School is back in session: MSU experts can comment

As K-12 students return to the classroom for the 2025-26 school year, Michigan State University experts are available to discuss a variety of topics from caregivers and making education more inclusive to health and policy.

Caregivers and childcare

Patricia Edwards is a University Distinguished Professor of language and literacy in the Department of Teacher Education at MSU. She is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in parent involvement; home, school and community partnerships; multicultural literacy; early literacy; and family/intergenerational literacy, especially among poor and underserved children.
Contact: edwards6@msu.edu

“As a new academic year begins, it’s crucial for caregivers to engage actively in their children’s education. This involvement goes beyond attending parent-teacher meetings; it’s about being a daily advocate for your child’s learning and growth. When caregivers participate, they bridge the gap between home and school, ensuring consistency that fosters an environment ripe for educational success.

“Caregivers play a pivotal role in shaping not only the educational outcomes but also the attitudes their children develop toward learning. Involvement in school activities and homework reinforces the idea that education is a shared responsibility and a communal effort. This partnership creates a network of support, showing children that their educational journey is valued and supported from all angles.

“Engaging with your child’s schooling is not just about helping with homework — it’s about fostering a deeper connection with the educational community and understanding the curriculum and its challenges. This involvement helps caregivers anticipate and address potential academic or social obstacles, ensuring that school becomes a positive cornerstone of their child’s daily life.”

is an assistant professor of special education in the College of Education and a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral. She also has an endorsement in Early Childhood Mental Health as an Early Childhood Family Specialist. Her research aims to understand the contextual factors that hinder or enhance children’s social and emotional development and the impact on families, including the successful adoption of evidence-based social emotional practices by early childhood teachers and their effectiveness for all young children.
Contact: wahmanch@msu.edu; 517-355-1837

“Suspension and expulsion practices in child care environments are a troubling indication of what we value as a society. This nonevidence-based practice reflects a deep disconnect from the children we have pledged to teach and train and harms not only children, but the entire family system. All children have a right to educational access and opportunity. Every family has a right to be treated with dignity. Child care policies and practices need to prioritize human connection over fear.”

Inclusivity and educational support

Jungmin Kwon is an associate professor of language and literacy in the Department of Teacher Education at MSU. Her research centers on immigrant children and families, transnational migration and multilingual education.
Contact: jkwon@msu.edu

“Students from immigrant and bilingual households bring a wealth of linguistic, cultural and experiential knowledge that spans multiple countries and contexts to schools. They learn better and thrive more when their multilingual knowledge and out-of-school experiences are valued and used as educational resources. It is important for educators and families to acknowledge and build upon students’ existing knowledge in teaching and to support them in maintaining their languages and cultures.”

Kristin Rispoli is an associate professor in MSU’s College of Education. Her research interests include mental health promotion in children with or at risk for developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder. She primarily focuses on intervention models designed to engage caregivers and service providers, including teachers, in designing and implementing supports provided to children with developmental disabilities across multiple contexts.
Contact: rispolik@msu.edu; 517-432-9629

“Long-term success for students is not unidimensional, nor does it occur in a vacuum. Rather, students learn within the complex and interconnected systems of schools, families and communities. Their mental well-being and academic success are inherently connected, and school-based mental health services are critical to address the needs of today’s youth. Parent and teacher collaboration is also key, particularly for students with behavioral, developmental and learning needs.”

Lucia Cardenas Curiel is an associate professor in the College of Education. She specializes in the relationship between language and literacy and how students develop skills in multiple subject areas.
Contact: luciac@msu.edu

Multilingual learners in U.S. schools are more than 5 million in number and speak over 400 languages, bringing cultural knowledge and linguistic strengths to our community and schools. A first step for educators, administrators and community members is to take some time to learn about multilingual learners’ backgrounds and their families. A high number of multilingual learners and their families are immigrants or children of immigrants and others have refugee status. They might have experienced trauma or are facing high chronic stress, particularly in today’s sociopolitical climate.

“Request trauma-informed practice or learn about families’ experiences by connecting with community organizations or family support coordinators. Make sure to create a positive environment for multilingual learners to make them feel welcomed and comfortable. You also should help build their confidence and help them create relationships with their classmates. Some multilingual learners may go through what we call ‘the silent period,’ a time where they are listening to a new language and avoid talking. Be patient and provide opportunities for students to talk to each other in small groups. Also, support their learning by using visuals, showing positive body language, and pronouncing their names correctly. Remember to highlight their home languages as valuable assets for learning. Let’s honor multilingualism and enrich learning in our classrooms and community.”

Education and policy

Madeline Mavrogordato is the director of the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative and a professor of K-12 educational administration and policy at the College of Education. She is an expert on education leadership and policy, including policy design and implementation, leveraging policy to expand educational opportunity for underserved students, and how to recruit, retain, evaluate and support educators.
Contact: mavro@msu.edu

“Michigan faces a teacher shortage, particularly in high-need school districts and hard-to-staff subject areas such as special education and English as a second language. This stems not only from fewer people selecting into the teaching profession, but also difficulty retaining teachers, particularly early-career teachers who leave the profession at higher rates. While Michigan has taken a number of positive steps and made multiple investments to strengthen the teacher pipeline, there is more work to be done. Policymakers have yet to take decisive action at the state level to address these shortages through strategies such as setting a minimum starting teacher salary or a statewide salary schedule or differentiating pay for those with credentials in hard-to-staff subject areas or high-need districts.”

Jason Burns is a research specialist with the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative in the College of Education. His research focuses on K-12 education finance and teacher workforce policy in Michigan, with particular attention to how policy impacts vary across different communities, populations and contexts.
Contact: burnsja6@msu.edu; 517-884-0377

“Michigan faces significant challenges around teacher compensation. Given Michigan’s system of K-12 finance, state-level action is needed to address this issue. With policymakers currently working on the state budget, our research highlights how inadequate teacher pay risks undermining statewide efforts to recruit and retain high-quality educators. Without meaningful increases in K-12 funding dedicated to teacher salary improvements, Michigan may prolong current teacher shortages and compromise student achievement outcomes. Strong public support for raising teacher pay provides a critical opportunity for state leaders to invest in educator compensation as a way to strengthen Michigan’s teacher workforce, which will improve student outcomes and, in turn, improve the state's economy.”

Education and health

Nathan Fitton is an associate professor of orthopedics in the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, chief medical information officer for MSU Health Care and an MSU Athletics team physician.
Contact: fittonna@msu.edu

“Recent research shows that young athletes can reduce their risk of injury by playing just one other sport for three months. Parents, physicians and coaches should consider this when advising student-athletes. Cross-training is like rotating the tires on your car. You’ll get longer use and better performance when tires are regularly rotated. For our bodies, diversification of movement reduces the risk of injury and helps maintain healthy functioning. Even taking a day or two a week to do something that uses different muscle groups would be beneficial.”

Crystal Cederna is an associate professor and clinical psychologist in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health in the MSU College of Human Medicine.
Contact: cedernac@msu.edu

“We are living in challenging times. Many kids are facing mental health crises because stress is coming at them from social media, academic and athletic demands, neighborhood and school safety, and from local to global-scale events. High stress levels without coping skills and resources can create a perfect storm that affects their ability to attend school, learn and show what they know. What greatly supports kids’ resiliency is having at least one adult who is a source of unconditional love and support, as well as a space where they can regularly talk and be heard. It does not have to be their parent or guardian — it can be any adult in their life. And it’s a bonus if this trusted adult also knows when professional help is needed, then supports kids in getting there.”

Robert Root is an associate chief medical officer and board-certified pediatrician with MSU Health Care and assistant professor of pediatrics in the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. He specializes in pediatrics and the importance of vaccines when returning to school.
Contact: rootrobe@msu.edu

“Vaccines are a critical tool in ensuring a safe return to school for our children. They not only protect the individual child but also help safeguard the entire school community. I advocate for staying up to date with required vaccinations, as they play a key role in reducing the spread of preventable diseases and allowing our children to thrive in a healthy learning environment.

“Getting a healthy night’s sleep also is very important. Research shows a good night’s sleep helps improve attention, focus, mood and learning in school. Families should set a consistent routine around bedtime. Avoid screen time an hour before and incorporate quiet activities like reading or drawing into the lead-up to bedtime.”