Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/author/cepak/page/4/)
A Citizens Research Council report calls for more state oversight over how charter schools are authorized. Grand Valley and Central Michigan universities are the state’s two largest authorizers. We talk to the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers, an MSU education expert and the MEA president. By Joshua Valiquette.
Some lawmakers want to expand the legal rights of pregnant inmates at Michigan’s only women’s prison, Huron Valley. The Corrections Department says its policies already match parts of the legislation. The ACLU, American Friends Service Committee and Michigan Prison Doula Initiative discuss. By Danielle James.
To: CNS Editors
From: Eric Freedman
http://news.jrn.msu.edu/capitalnewsservice/
For technical problems, contact CNS technical manager Tony Cepak at (517) 803-6841; cepak@msu.edu. For other matters, contact Eric Freedman at (517) 355-4729 or (517) 256-3873; freedma5@msu.edu. EDITORS: This the first of two Bonus Week files with still-timely stories you may not have had space for earlier in the semester. Our second Bonus Week file will be next Friday, May 8. During the summer, we plan to file packages of Michigan-focused environmental stories in collaboration with our partner, Great Lakes Echo.
A new study recounts the 1970s anti-environmental movement that fueled calls for the Upper Peninsula to secede from Michigan and form a 51st state called Superior. The leader of the movement was Rep. Dominic Jacobetti, who blamed tougher environmental laws for the sharp decline in mining, logging and farming in the U.P. We talk to the researcher, who is a CMU alum from Grand Rapids, and the director of the U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University. By Eric Freedman.
Some districts are struggling to find and retain teachers because of low salaries, lack of public respect and declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs. We hear from the Benton Harbor district, Michigan Education Association, Michigan Association of State Universities and the state superintendent of public instruction. By Maddy O’Callaghan.
When it comes to the level of African American political participation, Michigan ranks in the middle of the states, a new study shows. Democrats are pushing to increase black turnout for the November election. The coronavirus pandemic complicates access to voting. We talk to a Detroit lawmaker, the ACLU and the Lansing branch of the NAACP. By Joe Dandron.
Students in rural areas in Michigan are more likely to commit suicide than their urban and suburban counterparts, and counselors across the state carry caseloads far higher than what national experts recommend due to inadequate funding. Story mentions schools in Howell, Kingsley, Baldwin, Cedar Springs, Grand Rapids and Benton Harbor. We hear from the Michigan chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Michigan Education Association. By Katrianna Ray.
National parks in Michigan and across the country are in a $12 billion hole in funding for infrastructure repairs and deferred maintenance, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts study. Among those affected are Pictured Rocks, Isle Royale, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Keweenaw National Historical Park and River Raisin National Battlefield. The mayor of Munising and the River Raisin National Battlefield Park superintendent discuss. By Kyle Davidson.
Here is a breakdown of the maintenance backlog at Michigan’s national parks, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts:
Upper Peninsula
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: $10 millionIsle Royale National Park: $17.9 millionKeweenaw National Historical Park: $5.3 million
Lower Peninsula
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: $16.3 millionRiver Raisin National Battlefield Park: $818,300
Michigan has a large disparity in deaths of African American and white infants, and critics say the state isn’t doing enough to close the gap. Wayne, Saginaw and Ionia counties have the highest overall infant mortality rates, while Livingston, Ottawa and Allegan counties have the lowest. We hear from experts at MSU, the University of Minnesota, a Detroit nonprofit and the Michigan League for Public Policy. By Joshua Valiquette.