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Talent & Education
To prosper, Michigan must be a more educated place. Bridge will explore the challenges in education and identify policies and initiatives that address them.
Articles
Michigan’s college dropout dilemma
Thousands of adults are just a few classes away from a degree. So why isn’t Michigan, so hungry for skilled workers, doing more to help them finish
MAP: College dropout rates by county
Michigan has the highest college dropout rates in the Midwest. See rates in your county
Over 28? You’ll get no student aid from Michigan
Obsolete state policies favor financial aid for young students over the older, part-time students who are increasingly filling college campuses.
Study rips state for higher tuition, lack of support for higher ed
In a report released today, a public policy group says the legislature is underfunding its public universities at a critical time in a transforming economy
Detroit charter school profiled by Bridge fined $144,000 by state
A school run by former Detroit city councilwoman Sharon McPhail is fined after a Bridge investigation revealed she is unlicensed
State education proposal would add $1.4 billion to school budget
Tripping over its own good intentions, a long-awaited study calculating the cost of a good education may be undone by its high price, timid promises and puzzling methodology
Bridge database: How your school district gains (or doesn't) under funding proposal
Some school districts would receive tens of millions in additional funding, while many others are already overfunded
The 3 biggest head-scratchers in Michigan education cost study
The report was supposed to be a big win for education reformers. But holes in the study may undermine efforts to increase school spending
How Michigan compares with other states in child care spending
Not very well, it turns out.
Asleep at the desk: How school begins for many Michigan teens
It may be the the simplest way to improve academic achievement. But starting school later in the morning is a surprisingly tough sell
What happened when one Minnesota school district let high schoolers sleep in
An hour delay paid off in achievement and attendance. So why aren’t more schools following that lead
Building a better school board
Districts across Michigan struggle to field candidates for school boards. The job can be time consuming, nerve wracking, and is often unpaid. Would proper training for new board members help?
How school districts sell funding projects across Michigan
On Tuesday, residents in more than two dozen districts will vote on whether to pay for construction, technology or other projects. If history holds, half will fail. Here’s what successful Michigan districts do right.
Help remains elusive for homeless Michigan college students
Michigan’s patchwork system of support misses the state’s most vulnerable young people
Study: Schools of choice don't improve test scores
Almost 100,000 students enroll in public schools outside their neighborhood school districts through Michigan’s popular school-of-choice policy. On average, they are learning no more than if they’d stayed in their neighborhood school, a study finds
How many Michigan third-graders should flunk?
Legislators agree that struggling young readers need more help. But what should we do with kids who still can’t read
A Bridge Q-and-A with Detroit’s Big 3 education chiefs
It’s a high-powered trio presiding over huge changes for Detroit’s public school system. Judge Steven Rhodes, interim Supt. Alycia Meriweather and EAA chief Veronica Conforme reveal their priorities in the push to finally fix city schools
Detroit’s school crisis is a century in the making
The lawmakers charged with repairing the damage to the city’s schools should know it has roots that go back to the 19th century – even before the Civil War
