Our Blog
Honoring Ruth Zweifler
We are heartbroken to share that our founding executive director Ruth Zweifler passed away on Jan. 12, 2025, at the age of 95. In 1974, Ruth and a multi-racial grassroots group of community members founded Student Advocacy Center, beginning more formal activities in...
Student Advocacy Center moves to Co-Executive Director Model as it Celebrates 50th Year
Student Advocacy Center of Michigan’s Board of Directors announced Friday that it is moving to a Co-Executive Director model as it begins to celebrate its 50th year supporting students struggling with school discipline and other academic challenges. This change means...
Telling Tales 2024
On May 10th, 2024 we gathered for our annual event, Telling Tales Out of School, at Huron High School in Ann Arbor. The fundraiser is a space where people can come together to celebrate the art and craft of storytelling, while supporting the Student Advocacy Center...
How Unfair Laws and the Culture of Punishment in Schools Can Harm Children & Families
On November 1, author and investigative journalist Erin Einhorn joined the League of Women Voters of Washtenaw for a virtual panel about school discipline and due process protections. SAC was grateful for the opportunity to attend. Einhorn's research has been featured...
Know the Facts: School Discipline in Michigan
Zero Tolerance is illegal in Michigan, but our expulsion rates are worse than those before Zero Tolerance was overturned. Last year, 1,396 Michigan students were expelled -- 49 more than in the 2014-2015 school year. In this fact sheet, you will find...
We Couldn’t Do This Without You!
This past year was historic for us, and we are so thankful for YOUR support along the way. Thanks to you, we served more students than we ever have. We hope you will take a moment to check out our annual gratitude report. You will find stories of students graduating...
Story-Power Policy Briefing on Virtual Schools
"When “Monique’s” grandson was forced into a virtual school, she had no idea how he would finish 5th grade. She felt lost and unsure what to do. Unfortunately, these kinds of stories have become far too common. The COVID-19 Pandemic made virtual learning...
Now is the time for change
May is National Foster Care Month — and a time to reflect on changes that our state needs to make. Students who experience foster care deserve a robust public education and support to graduate, don’t you agree? In Michigan, though, we see...
Michigan, We Can Do Better
Michigan has returned to a tired playbook of criminalizing youth in schools — but we know there are better ways forward. And YOU can help! What is going on? We are seeing increasingly more punitive approaches from schools. When we look at expulsion data from last...
We are Grateful for You!
It's time to celebrate YOU, our community of supporters and partners. You have had such an amazing impact on students and families in southeast Michigan and around the state. We served more students than we ever have, but sustained the deep work we do in our...