School letter grades aren't a panacea to what ails schools. But they ought to give a ray of hope to parents. No series of measurements can fully capture all that is important about school quality, and parents would be wise to remember that. The answer is to share meaningful data alongside the clear indicators.

Gov. Rick Snyder signed a package of school safety bills into law. In addition, another education bill requires the Michigan Department of Education to give every school an A-F letter grade in five categories.

Four superintendents look ahead to 2019 in education, and forecast where public schools will make the most progress and where they will fall short. These district leaders discussed a range of topics, including assessment, accountability and flipped learning.

In his first year as superintendent, Manny Caulk opened the new grant-funded office, created academic excellence strategies, redesigned high schools and launched a volunteer campaign.