Five years ago this week, Michigan lawmakers were hurtling toward their own fiscal cliff as a new budget year loomed with no spending and revenue agreement in sight. A month of legislative chaos marked by a desultory combination of boredom, tension, recrimination and fatigue ended in the early morning of Oct. 1 when lawmakers gave […]
Proposal 5 would take political dysfunction in State Capitol to whole new level
Posted inPhil's Column
It's all about human capital, people
“Today, money flows toward people who also have knowledge, advanced skills and the relentless determination to find a better way. Michigan, historically, has not grown enough of this kind of talent. That kind of change will take time and an evolution of our education system.” — Ron Dzwonkowski, the fine now-retired associate editor of the […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“The greatest gift is a passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination” — Elizabeth Hardwick, American literary critic. * ProPublica continues its coverage of the petroleum industry and environmental oversight: “Injection wells have […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Education talks set for Imlay City, Pontiac, Detroit, Clinton Township
Imlay City, Pontiac, Detroit, Lansing and Clinton Township are among the upcoming stops for the Center for Michigan’s ongoing townhall series on K-12 reform: WHEN: Sept. 27, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: East Meeting Room, Novi Public Library, 45255 10 Mile Road, Novi RSVP: Julie Farkas, Novi Public Library — (248) 869-7204 WHEN: Oct. […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Truth Squad says 'no foul' on Stabenow ad touting auto votes
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD ANALYSIS: “Companies like Mine” Who: Stabenow for Senate What: TV and Web ad Truth Squad call: No foul Questionable statement: “At American Expedition Vehicles we have over 500 employees and their jobs are in jeopardy due to counterfeit parts coming out of China.” American Expedition Vehicles is a Livonia-based company that […]
Posted inTalent & Education
In Grand Rapids, a tale of two kids
Like any mother, Grand Rapids resident Courtney Malone wants the best for her children. That’s why she worries about her 3-year-old son, Bryson, who is on a waiting list for the state’s Great Start Readiness Program. She fears he could be losing ground by missing out on the all-day preschool. “It’s very disappointing,” said Malone, […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Pre-K access is a challenge across the state
In theory, children from low- and moderate-income homes have an equal opportunity for free, high-quality preschool in every corner of Michigan. But it turns out some corners are more equal than others. In Saginaw, 91 percent of 4-year-olds eligible for Great Start Readiness Program are in that state-funded preschool or another state- or federally funded […]
Posted inTalent & Education
State official: Adults have let children down
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 […]
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 […]