Michigan school opinions

It is time to level the playing field and ensure community college students are receiving the mental health resources and support they need.

Creating a student-centered school where mental health comes first can go a long way to making the most of our children’s education.

Schools should be safe places in which children learn, socialize, and grow. It is time for the Michigan legislature to heed the call of Michiganders on the issue of common sense gun reform.

With where immunization rates currently stand, it’s not a question of if an outbreak will occur, but when.

When students with disabilities are unable to engage with content being used in the classroom, they miss out on enriching educational experiences and their fellow students miss out on their peers’ valuable contributions to classroom discussions and activities.

School consolidation is not simply a matter of saving money. It requires local dialogue and negotiation to gain public support.

Every kid deserves to feel safe and supported in school, and I am proud that we have come together to deliver a budget that gives every kid an opportunity to succeed.

If we allow a small but vocal group of people to dictate to the rest of us what we should read, view, or say, particularly when they use scare tactics and intimidation to get what they want, it will be a death knell for our free society.

If policymakers really wanted new special ed funds to help students with special needs, they could have required schools to use the dollars to supplement their special education budgets.

While businesses are scrambling for more college-educated graduates, many in Michigan find that the state’s disinvestment makes college unattainable.

The significant amount of additional federal funding the state received, combined with the budget surplus the state has this year, make funding of our talent needs possible in short order.

I had a front row seat to this process: students and parents requesting changes, counselors and administrators trying their best to accommodate these requests, and everyone stuck in a rigid system.

Our state has a phenomenal opportunity to help Michigan students succeed by helping them be prepared not only to earn a living, but also to manage the living they earn.

Our very lives and the lives of the students we serve depend on our relentless efforts, as educators and as citizens in our democracy.

Currently it can take as long as three to six months for a patient to get established with a primary care provider. Nurse practitioners are part of the solution to making medical care more accessible and affordable across the state.

If Congress does nothing again, as I fear, brace yourselves for the next school shooting, coming to a community near you.

One in six children and adolescents are diagnosed with a mental health condition annually, and suicide is currently the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-18 in the U.S.

More money is necessary to support the additional learning and social and emotional needs of Michigan’s at-risk students.

Parents do not need letters telling them about the safety protocols in place that, at the end of the day, will not prevent someone carrying a gun from killing their children.

Misinformation seems to be fueling declining trust in our local teachers, especially when it comes to addressing issues related to race and racism.