Perspectives Research and Policy Briefs
We are pleased to share with you a new series of research and policy briefs designed to share perspectives on the important issues facing education in the state of Michigan. In our work with the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good, we believe that there are two essential elements to statewide education reform: (1) that people are informed of the issues and (2) that those at the local levels and at the state levels communicate and collaborate. The Perspectives series is designed to help facilitate conversations bridging the community and the state policy arenas.
These briefs are an extension of the Access to Democracy project – a two year initiative to engage communities in deliberation on the issues of college access – and are intended to continue an important set of conversations that we hope will lead to a renewed sense of commitment to creating a stronger, more vibrant educational environment for the residents of Michigan. Our belief is that in order for change to occur, work must be done at the “grassroots” and at the “grasstops” levels. Policy makers at the state level make decisions that affect the conditions within which schools, colleges, and universities operate. Communities continue to make the decisions affecting what is taught, to whom it is taught, and who teaches it. Both levels are critical for change to occur but less frequently are both groups aware of what is happening at the other levels.
The Perspectives series provides two editions – the Community Edition and the Policy Edition – and gives voice to what is occurring across the state and from different vantage points. The Community Edition is intended to inform communities regarding what is happening at the state level. The first in this series discusses the implications of a number of statewide meetings convened to discuss the role of education in Michigan for the work of communities. The Policy Edition is designed to bring community voices to state level policy decisions. This work began when we introduced our first report on deliberative dialogue in Michigan on college access to the Lt. Governor’s Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth. Since the time of the Commission, we have spoken with hundreds of Michigan residents across a variety of communities and their words are illuminating with respect to efforts being made at the state level.
We hope these series will continue a set of important conversations regarding the role of education in the future of Michigan. We hope that more and more people will become engaged in these conversations. And we hope that more than anything, people become engaged, understand the issues, and make informed judgments about how we proceed as a state.
Please forward these briefs as widely as you like and bookmark the Access to Democracy page for future briefs and for access to both editions. And in the spirit of open dialogue, we welcome your thoughts, comments and suggestions regarding what we have written and what should be explored.
July 2006: Understanding Michigan's Attitudes about Educational Attainment: Results from Community Dialogues and Public Opinion Surveys
September 2006: The Benefits of College
November 2006: The Affirmative Action Debate