Minnesota traces its elite status to tough academic standards, the nation’s most extensive early childhood education program and higher investment in low-income schools.
Smartest kids: Teaching starts early, with special focus on the poor, in Minnesota
Posted inTalent & Education
How Minnesota and Michigan students compare on the NAEP
Michigan vs Minnesota Michigan and Minnesota spend roughly the same amount per pupil, and yet the performance of Minnesota students on national tests is far superior to that of Michigan students, including low-income students. Proponents of the Minnesota system note that the North Star state budgets its money differently. Below, how students in the two […]
Posted inPhil's Column
A dark-money cloud obscures issues that matter in Michigan
Who’s supporting the candidates running for office? How much are they investing in the outcome? Right now, we can only guess about much of it.
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
A little respect – and attention – for the non-traditional collegian
Not all students on college campuses fit the typical mold of young and full-time. The older, working, married, child-rearing scholars are a growing demographic.
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
To a voter with principles, sometimes voting is the right thing to (not) do
Make all the jokes about “none of the above” you want, but if you really hold your beliefs true, it’s difficult to make some choices in the voting booth.
Posted inQuality of Life
DNR yields to public and will not allow drilling under prized land at Hartwick Pines
A Bridge article revealing possible oil leasing under the virgin pines produced a backlash from environmental groups, and from the family that donated the land. The DNR says it may still allow drilling in other parts of the park.
Posted inA Truth Squad companion
Special report: 10 things every voter should know about Michigan taxes
The tools you need to provide your own fact-driven answer to that question.
Posted inA Truth Squad companion
Michigan tax facts, part 2: Who wants what in the long war over taxes
Wildly different views of the future drive the ongoing intellectual war over tax policy in Michigan.
Posted inTalent & Education
Smartest kids: In Tennessee, an epic turnaround
A perennial bottom dweller in academic rankings, Tennessee has sprinted to respectability by demanding more of teachers and students and giving them the tools to succeed.
Posted inTalent & Education
Smartest kids graphic: How Michigan and Tennessee compare on NAEP
Comparing the latest NAEP scores from Michigan and Tennessee, you might not notice much difference: students in both states produce middling results. But these graphics show how Tennessee students are rapidly improving, while Michigan has barely budged.