More than 10,000 additional needy four year olds will likely find seats in public preschool next fall thanks to final legislative approval this week of Gov. Rick Snyder’s plan to double the size of Michigan’s public preschool programs. This caps two years of work by local school districts, private preschool providers, and early childhood advocates to solve a major preschool shortage.
Michigan’s forgotten 4-year-olds
Posted inBusiness Watch
As vets find jobs contractors fight hiring preferences
Reconnecting military veterans to the workplace after they have served their country has been one the most talked about labor market issues by state and federal policymakers in recent years. After all, what could be more noble than helping veterans, many of whom have risked their lives during combat tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, find […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Vets fare better on front lines of job search
Despite a perception that veterans are having a particularly hard time finding jobs, the unemployment rate for veterans in Michigan is lower than for the overall work force. Unemployment rates for veterans and for all Michigan workers: YearVeteransOverall20057.0% 6.8%20066.0% 6.9%20074.9% 7.1%20088.0% 8.3%200915.0% 13.4%2010 15.9% 12.7%201111.2% 10.4%2012>7.9% 9.1% Source: Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information & Strategic […]
Posted inChildren & Families
Lansing mom bumps up against preschool rules
It’s October and Lansing resident Kennedy Barnwell, 4, who is eligible for the Great Start Readiness Program, is still not in school. Her mother Brittany Johnson, 27, has made several attempts to get her daughter in a classroom, without success. So Kennedy is stuck in what she likes to call “day-care school” to let everyone […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan can teach plenty more preschoolers
In his April 2011 special message on education reform, Gov. Rick Snyder extolled early childhood education as an economic engine for the state. The speech was 13 pages long. He could have made the same point by just introducing legislators to Lilly Wolf. Lilly attended the state-funded Great Start Readiness Program last year in Hartford […]
Posted inTalent & Education
With state funding stuck, communities go DIY on preschool
On a warm summer evening, an ice cream truck moved slowly through a blue collar neighborhood of Holland, offering free ice cream — and free preschool. As children ran to the truck, Ready For School volunteers pulling red wagons offered bilingual Clifford the Red Dog books and fliers promoting early childhood education. Ice cream trucks […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Key senator says state must make long-term commitment to preschool funding
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw Township, made headlines recently when he proposed adding $140 million to the 2013-14 budget for state-funded preschool. Bridge spoke to him about his proposal, the hurdles the proposal might face and why he’s become an outspoken advocate for early childhood education. Bridge: You proposed $140 million in additional funding […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Business boosts ambitious pre-K expansion plans in Michigan
Momentum is growing for groundbreaking improvements to Michigan’s public preschool programs. Statewide business leaders are leading the way. “It’s become clear to the business community there are thousands of job openings going unfilled for lack of people with adequate skills,” said William Parfet, chairman and CEO of MPI Research in Mattawan and a member of […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Encourage lawmakers to take action on preschool funding gaps
For the first time in years, the door to far-reaching school reform in Michigan is gradually creaking open. But will it stay open? Over the past two weeks, Bridge, the Center for Michigan’s online magazine, has been running a series on early childhood learning programs — something virtually all experts and educators call the essential […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Picking winners, losers in preschool
Xavier Eaton is a lucky boy. The Battle Creek child not only got a coveted spot in the state’s free preschool program (Great Start) last year as a 4-year-old, but was in a classroom for a full day, rather than a half-day. Studies indicate he likely is better prepared for kindergarten this fall because he […]