison Square Garden.
White had 20 points and nine rebounds against Purdue, and Boswell added 15 points and five assists. Their improved play has helped supplement the Illini’s best player, freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis, who’s averaging 15.2 points.
“It’s just a matter of some guys stepping up,” Underwood said. “After the New York game (against Duke), they didn’t want to pitch a tent and say we’re done. They decided to fight, and that’s who we are. That’s what we’re about, being an everyday guy.”
Here’s a look at what else to watch in the new-look Big Ten Tournament field, which consists of the top 15 of the conference’s 18 teams.
The favorite
Michigan State guard Jase Richardson, left, congratulates coach Tom Izzo after a victory over Oregon on Feb. 8, 2025, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Michigan State already had clinched the Big Ten regular-season championship when it took the floor against Michigan on Sunday at the Breslin Center. But that didn’t stop the Spartans from putting on a show on senior day, cruising to a 79-62 victory to punctuate coach Tom Izzo’s 11th Big Ten title.
At 26-5 overall and 17-3 in the conference, Michigan State is the No. 1 seed this week and the Big Ten’s clear favorite to make noise in March. The Spartans have a double bye and don’t begin tournament play until Friday’s quarterfinals.
They went through a rough patch of three losses in four games to USC, UCLA and Indiana earlier in conference play. But starting with a Feb. 15 victory over Illinois in Champaign, the Spartans won seven straight to end the regular season.
Freshman guard Jase Richardson has scored 15 or more points in four of the last five games to lead Michigan State’s surge. Izzo made a case to reporters before the Michigan game that Richardson should be considered for Big Ten freshman of the year, especially given his play over nine starts to end the season.
“There can’t be many guys that I’ve coached that are as efficient and confident — not cocky, not arrogant, but believing in himself,” Izzo said. “It’s hard to find that happy medium.”
Next in line
Maryland’s Derik Queen dunks against Illinois on Jan. 23, 2025, in Champaign. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
No. 2 seed Maryland, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 UCLA also earned double byes into the quarterfinals.
Maryland would await the Illini should they win their second-round game. The teams’ lone meeting this season didn’t go well for Illinois, which lost 91-70 in Champaign.
Like Michigan State, Maryland has been on a hot streak, finishing the regular season with seven wins in eight games — the only loss coming to the Spartans — and 11 wins in 13 games.
Maryland’s starting lineup of Derik Queen, Julian Reese, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel — each averaging more than 12 points — has earned the moniker “The Crab Five.” The group’s scoring average of 69.5 points is the highest among major-conference programs. Queen leads the way with 15.7 points per game.
Northwestern squeaks in
Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli drives against Nebraska on Feb. 16, 2025, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Northwestern lost its final two regular-season games to UCLA and Maryland but did enough during a three-game winning streak before that to nab the No. 13 seed.
The Wildcats will face 12th-seeded Minnesota in the first round at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Northwestern beat the Gophers 75-63 on Feb. 25 in Minneapolis.
Junior forward Nick Martinelli scored 28 points in the loss to Maryland, shooting 8-for-19 from the field and 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. That helped him finish the regular season as the Big Ten scoring leader with 20.2 points per game.
He has scored 15 or more points in 16 straight games to help keep Northwestern competitive despite season-ending injuries to veteran leaders Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach.
“If you don’t see that Nick Martinelli is one of the very best players in this league, then I don’t know what you’re watching,” coach Chris Collins told reporters after the Maryland game. “What’s happened to him this year with his two running mates going down — Brooks Barnhizer, 18 (points) a game; Jalen Leach, 15 a game — for him to come out and lead us to four wins in the last 10 with a bunch of young guys that really weren’t even in our rotation, to me that’s a sign of a heck of a player.
“He’s a warrior, man. I love that he’s on my team.”
Other player to watch
Purdue guard Braden Smith brings the ball upcourt in front of Northwestern guard Angelo Ciaravino on Jan. 5, 2025, in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Purdue’s Braden Smith was the Big Ten preseason player of the year in October, and he has lived up to the billing. The 6-foot guard, who will be playing in the tournament not far from his hometown of Westfield, Ind., is averaging 16.3 points, 8.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals.
Smith was one rebound shy of a triple-double against Illinois with 18 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, and Purdue coach Matt Painter sang his praises after the game.
“In my opinion, he’s the best player in this league,” Painter said. “They call it the most valuable player, right? He’s pretty valuable. Like, who rebounds like him? Who gets assists like him? Who scores like him? You know, he leads the league in steals.
“Like, he’s pretty good. For a guy that had one high-major offer, he’s damn good.”
Big Ten Tournament
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Wednesday’s games
(12) Minnesota vs. (13) Northwestern, 2:30 p.m., Peacock
(10) Ohio State vs. (15) Iowa, 5 p.m., Peacock
(11) Rutgers vs. (14) USC, 7:30 p.m., Peacock
Thursday’s games
(8) Oregon vs. (9) Indiana, 11 a.m., BTN
(5) Wisconsin vs. Minnesota/Northwestern, 1:30 p.m., BTN
(7) Illinois vs. Ohio State/Iowa, 5:30 p.m., BTN
(6) Purdue vs. Rutgers/USC, 8 p.m. BTN
Friday’s quarterfinals
(1) Michigan State vs. Oregon/Indiana, 11 a.m., BTN
(4) UCLA vs. Wisconsin/Minnesota/Northwestern, 1:30 p.m., BTN
(2) Maryland vs. Illinois/Ohio State/Iowa, 5:30 p.m., BTN
(3) Michigan vs. Purdue/Rutgers/USC, 8 p.m., BTN
Saturday’s semifinals
Noon and 2:30 p.m., CBS-2
Sunday’s final
2:30 p.m., CBS-2
Illinois’ Tre White celebrates during a game against Purdue on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Champaign. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
The cost of child care now exceeds the price of college tuition in 38 states and the District of Columbia, according to a new analysis conducted by the Economic Policy Institute.
The left-leaning think tank, based in Washington, D.C., used 2023 federal and nonprofit data to compare the monthly cost of infant child care to that of tuition at public colleges.
The tally increased five states since the pandemic began. EPI’s last analysis relied on 2020 data, which showed child care costs outstripped college costs in 33 states and Washington, D.C., said EPI spokesperson Nick Kauzlarich.
The organization released a state-by-state guide on Wednesday showing the escalating cost of child care. Average costs range from $521 per month in Mississippi to as much as $1,893 per month in Washington, D.C., for households with one 4-year-old child, EPI found.
The analysis also found child care costs have exceeded rent prices in 17 states and the District of Columbia.
EPI leaders said child care is unaffordable for working families across the country, but especially for low-wage workers, including those who provide child care.
“This isn’t inevitable — it is a policy choice,” Katherine deCourcy, EPI research assistant, said in a news release. “Federal and state policymakers can and should act to make child care more affordable, and ensure that child care workers can afford the same quality of care for their own children.”
The organization highlighted New Mexico as a case study on the growing challenge facing families.
There, the average annual cost of infant care exceeds $14,000 — or nearly $1,200 a month, the group said. Care for a four-year-old costs nearly $10,000 per year — or over $800 a month.
While experts often consider housing as a family’s single largest expense, EPI found New Mexico’s annual infant care costs outpace rent by over 10%. Child care is out of reach for about 90% of New Mexico residents, according to the federal government’s definition of affordability, which is no more than 7% of a family’s income.
Advocates often call for universal preschool programs as a way to provide quality, free child care. EPI noted a 2022 constitutional amendment approved by New Mexico voters guaranteeing a right to early childhood education. That created an annual fund of about $150 million to help subsidize early childhood programs.
“New Mexico’s investments mark an important step toward affordable child care, but investments like this are needed across the country,” EPI argued in a Wednesday blog post.
Child care worker Marci Then helps her daughter, Mila, 4, put away toys to get ready for circle time at the Little Learners Academy in Smithfield, R.I. A new study highlights the high cost of child care. (TNS)
Educators have been sounding the alarm that cellphones disrupt learning. More than half of public school leaders feel their students’ academic performance has been negatively impacted by cellphone usage, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Many public schools already prohibit students from having their cellphones in class, but recently state lawmakers nationwide have taken things a step further — and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is joining them.
Whitmer recently said in her State of the State address that she wants Michigan lawmakers to enact restrictions on school cell usage.
Looking at schools is only one part of the conversation. Nowadays, younger children get their hands on devices well before they enter a classroom. Forty percent of children have atablet by the age of 2 and exposure to screen time can impact a young child’s ability to develop their behavior and communication skills.
Today on The Metro, we discuss what the impacts of technology on developing children are, both good and bad.
Guests:
Jenny Radesky: Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Jennifer Ehehalt: Senior regional manager, midwest for Common Sense Education, a nonprofit that provides research and recommendations about media and technology to families and schools.
Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.
More headlines from The Metro on March 3, 2025:
It’s been two weeks since a 54-inch water main broke and flooded Beard and Rowan street in Southwest Detroit, impacting over 400 households and displacing many residents. Great Lakes Water Authority CEO Suzanne Coffey joined the show to provide an update on the fix and how the agency is continuing to repair outdated infrastructure in the city.
The Michigan Democratic and Republican parties elected new chairs last week. WDET’s All Things Considered Host Russ McNamara spoke with the Michigan GOP’s new leader, Jim Runestad, about what he envisions for the party’s future.
The Detroit Documenters have been taking notes on growing tensions in Ferndale. Ferndale Police Department have contracted with Flock Safety, an automated license plate reader company, for over a year. Ferndale City Council is now considering renewing the contract with Flock Safety. Metro Producer Jack Filbrandt sat down with Detroit Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade to learn more.
Lacrosse, initially a tradition of many indigenous people including the Anishinaabe, is making a comeback here in Detroit. Cass Technical High School lacrosse coach Liam McElroy joined The Metro to talk about how the long-established game is an enriching activity for young people in the city, thanks in part to the Detroit Youth Lacrosse League founded by Chandler Park Conservancy.
–WDET’s Natalie Albrecht contributed to this report.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
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Many Dearborn students are Muslim and will abstain from eating and drinking until sunset, missing school lunch. Food service director Emi Kreste said that the district has wanted to provide Ramadan accommodations for years, but that it wasn’t possible until now.
“[The Michigan Department of Education] (MDE) and USDA has allowed, now, school districts to complete a waiver which will allow students to take the lunch at home,” he said.
MDE and the USDA have a rule stating that school lunches are only allowed to be eaten on school property.
This rule has now been amended for Ramadan.
–Reporting by Zahra Hassan, WDET.
More headlines for Tuesday, March 4, 2025:
Broadcaster Roland Martin is planning alternative programming to President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, inviting members of the Congressional Black Caucus, labor leaders and activists to participate in “The State of Our Union,” airing on the Black Star Network and on Martin’s YouTube channel.
Choreographer and MacArthur “Genius” Grant winner Kyle Abraham and his dance company A.I.M. will perform at the Wright Museum of African American History on March 28-29. The series of dances were inspired by the Wright’s collection and choreographed exclusively for the museum.
Detroit’s Ombudsman’s Office will hold office hours at businesses and recreation centers across the city this spring and summer. The Ombudsman’s Office serves as an independent oversight and investigative agency for the city, addressing complaints and advocating on behalf of residents. The office plans to visit community sites 20 times through July 23, with the next meeting taking place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday at the A.B. Ford Community Center, 100 Lenox St.
The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners’ Youth Advisory Panel is hosting a Young People & 21st Century Policing Symposium from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 15 at the Wayne State University Law School, 471 West Palmer Ave. Discussions will focus on youth interactions with police, bias in law enforcement, public policy and more. The event is free and lunch will be provided. Register on eventbrite.
The Detroit Parks Coalition and the Detroit Public Library are partnering for an inaugural Bookmark Design Contest. K-12 students are invited to design a bookmark that highlights the city’s parks, libraries and people. Designs can be submitted before the end of the month. Winning designs will be published and distributed in parks and libraries and shared on social media.
Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.
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WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
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