East Lansing School Board exploring equity issues

The East Lansing School Board on Oct. 9 discussed the continuation of equity issues in the district. Three years ago, ELPS announced a series of changes to improve its DEI efforts. The district proceeded to try and increase diversity in the faculty and staff and create programs to increase inclusion. In September at MacDonald Middle School, a teacher was suspended for the second time in four months for using racial slurs and inappropriate language.

Two-hour citizen comment leads to long Northville Board of Education meeting

An eventful Northville Board of Education Zoom meeting on Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m. and ended at 12:44 am contained a two-hour citizen comment, which was kicked off by Michelle Heldke, a Northville resident, who wants in-person school for her daughter. “The alternatives you have laid out tonight don’t work,” Heldke said. “You have not given us a good choice and your hybrid is not going to work.”

Heldke’s comments relate to the Northville Board of Education’s decision between a set of options set by the Superintendent Mary Kay Gallagher and a task force compromised of district administrators, educators, parents, students, and healthcare officials. COVID-19 forced school districts around the state to mull potential options for how students will be taught this upcoming semester.