This handy map at the New York Times shows the percentage of schoolchildren eligible for free or reduced-price lunches at school by state in 2011. In Michigan, almost half the children are eligible — 45 percent. And, sadly, that’s a good figure, by national standards. Twenty-two states have a majority of schoolchildren qualified. In parts […]
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
State Champs: See how your district is doing
Sixty Michigan public school districts claimed at least a tie for a championship in one of eight academic categories in Bridge Magazine’s Academic State Championships for the 2010-11 school year. These winners were drawn from a database created by Public Sector Consultants, a Lansing-based research firm, and the nonpartisan, nonprofit Citizens Research Council. Statewide average […]
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Paterno didn't see it coming, but Hutchins did
Surveying the events out of State College, Pa., in recent days, I was reminded of a comment from a wise man: “A student can win 12 letters at a university without learning how to write one.” So said Robert Maynard Hutchins about the problems he saw in marrying big-time athletics to universities. In fact, as […]
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Bridge seeks reporter to expand team
Bridge Magazine, a project of The Center for Michigan, a 501(c)3 nonprofit “think-and-do” tank, seeks a dynamic journalist with proven expertise in covering Michigan policy and life to serve as a reporter/writer on our growing staff. This is a full-time position featuring competitive salary, bonus structure and benefits based on the successful candidate’s experience. (UPDATE: […]
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Literacy woes hamstring Detroit's revival
When Averil Dixon was a senior at Mumford High School in Detroit, the only people who knew he couldn’t read or write were his family, a few teachers and his closest friends — the ones who helped with his homework. “I was a cool kid,” said Dixon, 19. “If everybody knew I couldn’t spell or […]
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Report: Michigan is high on price of college degrees
College graduates in Michigan and elsewhere are rightly anxious about their future job prospects — an anxiety only heightened by the piles of debt so many have accumulated while on campus. Erin Dillon, senior policy analyst for Education Sector and co-author of a new report highlighting the relationship between obtaining a college degree and acquiring […]
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Who are the state academic champs?
Welcome to the real state high school playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I love sports, and I have great admiration for the dedication and skill of high school athletes. The lessons they learn in leadership, teamwork and persistence are lessons they can use long after they hang up their helmets. But if Michigan is going […]
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Invest in the 4-year-olds
Bridge Magazine’s parent organization, the Center for Michigan, takes quite seriously the challenge presented by the educational needs of the youngest Michiganians. It is a member of the Children’s Leadership Council of Michigan, which just helped organize two hearings (Sept. 28 and Oct. 5) before the House Education Committee. Tim Bartik of the Upjohn Institute […]
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Affirmative action ban exacted price on economy, say critics
Five years after Michigan voted to ban affirmative action by public entities, anecdotes, experts and a handful of hard numbers suggest Michigan’s economy has absorbed hits due to the measure. Proposal 2 — a 2006 initiative which banned race- and gender-based preferential treatment in public contracting, public hiring and university admissions — is back in […]
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Obama's job advisers note skill mismatch
President Obama has a new report from his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. (Alert, it’s a 4MB report). Initiative Five in the report will be familiar to Bridge readers: Matching talent to the skills needed in the marketplace. “While the United States has traditionally enjoyed a competitive advantage thanks to the productivity of its overall […]