Grand Rapids Public Schools has set a series of open houses to connect would-be students and parents with the district’s new theme schools, high school speciality programs and expanded grade levels at Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy. (more…)

West Michigan native Taylor Lautner will officially be back for “Twilight” sequel: “New Moon”

That news being reported by entertainment news outlets all across the country today, the news is also on the home page of ”Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer’s website.

Lautner plays Jacob Black, a werewolf competing for the affections of main character Bella.

The movie is set for release November 20, 2009.

Read more about Taylor in my previous post (from, ironically Nov. 20, 2008)… (more…)

The United Way is partnering with Grand Rapids Public Schools to improve English and literacy skills among parents at Harrison Park Elementary School.

The announcement kicked off Monday night’s GRPS board meeting.  Parents at Harrison Park will meet for two-hour English As A Second Language (ESL) courses twice a week.

It’s a pilot program expected to start in January.

“The data is very cleary that families who read together can help children significantly boost their vocabulary and school performance,” Literacy Center of West Michigan Executive Director Susan Ledy said in a statement.

The district also announced it exceeded its United Way fund-raising goal by $13,000. GRPS raised $103,000 for the campaign.

That money in a way comes back to GRPS, particularly in the form of Schools of Hope, a massive tutoring program also led by the United Way. Schools of Hope gives first- through third-graders access to an in-school tutor at a total cost of roughly $90,000 per year.

A motion to eliminate Grand Rapids Public Schools teacher jobs in the middle of the school year failed Monday night.

Here’s how the board voted:

Kenneth Hoskins – YES
Amy McGlynn – YES
Tony Baker – NO
Harry Campbell – NO
Jane Gietzen – NO
Lisa Hinkel – YES
Catherine Mueller – YES
David Allen, Arnie Smithalexander – ABSENT

GRPS also announced a new United Way program to help parents at one elementary school with their English and other literacy skills.

photo of Josiah Tummel, courtesy Zeeland Public Schools

A seventh-grader from Zeeland has achieved something no other student around the nation has: his essay is the only American entry featured in a United Nations booklet called “Peace Messages from Around the World.” (more…)

Citing a “substantial disagreement” between himself and a majority of school board members, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Jack Wallington resigned Thursday night.

Neither the superintendent nor board members would elaborate on the nature of that disagreement. (more…)

UPDATE 9/25/08: “The Steam Experiment” is set to wrap this Saturday… one day later than first reported, but my sources say everything is on track and Grand Rapids has been great!!

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UPDATE 9/18/08:

The crew of “The Steam Experiment” will continue their closed-set shooting Friday, they are still on track to wrap September 26th or 27th.

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UPDATE 9/11/08:

from the set of “The Steam Experiment” (more…)

UPDATE 9/18/08:

The crew of “The Steam Experiment” will continue their closed-set shooting Friday, they are still on track to wrap September 26th or 27th.

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UPDATE 9/11/08:

from the set of “The Steam Experiment” (more…)

Attracting college-educated young adults — people 25- to 34-years-old — is key to growing jobs and the economy in West Michigan. But hanging on to the young adults the region already has is moreso. (more…)

The opening speaker at the two-day West Michigan Regional Policy Conference is taking the state’s new Michigan Business Tax to task. Robert Genetski, of the free-market focused Heartland Institute, says the MBT will ultimately drag down the state’s tax receipts, meaning less revenue for Michigan. (more…)