May
ALLEGAN COUNTY, Mich. (May 8, 2017) -- State Rep. Mary Whiteford on Monday visited a Head Start classroom at the Community Action of Allegan County, located at the local ACATEC (Allegan County Area Technical & Education Center). During her visit, Rep. Whiteford read “Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed” to the children, toured the facility, and met with staff to discuss early childhood education. “Head Start offers a unique two-generation educational approach which not only focuses on…
Congressman Tours Longview Center for Insider Look at Preschool Program MIDLAND, Mich. (May 8, 2017) – Congressman John Moolenaar dropped into a classroom at Midland’s Longview Early Childhood Center on Monday when he was promptly greeted by a 4 year old with a hand broom and dust pan. Whether the silent youngster wanted to impress the school visitor with his steady housekeeping skills or was hoping to strike up a conversation was anyone’s guess. But he did impress as the towering visitor…
April
Spring Assembly Event: Panelists Discuss Ways to Serve Families When Immigration Status is Questioned (April 26, 2017) Mt. Pleasant, MI – The new Administration’s actions making immigration enforcement a top priority has led to a strong joint response from State Superintendent Brian Whiston of the Michigan Department of Education and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights regarding the rights of students in schools. Both entities say they will work to prevent disruptions among schools,…
Flint Area Head Start Programs Expand as 3rd Anniversary of Water Tap Switch Nears Michigan Radio (April 23, 2017) -- This week, the city of Flint will mark the third anniversary of its ill-fated drinking water switch. The switch to the Flint River was the first in a series of decisions that created the water crisis. Since then, many different approaches have been taken to mitigate the effects of lead-tainted drinking water on the roughly 100,000 people who call Flint home. There has been a…
Attend MHSA's Spring Assembly in Mt. Pleasant, May 4-5, 2017 (April 7, 2017) Mt. Pleasant, MI – Looking for a fresh start this spring? A chance to recharge up your professional life after the dull winter season? Look no further than MHSA’s Spring Assembly, a two-day powerpack of professional development coming to Mt. Pleasant on May 4-5, 2017. Keynote speaker Cheryl Priest, an associate professor at Central Michigan University, will kick things off with a presentation on inspired leadership…
March
EDUCATION WEEK (March 29, 2017) -- When the Trump administration released its budget blueprint earlier this month, it noted that early care and education ranked among its "highest priorities." But the federal preschool program Head Start was a notable omission in the few pages devoted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start. A complete budget proposal is due from the administration in May. And Congress, which controls the federal purse strings, often…
GRAND RAPIDS, MI (MLive.com)-- Early childhood education programs in Grand Rapids and Muskegon will together receive $4.6 million in federal funding. The Department of Health and Human Services awarded $1.95 million to the Grand Rapids Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative to support its Early Head Start Child Care Partnership program, and $2.7 million to the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District to support its Early Head Start and Head Start programs. The funding was announced in a…
FLINT, Mich. (March 20, 2017) – Genesee County and the Genesee Intermediate School District (ISD) will start providing additional Early Head Start services to the children and families of the Flint area thanks to $5.5 million in combined federal dollars secured by Sens. Debbie Stabenow, Gary Peters and Congressman Dan Kildee, D-Flint. "The Genesee Intermediate School District is very excited to begin offering center-based services for infants and toddlers, as well as pregnant mothers and…
'These Children are just looking for Someone to Anchor their Rocky Boats' - Dr. Poyner (March 2, 2017) -- At only 6 years old, Kevin challenged everything she knew about good teaching practices. The most trying child in her classroom, he exasperated her, and was infamous throughout the school for his difficult behavioral and social-emotional needs, said motivational speaker Nefertiti Bruce Poyner, Ed.D. in her keynote address to MHSA’s 26th Early Childhood Learning Conference in Troy. Over…
Researcher Gilliam Unravels Data Behind Preschool Expulsions, Offering Hope for Improving Outcomes for Children of Color (March 2, 2017) – Exhibiting a probing mind brimming with questions and a persistence to match, Yale University researcher Walter S. Gilliam, Ph.D., detailed how he came to learn that children of color, particularly black boys, were getting pushed out of preschool at rates disproportionate to their peers. Before the sensational headlines of his groundbreaking work made the…