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– atoth@thecenterformichigan.net

or engage@thecenterformichigan.net

– 734-769-4625

• Connect with us on the web– Search “The Center for

Michigan” on Facebook– Twitter: @CenterforMI– www.thecenterformichigan.net