Another school year draws to a close as parents, patrons, educators and lawmakers continue to debate how best to serve Michigan’s schoolchildren and the future of our state. The Center for Michigan stands ready to help you join the discussion. CFM, parent to Bridge Magazine, is engaged in a year-long series of community conversations on […]
Talent & Education
To prosper, Michigan must be a more educated place. Bridge will explore the challenges in education and identify policies and initiatives that address them.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan goes hard after student loan defaulters
Former college students in the eastern half of Michigan get hauled into federal court for defaulting on their student loans at 10 times the rate of the national average. That doesn’t mean more Michigan residents are stiffing the federal government on their loans – but it does mean they’re more likely to face legal consequences if […]
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Report: Michigan's license 'burden' is above average
The Institute for Justice, which describes itself as the “nation’s only libertarian public interest law firm, has published a new study on the burden of licensing requirements for 102 different professions across the United States. The report also developed a “burden” ranking of the states — and placed Michigan at No. 21, the 21st most […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Romney and a student walk into a coffee shop …
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney spoke at Lansing Community College Tuesday, suggesting that “somewhere in a coffeehouse, a student, maybe here in Lansing, is sketching out an idea that will change our lives.” A block away from the auditorium where Romney spoke is Gibson’s coffee shop, a hangout for students attending Lansing Community College. […]
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Remediation: Higher ed's expensive 'bridge to nowhere'
More than a third of incoming college students in Michigan take high school-level classes on campus — essentially repeating material they should have learned before they got their diplomas. Those remedial classes may cost students, schools and taxpayers more than $100 million a year, and often don’t lead to a degree; many of the 23,000 […]
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See how your local schools do on college remediation
In more than 100 school districts across the state, more than half the graduates enrolling in public colleges take remedial courses — in essence repeating lessons that should have been learned in high school. Using the searchable database below of 515 public school districts with complete data, check out how your school district fares in remediation, […]
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Who's ready for college? Who's scoring?
What percentage of Michigan high school seniors are ready for college? 17 percent 61 percent 74 percent The correct answer is: No one really knows. About 74 percent of high school students graduate, which, if the diploma means something, should make them college and/or career ready. By the standards used by the Michigan Department of […]
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Enrolling in community college is just half the battle
The good news: Low-income students are enrolling in Michigan colleges at a record rate. The bad news: Many of them won’t leave with degrees. While more low-income students are making it to campus, they’re more likely to attend Michigan community colleges, where the graduation rates are among the lowest in the nation. “These kids hit […]
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A film about Detroit manhood scrambles for funding
Veteran Detroit screenwriter and teacher Harvey Ovshinsky likes to say Detroit is the Saudi Arabia of stories, and all an aspiring filmmaker needs to do is go out there and grab one. Certainly, many have been taking his advice; documentaries set in and around Detroit have exploded in recent months, prompting the Free Press to […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Ready for college? In Michigan, likely not.
If you live in Michigan, your high-schooler is probably less prepared for college than the average American student. Your teen has only an average chance of graduating from high school, and a below-average chance of enrolling in college. And if your son or daughter makes it to campus, he or she is less likely to […]