* The Nation rounds up data on why U.S. children struggle in comparisons with youth in other industrialized nations: “In one long-term study of roughly 200 children born into poverty in Minnesota, the quality of the mother-child relationship during the first three and a half years of life strongly predicted whether the child would drop […]
Minnesota
Land O Links
“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but a little want of knowledge is also a dangerous thing” — Samuel Butler, 19th century English author. * The United States earns a C- on child well-being in a report on national results around the globe. “For early childhood, the nation received a C-, based on early-learning program […]
Taxation on resources varies widely among states
Severance taxes that Michigan and other states levy on extractive industries are used for a variety of purposes, from funding pollution cleanups to supporting public education, according to a new study. Most of the $57 million that Michigan collected in severances taxes on extractive industries in 2010 went into the state’s general fund, according to […]
Don't count out early education
(Originally published Feb. 3, 2011) By Susan J. Demas How’s this for a contrast? Last year, the Early Childhood Investment Corp. (ECIC) released a study showing that Michigan’s budget saves a whopping $805 million because of pre-K programs. And yet in fiscal 2010, Michigan was among the 17 states that put their programs on the […]