Immigrants and urban population growth
Michigan Future has long argued that states must be “welcoming” to be attractive to the college educated workforce that employers seek—and who are “mobile,” meaning that they are the most likely to pull up stakes and move across the country for a new job or a new adventure or, increasingly, a new urban experience. The […]
Helping young offenders get back on track: a model from Florida
If Michigan is going to be broadly prosperous again, it’s imperative that we reduce barriers to people who want to participate in the workforce. More and more research shows that time behind bars—even a few days in a local jail—can significantly impact a person’s ability to find and keep a job, maintain housing, and pursue […]
New jobs require higher skill levels
If you haven’t been convinced already by the approximately one million posts MFI has written over the years about the importance of a college degree for individual job security and earnings, and for the importance of college degree holders to an area’s economy (see here and here for some of our most recent), here’s one […]
What I want from my daughter’s school
My older daughter just started preschool. I’ll tell you what I was looking for in a school—for this year and Kindergarten, and probably at least a few years beyond (I can only see so far!). I want the focus to be on the development of her social skills, confidence, resilience, and self-awareness. I want her […]
Can Michigan get corrections reform right?
In the future, the majority of jobs in the U.S. will not be high paid. Gone are the days when you could earn a family-supporting wage with a high school degree. At Michigan Future, we’re looking at what this great shift (which is not likely to reverse, despite what the candidates for President will tell […]
Michigan’s school choice is resulting in school segregation
For decades, research has been clear that the second most powerful driver of student achievement—behind parental income—is the socioeconomic status of a student’s school. Creating socioeconomically integrated schools should be a top priority of anyone looking to improve the performance of Michigan’s schools, which, by the way, need some improvement (as a quick example: we’re […]
$5.5 billion reasons Michigan should stop short-changing its cities
According to a 2016 Great Lakes Economic Consulting report entitled Michigan’s Great Disinvestment, 11 Michigan cities, one township, one county, and five school districts are in official states of financial emergency. Though cities around the country have struggled with municipal finance, especially in the wake of the Great Recession, the problem has been particularly acute in […]