Hey, voters: If you want someone to do an important job better, do you cut their hours and hope for the best? Then why would it work for the Legislature?
A part-time legislature would create more full-time problems
Posted inMichigan Government
Tom McMillin: Tea Party conservative, ACLU sympathizer
Anti-tax. Anti-gay. Anti-Obamacare. That’s all you need to know about brash Tea Party favorite Tom McMillin. Or is it? A growing chorus of progressives are finding common bond with the Rochester Hills Republican.
Posted inMichigan Government
What Tom McMillin wants
The brash Republican hasn’t had much legislation signed into law, but it’s not for lack of effort. McMillin’s nearly 200 bills and resolutions span the political spectrum, from deeply conservative efforts to restrict abortion and gay rights, to strange-bedfellows alliances with the ACLU and progressive Democrats on civil liberties issues.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Michigan students need high-quality literacy programs
In a state where fewer than 1-in-3 children are proficient readers, Michigan leaders need expert advice on how to solve this critical problem.
Posted inTalent & Education
Snow Wars: Schools struggle to meet required days of instruction
State education leaders are facing off against some districts and administrators who are balking at adding school days in June to account for a flurry of snow days this winter.
Posted inTalent & Education
Snow closes the classroom, but the gym stays open
School districts debate the wisdom of closing schools on snow days while allowing basketball games and other activities to take place at night.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Education policy makes schools hard to fund
One way to ensure more state funding goes into the classroom is to enroll more charter schools in the pension system
Posted inPhil's Column
Despite efforts, little progress has been made in educating poor, vulnerable kids
“What is the sound of one hand clapping?” Among other things, this famous Zen riddle suggests that some problems are extremely complex – and may require more than one approach to a solution. That’s an important notion when it comes to how to get seriously better outcomes in student learning, especially for urban schools that […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Three cheers for a state budget that gets natural resources right
Michigan could grow into a rich, green future, if it continues to wisely manage its abundant gifts. The proposed state budget suggests Gov. Rick Snyder understands this.
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Twice the warmth, three times the stories: Heating the old-fashioned way
Word to you Paul Bunyans: Only fools harvest firewood without the proper gear, but oh, the stories those scars can tell.