School Choice Snapshot: A 2006 Survey of U.S. Policy and Advocacy Organizations
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy worked on
this survey project from November 2005 through
September 2006. We provided assistance to the survey
researcher, Adam B. Schaeffer, who was then a
National Research Initiative Fellow at the American
Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., by collaborating
on the survey instrument, offering relevant and
limited information from our database, handling
technical details of inviting and following up with
participants, and editing and publishing this document. … more
An Analysis of Proposal 5: The ‘K-16’ Michigan Ballot Measure
On Nov. 7, 2006, Michigan voters will be asked to consider a proposed new law that would, if passed, require annual state spending to increase at no less than the inflation rate for the following state budget areas: public school districts and charter schools; certain specific budget items in state spending on public school districts and charter schools; and state universities and community colleges. The proposal also contains new requirements for state payments to districts with declining enrollment and places liability for school employee pension cost increases on state government, rather than school districts. The proposed new law will appear as “Proposal 5”on the ballot, and its mandates would take effect in the 2006-2007 school year. … more
Recommendations to Strengthen Civil Society and Balance Michigan’s State Budget — 2nd Edition
An Analysis of Fiscal-Year 2003-04 Appropriations and Recommendations for 2004-05. … more
Forging Consensus
Can the School Choice Community Come Together
on an Explicit Goal and a Plan for Achieving It? … more
Recommendations to Strengthen Civil Society and Balance Michigan's State Budget
An Analysis of Fiscal-Year 2002-03 Appropriations and Recommendations for 2003-04
If Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Michigan Legislature need specifics on how to close Michigan’s looming $1.7 billion budget deficit, they need look no further than the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s new report on balancing the state budget, released today.
More than 200 specific recommendations from Mackinac Center analysts total more than $2 billion in cost savings and revenue enhancements. All budget reductions, including those involving federal funds, total $3.7 billion. 157 pages. … more
More than 200 specific recommendations from Mackinac Center analysts total more than $2 billion in cost savings and revenue enhancements. All budget reductions, including those involving federal funds, total $3.7 billion. 157 pages. … more
The Six Habits of Fiscally Responsible Public School Districts
An Assessment of What Michigan Public School Districts Can Do to Save Money Without Laying Off Teachers or Other Essential Staff … more
Keeping Michigan on Track:
A Blueprint for a Freer, More Prosperous State
New legislative opportunities will come with the fall elections for the Michigan House, Senate, and governorship. Read the Mackinac Center's policy recommendations for the next Legislature and governor below. … more
The Case for Choice in Schooling:
Restoring Parental Control of Education
After 40 years of struggle, school choice is now at the center of the debate over school reform in America, and it is of primary importance that the public understand the facts-and avoid the myths-surrounding this issue. This three-part primer is designed to educate and inform citizens about all aspects of school choice and equip them to participate in the debate as fully informed members of their communities. The report contains a historical overview of tax-funded schooling, demonstrates the failure of many popular reforms of the past and present, explains the various types of school choice, identifies the barriers to education reform, dispels myths surrounding school choice, and outlines strategic plans parents and other concerned citizens can follow to advance the cause of greater school choice. … more
The Cost of Remedial Education
More than a third of Michigan students leave high school without possessing basic academic skills including reading, writing, and arithmetic. This forces employers and post-secondary schools to take up the slack. This study conservatively estimates that Michigan businesses and institutions of higher education spend over $600 million annually to teach employees and students skills they should have learned in high school. The comparable national figure is $16.6 billion, but the human costs of K-12 educational failure are incalculable, according to experts' essays included in the study's appendices. … more
The Impact of Limited School Choice on Public School Districts
Case studies of how school districts in Michigan's largest county are responding to competition from charter schools and public "schools-of-choice" … more
