State of the State speeches are geared to define the governor’s agenda for the coming legislative year. If the speech is a good one, seen as reasonably addressing the challenges of the times, chances are some of the proposals are going to be embraced and enacted. So it was in 2011 with Gov. Rick Snyder’s […]
Speech will give clues to the real Rick Snyder
Posted inQuality of Life
Detroit group rallies to convert historic townhouses from crime haven to community hub
This slice of Detroit’s North Corktown neighborhood once enjoyed pleasant streets and good neighbors – that is, until a townhouse complex took a wrong turn and jeopardized the safety of the entire community. So says Jon Koller, who took it upon himself to turn around Spaulding Court and, by extension, the neighborhood it serves. Koller, […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Supreme Court vacancy gives Snyder chance to combat big money’s influence
It’s rare for a governor to have the power in his own hands to remedy a problem that’s been embarrassing his state since the present state constitution was adopted, half a century ago. But with Justice Diane Hathaway’s retirement next week from the Michigan Supreme Court, Gov. Rick Snyder has an easy chance to lock […]
Posted inSuccess
Filmmaker grows ‘antidote’ to ‘ruin porn’ craze
If Detroit were an actor walking a Hollywood red carpet, it would be having a hot year. Two feature-length documentary films, “Detropia” and “Burn,” have gathered national attention for their looks at the deteriorating – and recovering – metropolis, with critics marveling at Detroit’s eye-popping vistas of decay and tarnished grandeur. But to independent filmmaker […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* Indiana is looking at a $500 million budget surplus. Iowa is looking at $800 million. Michigan’s Senate Fiscal Agency estimates that the state will carry about $500 million in its budget stabilization, or “rainy day,” fund into the 2013-14 fiscal year. Something to keep in mind as legislators begin budget negotiations in a couple […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: State's broken tax system favors corporations over families
By Gilda Z. Jacobs/Michigan League for Public Policy As we enter the budget-setting season in Lansing, we need to step back and ask ourselves some important questions. Does our revenue structure keep up with the times? Does it improve our education levels and at least keep our quality of life from eroding? Does it ‘pay […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Presenting Bridge’s Academic State Champs 2012
Fifty-two school districts and charter schools across the state were named 2012 Academic State Champs by Bridge Magazine by finishing in the top 10 of at least one Value-Added Matrix ranking. By finishing in the top 10, these schools were in the top 2 percent of schools in the state. The winners, ranging from small […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Which Mich. schools add most value for students?
At first blush, Godwin Heights Public Schools isn’t anything special. Only 6 percent of its juniors were considered “college ready” on their ACTs in 2012, about one-third of the state’s median rate. Fourth- and eighth-grade MEAP scores were middling, at best. On the other hand, Bloomfield Hills has the highest percentage of students deemed “college […]
Posted inTalent & Education
State Champs: See how your local district ranks
Fifty-two Michigan public school districts and charters were named Academic State Champions for the 2011-12 school year. Winners were drawn from a database created by Bridge Magazine and Public Sector Consultants of traditional public school districts and charter schools offering kindergarten through 12th-grade. The analysis ranks schools by how much value they add to students’ […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Schools in tight-knit Arab community dominate value rankings
Jazaleh Fakhreddine describes herself as born to teach. Watch her command a classroom of fourth-graders and you’ll believe it. When she wants the children’s attention, she raises her hand and folds her fingers down one by one. “She’s counting!” a boy hisses to a classmate, and the group falls silent. She speaks quietly, calmly, preparing […]
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