Time to get real about automation and the future of work
My colleagues and I have written extensively about the mounting evidence that a bachelor’s degree is an essential educational credential for job security in the 21st century workforce, but whenever we do I brace for caustic feedback from skeptics in the comments section. Our critics often point to the economic stability they enjoy because they […]
Strategies to help students learn in toxic stress environments
In a recent blog, I wrote about UCLA Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion Tyrone C. Howard’s critique of educational theories that emphasize the importance of student “grit” and “growth mindset” for students in schools where toxic stress levels are endemic. Howard believes that many educators and schools lack the training to recognize the impact […]
Does toxic stress trump growth mindset and grit?
In recent blog, I wrote about the importance of grit and growth mindset – the belief that hard work can trump a person’s perceived innate intellectual abilities – for K-12 students who hope to succeed in college. But Atlantic Monthly writer Aisha Sulton describes how Tyrone C. Howard, UCLA associate dean for equity and inclusion, […]
Is resistance to “college for all” racially-motivated?
In a December 2 Chronicle for Higher Education article, Scott Carlson questioned whether declining public support for programs that increase access to higher education is linked to ambivalence about racial and ethnic diversity at our nation’s universities. It’s a provocative issue, and one that deserves serious examination. In his article, Carlson walks through the history […]
21st Century skills: A confidence booster for college-bound students
In 2002, a coalition of corporate leaders representing organizations such as the AOL Time Warner Foundation, Apple, Cisco, Dell and Microsoft joined forces with the U.S. Department of Education and the National Education Association to develop the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P-21) and its Framework for 21st Century Learning. The P-21 Framework acknowledges the […]
Why critical thinking skills matter for Michigan students
At a recent meeting, a member of a prominent elected body in Michigan objected to the use of the term “social justice” in an official document, suggesting that the term is code for redistribution of wealth and class envy. When a colleague asked him to support his definition of the term, he cited Wikipedia, the […]
How a liberal education saved a racist from himself
As I’ve written here before, I’m a huge fan of liberal education because there is ample evidence that the 21st century economy will increasingly rely on workers with broad knowledge who know how to collaborate, be creative, communicate and critically think. These are the very skills that are built by the liberal arts. First, it […]
Detroit students need more college pipeline programs
By any measure, Jamilah Jackson is the kind of millennial Detroit needs now. The 2015 Wayne State University graduate is civic-minded, committed to mentoring younger Detroiters and has a promising career at a prominent public relations firm. As a member of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, my heart bursts with pride when I […]
A Tale of Two Cities’ Transit: What Detroit can learn from Denver
A recent Politico article by Colin Woodard that describes how a first-rate transportation system has completely transformed metropolitan Denver has left me with a serious case of RTE – Regional Transit Envy. Woodard details how Denver business leaders joined forces with environmentalists, civil servants, and elected officials to convince voters to tax themselves to create […]
Helping more Detroit kids gain four-year college degrees
We at Michigan Future believe state leaders should raise living standards for all Michiganders with policies that boost educational attainment, strengthen cities that have potential to attract talented workers and create a stronger social safety net. The Detroit Promise Zone has the potential to accomplish two of these three critical policy objectives by making Detroit a […]