State of Opportunity from Michigan Radio

Eight places of worship in Michigan – in metro Detroit and near Kalamazoo – have officially joined a growing number of churches and synagogues across the country that have agreed to house and protect unauthorized immigrants who fear deportation. Central United Methodist in Detroit was among the first in Michigan to publicly declare itself a sanctuary churche (you'll find the full list at the bottom of this article). Central has a long history of activism, fighting for water rights and protesting

The state says 38 schools with persistently low test scores might not have to close by the end of the year. At least, not yet. These schools now have 60 days to come up with a turnaround plan using what the state calls a "partnership" model. We wanted to know a little bit more about what that partnership strategy might entail, so we took a trip to Dearborn to find out.

Miguel and Angel are brothers and they pretty much disagree on everything: TV shows, music, games, even the way they dress. But that stuff’s all pretty minor compared to the big disagreement they have over where they should go if their mom is deported back to Mexico. Miguel is 14-years old and a proud mama’s boy. He says he never wants to separate from his mom and will go with her to Mexico even though he’s only visited there once, when he was three. Big brother Angel, who's 15, says he wants to

You may have heard that the state is planning to close as many as 38 schools by this summer, the bulk of which are in Detroit. That’s a big deal for a whole lot of families, and so far, the state isn’t giving them much guidance about what to do. So let’s walk through where things stand.

Did you ever dream of seeing your name on a Broadway marquee as a kid? If so, you probably have some fond memories of memorizing lines and making costumes for school plays. But for kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities, finding a spotlight isn’t always easy.

Michigan's own Betsy DeVos is now the most powerful education official in the nation. So what does that mean for Michigan? Let's start our story in Detroit, where DeVos played a big role in pushing for more school choice in the district.

Education in America remains deeply segregated. But at the same time, there are more students of color than ever before. In 2014, for the first time, minority students made up over 50% of public school enrollment . One district that’s seen those shifting demographics first-hand is Plymouth-Canton Community Schools . And it's been intentional about creating an environment where students and families from all backgrounds feel welcome.

For the past several days, there have been many, many stories about President Trump’s actions on refugee policy, and his administration’s travel ban for people from 7 Muslim-majority nations. But last week, the President also signed one other executive action that could have a big impact on immigrants in Michigan. The action spelled out how Trump’s administration would prioritize its deportations for undocumented immigrants. The plan Trump announced means lawmakers in Lansing could have a huge

The fates of neighborhoods and schools are intimately intertwined. That's especially true in high-poverty areas like Detroit. You can see those fates playing out in tandem across the city in part one and two of this documentary. So how do we make sense of what is happening, not just in Detroit, but in cities all across the country? And why, despite wave after wave of reforms, do America’s inner city schools continue to struggle?

In part one of our State of Opportunity documentary, We Live Here, we spent time in Littlefield — a Detroit neighborhood right on the edge. It’s trying for a comeback, but so much depends upon whether the elementary school there stays open. Now let’s visit a neighborhood that’s past that point. A place where most of the DPS schools are long gone - abandoned, torn down or replaced by charters. (You can find a full transcript of the documentary audio here .) A neighborhood with few options Things