Education

The Michigan Art Education Association has named the Michigan Art Teacher of the Year and she’s from right here in Mid-Michigan. Current State talks with Kerry Shadbolt of Williamston High School, who received the honor this weekend in Grand Rapids.

The National Science Foundation has awarded MSU a grant that will allow them to study and test the best ways to improve science learning in schools. We speak with principal investigator for the project Barbara Schneider.

The Lansing Board of Education has wrapped up a series of public forums on a multi-million dollar bond proposal that will go before voters next year. We talk with the president of the Board of Education, Peter Spadafore about what voters have had to say about the Pathway Promise plan.

A program this weekend in Lansing teaches the basics of building a micro-business to youth aged 13 and older. It’s organized by the Lansing community organization, the NorthWest Initiative. Current State talks with Executive Director Peggy Vaughn-Payne.

The University of Michigan has reached a settlement with a male student it once expelled, throwing out its original ruling that he had non-consensual sex with a female student. The attorney representing the unnamed plaintiff has blasted the settlement and the school’s original investigation. Current State speaks with attorney Douglas Fierberg about university investigations of sexual misconduct.

A state history publication once ended by budget cuts is back with a new look and a new focus. We talk with Nancy Feldbush and Amy Bradfield of the Historical Society of Michigan. They’re co-editors of Michigan History for Kids magazine.

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about how to get girls interested in the STEM fields. One solution? Hearing the stories of women already doing great things in the tech world. Current State talks with the Michigan women who founded the new podcast "Diva Tech Talk", which aims to do just that.

Anthony Ianni of Okemos played basketball at Michigan State. Current Sports host Al Martin talks with him about his efforts to promote greater understanding of people on the autism spectrum.

Thousands of students are returning to Michigan State University for the start of fall classes.  Current State’s Kevin Lavery captures some of the sounds and emotions of the back to school move-in.

Thousands of returning and first-time students have arrived at Michigan State University for the start of the fall semester.  For several days, many have been moving into their dorm rooms.  Current State’s Kevin Lavery caught up with a few students and parents caught up in the moment. 

Michigan’s Latino population has grown more than 40-percent in the last 15 years. A new Michigan State University report studies socioeconomic factors affecting the well-being of various Latino communities. Current State talks with Dr. Rubén Martinez, director of the Julian Samora Research Institute, about their findings.

The two-year-old Lansing Financial Empowerment Center is launching a new program called “Lansing SAVE.” An automatic child savings account will be opened when enrolling in kindergarten in a Lansing public school. Current State talks with Lansing SAVE director Jayme King, and San Francisco Treasurer Jose Cisneros, who started a similar program there.

Charters schools and vouchers might be the most most controversial debates about schooling options. But there’s another program that’s sending tens of thousands of Michigan kids away from their assigned schools. Current State talks with Joshua Cowen, associate professor at MSU, about his ongoing research into the program.

The Lansing School District failed to realize hundreds of thousands of dollars in projected savings after it outsourced bus transportation. Peter Spadafore, President of the district’s Board of Education talks with Current State about what happened.

Current State talks with Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon about the school’s recent tuition increase, its new office handling all investigations of discrimination including sexual assaults and harassment, and making Michigan State a tobacco-free campus.