Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Beth DeShone
Opinion: Michigan kids are in crisis; governor's new budget only makes it worse
By Beth Deshone A devastating new report from researchers at Harvard and Stanford universities showed Michigan’s kids have lost nearly a half of a grade level in reading and math education since state officials and public school bureaucrats ignored medical science and locked them out of the classroom in 2020 and 2021. It’s just the latest punch to the gut of parents who have watched their kids fall farther and faster behind than children in almost every other state in the nation.
Guest Column: In Lansing’s sprint to an early finish, don’t leave kids behind
Fall is here, and lawmakers have returned to Lansing. Governor Gretchen Whitmer gave them a big wish list, and she’s demanding they deliver partisan campaign gifts to her desk by November. Abortion. Labor law. Electric grid reforms. Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are on the march ticking off the governor’s boxes while rumors swirl about a rush to adjourn for the year, months sooner than usual. Things are happening so quickly, it’s hard for anyone to keep track.
My Take: New education dept puts bigger bureaucracy between students, success
Beth DeShone Holland Sentinel While you were taking your kids to the beach, grilling burgers on the patio, or organizing playdates at the local park, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the state’s public education bureaucracy were busy building new walls between your children and success at school. We know equipping families with resources and options works. Nobody knows better what our kids need to succeed than their parents and another new batch of bureaucrats at the state Capital won’t change that.
Opinion | Let MI Kids Learn would benefit families and students
Michigan families deserve to understand the true promise of a plan to give them greater say over tax credit-funded education dollars. The Let MI Kids Learn plan has the potential to benefit tens of thousands of Michigan students and their families each year. Unfortunately, Michigan State University Professor of education policy Joshua Cowen’s selective account in Bridge Michigan painted a distorted picture of what the best research tells us about private school choice policies.
My Take: March is reading month, and Michigan kids are in crisis
March is reading month. Expect to see pictures in your local paper of smiling legislators reading Dr. Seuss to local kindergarten classes. Expect proclamations from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer with fancy language about how important it is to open a book. Expect politicians across the state and across the country to pretend they’re local students’ biggest boosters. Expect none of it to matter.
My Take: ‘Social, emotional, and academic suffering.’ ‘No learning happening.’ ‘Despair.’
Most of us think of the new year as a time for fresh starts and new opportunities. Too many Michigan parents woke up Jan. 1 trapped in a recurring nightmare for their kids. Nearly 100,000 students and their families in Michigan rang in the new year with alerts from their local districts that bureaucrats decided to lock them out of the classroom. Again. No teachers. No activities. No friends. No learning. Again.
My Take: Forget the partisan politics. Let kids learn.
Every child deserves an exceptional education. Voters have a chance now to provide a unique and important opportunity — up to $500 million in additional funding for Michigan students. The state House and Senate in October approved important new bills that would let taxpayers invest directly in our kids’ education by funding Michigan Student Opportunity Accounts.
Opinion: COVID funding should focus on students, not systems
Pop quiz for parents and guardians: How much new money was pumped into Michigan public schools over the last year to help them adjust to education during a global pandemic? According to a recent analysis by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, statewide K-12 investment is up more than $6.4 billion since COVID arrived. That’s about $4,600 new dollars that could be spent per student from Adrian to the Keweenaw Peninsula, the Soo to St. Joseph. But not every student receives the same amount.
Guest Column: Gov. Whitmer should listen to experts, bring back in-person learning
Michigan’s students are struggling, and parents are worried. So are teachers, for that matter. And scientists. Doctors. Psychologists. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order last March to close school buildings across the state has had a devastating impact on student performance. Even now, as we rapidly approach the one-year anniversary of classroom closures, 136 school districts remain completely closed to in-person learning. The science couldn’t be clearer, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Offer teachers vaccine to stem Michigan education crisis
According to experts, science and data — it’s safe for kids to be in the classroom. We know, though, that despite the evidence surrounding student populations, teachers remain understandably concerned about their own health and safety. We also know that Michigan’s code red education crisis gets worse every day that passes with classroom doors padlocked, and our kids may spend the rest of their lives paying the price. So, what is Michigan going to do about it?
DeShone: Offer teachers vaccine to stem Michigan education crisis
Beth DeShone Published 5:00 am EST, Thursday, December 17, 2020 Beth DeShone Beth DeShone Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 Beth DeShone Beth DeShone According to experts, science and data, it’s safe for kids to be in the classroom. We know, though, that despite the evidence surrounding student populations, teachers remain understandably concerned about their own health and safety.
Column: Offer teachers vaccine to stem Michigan education crisis
According to experts, science and data -- it’s safe for kids to be in the classroom. We know, though, that despite the evidence surrounding student populations, teachers remain understandably concerned about their own health and safety. We also know that Michigan’s code red education crisis gets worse every day that passes with classroom doors padlocked, and our kids may spend the rest of their lives paying the price. So, what is Michigan going to do about it?
Children need in-person learning, use precautions to make sure schools can safely reopen
Classrooms should be open this fall for kids whose parents are comfortable sending them back to school. There’s nothing political about it. It’s the conclusion of researchers and doctors, pediatricians and the Centers for Disease Control, the unmistakable direction offered by the science and the data. The question that remains is whether Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will listen to the experts, put our kids first, and re-open school doors across the state come autumn. We hope she will.
Doctors, scientists, research and data: Get kids back in the classroom
Beth DeShone Published 5:00 am EDT, Monday, July 27, 2020 Beth DeShone Beth DeShone Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 Beth DeShone Beth DeShone Classrooms should be open this fall for kids whose parents are comfortable sending them back to school. There’s nothing political about it. It’s the conclusion of researchers and doctors, pediatricians and the Centers for Disease Control, the unmistakable direction offered by the science and the data. The question that remains is whether Gov.
Getting kids back to school will take leadership, bold ideas
Beth DeShone Published 5:00 am EDT, Tuesday, June 23, 2020 Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently testified before a U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittee about Michigan’s response to the COVID-19 public health crisis. Questioned by members of Congress, the governor was unable or unwilling to offer any clarity on the path forward for schools this fall. Even months after she closed schools, parents and teachers are left wondering what that path looks like – and if anyone’s even mapped it.
Opinion: Getting kids back to school this fall will take leadership and a few bold ideas
Folks in Lansing can spend hours pointing fingers over the government’s various responses to the COVID-19 pandemic (just check Twitter), but with Michigan kids’ futures on the line, we’re more interested in solutions. Delivering for Michigan students in ways that matter this fall will take leadership and a few bold ideas beginning this summer. We’re happy to offer some to get the conversation started.
Opinion: Michigan lags in a path forward for schools
Beth DeShone Published 11:00 p.m. ET May 25, 2020 School buildings have been closed for more than two months, and districts statewide have submitted “continuity of learning plans” for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, but Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Education have yet to provide any public direction for the upcoming school year.
DeShone: During the coronavirus pandemic, we are more thankful for teachers than ever
Beth DeShone, guest writer Published 6:00 a.m. ET May 17, 2020 Beth DeShone (Photo: Courtesy photo) Parents have always known our kids’ teachers matter. We’ve known they are important, that they are talented, and that they are committed to their students. We always knew it and yet somehow, since school buildings were closed across Michigan, we’ve come to realize we never actually knew the half of it. The first week of May, families and educators observed National Teacher Appreciation Week.
Highly Rated Hamtramck Charters Rise to Challenge
Caniff Liberty Academy and Hanley International Academy, separated by little more than a mile of old urban neighborhoods and shops, share a common drive to improve the outlook for low-income children, and recent results indicate their success. Today, their dedicated teachers and leaders work to compensate for the severe challenges created by physical separation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Issue: Teacher Appreciation Week: Thank you, now more than ever
Our kids’ teachers matter. They are important, they are talented, and they are committed to students. We always knew it, and yet, the last month and a half since school buildings were closed across Michigan, we’ve realized we never knew the half of it. This week, families and educators observe National Teacher Appreciation Week. Each year students bring handmade “thank you” cards to class, parents send a gift card to the local coffee shop, and administrators celebrate during overhead announcements.
A Teacher Union Fact Check on School Choice
Michigan Education Association president Paula Herbart wrote an op-ed about what “Trump and DeVos” are “doing” to some public schools which will make them “suffer … even more.” It badly misses the mark, has a lot of factual errors, and by not putting things in proper context, gets a lot of things wrong.
What You Really Need to Know about Michigan Charter Schools
A recent MLive article claimed to offer “Everything you need to know about Michigan’s charter schools.” It didn’t do that, and worse, offered faulty data that leads readers to see charters in a more negative light than they deserve. MLive should get credit for featuring some accurate information about charters – namely, that they serve greater shares of low-income and African American children than their counterparts in district schools.
“Miss Virginia” an Inspiration to Michigan Parents
A new movie shows how one fed-up parent can spark a movement that creates hope and opportunity for an entire community. It offers real encouragement to many Michigan moms and dads who are desperate to change their children’s educational trajectory. Released to select theaters and on various streaming services this month, “Miss Virginia” is based on the true story of Virginia Walden Ford.
Opinion: 'Read by Grade Three' law helps students
The most important educational tool for building a child’s future success is the ability to read. Reading is a big predictor of success in school, work and life. Reading proficiently by the end of third grade is essential for future learning. By fourth grade, there is a shift in focus from “learning to read” to “reading to learn,” meaning those who are behind their classmates will fall further and further behind.
A Case Study in Anti-School Choice Activist Journalism
CQ Magazine, which is not an entity you can even find online anymore, just released a piece on charter schools and Betsy DeVos. There is a lot throughout the piece that is problematic: factual inaccuracies, inappropriate framing, a lack of good faith assumptions and more.
MSU Report Distorts School Funding Picture
A new education funding report from Michigan State University made a splash in media outlets last week. Multiple headlines and stories declared the state in a freefall of dollars dedicated to Michigan's public schools. The real story is far less dramatic and devastating. In fact, Michigan ranks near the middle nationally in per-pupil funding. While many of the report's claims deserve close scrutiny, two widely touted claims in particular merit further investigation.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Beth
Contact Beth, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack