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The man who wrestled global hunger to the ground

Happy 110th birthday to Norman Borlaug, a great American credited with saving a billion lives

… 25, 2024. In the winters, I spend my time officiating high school wrestling. Last year, while … Borlaug was an accomplished high school and college wrestler who helped … popularity of sport at the high school level in Minnesota. (He also … Borlaug’s great nephew, a high school civics and history teacher, …

Fox2 Detroit misstates impact of declining school enrollment

Some Michigan schools have larger payrolls than current conditions allow

School boards are faced with the possibility of running out of money or closing schools to stay afloat,” according … station adds that the number of school buildings in Michigan dropped … sounds ominous, the facts about school district finances offer some … the other stuff districts spend money on that they could never …

Pension debt payments save taxpayers on the state’s largest creditors

State promised $35 billion more in retirement benefits than what’s been set aside

… its debt payments into the school retirement system? Lawmakers … the state accidentally made school employees the state’s largest … can afford the pensions that school workers earn. But lawmakers … problem. They switched new school employees to plans that lower … Whitmer wants to change this and spend debt payments elsewhere. She …

Free community college will cost taxpayers — and hurt students

State has already spent half a billion without knowing whether the program works

… community college for high school graduates is the latest part … as of 2023, Michigan high school graduates and GED holders … Scholarships. This burst of spending has already cost taxpayers … correct path” to life after high school. And in the same breath, she’s … way to drive up tuition; schools can charge more because they …

Performance-based pay

… 2011 reforms prohibited a school district from negotiating … its teachers.”[16] Michigan school districts traditionally agreed … despite high and rising state spending. In this context, alternative … Granholm passed a law requiring a school district “to maintain a method … compensation for its teachers and school administrators that includes …

Payroll deduction of union dues

A 2011 law prohibited school districts from using public resources … labor organization. A public school employer’s use of public school resources to assist a labor … fees from wages of public school employees is a prohibited … governmental decisions on spending and policy. It ruled that …

Don’t redirect pension funds

Lawmakers should be wary about lowering pension debt payments

… pension debt payments and spend it elsewhere. Michigan legislators … public retirees. All public school employees are required by … insurance system. Michigan public schools send money to the state to … The state accidentally made school employees the state’s largest … debt is bad for teachers. School resources now go to pay down …

In Detroit schools, nothing succeeds like failure

Conventional schools get more money to do worse, while charter schools do better with less

Charter schools outperform conventional public schools in Detroit despite getting … the best open enrollment schools in Michigan. Their success … best open-enrollment middle schools in Detroit are charter schools, … been characterized by record spending on public schools statewide …

From Intern to Fiscal Wiz: James Hohman Unravels Michigan’s Budget Mysteries

… Michigan’s other strong free-market school. His first project at the Mackinac … containing every line item of state spending. “One of the regular things I ask … that ought to apply to government spending. “The closest free-market policy … from the state to prevent public spending for select private benefits were …

Ain’t No Spending High Enough

Letter from the Executive Vice President

… for child care and elder care Offer new economic development incentives Spend more on postsecondary education and training Give tax credits for student … governance model for education; and design a new funding model for K-12 schools. All this will require, it says, “a complete retooling of government systems …

Don’t redirect pension funds

Lawmakers should be wary about lowering pension debt payments

… pension debt payments and spend it elsewhere. Michigan legislators … public retirees. All public school employees are required by … insurance system. Michigan public schools send money to the state to … The state accidentally made school employees the state’s largest … debt is bad for teachers. School resources now go to pay down …

Flint schools get $156M in COVID funds, ask for debt relief

District seeks $56M bailout from Michigan Legislature

Leaders of Flint’s school district have asked state lawmakers … years after Flint Community Schools received $156 million in COVID-19 … per pupil. Flint Community Schools received $51,193 per pupil … state. Benton Harbor Area Schools was second at $29,502 per … 300 homeless students. The spending, which the district said …

Super-seniors won’t fix Michigan’s population problem

Any task expands to fill the time you give it

… super-seniors at the high school level. Super-seniors are … an additional year of high school education. Super-seniors could … shows that efficient public spending, which produces value for … generation? What’s more, higher spending on public schools does not … workforce and even more school spending.

Governor pushes for ‘free’ community college, but current results are abysmal

As spending per student skyrockets, most students don’t even complete school

… graduating or continuing to other schools is alarmingly low. The answer … over 40%. But taxpayers are spending more than ever on community colleges. Schools get money from state taxpayers, … superior results for this spending. But it is hard to see that … years. Despite the increase in spending per student, the trend in …

Electric school buses lose one-third of range in cold weather

Range capacity drops when temps fall to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, per U.S. Department of Energy

… vehicles depict he electric school bus as the future of school transportation. An op-ed this … government admits that electric school buses can lose one-third of … $5 billion into the Clean School Bus Program, to transition … electric. Michigan plans to spend $125 million from that fund …

Michigan earns dishonorable mention for broadband funding plan

Congress wants funding to go to underserved areas, not populated ones

… watchdog group for its plans to spend more than $1.5 billion in federal … Equity Access and Deployment spending plans for all 50 states and … make it more difficult to spend the BEAD funding effectively … qualify as CAIs, including schools, hospitals, government buildings, … initial proposal so that BEAD spending will more effectively give …

Biden infrastructure law was a $30B push for EVs

What will become of the EV when subsidies dry up?

… focus on the electric vehicle, they should. There’s $30 billion of federal spending attached to the EV this decade. The EV is not just preferred in spirit … billion for a national charging infrastructure $5 billion for the Clean School Bus Program $5.6 billion to help transit companies replace diesel buses …

“Good Jobs” Program Produced No Jobs for Michigan

Gov. Whitmer’s plan to resurrect this failed program will not help the state’s economy

… the return of a failed corporate welfare program, as well as increased spending on unproven community college and preschool subsidies. Policy experts … communications at the Mackinac Center. Expanding Michigan Reconnect to all high school graduates in Michigan would be pouring money into a program that has yet …

Michigan’s government has not earned your money

Population council should focus on improving public services before demanding more tax revenue

… agree that the state needs to spend more money to grow the state's … would benefit from better schools, yet decades of research shows … automatically result in better schools. This may seem counterintuitive, … how much money goes into a school and how well it performs. Public schools receive funding no matter …

Michigan population council: Nobody to blame for poor-performing schools

Michigan schools ‘built for bygone era,’ advisory board warns

… came out. The new laws allow school districts to reduce the frequency … report goes on to recommend spending more money and reining in … persisted throughout high school. Although the council states … may include structuring the school day to give teachers opportunities … and learning across their school,” the report states on page …

Why $125M won’t buy many electric school buses

A round of Michigan bus grants in 2022 came to $391K per bus; nationwide average is $360K per bus

Michigan’s school aid fund will spend $125 million in 2024 on electric school buses. A recent round of federal funding for electric school buses indicates school districts might not get many …

Michigan 2024 budget includes $50M for teacher, admin mentoring

Another $150,000 budgeted for school board training, which is not yet a legal requirement

… five years, Michigan will spend $50 million on mentoring new teachers, school counselors and administrators. … mandatory training of new school board members.” That will … outside the law’s scope are new school superintendents, Rice noted. … was budgeted to train new school board members. Michigan still …

The simple truth that Michigan’s population council can’t tell

Want to make Michigan competitive? Let people keep their money and send less of it to Lansing

… future depends on higher government spending. Which means more money taxed out … squeeze on defectors from the public school system, Michigan lawmakers have floated … Michigan came in at 37th. Michigan spends on average $12,053 per pupil, while Ohio spends $13,437 per student and Indiana only …

Coming to Michigan in 2024: $125M of electric school buses

Rural districts will receive priority placement

… Report: “$125 million to help school districts buy clean school buses.” The Electrification … 2023-24 state budget would spend money on school buses, mostly for electric … Portions of Michigan’s 17,000 school buses will transition to electric …

Spending on public school in America now exceeds defense budget

In 2021, education spending eclipsed defense spending by $2B

The United States now spends more on public education than any other government service. It has superseded national entitlements and national defense spending, according to James Hohman, director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac …

Promise Zones fall short of their promise

There are better ideas for funding scholarships

… graduated from Kalamazoo Public Schools, and Michigan lawmakers wanted … opportunities beyond high school," Gov. Jennifer Granholm said … that would otherwise go to schools. There are real costs to diverting … state gets something for this spending. It requires reporting about … reason as to how much each school gets. Lawmakers provide little …

Membership plunges again for Michigan and national teachers unions

The Janus effect is still going strong

… increase in the number of public school employees in Michigan. The … 8.1%. The NEA’s revenue and spending have steadily dropped for … bringing in $74 million less and spending $130 million less than they … teachers and overall number of school employees in Michigan. Since school employees got a choice in …

School spending plan doesn’t make the grade

Population council recommendations would do little to improve student performance

… to decline despite record spending on K-12 education. Yet the … the state’s population — by spending even more on public schools. This and other recommendations … report. The report attributes schools’ poor performance in part … systemic underfunding of schools. But an analysis of K-12 data …

Michigan population council looks for growth in all the wrong places

There is clear and abundant research on policies that grow states, but none of it is in the draft report

… costly, require professionals to spend their time on unnecessary training … with what they have. Better schools encourage migration, for instance, but spending more on schools won’t automatically create … focus on how to get better schools rather than on how much more …

Growing Michigan Together Council says more education spending will draw people to state

The facts tell a different story; school funding does not play a causal role in success

… recommends that the state increase school funding in an attempt to attract … logic is that if the state spends more money on education, there … Capitol Confidential. “Record spending paired with declining student … answer.” The Detroit Public Schools Community District received … 2021-22. Flint Community Schools received $13,757 in per-pupil …

Michigan Population Loss Can’t Be Solved Without Broad Economic Reforms

Mackinac Center releases new study on Michigan’s population growth

… cultural changes play a greater role. While better schools can attract new families to certain areas, simply spending more money on education isn’t enough. Schools need to be consistently high-performing for people …

Recommendations and conclusion

… raising taxes to fund higher spending on public services and place-making … research suggests that more spending on public schools, for example, does not necessarily … is also a tension between spending more on public education … importance of efficient public spending. Efficient governments could …

Public finances

Schools One study evaluates the impact of public education … migration to rural areas. Better school performance, measured by student … to these areas.[73] Better schools also generate higher wages … literature and caution that school expenditures are not a good … mixed, especially if the spending is not strongly linked to …

Michigan lawmakers approve $114 million bailout for school districts, $30M for Highland Park

Unpaid water bills and school debts are assumed by the Michigan taxpayer

… bailouts for several public school systems, and $30 million to … million in the supplemental spending bill. House Bill 4292 was … bailout for Inkster Public Schools. “Dear Inkster, The debt … district covers Inkster. The school bailouts will be handed out … million for the Pontiac City School District to pay its outstanding …

Health Policy Changes in Michigan: Recommendations and Warnings

Issues & Ideas Forum

… well as taxpayers. Public health spending is now the largest part of the state … improving as a result of more government spending? Research suggests it is not. While … facilities, technology and treatments, we spend significantly more than other nations … from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a B.A. in political …

So you want to move to Michigan? Here’s the reality

$20M marketing blitz won’t mask Michigan’s problems, but an engaged public can help

The state of Michigan is spending $20 million on a multiyear … Michigan” effort, the state is spending about $60 million to tell … electrical grid, and the schools — all poor — quality of life … million people. Lawmakers spend $82 billion of the public’s … process. Should your private school administer medical marijuana? …

There is no such thing as ‘the state’s dime’

There are no free school lunches, rides on the QLine, or community college classes; taxpayers always foot the bill.

… opportunity to go back to school on the state's dime has officially … residents to hold a post-high school certificate or degree by 2030. … goal. “Policymakers are spending more money to get to a goal, … don’t know whether or not the spending actually leads to the goal,” … question. Yet they’re going to spend more and expand program parameters …

Three reasons Michigan's budget is unsustainable

Declining growth, dwindling taxpayer resources, out-of-control spending

… can't continue, because state spending has grown more than people's … have approved a budget that spends more money than they are entitled … practice restraint in their spending habits. Lawmakers must balance … that to mean that they get to spend as much as they expect to receive … faster than they fall apart. School test scores are down even …

Midland nonprofit gets $1M state earmark for training educators, students

Managing emotions, developing resiliency among the topics covered

… Youth Development runs several programs, including summer camps, after-school activities, and Discover You. The latter conducts in-person and online … expenses. It reported no income from governments for that year. It reported spending more than it took in for the last two years. CapCon sent an email to …

Horse nonprofit gallops away with $1M from taxpayers

Legislative earmark for Detroit Horse Power is intended to build a Detroit equestrian center

… summer equestrian camps in suburban locations, teaching middle and high school students how to ride and care for horses. It plans to build a facility … budget spent most of the state’s $9 billion surplus — an unsustainable spending rate, according to James Hohman, director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac …

Arbitrary regulations

… the goodwill of a Michigan school superintendent. To avoid hiring … to repaint the district’s school buildings and save $150,000, … painters to be licensed and spend 60 hours in training and pass … who work in Michigan public schools need a bachelor’s degree, … after earning only a high school diploma or GED.[56] Selling …

Victims of licensing laws

… in subtle ways that are often difficult to detect. Millions of consumers spend slightly more on services because supply and competition are artificially … 500 hours and passing a test. Austin and his twin brother Login went to school to learn massage therapy and graduated together. Austin’s learning disability, …

The Mackinac Center Welcomes the Intern Class of 2023

With 19 interns, this is our largest class to date

… College, Valerie plans to attend law school and then work in environmental policy. … movement and eventually pursue graduate school. Recent Hillsdale College graduate … politics and will attend Notre Dame law school in the fall. Sarah Rakoczy is an … a master’s degree. Jordan enjoys spending time on the lake and golfing. Dixon …

Whitmer hypes biz subsidies as state economy stagnates

People get job announcements instead of actual jobs

… it would have done without that spending, right? Wrong. Selective subsidies … the attempts by state lawmakers to spend their way to prosperity. Sometimes … could lower taxes or give more to schools or local governments, had it not … to selective business subsidies. Spending on any of these would generate economic …

Michigan’s got the bloated budget blues

Taxpayers get little return from spending increases

Michigan’s government spends a lot more than it used to. The … local and private revenue. Spending has increased 16.8% above … find some more revenue to spend. They should look to trim spending instead. This budget is bloated … Lawmakers spend more on schools. State spending rose from …

Freeway floods, power outages show Michigan failing at what matters

Pride precedes fall as weather event shuts down boastful state

… 182,000 out in Consumers Energy’s territory. Schools and day care facilities closed unexpectedly, causing … upgrading pump stations, upgrading technology, and spending more money clearing drains. Apparently it’s not … itself. And what exactly are we celebrating? Our schools are bad, our roads are bad, our grid is bad, and …

Hohman: Tax/spend policies depress household income

‘Can Michigan buy its way to growth?’

… Thomas Cooley on how the government spends money: “The state can have no favorites. … put toward debt payments and pork spending. Ginn followed Hohman, focusing … various policies. Even though public schools are taking in more money, test scores are falling. “Should you be spending this much on education when the outcomes …

Whitmer hypes biz subsidies as state economy stagnates

People get job announcements instead of actual jobs

… it would have done without that spending, right? Wrong. Selective subsidies … the attempts by state lawmakers to spend their way to prosperity. Sometimes … could lower taxes or give more to schools or local governments, had it not … to selective business subsidies. Spending on any of these would generate economic …

Michigan creates second education department, but the first has failed

MiLEAP and the school aid budget reflect a trend that lowers the quality of education available to Michigan’s neediest students

… classrooms. The newly signed school aid budget expands eligibility … to enroll their children in school. The budget also broadens … Michigan Reconnect program. High school graduates 21 and over can … quality education. The new school aid budget does too little … at-risk students free meals. Spending more on school meals means …

What Troy cricket field giveaway says about Michigan

Lawmakers pay for a single cricket field in Troy, rather than defraying costs for all students to play sports

… In fact, the Michigan High School Athletic Association does … list it as an official high school sport. Yet, state lawmakers … However, it is inappropriate to spend $900,000 on a venue for a little-played … opportunity to compete in high school? If a younger child cannot … that carefully considers spending taxpayers money. MIRS News …

Michigan spending is unsustainable

Corporate welfare gets a higher priority than road maintenance or tax relief

… legislators approved a budget that spends $47.0 billion in revenue from … January, and they authorized spending based on that bad assumption. … Yet legislators budgeted to spend that extra money instead of … earn, legislators chose to spend money in their districts. Legislators … Lawmakers accidentally made public school employees the state’s largest …

Record-breaking school aid budget ignores proven ways of improving student achievement

Teachers are key, but lawmakers favor seniority rules over teacher quality

… student achievement. While spending on myriad plans and programs, … per student in the 2023-24 school year, $458 more than they … allowance for one type of public school: online charter schools. They did this though online charter schools, unlike conventional districts, …

From cradle to grave: Michigan is rapidly expanding education bureaucracy

Michigan education establishment fails students, gets rewarded with money and influence

… students from kindergarten through high school. Instead, Whitmer wants to draw programs … core competencies in the K-12 public school system? Children’s academic outcomes … of Whitmer’s decision to shut down schools during the COVID-19 panic. Recent … and are now ranked 31st. Though spending taxpayer money on pre-K education …

Michigan manages to lose students while hiking higher ed spending

Enrollment at public colleges plummets as state gives away additional billions

Michigan has increased spending on higher education by 20% over … universities in 2019. Since then, spending on higher education has increased … Daniel Hurley applauded the spending in a February statement. … students were enrolled at state schools four years ago, only 342,741 … aging population, fewer high school graduates, and trade schools …

‘They say it adds up to real money’

Sheng Li on reinvigorating the separation of powers through lawsuits

The president can’t just spend money without congressional approval, right? … have the authority to do that. “All spending has to go through Congress. Article … people who go to expensive graduate schools, and they also tend to earn the most … the debt ceiling, infrastructure spending, and gay marriage provisions passed …

Record-breaking school aid budget ignores proven ways of improving student achievement

Teachers are key, but lawmakers favor seniority rules over teacher quality

… student achievement. While spending on myriad plans and programs, … per student in the 2023-24 school year, $458 more than they … allowance for one type of public school: online charter schools. They did this though online charter schools, unlike conventional districts, …

Detroit schools spend $196M of COVID cash on teachers, $34M on student mental health

Detroit superintendent Vitti speaks on district’s use of $1.2B in COVID stimulus funds

The Detroit Public Schools Community District received $1.2 … Act. The district plans to spend roughly $196 million of that … by long-term shuttering of school doors. A University of Michigan … Staffers report either that their school does not have a system for … health services. Detroit schools and University of Michigan …

Michigan spending is unsustainable

Corporate welfare gets a higher priority than road maintenance or tax relief

… legislators approved a budget that spends $47.0 billion in revenue from … January, and they authorized spending based on that bad assumption. … Yet legislators budgeted to spend that extra money instead of … earn, legislators chose to spend money in their districts. Legislators … Lawmakers accidentally made public school employees the state’s largest …

Michigan budget could use more restraint

News is not all bad — yet — but Lansing needs to follow a Sustainable Michigan Budget

… to pass a state budget that spends less than Sustainable Michigan … and the increase in state spending— which doesn’t include money … the past few years. State spending has increased 70% since the … million people. This kind of spending growth is unsustainable. … The state accidentally made school employees the state’s largest …

Duggan: ‘You can’t build a new house in Detroit’ due to high taxes

Four takeaways from Duggan’s interview with The Detroit News

… battle to the suburbs. 3. Schools are essential. As Michigan … the need to pay for private school in addition to spending more for the city’s high … for most families. Detroit schools are not under mayoral control, … Regardless of who controls Detroit schools, the city will lose regional …

Michigan budget could use more restraint

News is not all bad — yet — but Lansing needs to follow a Sustainable Michigan Budget

… to pass a state budget that spends less than Sustainable Michigan … and the increase in state spending — which doesn’t include money … the past few years. State spending has increased 70% since the … million people. This kind of spending growth is unsustainable. … The state accidentally made school employees the state’s largest …

Productivity Credits Incentivize Participation in Educational and Vocational Programs

… and reducing the amount of tax money we have to spend on incarceration. Research has shown that equipping … analysis looked at adult basic education, high school equivalence, workforce training, and college degree … statistically significant return on investment for state spending on these programs. The productivity credits …

1619 Project creator paid $50K for Oakland University teacher seminar

Total cost of teacher confab: $97K

… a guest speaker at a one-day teaching seminar aimed at middle and high school teachers, according to records obtained through a Freedom of Information … policy director for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, questioned spending $50,000 on a history curriculum disputed by scholars. “It is essential …

Michigan, Florida go in opposite directions on paycheck protection for teachers

A tale of two states: Florida is growing and becomes freer as Michigan shrinks and caters to special interests.

… paycheck protection for public school teachers into law. Michigan … and now Florida, a public school teacher who wants to pay a … law, diverting government schools from their duty to teach reading, … and arithmetic so they can spend time and resources collecting union … House bill lets government schools deduct union dues from paychecks …

Prevailing Wage Laws Significantly Increase Road Construction Costs

Michigan lawmakers made it harder to fix the roads by reinstating the policy

… by taxpayers who foot the bills of construction projects like roads and schools. The study, “The Costs of Prevailing Wage: Evidence From State Spending on Road Construction,” found that these laws increase the cost of road …

Endnotes

… Behaviour: Evidence From Ohio School Construction” (Construction … Its Effects on Government Spending and Construction Employment” … Business Patterns Have on School Construction Costs” (Journal … “State Prevailing Wage Laws and School Construction Costs” (Industrial … “Prevailing Wage Regulations and School Construction Costs: Evidence …

Model and Data

… mile, the labor share of spending, and the presence of a state … of interest is state-level spending, per dollar of road mile … construction and maintenance spending. Formally it is: Quality-adjusted road spending R, in state i, in year t, … public work project including school construction where the contract …

Executive Summary

… operating in the city, township or school district where the work was … improvement of public buildings, schools, works, bridges, highways, … share of road construction spending that flows to workers. When … the proportion of highway spending that accrues to workers as … Its Effects on Government Spending and Construction Employment” …

Amy Green: 1971-2023

In Memoriam

… relationship with her high school friend deepened into love, … being involved in her kids’ school events like sports and lunch … scrapbooking. Amy also delighted in spending time with her family and … spouse local neighborhoods, schools and churches. As part of her … teenage children and their high school and college years. She was …

MSU professor peddles ‘catastrophic’ myth against school vouchers

How a criticism of voucher programs actually provides a strong defense

… citing a recent study to blast school voucher programs. But the … University, recently tweeted that school voucher programs have produced … different picture, suggesting school choice programs produce some … voucher program. That is, school choice programs incentivize … Progress while maintaining level spending. This means each dollar spent …

Grand Valley State underwrites identity-based graduation events

‘Grand Valley does not segregate any of its graduation events,’ school says

Grand Valley State University is spending money on identity-based graduation events that precede its graduation ceremony. Several of those events are … Information Act request to Grand Valley, asking much the university plans to spend on six specific events. Here is what Grand Valley reported: Asian graduation …

Lansing’s friends-and-family plan will hasten exodus from Michigan

A Michigan run for the few will continue to lose people. Both young and old people flee the state

… graduates looking for opportunity. It loses young families looking for good schools. It loses middle-aged people who’ve seen their careers ship out to Mexico … members get a full dollar’s worth of refundable credits for every dollar they spend on union dues. Union dues would cease to be a financial obligation of the …

If we give colleges even more money, will they keep tuition down?

Michigan taxpayers would have had to spend an additional $4.8 billion to keep state university tuition constant

… lawmakers have not given the schools enough money to keep tuition … to keep up with what the schools want to spend. Such an investment would not … produced 7.6% fewer public high school graduates in 2022 than in … shrinking population of high school graduates. Students make …

Is more money the answer to learning loss in Michigan?

Education-Trust Midwest report recommends schools get double the money for low-income students. But Michigan schools have struggled to translate more money into better outcomes.

… increase the amount of money schools receive on behalf of their … recommends that Michigan schools get double the minimum foundation … than $18,000 per student. School districts in Michigan already … to what the state currently spends on public schools. The Ed Trust-Midwest report …

The Whitmer agenda is a sop to the rich

Governor proposes EV subsidies that would benefit the well-off

… preschool for millionaires. School lunches: Another budget proposal from the governor is free school lunches for all students. … has long provided subsidized school lunches for families with … students are served. This spending overwhelmingly benefits middle- … That’s more than the state spends on local roads. It’s safe …

Hohman: Michigan media asks the wrong questions, fosters bad policy

On roads, energy, schools and corporate welfare, bad questions lead to bad outcomes. These are four alternatives.

… instead. How much do we need to spend to get the roads in good condition? … 3. How much more money do schools need to be adequately funded? … education outcomes?” While schools clearly need funding to operate, … much of a role in determining school success. Schools do not necessarily do better …

Could Michigan schools teach kids to read before trying to fix society?

Michigan’s education complex fails in its mandate, then embraces diversity and equity initiatives

Michigan’s K-12 public school system devotes large sums of money, … resolution to lead and support schools “in their efforts to help … believes all children and school staff deserve the opportunity … previous year. Michigan is spending $19 billion from its 2022-23 … Whitmer wants to boost school spending by another 9% in the next …

Four wrong questions being asked in Michigan policy debates

If we want better policies, we need to ask better questions

… asking. How much do we need to spend to get the roads in good condition? … it. How much more money do schools need to be adequately funded? … education outcomes?” While schools clearly need funding to operate, … much of a role in determining school success. Schools do not necessarily do better …

‘They delivered on what they said they were going to do’

John Hendrickson on the big changes made in Iowa

… roughly $7,600 per child to spend as they choose on education. … has been a historic year for school choice in Iowa,” Hendrickson … they wanted their kids in school. A lot of kids were struggling … and it was because of the school choice issue, including the … reform is because she’s kept spending very limited,” Hendrickson …

Whitmer’s tutoring plan is too little, too late to fix learning loss

Michigan students might have coped better with learning loss if governor had not vetoed a similar GOP plan in 2021

… loss students suffered when schools were closed during the pandemic. … surprise. Prior to the prolonged school closures during the pandemic, … years after she forced the schools to close due to COVID-19. … efforts and background checks. Schools cannot require their teachers … given the governor’s other spending priorities: $150 million …

Sixty by 30: Whitmer slow-walks Michigan taxpayers into paying for all college education

The word ‘free’ should never be used when doling out taxpayer money

… College Success Fund, which will provide grants to schools for “best practices.” It is unclear what “best … information. There is an additional request to spend $75 million in federal funds for the Reconnect … With the governor consistently calling for more spending on Michigan Reconnect and loosening its eligibility …

Michigan still below national average for post-high school education rate

Mackinac Center seeks performance data on expensive scholarship programs

… credential higher than a high school diploma, says the Indianapolis-based … graduated from a post-high school education or training program … quality credential beyond high school,” the foundation predicts … not for lack of government spending. Taxpayers partially fund … year. State officials want to spend even more to encourage Michigan …

If we give colleges even more money, will they keep tuition down?

Michigan taxpayers would have had to spend an additional $4.8 billion to keep state university tuition constant

… lawmakers have not given the schools enough money to keep tuition … to keep up with what the schools want to spend. Such an investment would not … produced 7.6% fewer public high school graduates in 2022 than in … shrinking population of high school graduates. Students make …

Under Democratic rule, Lansing is headed back in time

New legislative majority wants to play policy ping pong, not build the future

… requires public entities, such as school districts and road commissions, … for the buck when forced to spend more on labor costs. The law … which technically prohibits schools from socially promoting students … districts ignore? Simple: Because school officials and education bureaucrats … If the law were repealed, school officials would no longer …

Is more money the answer to learning loss in Michigan?

Michigan schools have struggled to translate more money into better outcomes

… increase the amount of money schools receive on behalf of their … recommends that Michigan schools get double the minimum foundation … than $18,000 per student. School districts in Michigan already … to what the state currently spends on public schools. The Ed Trust-Midwest report …

Michigan Disconnect: Whitmer education proposals don’t inspire confidence

Expansions to two programs are not supported by evidence and could push school costs even higher

… students graduating from Michigan high schools or earning their GED will get additional … residents have a degree beyond high school, and the only county in Michigan that … because neither program encourages schools to lower their spending, which is a primary factor driving …

Brighton school board members challenge union’s office space at high school

For decades, teachers union at Brighton Area Schools has been using district resources to conduct daily business

… trustees of Brighton Area Schools say they have teamed up to … regular access to the high school. As a result of a change the … campus. John Conely, the school board treasurer, and William … facilities. Brighton High School served as its headquarters, … Neighboring districts were spending up to ten times as much. …

Whitmer calls for using the public school system to fix the learning loss it caused

The MEA endorses governor’s plan to use a broken system to recover students from academic, mental health losses

… behind academically when their school districts closed in-person … plan, which would increase spending on school-provided tutoring and other … everything except the public school system for student academic … caused learning loss; it was school districts’ failure to return …

Schools get rich, deliver poor results

With education funding at an all-time high, teachers union chief demands more money, less accountability

No matter how much money schools get, you can find claims that … today, with Michigan schools spending more than they ever have … and asserts that Michigan school districts can’t fix the problem … calls for more funding for schools so they can increase teachers’ … issue is how schools choose to spend their revenue. Research by …

Michigan’s 2024 budget will spend all but 3% of state’s $9B surplus

Whitmer has requested a record $79B budget for 2023-24

… Gretchen Whitmer, the state will spend all but $250 million of its … both the general fund and the School Aid Fund, at the end of fiscal … The governor recommends spending the surplus now instead of … instance, Whitmer recommends spending $44 million more on community … current year community college spending. James Hohman, director …

The 2023 Agenda

Renewing commitments to past victories and seizing the moment for new opportunities

… expensive and unfair. We are also keeping an eye on education policy. Charter schools may be threatened by targeted spending cuts and inappropriate restrictions. There may also be other efforts to …

Meet the New Boss: Michigan is a Blue State Now

… January slammed through a spending package that puts state taxpayers … animate us now are the same: school choice for families and choice … come under attack. Charter schools and even homeschools are a … family has benefited from school choice, or if you have opted … case for freedom. How have school choice and/or right-to-work …

Mackinac in the Media

… Chalkbeat Michigan seeks $10K fee for access to data on districts’ COVID aid spending plans “‘It is bizarre that the Michigan Department of Education could … cannot do so now,’ Skorup said. ‘These are documents or data filled out by school districts and sent to the state. It seems like they should … be compiling …

Pass a Sustainable Michigan Budget

Population growth plus inflation equals enough spending for everybody

… Michigan Budget to ensure that spending grows no more than the average taxpayer can afford. That means spending no more than the rate of … gives the state more money to spend in the upcoming budget even … 2023-24 budget that pledges to spend no more than $47.57 billion … Lawmakers accidentally made school employees the state’s largest …

Is more money the answer to learning loss in Michigan?

Education-Trust Midwest report recommends schools get double the money for low-income students. But Michigan schools have struggled to translate more money into better outcomes.

… increase the amount of money schools receive on behalf of their … recommends that Michigan schools get double the minimum foundation … than $18,000 per student. School districts in Michigan already … to what the state currently spends on public schools. The Ed Trust-Midwest report …

Michigan Disconnect: Whitmer education proposals don’t inspire confidence

Expansions to two programs are not supported by evidence and could push school costs even higher

… students graduating from Michigan high schools or earning their GED will get additional … residents have a degree beyond high school, and the only county in Michigan that … because neither program encourages schools to lower their spending, which is a primary factor driving …

Research Finds Prison Education Programs Reduce Recidivism

Programs help ex-offenders and save taxpayers money 

… behind bars. The cost of incarcerating so many people is steep. Taxpayers spend an estimated $182 billion a year to house prisoners, pay police, and provide … divided out by educational level, including adult basic education, high school and GED programs, vocational training and college. Sprick Schuster and …

Mackinac Center Announces 2023 Policy Priorities

Worker freedom, government transparency, rejecting corporate welfare are key issues

… on sustainability when it comes to the state budget. Increases in state spending should be tied to and restricted by population growth and inflation rates. … Expand education and workforce training in prisons. Create meaningful school accountability. Reduce overcriminalization and recidivism rates. Maintain …

Mackinac Center Promotes Skorup and Guenthner

… Skorup lives in Midland, Michigan with his wife and four children. He spends his free time watching Chicago sports teams, officiating high school wrestling, fishing and building construction projects. He serves with his …

Rhode Island Teacher Unconstitutionally Forced to Choose Between Job and Union

… John Lancellotta, a public school teacher in Rhode Island, lost … union and keeping his job, the school placed an unconstitutional … John Lancellotta is a public school teacher in Rhode Island. For the 2018-2020 school years, John taught Spanish … the more typical political spending that John was uncomfortable …