*Uh-oh: “Asian carp are reproducing in more places and under more varied conditions than experts had believed they could, yet another reason to worry about the greedy invader’s potential to infest waterways and crowd out native species, scientists said.” *Meanwhile, legislation is moving to bar the state Department of Natural Resources from using biodiversity in […]
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*Home-court advantage is a perennial topic of conversation in college basketball, but Michigan Republicans have to be congratulated – or pilloried – in how they have created a huge advantage for themselves in congressional elections. As this Bloomberg visual details, Michigan Republicans win by losing. Even though they gained only just under 46 percent of […]
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* A dose of “good news, bad news”: “The average hourly wage (of the fastest-growing job category in America) is just $9.70 an hour, according to the Labor Department. For those in the industry who work full-time, this amounts to roughly $20,000 a year. Many health care aides only work part-time though — and they […]
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* The complaint that lawmakers don’t even read all the bills that pass over their desks is as hoary as it is true. Well, the Tennessee House of Representatives has taken action to perhaps ease the problem. No member can file more than 15 bills. “Figures compiled by Harwell’s office show that the 132-member Tennessee […]
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* The Michigan Virtual University has some ideas on how to reform K-12 education. In microcosm, the description of said report reveals just how difficult it is to get education professionals and parents and citizens into an earnest discussion of the topic. For example: “Teachers: Michigan must create a statewide system of support for teachers as […]
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* States, including Michigan, have been reducing their financial commitment to higher education. The result: “Tuition revenues are up substantially due to higher prices and more enrollments, but not enough to offset losses of public funding,” said Paul Lingenfelter, the president of the higher education group, based in Boulder, Colo. “Students are paying more, while public […]
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* An Iowa legislator wants to move his state away from “no-fault” divorce. The no-fault system is the dominant one in the United States, including in Michigan. The state’s divorce (and marriage) rates have been on a consistent decline since at least 1990, according to the Census Bureau. However, Iowa’s marriage rate is higher and its […]
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* The Kalamazoo Promise (which offers college scholarships) is paying dividends: “We find positive effects of the Kalamazoo Promise on Promise eligible students large enough to be deemed important—about a 9 percent increase in the probability of earning any credits and one less suspension day per year. We also find large increases in GPA among African-American students.” […]
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* The Mackinac Center created a searchable database of public school superintendent compensation – a potentially useful tool for parents and patrons to compare their local leader to other districts. Of course, the unanswered question in all this is: How much should a superintendent make? * Speaking of databases, the Michigan Municipal League has a new […]
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* Michigan electric generators are on track to reach the 10 percent renewable energy standard set forth in state law, says the Public Service Commission. And under provisions of that law, Michigan will have established a floor of no less than 10 percent renewable power for the future, though the PSC thinks the figure will […]