“Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers” — Alfred Lord Tennyson, 19th century English poet * What’s going on inFinland? The Center forMichigan is engaged in a statewide round of community conversations on how to improve K-12 education. Our outreach coordinator, Courtney Thompson, tells us that in sessions so far, one nation keeps cropping up for praise: […]
Land O Links
Posted inTalent & Education
Get in line, kid. It's a long one.
The University of Michigan released data on the application process for next year’s freshman class, and it is eye-popping: Provost Philip Hanlon told a group of faculty Monday that the school has received 41,600 freshman applications to date, compared to 38,700 at this time last year. U-M received 39,570 applications total for entry to the […]
Posted inTalent & Education
At Wayne State, easy to get in, difficult to get out
Since LaQuanda Pratt enrolled at Wayne State University three years ago, many of the African-American students she shared classes with are gone. Some left the college because of family difficulties, Pratt recalled. Some ran out of money. Others couldn’t cut it academically. “A lot of students aren’t prepared,” said the 20-year-old psychology major from Detroit. […]
Posted inTalent & Education
A new Detroit turnaround plan: Wayne State's
After spending most of his career as an executive at Ford Motor Co., Wayne State President Allan Gilmour knows plenty about retooling. Taking a redesigned car from the drawing board to the showroom can take three or four years. Building a successful student retention program could take longer. From free housing for the summer to […]
Posted inTalent & Education
A Wayne graduate and the class of whenever
The new year brought a new milestone in my life. I graduated from Wayne State University, with a master’s degree in communications/journalism. That fact, possessing a Wayne State degree as an African-American student, makes me something of a rarity, as Bridge’s coverage of the struggles of African-American students at Wayne makes clear. As expected, my […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Racial grad gaps at Mich. public universities
There is a 22-percent gap between white and black graduation rates atMichiganpublic universities – significantly wider than the national public university racial gap of 16 percent. Wayne State University has the largest racial graduation gap in the state, and the largest in the nation among public universities. Here are rates for 2009, the most recent […]
Posted inSuccess
Bridge, MLive team up to spread Bridge stories
Two leading Michigan media organizations announced a new partnership today aimed at bringing additional in-depth news and analysis to statewide readers. Beginning this week, in-depth reports and commentary from Bridge Magazine (www.bridgemi.com) will run in the statewide online and print news publications of MLive Media Group (www.mlive.com). The nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Michigan launched Bridge […]
Posted inMichigan Government
On Medicaid, nursing homes — and your home
There may not be a government program as misunderstood as Medicaid. The program’s name has become synonymous with government spending and with a certain connotation on “welfare” — good money going to people making bad decisions. The facts about Medicaid are far different. In large measure, Medicaid is actually a middle-class entitlement program. So why […]
Posted inChildren & Families
$400 prom dress, in shades of gray
The headlines practically write themselves. “Taxpayers on the hook for $400 prom dress.” “$2,000 cheerleading camp on the state tab.” Scrape away the easy sensationalism, and the story is more complex. The Michigan Department of Human Services paid almost $400 for a prom dress for a foster care teen — one of several eye-popping expenditures noted […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Somewhere, Alaska
John Boehner of Ohio. Mike Castle of Delaware. Jeff Flake and John Shadegg, Arizona. Butch Otter, Idaho. Ron Paul, Texas. Jim Sensenbrenner, Wisconsin. Mac Thornberry, Texas. And C.W. “Bill” Young, Florida. This slender cohort of current and former U.S. representatives, along with nine others who did not vote, can rest easy this campaign season, knowing […]