While we consider Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget message – to be delivered Thursday — we might want to look at some facts underlying our economy. The (persistently) bad news: Since 2008, Michigan has slashed state support for public colleges and universities by 21.5 percent. The (sort-of) good news: We rank only 11th among states in […]
Arizona
Posted inTalent & Education
Do charters skim profit, or spend smarter?
When Vickie Markavitch discusses the finances of traditional public schools vs. charter schools, she starts with a table of expenses, taking care to note the figures her analysis uses come from the state Senate Fiscal Agency, a reliable, nonpartisan source. Then the superintendent of the Oakland Intermediate School District starts her rundown. The per-pupil state […]
Posted inTalent & Education
Arizona offers balmy climes to charter schools
If charter schools are poised to grow in Michigan, they’ve already exploded in Arizona. Neighboring California leads the nation in sheer numbers of charter schools, but Arizona has everyone beat on percentages – a quarter of Arizona’s public schools are charters, growth that accelerated after the state lifted its charter cap in 1999. “We had […]
Posted inMichigan Government
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 […]