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Note: This commentary ran in the May 31, 2017, edition of the Detroit Free Press, opinion section. School may be out for summer soon, but for Detroit’s new superintendent the school year starts now. Nikolai Vitti just began his tenure as superintendent ...

While the average pay for teachers in Michigan has declined for several years, using a ratio of teacher pay relative to personal income to standardize across states shows that Michigan teachers are the highest paid in the nation in relative terms. Recent ...

Among other important roles, a constitution establishes the branches of government, grants them powers, and places restrictions on them.  Many restrictions are often rooted in past experiences, some from which negative results ensued.  Certain provision...

The Citizens Research Council of Michigan is committed to the simple belief that better information leads to better government.  Unfortunately, a new state law will limit the amount and type of information about local ballot questions that government off...

NOTE:  A copy of this post appeared in Bridge Magazine on November 5, 2015.   Paying for Former Students’ Education with Today’s Dollars   The Detroit Public School district (DPS) is facing very serious challenges.  It was recently...

NOTE:  A copy of this post appeared in the Detroit Free Press on November 5, 2015.   Early last week, Governor Snyder re-introduced his plan to address the longstanding financial and academic crises in the Detroit Public Schools (DPS).  The plan in...

UPDATE:  A version of this blog post appeared in the July 14 edition of Bridge Magazine. The recent U.S. Supreme Court opinion affirming the constitutionality of Arizona’s independent redistricting commission has refocused public attention on a fundam...

While the defeat of statewide ballot proposal 15-1 garnered the most media attention following the May 5 election, voters in the now-dissolved Buena Vista School District rejected a millage renewal request for a re-purposed school operating tax to pay off...

NOTE:  This letter ran in the Commentary Section of the Detroit Free Press on April 22, 2015, following Governor Snyder’s announced plan for public education in the City of Detroit. In late March, the Coalition for the Future of Detroit’s School...

Since the summer of 2013, CRC has been following the implementation of Michigan’s new school district dissolution policy.  On November 4, voters in the dissolved Buena Vista School District rejected the renewal of a tax dedicated to pay off the distric...