On our November edition, the Voices of Michigan Education tackles an issue that may be one of the most important during the school year, not just for teachers, but parents. Communication.
It’s always interesting to hear the varying opinions on school communication between parents and teachers from both perspectives as many times those viewpoints differ greatly. And with the increased use of the web, has this access to a child’s weekly assignments and instant e-mail communication between parents and teachers made the process more or less effective?
We’ll be talking to a number of people with some keen insight into this issue, including teachers from Ann Arbor and Farmington Hills, an assistant principal from Walled Lake, a parent from Grosse Ile and the President of the National PTA.
Join host Mark Gilman for a lively discussion on parent-teacher communication, Tuesday, November 10 at 7 p.m. on Newstalk 760 WJR in Detroit and across the state on Saturday, November 14 (see station list in the right column of this blog).
We invite you to join News Talk 760 WJR Tuesday night, October 13 at 7 for a discussion on the fight in Lansing to save Michigan’s educational funding as school cuts continue to be front and center in the legislature’s efforts to reach a budget accord.
Amidst a temporary 30-day budget extension, Michigan lawmakers are continuing to re-examine school funding, and on our next program we’ll talk with State Senator Gretchen Whitmer, State Representative and former teacher Jennifer Haase, National Education Association Chief Economist Dr. Richard Sims and Michigan Education Association Director of Communications Doug Pratt to get an update on the negotiations and discuss how these potential cuts could affect the future of our state and its public education system. In and out of the classroom, proposed cuts in Lansing could have a devastating effect on our economy, a return to larger classrooms, a shakeup in your child’s school year and an end to the Michigan Promise scholarship.
It will be all discussed on our next edition of The Voices of Michigan Education, 7 p.m., October 13 on WJR 760 in Detroit and Saturday, October 17 across the state (see stations listed on the right of this page).
On the September edition of the Voices of Michigan Education, with school back in session, it’s no secret that budget cuts in education are forcing your child’s school to do more with less than they’ve had to in many years. But in the case of the classroom itself – is more taking away from the educational experience?
We discussed the rise in classroom size and whether it’s taking away from your child’s ability to do quality work, to achieve and in some cases the ability to participate in a class with increasing behavioral issues. We talked with a teacher, researcher, economist, reading specialist and an outspoken school board member about the subject as we tackle many sides of this complex issue. Classroom size – a big issue for many school districts that has become a front and center concern amidst one of the worst state economies in decades.
That’s the September edition of the Voices of Michigan Education. Go to the Podcast section to download this edition.
Links to the Health and Education Research Operative Services (HEROS) extensive research on the subject of class size as mentioned on the program.
The Michigan Education Association conducts a poll each week on its Web site. Last week’s poll saw 409 votes around the question: How much money do you spend out-of-pocket each year to buy classroom supplies or items for your students? The results of the poll were:
12.2% – $250 or less
38.9% – Between $250 and $500
48.9% – More than $500
The fact that almost half of the respondents spend over $500 reflects the comments made on the Michigan Education Association’s Facebook page and on this blog earlier this month. Thanks for all your responses.
In case you missed it, the podcast of the last radio show “Who’s Paying for School Supplies?” is now available here. Listen and let us know what you think.
The August Voices of Michigan Education radio program, which airs Saturday across the Michigan Radio Network (see stations listed to the right) asks the question: “Who is paying for school supplies?” Connie Boylan, a Library Media Parapro from Traverse City Area Public Schools, tells her story in this YouTube video.
On our August Show, (across the state on August 15) we’re going to back to basics – classroom basics as we near the beginning – believe it or not – of the 2009-2010 school year. Basics that many people take for granted. We’re talking about simple classroom supplies like, markers, pencils, notebooks, folders, and even coats – that many children and their parents cannot afford. And in these tough economic times, supplies that the schools themselves can no longer afford. So who’s filling the gap? In many cases, it’s the teachers. On average – chipping in $500 each out of their own pocket and for many, much more than that.
We’ll talk with teachers who have been giving more and more of their own resources to help out children (and school systems) who cannot afford these supplies and what needs to be done to rescue teachers already strapped financially themselves. We’ll also hear from a number of parent led and social service agencies which are raising money in the community and online. All that on the latest edition of the Voices of Michigan Education. We hope you join us.
Some helpful links
The following organizations profiled on the Voices of Michigan Education are working to make a difference in collecting schools supplies for the upcoming school year. You can help by participating by clicking on the links or participating at the stores below.
Join us for the July edition of the Voices of Michigan Education (Tuesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. on Newstalk 760 WJR in Detroit and across the state on Saturday, July 18 – see listing of stations on right) for another thought provoking discussion of the future of our state’s education system. On our latest program, a summer twist to our normal subject matter as we dive into July with some great ideas for parents who are attempting to keep their children engaged in educational, but fun activities available throughout the state – in a program we’re entitling – “My Kids had Fun this Summer and it was Educational Too!”
We’ll travel across the state from St. Joe’s to Alpena, Flint and Kalamazoo learning about some of Michigan’s great resources for fun learning experiences. We’ll talk about how you can explore Railroads and Flight Simulators and engage in Canoe trips and explore ship wrecks among other opportunities. If you’ve been searching for new ways to entertain your kids this summer and help them learn along the way – we’ve got some great ideas for you on the July edition of the Voices of Michigan Education.
So, what are YOU doing this summer? Are you preparing to “run” the Grand Canyon to raise money for charity, will you serve in the reserves as an Army officer? How about a trip to Guatemala to improve your Spanish, or could you be working with an AIDS orphanage in Uganda? Maybe not, but these activities are exactly how teachers across the state are spending their summer “vacations” this year. On the June edition of the Voices of Michigan Education, you’ll hear from nine different educators who have chosen some incredible and meaningful ways to spend their summers. If you think you know what your children’s teachers do during their summer break, I guarantee you’ll have a different perspective at the end of the next edition of the Voices of Michigan Education. Join us to be inspired and maybe dispel some of those notions that, as one teacher told me this week, that they sit around the pool all summer.
You can hear the show on Tuesday evening, June 9 at 7 p.m. on Newstalk 760 WJR and on Saturday, June 13 across the state on the Michigan Radio Network
On the May edition of the Voices of Michigan Education, we’ll talk about how to get your kids to read again, especially this summer. Has reading become a lost part of childhood? Has technology taken over a child’s willingness to read a book?
The latest MEAP tests show that math scores are up, but reading scores are not improving at the level the state needs to make our graduates competitive members of the work force. This summer is a good time to start instilling the “need to read” in our children.
On this month’s show we’ll hear from those leading reading programs across the state and the country that are really working – from Washington, D.C. with Anita Marino who will discuss the NEA’s Read Across America program to Farmington where teacher Josh Wells inspired his middle school to read 10,000 books in one year to Grand Rapids and Judy Johnson who’ll share information on the phenomenally successful GRASP correspondence program. You’ll also hear about a unique Grosse Pointe schools reading initiative where teachers are helping their students fall in love with reading all over again.
We’ll share some great ideas for parents too, who are looking for new ways to get their children to read all summer long. That’s the Voices of Michigan Education, a show this month that ‘reads like a book,’ at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 12 on Newstalk 760, WJR in Detroit and on Saturday May 16 across the state (see affiliate list on the right).
This week’s show featured discussion of childhood obesity being on the rise. Kids get less exercise and spend more time in front of TV and computer screens. So, how can we reverse the trend? If you missed Tuesday’s broadcast on WJR News Talk 760 AM the show airs statewide on Saturday—or you can listen here once the podcast is available. See side bar for News Talk Radio affiliates and times.
Voices of Michigan Education will air again on the Saturday after, on the following stations:
From noon to 1 p.m.:
1450 AM WKLA (Ludington)
830 AM WMMI (Mount Pleasant)
1250 AM WNEM (Saginaw)
1110 AM WJML (Petoskey)
1210 AM WJNL (Traverse City)
1490 AM WODJ (Muskegon)
1220 AM WBCH (Hastings)
On our November edition, the Voices of Michigan Education tackles an issue that may be one of the most important during the school year, not just for teachers, but parents. Communication.
On our August Show, (across the state on August 15) we’re going to back to basics – classroom basics as we near the beginning – believe it or not – of the 2009-2010 school year. Basics that many people take for granted. We’re talking about simple classroom supplies like, markers, pencils, notebooks, folders, and even coats – that many children and their parents cannot afford. And in these tough economic times, supplies that the schools themselves can no longer afford. So who’s filling the gap? In many cases, it’s the teachers. On average – chipping in $500 each out of their own pocket and for many, much more than that.
