Lori Higgins
Chalkbeat
Detroit, MI, United States
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Past articles by Lori:
Tackling Michigan youth mental health crisis: Detroit teens say it takes self-love, inner peace
“The pandemic has done a number on me.” These Detroit teens spent weeks surveying their peers on mental health and well-being. Here, they write about their findings and their own experiences with sadness and self-love. → Read More
Michigan students are struggling. A new report calls for fair funding to reverse slide.
Under a proposed school funding system, districts would receive between 35% and 100% more in state funding for students from low-income homes. → Read More
Tough year for Michigan schools: A Chalkbeat Detroit year in review
Chalkbeat Detroit’s best work of the year was focused on topics such as chronic absenteeism, COVID relief spending, learning loss, teacher shortages, and early childhood education. → Read More
This Detroit art teacher loved animation as a kid. Now he’s inspiring his students with it.
Illya Tolbert, who teaches at Bates Academy in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, was named the middle school level Art Educator of the Year for 2022 → Read More
Under Michigan’s 3rd-grade reading law, Black students are far more likely to be held back
Michigan’s Read by Grade 3 law requires struggling third-grade readers be held back, but exemptions meant only 545 students were held back this year. → Read More
MacKenzie Scott gifts $20 million to the Detroit school district
Detroit Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the gift from MacKenzie Scott will be used to hire more academic interventionists who will provide one-on-one and small group tutoring to students. → Read More
East English Village, Ben Carson high schools in Detroit to get new names
Alumni from Finney High School lobbied the board to change the East English Village name to Finney High, but the board opted for a compromise. → Read More
Detroit Superintendent Nikolai Vitti named nation’s top urban educator
Nikolai Vitti, in his sixth year as Detroit superintendent, was cited for his work leading the district during the pandemic. → Read More
Chronic absenteeism in Detroit schools demands urgent solution, board candidates say
The Detroit school district has poured a lot of resources into schools to address chronic absenteeism, but the rates remain high. → Read More
‘We all know what we need’: Detroit youth work to boost mental well-being
The grants from the Skillman Foundation are helping students create safe spaces and activities that keep them connected → Read More
We’re your Chalkbeat Detroit team, and we’re ready for the new school year
The 2022-23 school year in Michigan will be marked by some weighty issues, and the Chalkbeat Detroit team is ready to provide relevant and impactful coverage. → Read More
It’s the first day of school in the Detroit district. Here’s what we’re watching
Monday is the first day of school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, and Chalkbeat Detroit will tracking a number of key issues → Read More
Michigan has a teacher shortage problem
Administrators say it will take a strong workforce to address academic challenges that worsened during the pandemic. → Read More
Not enough metro Detroiters are getting post high school degrees
College and trade school enrollment has fallen in metro Detroit because of COVID, a new report says. That could affect employers looking for qualified workers. → Read More
COVID’s toll lingers as schools push through a year of struggle
Schools are teetering between optimism and exhaustion two years into the pandemic. → Read More
Building hope in a Hamtramck charter school
Hamtramck Academy was one of four Michigan schools identified by the Education Trust-Midwest for the academic progress of underserved students. → Read More
Detroit schools could lift mask mandate after spring break
Many school districts in Michigan have lifted their mask mandates. But low vaccination rates call for caution in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. → Read More
6 things to know about COVID testing in Detroit schools
As Detroit students return to school Monday, the deadline looms for parents in DPSC to consent to COVID testing for their children. → Read More
Why Detroit’s low vaccination rate matters to remote learning
Across the nation, many schools have returned to in-person learning after the winter break. But not Detroit. → Read More
Michigan rushes rapid COVID tests to schools
Schools rely on the COVID rapid tests to determine if sick kids are infected, and to ensure those who’ve been quarantined are safe to return to buildings. → Read More