Susan Broman is director of the state’s Office of Great Start, an office created in 2011 by Gov. Rick Snyder to consolidate the state’s early childhood education efforts. Broman recently responded to written questions posed by Bridge regarding the state’s Great Start Readiness Program, and the 30,000 eligible 4-year-olds who aren’t in classrooms. Bridge: Our […]
State official: Adults have let children down
Posted inTalent & Education
30,000 children lose out on pre-K classes
Landen Ford wants to go to preschool. The 4-year-old Flushing boy with a crew cut and a toothy grin thought he’d learn the alphabet and his sounds, and maybe make some friends, just like his big brother Logan did last year. But instead of learning to write his name, Landen is learning an early lesson […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Michigan condemns 30,000 kids to bad start
Anybody who cares about Michigan’s future should know these facts: Children learn the quickest and best from birth to age 5. Early childhood learning programs, especially for poor, minority and vulnerable kids, result in much, much better progress through school and sharply increased graduation rates. Return on investment in pre-kindergarten programs is as high as […]
Posted inMichigan Government
No-change claim from pro-Prop 2 ad doesn't stand up; Truth Squad calls foul
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYIS: “Protect” Who: Protect Our Jobs What: Internet ad, “Protect” Truth Squad call: Foul The “Protect” ad comes from Protect Our Jobs, a ballot committee with support from union interests and Democratic elected officials, among others that is pushing Proposal 2, a constitutional amendment on collective bargaining rights. As of a July […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“The only fence against the world is a thorough knowledge of it” — John Locke, 17th century English philosopher. * The Center for New Opportunity, a start-up incubator launched by some positive-thinking folks in Lansing, gets a nice write-up on The Atlantic Cities website. New phrase learned today – “low profit corporation.”: http://www.theatlantic.com/ technology/archive/2012/09/a-new-kind-of-startup-organization-for-a-new-kind-of-lansing/262614/ * The […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Truth Squad blows whistle on both sides' ads
Proposal 3, one of six measures on the statewide ballot on Nov. 6, seeks to install in the Michigan Constitution a requirement for the use of electricity generated from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Michigan currently has a state law that mandates a 10 percent “renewable portfolio standard” by 2015. Under Proposal […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
One man’s appetite for snacks leads to growing Northern Michigan firm
Ed Girrbach likes potato chips. So much so, he’s put money, determination and business acumen toward a made-in-Michigan venture that is frying 20,000 pounds of raw potatoes a week in the hills outside of Traverse City. The Great Lakes Potato Chip Co., co-owned by Ed, 63, and son Chris, 33, has gone from a conversation […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“Education can counteract the natural tendency to do the wrong thing, but the inexorable succession of generations requires that the basis for this knowledge be constantly refreshed” — Garrett Hardin, 20th century American conservationist. * Michigan teachers are a nearly perfect bunch, says a new state evaluation. Education Trust-Midwest says that a review that finds […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Guard knows danger lurks inside prison walls, but still loves his job
Five weeks into his new job as a corrections officer at a state prison, Robert McGaffigan received a horrific lesson on the dangers of the work. Tammy Sperle was a civilian worker who operated the prison store at what was then the Huron Valley Men’s Facility when an inmate angry about losing his job there […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Consensus emerges on local services, but what becomes of transparency?
By Tom Ivacko/Center for Local, State and Urban Policy A path forward, on common ground? Yes, but watch for caution signs along the way. First, the common ground: Michigan citizens — Republicans and Democrats — and their state and local government leaders broadly agree that consolidating individual public services across neighboring jurisdictions is worth pursuing, […]