TROY, MI — The Troy School District Board of Education is grappling with rising concerns over its elementary reading and writing curriculum as student proficiency scores continue to decline — part of a broader trend linked to the use of now-disputed teaching methods across Michigan.

At its latest meeting, the board considered whether to continue using the "Units of Study" curriculum, developed by education professor Lucy Calkins. While the curriculum has been widely used in districts across the country, it has come under fire in recent years for lacking alignment with the “science of reading,” a research-based approach emphasizing phonics and explicit instruction.

A resolution was brought forward to approve the continued use of the writing component of the Calkins curriculum for grades K–5 starting in the 2025–2026 school year. After lengthy discussion, the board voted 5–2 in favor of the plan, though the vote revealed a deep divide over the curriculum’s effectiveness.

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One board member, who voted against the adoption, expressed strong concern that the curriculum does not reflect the latest evidence-based practices. “Our district must begin to align all literacy instruction with the science of reading,” the member said. “The curriculum you’re asking us to approve has been widely criticized for lacking a strong evidence base and not adequately addressing foundational skills. Adopting this would be a step backward.”

Another board member echoed those concerns, sharing that after speaking with administrators in other districts that had transitioned away from Calkins' "Units of Study," she was left questioning why Troy hadn’t explored more alternatives. “I think we lost out on an opportunity to do a deeper dive into other curriculums. That was disappointing to me,” she said.’

These concerns are not unique to Troy. As Michigan Capitol Confidential recently reported, numerous Michigan school districts saw reading scores decline after adopting the Calkins-style curriculum. Troy’s own third-grade English Language Arts proficiency fell from 84.6% in 2014–15 to 63.2% in 2023–24, even as the district spent over $170,000 on reading consultants. The report cited experts who say the decline coincides with the implementation of balanced literacy methods and a move away from phonics-based teaching.

However, supporters of the Calkins curriculum on the board pointed to important strengths. One member who voted in favor of the adoption said the curriculum has been in place for nearly a decade and has evolved over time with improvements in areas such as grammar and spelling. “This is not a brand new curriculum. It’s something our teachers are already familiar with and support,” the member said. “Even those who don’t fully endorse it are mostly concerned with timing, given expected changes in the state’s reading curriculum.”

Another board member added, “The writing that was talked about is motivating for students. It’s not just workbook-based — it’s rich, student-driven, and encourages creativity. That’s important.”

The board emphasized that while the writing curriculum was approved, it does not mean the conversation is over. Several members suggested a reassessment of the reading program may be on the horizon.

“We may reassess our writing and reading curriculum together and make adjustments as needed,” said one board member, acknowledging the growing momentum toward science-of-reading approaches.

The vote reflects the tension between honoring teacher familiarity with an existing program and responding to data and research that call for change.

What’s next:

• The board plans to closely monitor writing outcomes over the next two years.

• Possible changes to the district’s reading curriculum are expected as the state finalizes new literacy mandates.

• Ongoing discussions with teachers, administrators, and parents will help shape future decisions.

While some board members argue that change is needed now, others believe that building on the current curriculum — with continuous improvement and teacher support — can still benefit students.

“We all want what’s best for kids,” said one board member. “This decision was difficult, but it reflects our desire to keep moving forward, even as we keep learning.”

 

 

Michigan manufacturer to invest $70 million in new factory to create 300 jobs — in Indiana

LANSING, Mich - The good news: Kentwood-based Autocam Medical is building a new $70 million factory that will create up to 300 new jobs.

The bad news: It’s in Indiana.

he company will break ground on the “100,000 SF state-of-the-art manufacturing facility” in August or September in Warsaw, Ind., on 15 acres near the intersection of N200W and US-30.

“Warsaw offers a workforce with technical excellence in the medical device space and unique industry leadership. That’s exactly the kind of environment where we want to invest,” CEO John Kennedy said in a statement. “We are thrilled to expand in the Warsaw community and contribute to its continued leadership in orthopedic innovation.”

The company currently employs 10 in Warsaw, where the new facility is expected to create up to 300 high-skill jobs, from CNC machinists, to engineers, to other technical and manufacturing roles. Click here to read more.

 

Trump allies tout ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ for boosting skilled trades, slashing green energy waste

WASHINGTON – Two prominent voices are throwing their support behind the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” hailing it as a transformative effort to reinvest in American workers and dismantle what they call bloated, ineffective green energy programs.

Joe Strada, founder and owner of Strada Services, said the bill’s emphasis on vocational training and skilled trades is critical to rebuilding the nation’s workforce and restoring opportunity to everyday Americans.

“I just think it’s only right and fair to let every person in our country have access to the trade and have the opportunity to better themselves and their family,” Strada said on a Florida radio show. “Trade schools and the skill—you know, make America skilled again. That’s how I look at it.” Click here to read more.

 

Woman saves dog left in hot car, but responding officer says she had ‘no right’ to do so

CORNELIUS, N.C. – A woman in North Carolina said she helped a dog who was trapped inside a hot car on a 90-degree day, but a responding police officer told her she had “no right” to do so.

Suzanne Vella said on June 7, she saw a dog panting inside a hot car that was parked in a shopping center parking lot. She immediately knew she had to do something.

Vella said she called 911 and looked in the area for the dog’s owner, but after not finding them, she opened the car door – which was unlocked – and gave the dog some water.

“I was really concerned because I know it only takes a few minutes for dogs to go into heat stroke. It was a 90-degree day,” Vella said. “It wasn’t even a decision, I knew.” Click here to read more.

 

America First Legal Sues the University of Michigan and the Michigan Law Review Association for Illegal Racial Discrimination

WASHINGTON, D.C. – America First Legal (AFL), in partnership with Jonathan Mitchell and Ben Flowers, has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Faculty, Alumni, and Students Opposed to Racial Preferences (FASORP) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against the University of Michigan and its Michigan Law Review Association to halt its rampant racial discrimination.

The University of Michigan’s Michigan Law Review has adopted a radical diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda, using a so-called “holistic review” process to award illegal racial preferences to minorities over white and Asian applicants with superior academic credentials.

This taxpayer-funded institution brazenly defies Title VI, the Equal Protection Clause, and 42 U.S.C. § 1981, employing secretive selection committees to enforce diversity quotas and discriminatory citation policies that favor “underrepresented” authors while penalizing white scholars, including underrepresented Republicans and Protestant Christians. This anti-American scheme corrupts legal education and undermines equal justice under the law. Click here to read more.

 

How Easy Is It to Order an Abortion Pill? The Answer Is Shocking.

WASHINGTON D.C. - In as little as five minutes, the Daily Caller News Foundation was able to order abortion pills easily opponents argue are unsafe without a doctor adequately verifying key eligibility requirements.

Groups that launched online services after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mail-order abortions will provide the pill under circumstances that are questionable even by the agency’s relaxed standards, a DCNF investigation found.

“Mail-order abortion subjects women to an abysmal standard of care,” Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs, told the DCNF. “Not only is there minimal health screening that occurs, but women typically have no interaction with any medical professional, let alone a physician.”

The FDA removed in 2021 a requirement that providers distribute mifepristone in person and enabled prescribers to send the pill directly to women in the mail. Now, without speaking to a physician or confirming a pregnancy, a woman can order prescription abortion pills to her home “just in case” she needs them in the future. Click here to read more.

 

 

Media Doesn’t Mention Chilean National Convicted Of String of Home Invasions Was Here Illegally

PONTIAC, Mich. - Ignacio Ruiz-Saldias was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison by a judge June 16 for his role in a string of widely publicized and highly orchestrated home invasions in affluent Detroit suburbs.

Attorney General Dana Nessel identified Ruiz-Saldias as a Chilean national, as did dozens of local TV and newspaper outlets. But almost all the news outlets did not report that Ruiz-Saldias is an illegal immigrant. That’s according to Stephen Huber, public information office for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. According to the Oakland County jail, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has a immigration detainer on him that allows ICE to take him in custody once he is released. Huber said Ruiz-Saldias will be deported after he serves his prison sentence. Click here to read more.

 

Social Security fund could run dry ahead of earlier forecast, trustees say

The trust funds for Social Security and Medicare will run out of money in less than a decade, according to a report released Wednesday, as the programs’ trustees warned that the funds’ depletion date is significantly closer than predicted a year ago.

If Congress does not overhaul the programs’ financing, automatic cuts will slash Social Security benefits by 23 percent and Medicare hospital benefits by 11 percent in 2033, the report said.

For today, yes. But in last year’s annual report, the trustees projected that Social Security would become insolvent by 2035 and Medicare in 2036. They now predict that Social Security’s fund will run out of money in 2033, or in 2034 if Congress changes the law to combine the separate funds for old-age benefits and for disability insurance. They also now forecast that Medicare’s hospital insurance fund will run out in 2033. Click here to read more.

 

Nearly 800 babies likely inside hidden septic tank at home for unwed mothers

TUAM, Ireland - The remains of nearly 800 infants and children are expected to be found inside a hidden septic tank at a home for unwed mothers.

According to the Associated Press long-awaited excavation work began Monday at the site of a former home for unmarried women and their babies in Tuam, Ireland, which was operated by Catholic nuns.

Irish officials believe 798 children died at Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home, an institution that was run by an order of Catholic nuns. The home, which closed its doors in 1961, was one of many church-run institutions in Ireland that housed tens of thousands of orphans and unmarried pregnant women who were forced to surrender their children throughout much of the 20th century, the AP reported. Click here to read more.

 

Nearly 1 in 3 Illinois school contracts mislead teachers about fees they owe

It’s been seven years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled government unions could not force nonmembers to pay “fair share” fees in order to keep their jobs, but nearly one-third of Illinois school districts still have the invalid language in their teachers union contracts.

School leaders are telling employees that even teachers who are not union members must pay “fair share” fees to unions for negotiating the contracts that cover them all, according to the Illinois State Board of Education’s 2024-2025 Teacher Salary Survey. Those 267 districts – including 66 that are negotiating new contracts this year – should remove that language during their next contract negotiations.

Teachers unions, such as the Illinois Federation of Teachers, may be keeping that language in the contracts to purposely confuse teachers into thinking they must either remain members or pay a fee. In reality they can opt out of membership and keep their money. Click here to read more.

 

The push to net zero will send communities across the country in the dark.

MIDLAND, Mich - The energy transition to wind, solar, and utility-scale batteries is simply unworkable.

“Shattered Green Dreams: The Environmental Costs of Wind and Solar” is a new report by Sarah Montalbano and the Center of the American Experiment. In it, Montalbano explains how the environmental, material, and technological flaws and limits of so-called renewables are systematically ignored by policymakers. As the Mackinac Center’s Seven Principles of Sound Energy Policy make clear, all energy sources, including politically favored ones, have an environmental impact.

“Sunshine and the breeze are nonpolluting,” explains Montalbano, “[b]ut building wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries to harvest and store wind and solar resources entail environmental costs in the mining of raw material.” While proponents of net-zero policies may sometimes acknowledge this, the problem cuts deeper than most will admit. Click here to read more.