Each week at City High Middle School this year, about two dozen high schoolers gathered to celebrate and learn about Black culture, from music and cooking to history and current issues. But the Black Student Alliance isn’t restricted to Black students; in fact, the majority are not African American. Founding members Elijah Jones and IMara Smith Skyers talk about the group’s ambitious array of activities and the importance of students from all backgrounds to share their cultural diversity.

For more great stories about the changes and challenges of school districts in West Michigan, check out our website, School News Network.org. And if you have ideas for future programs, feel free to send them to us at SNN@kentisd.org. Thanks for listening, and happy studying!

Q: How early do special-education workers in Kent County begin helping children with special needs? A: From the time they’re born. As part two of our discussion about the possible closure of the U.S. Department of Education and its potential impacts on special education, Study Hall talks with Lindsey VanDyke, a coordinator of Kent ISD’s Early On program serving children from birth until age 3. Serving an average of 3,000 children per year, Early On works with parents to identify their child’s developmental delays or disabilities and refer them to special-ed services that will maximize their educational growth and success in school and life.

For more great stories about the changes and challenges of school districts in West Michigan, check out our website, School News Network.org. And if you have ideas for future programs, feel free to send them to us at SNN@kentisd.org. Thanks for listening, and happy studying!

President Trump’s March 20 executive order calling for closure of the U.S. Department of Education has special-education advocates worried about the harmful impact that could have on services for students with disabilities.

In today’s episode, Kirsten Myers, Kent ISD assistant superintendent of student services, and Mark Higgins, special education finance supervisor, explain what special-ed programs provide, how they’re funded and how they could be harmed by dismantling or downsizing the U.S. DOE.

For more great stories about the changes and challenges of school districts in West Michigan, check out our website, School News Network.org. And if you have ideas for future programs, feel free to send them to us at SNN@kentisd.org. Thanks for listening, and happy studying!