Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/category/news/education/)
A growing number of Michigan high schools are getting in on the fun of esports. More than 50 high schools are registered with the Michigan High School Esports Federation, a free, nonprofit league created by Michigan educators in 2019. They join over 170 U.S. colleges and universities with varsity esports programs – including 18 in Michigan.
ESPORTS: With interest buoyed during the pandemic, a growing number of high schools are getting in on the fun of esports, giving more legitimacy to video games. More than 50 are registered with the Michigan High School Esports Federation, joining over 170 U.S. colleges and universities with varsity esports programs – including 18 in the state. We talk to leaders from the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance in Freeland, Lawrence Tech and Detroit Catholic Central High School. By Nora Mougharbel. FOR DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN: The state is getting ready to implement a five-year plan to strengthen historic preservation. Experts from the State Historic Preservation Office and the Michigan History Center explain. By Kirsten Rintelmann. FOR ALL POINTS.
Allies of transgender athletes are speaking up against the increasing wave of bills — including in Michigan – seeking to restrict transgender students from participating in youth sports.
The digital divide among students with different at-home resources has existed for years, but the pandemic brings the gap to the state’s attention. Full-time remote learning has revealed disparities beyond devices and internet access, including varied transportation, tech support, and parental support available to students at home.
Access to devices is just the start
Cathy Mikesell, a 4th grade teacher in the Woodhaven school district, said students in Downriver districts are generally equipped with devices and Wi-Fi. “Everybody in my class, and I think in my school, has the internet,” she said. “If they didn’t have a computer, the school gave them a Chromebook. We’re really good with that, and that’s not the case everywhere, I’m sure.”
Rachel Lott, a speech therapist from Southgate, also said her district had plenty of devices to spare.
Income comparisons of districts mentioned.
As COVID-19 grips the state of Michigan worse than any other in the nation, health officials have called for a vaccine surge to reduce the spread. While this request has seemingly been rebuffed by the federal government, residents all around East Lansing are eager to return to normal, as various groups deal with their new normal in different ways.
SCHOOL VACCINATIONS: Detroit Public Schools teachers can get cash and extra vacation time as an incentive to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but no Michigan school districts have made it mandatory for teachers and other staff. A new MEA survey says almost 90% of public school staff are fully or partially vaccinated. Opening up vaccines to students 16 and over leaves out the vast majority of schoolchildren because they are currently too young to be eligible. We talk to the MEA, a Detroit schools administrator and the Michigan Association of School Boards. By Sophia Lada. FOR DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.
URBAN GREEN SPACE: An abandoned golf course near the the edge of the MSU campus had been shrouded by tallgrass and sparkling goldenrod, filled with asters and milkweed that lured birds every summer, with sycamores and willows shading the shore of the Red Cedar River. Now that sanctuary is gone amidst development, and its disappearance is a reminder of the importance of urban greenspace. Commentary. By Marshall Lee Weimer. FOR LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a new set of challenges for the performing arts. In mid-Michigan, K-12 school districts have adapted their fine arts extracurricular programs through virtual performances and rehearsals to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Michigan school enrollment fell by 53,000 students during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Of those students, 13,000 were in kindergarten.
According to Chalkbeat Detroit, Detroit Public Schools lost 2,719 or 5% of students, Lansing Public Schools lost 927 or 9% of students, Kalamazoo Public Schools lost 690 or 5% of students, and Traverse City has lost 552 or 6% of students.
The decline in kindergarten enrollment is concerning to teachers, principals, administrators, and parents across four districts in Michigan.
Principals say the slide is continuing
Gier Park Elementary in Lansing has grades Pre-K-3 and Principal Christopher Cadogan has seen decreases in enrollment. Photo courtesy Christopher Cadogan. “If we just look at last year, the 2019 to 2020 school year, we ended that year with 84 kindergarteners,” Cadogan said. “This year we’re at 75 and it’s not the end of the school year.”
Comparing this to the 2018-2019 school year, Cadogan said the school had even more students at 97 and you can really see the contrast between then and now.
Cadogan said kindergarten teaches developmental lessons and tries to provide students with the basic and foundational principles of reading and numeracy.
With the COVID-19 pandemic shadowing doubt on high school athletes and their prospects of being recruited, some athletes have found ways to get noticed by colleges.
