Breaking down the student loan “crisis”
Many believe that we have a student loan “crisis” on our hands. And indeed, the total level of outstanding student loan debt – $1.4 trillion at present – is striking. However, cumulative numbers like this, generally presented as evidence of the “crisis,” actually tell us very little about the actual impact of loans and debt […]
What does deeper learning look like?
At the core of our statewide education agenda released earlier this year is the idea that we need to shift to an education system in which the 6 Cs – collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence – become the foundation skills that we build in every student, rather than narrowly defined math […]
The problem with 3rd grade reading mandates
Over the past few years, the question of whether 3rd graders can read, and what we should do about it, has dominated education discussions, not just in Detroit and Lansing, but across the country. 3rd grade reading laws have taken the country by storm, with state legislatures passing laws that would hold back any 3rd […]
A strong safety-net to get Michiganders back to work
Some in Lansing would have you believe that our economy is as healthy as ever, with the state’s unemployment rate as low as it’s been since the early 2000s. The problem is that the unemployment rate isn’t a great measure of how many people are working (not to mention how much they’re working or how […]
An attempt to measure what matters
In our statewide education agenda released earlier this year, we call for a new set of foundation skills to be the focus of our education system. Based on the work of learning scientists Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff in their book Becoming Brilliant, we propose that the 6 Cs – collaboration, communication, content (moving […]
A book club for college success
Over the past few months, Michigan Future facilitated a College Success book club for a group of stakeholders in the city working to get more Detroit students to and through college. The purpose of the club was to have a regular discussion with college access and success leaders about both the “content” of student success […]
Increasing wages and supports for Michigan workers
Our latest report provides a set of ideas for how we improve living standards for Michiganders not participating in the high-wage knowledge economy. Last week I wrote about our ideas for providing far more support to jobless individuals, to help them overcome barriers and get on a path towards family-supporting work. Today’s post details our […]
A safety net that promotes opportunity
Our latest report, Sharing prosperity with those not participating in the high-wage knowledge-based economy, is based on two major understandings. The first is that even in a growing economy, a large portion of the population can still be struggling. Indeed, this has been the story of our economy since the 1980s, as the economy has […]
What actually predicts college success?
There’s quite a bit that determines whether or not a student is successful in college. They need to have good study habits, be able to write well, be able to manage their own time, be a self-advocate. Academics have created the Four Keys to College and Career Readiness, the 8 noncognitive variables needed for college […]
Education for a forty-year career
The centerpiece of our education policy agenda is that our education system should prepare students not for a first job, but for a forty-year career. The dominant narrative today seems to be the opposite – that we need to tie education far more with immediate workforce needs, preparing more young people for occupations like welders […]