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What is the Center for Michigan?
• 501(c)(3) Nonprofit and Nonpartisan Organization
• Founded in 2006
What is the Center for Michigan?
• A think-and-do tank– “Because thinking
without doing is pointless, while doing without thinking is folly.”
• Staff of 10– Divided into three
divisions: Engage, Inform, Achieve
What is the Center for Michigan?• The Center believes that the Michigan political system
has tended to be excessively partisan and largely driven by ideologies of the left and right, as well as by powerful single-interest groups. Most people, who naturally are in the middle of the road, feel disconnected and left out in the cold.
• Mission: To cure our unhealthy hyper-partisan political culture and reinvigorate our broken policy apparatus by calling forth a bottom-up, common ground citizens’ agenda for Michigan’s transformation
Three Focus Areas• Engage: The Center will provide
opportunities for thousands of citizens each year to better understand state and public policy issues, deliberate those issues with fellow citizens and develop common ground positions
Three Focus Areas
• Inform: The Center will continue providing an independent, nonprofit, high quality credible public affairs journalism
• Bridgemi.com
Three Focus Areas• Achieve: The Center will
serve as an independent, nonpartisan, citizen-led provider of leadership programs and coalition building for improved public policy leading to an improved environment for Michigan’s future prosperity
• Michigantruthsquad.com
Community Conversations• Topic: Future of Michigan’s
preK-12 education system– Focus on issues of student
success• Goal of reaching 5,000
Michigan residents• Must engage the
“customers” of the education system: students, parents, educators and employers
Community Conversations• Each conversation
participant leaves with:– Information about
education policy issues– Knowledge of what others
in this conversation think about education issues
– Resources related to volunteerism around student learning in their own community
Community Conversations
• Previous conversations lead us to this topic– Spoke to 10,000+
Michigan residents as part of “Michigan’s Defining Moment” conversations
Community Conversations
• Not just idle chatter• Looking for ideas and
solutions, not to place blame or complain
• Final report of citizen recommendations will be prepared for beginning of 2013
Community Conversation Funders• Kresge Foundation• Masco Corporation
Foundation• Meijer Corp.• Mike & Sue Jandernoa• Mott Foundation• Power Foundation• PVS Chemicals• Van Dusen Family Fund• William and Barbara Parfet• W.K. Kellogg Foundation
• Alticor, Inc.• AT&T Foundation• Bandstra Family Foundation• Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Michigan• Consumers Energy Foundation• DTE Energy Foundation• Frey Foundation• Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow
Foundation• Hudson Webber Foundation
Community Conversation Progress
• Have spoken with ~4,300 Michigan residents as of today
• Working hard to ensure that the 5,000 people we reach fully represent Michigan’s population
178 participants
294 part.412 participants
694 participants
388 participants
474 participants
1,397 participants
58 part.
Participant numbers as of 9/27/12
Community Conversation Progress• This agenda will be
released in January 2013
• Will be shared with new state legislature and Gov. Snyder
• Will also be shared with communities across the state
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CFM has hosted 12 conversations in Ingham County that were comprised of primarily Ingham County residents– Haslett– Lansing– Okemos– East Lansing– Holt
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in Holt, Organized by Holt teacher, 2/7/12– EC Question: All 27 participants said expanding
these programs is at least somewhat important• Somewhat Imp.: 4; Imp.: 7; Crucial: 16
– Highest Potential Question: 5 participants said EC had highest potential to improve student learning
– 10 parents, 10 educators, 4 members of workforce, 1 employer, 1 student
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in East Lansing, Organized by Grand River Connection 3/8/12– EC Question: All but 2 of 22 participants said
expanding these programs is at least somewhat important• Irrelevant: 1; Not Very Imp.: 1; Somewhat Imp.: 3; Imp.:
6; Crucial: 10– Highest Potential Question: 5 participants said EC
had highest potential to improve student learning– 13 members of workforce, 1 employer, 1 student
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in Haslett, Organized by Haslett School Board 3/12/12– EC Question: All but 1 of 33 participants said
expanding these programs is at least somewhat important• Not Very Imp.: 1; Somewhat Imp.: 6; Imp.: 7; Crucial: 19
– Highest Potential Question: 12 participants said EC had highest potential to improve student learning
– 17 parents, 10 educators, 3 members of workforce, 1 employer
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in East Lansing, Organized by Education Technology Advocate, 3/27/12– EC Question: All 8 participants said expanding
these programs is at least important• Imp.: 1; Crucial: 7
– Highest Potential Question: 2 participants said EC had highest potential to improve student learning
– 2 parents, 6 educators
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in Okemos, Organized Okemos Community Church, 4/18/12– EC Question: All 15 participants said expanding
these programs is at least somewhat important• Somewhat Imp.: 4; Imp.: 4; Crucial: 7
– Highest Potential Question: 2 participants said EC had highest potential to improve student learning
– 2 parents, 2 educators, 3 members of workforce, 7 retirees
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in Okemos, Organized by Okemos Parent Council, 5/22/12– EC Question: All 22 participants said expanding
these programs is at least somewhat important• Somewhat Imp.: 2; Imp.: 6; Crucial: 14
– Highest Potential Question: 9 participants said EC had highest potential to improve student learning
– 11 parents, 6 educators, 2 members of workforce, 1 retiree, 3 students
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in Lansing, Organized by Lansing Regional Chamber, 6/25/12– EC Question: All but 3 of 28 participants said expanding
these programs is at least somewhat important• Irrelevant: 1; Not Very Imp.: 2; Somewhat Imp.: 5; Imp.: 8;
Crucial: 12– Highest Potential Question: 3 participants said EC had
highest potential to improve student learning– 8 parents, 9 educators, 9 members of workforce, 2
employers, 1 retiree
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in East Lansing, Organized by Parent, 7/11/12– EC Question: All 15 participants said expanding
these programs is at least somewhat important• Somewhat Imp.: 4; Imp.: 5; Crucial: 6
– Highest Potential Question: No participants said EC had highest potential to improve student learning
– 8 parents, 5 educators, 1 members of workforce, 1 employer
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in East Lansing, Organized by MSU McNair Scholars, 8/7/12– EC Question: All but 3 of 24 participants said
expanding these programs is at least somewhat important• Irrelevant: 3; Somewhat Imp.: 5; Imp.: 7; Crucial: 9
– Highest Potential Question: 2 participants said EC had highest potential to improve student learning
– 25 students
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in East Lansing, Organized by Ingham County Great Start Collaborative, 8/21/12– EC Question: All but 1 of 17 participants said
expanding these programs is at least somewhat important• Not Very Imp.: 1; Somewhat Imp.: 1; Imp.: 4; Crucial: 11
– Highest Potential Question: 3 participants said EC had highest potential to improve student learning
– 9 parents, 4 educators, 3 members of workforce, 1 student
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in Lansing, Organized by Capital Area United Way, 8/29/12– EC Question: All 10 participants said expanding
these programs is at least somewhat important• Somewhat Imp.: 1; Imp.: 3; Crucial: 6
– Highest Potential Question: 1 participant said EC had highest potential to improve student learning
– 1 educator, 2 members of workforce, 2 employers, 2 students, 1 retiree
Ingham County-Early Childhood Discussions
• CC hosted in Lansing, Organized by EC3, 9/20/12– EC Question: All 12 participants said expanding these
programs is at least important• Imp.: 1; Crucial: 11
– Highest Potential Question: 8 participants said EC had highest potential to improve student learning
– 6 parents, 4 educators, 2 members of workforce• One more to take place 10/16 with Lansing
School District
How Can You Get Involved?
• Host a Community Conversation– Particularly seeking
students and parent perspectives
• Subscribe (for free!) to Bridge magazine www.bridgemi.com
How Can You Get Involved?
• Take the online conversation survey
• Check out volunteer opportunities in your area
• www.thecenterformichigan.net/
My Contact Information• Interested in hosting a
conversation or connecting with The Center for Michigan? Contact me:– Amber Toth, Outreach
Coordinator– [email protected]
– 734-769-4625
• Connect with us on the web– Search “The Center for
Michigan” on Facebook– Twitter: @CenterforMI– www.thecenterformichigan.net
