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Lansing State Journal, March 12
Fassia: To reduce incarceration, invest more in education
"Access to a quality education has been cited as the No. 1 preventive measure against crime and incarceration."

Huffington Post, March 9
Sen. Tom Harkin: Fixing Economy Starts with Early Education
"When Sen. Tom Harkin asked a panel of education experts at a Thursday Senate committee hearing how they would improve the country's public schools, he was surprised by what they didn't say. A Harvard University professor said he would improve “assessments," a Stanford University economist mentioned ..."

Education Week, March 8
Growing Gaps Bring Focus on Poverty's Role in Schooling
"Studies say deepening income-based academic gaps could keep poor children from finding a path out of poverty..."

MLive, Jan. 3
Could New Orleans and California schools offer peek at Michigan's future?
"New Orleans and Los Altos, Calif. couldn’t be more different than Michigan. But my travels to those places this year gave me a glimpse at where I believe education in our state is headed."

Brookings, Dec. 20
The Recession’s Ongoing Impact on America’s Children: Indicators of Children's Economic Well-Being Through 2011
"Children throughout the United States continue to be negatively impacted by the lingering effects of the Great Recession, with children in some states more hard hit than others."

Daily Tribune, Dec. 13
Great Start program to benefit Oakland County preschool programs
"The new Online Development Screening Project provided more than 3,300 screenings in Oakland County this year to help parents determine whether their child has special needs and how to get the help."

MLive, Oct. 21
The case for business: Economist says to spend money on preschool education to improve Muskegon's economy
A West Michigan labor economist argues that early childhood development is directly linked to job creation and a healthy economy. Muskegon business leaders asked to support quality pre-school education...

New York Times, Oct. 19
Occupy the Classroom
"The single step that would do the most to reduce inequality has nothing to do with finance at all. It’s an expansion of early childhood education." #occupytheclassroom

Lansing State Journal, Oct. 18
Data: Michigan dropout rates
Lansing's high school dropout rate is more than 25%, Detroit Public Schools at 19.09%, and Grand Rapids Public Schools at 22.4%.  Find out where your local schools stand.  Why do you think these numbers are so high?

Market Watch, Oct. 18
Michigan business leaders tout economic benefits of early learning investments
Report released by prominent business leaders today that shows "Early care and education programs generate $1.2 billion in economic activity for Michigan, employ over 27,000 workers and improve our future workforce." 

Washington Post, Oct. 6
Early childhood education again in spotlight
Understanding the positive impact early childhood education can have on young children is a hot topic these days.  Although this movement is growing, is it growing fast enough, do we understand what "quality" education looks like?

Battle Creek Enquirer, Oct. 1
Early learning: Valuable investment for employers
Ensuring the children of today will become the best possible leaders of the future, the Great Start Collaborative of Calhoun County provides easy to follow action steps that business leaders and employers can take to support early learning.

NBC News, Sept. 29
Education Nation Summit discusses the system's biggest needs
U.S. students are 25th in math, 17th in science compared to 35 other developed countries. Education Nation Summit panel discuss what schools need to properly educate all U.S. students.

Detroit Free Press, Sept. 26
Editorial: Fight childhood poverty by fully funding Great Start program
Rising poverty, coupled with the state's changing demographics, poses a daunting challenge for public policy and Michigan's future. 

Parenting.com, Sept. 21
Michigan Sandbox Party
One thing that is currently going great in Michigan education is advocacy for early childhood education and recognizing the importance of supporting our youngest learners.

Press and Guide, Sept. 21
Invest in the early years, it benefits us all
It makes a lifetime of difference, brain researchers vouch for it, educators swear by it, Nobel Prize winning economists say it is the best investment we can make as a state and nation. Parents instinctively know it matters.

Battle Creek Enquirer. Sept. 17
Cindy Ruble: Invest in young children, invest in our future
To be successful in school and life, young children need to grow in a nurturing environment that promotes self-confidence, positive social and emotional skills, and a love for learning.

Washington Post, Sept. 15
W.K. Kellogg Foundation - Make Our Kids Great by 8!
Join the live chat: W.K. Kellogg Foundation CEO and President Sterling Speirn to discuss the power of early learning on WashingtonPost.com on September 20 at 1pm ET.

Lansing State Journal, Sept. 13
Tougher MEAP test standards ready for consideration
The State Board of Education today is poised to take the final step necessary to make it tougher for Michigan kids to pass state exams.

Lansing State Journal, Sept. 13
MSU study: Autistic students needs sometimes overlooked
Many teachers in Michigan fail to use some of the most effective methods for teaching children with autism, according to a new study by researchers at Michigan State University.

Early Ed Watch, Sept. 6
Talking About Reforming Head Start
On a Monday morning last month, a crowd packed into the Brookings Institution auditorium in Washington, D.C., for a little-publicized event on early education reform

Detroit Free Press, Aug. 28
Detroit Mayor Bing wants to use money pegged for kids' education to move office instead
Mayor Dave Bing is moving a Detroit agency responsible for helping poor people because, he said, the current headquarters is a health hazard with mold, standing water and mildew.

Mlive, Aug. 26
Hunger a problem for Southwest Michigan children, new study shows
More than one in five children under the age of 18 in Kalamazoo County live in households that are struggling with hunger, according to a new study.

Petoskey News, Aug. 12
Why preschool?
Experts say quality early childhood education has life-long implications, such as helping promote a child's social development and building a foundation for learning.

Detroit Free Press, Aug. 15
Detroit education in national spotlight during 2-hour live MSNBC broadcast
The tone was optimistic and the interaction spirited Sunday as MSNBC presented a national show about public education live from Detroit.

Detroit News, Aug. 9
MSNBC to air live TV broadcast from Detroit focused on schools
A two-hour town hall meeting on education in America will be broadcast live on cable TV, and Detroit will take center stage.

Mlive, July 28
Nine Great Lakes Bay Region childcare centers available locations for Great Start scholarship
Parents of at-risk 3-year-olds can apply for a preschool scholarship a nine Great Lakes Bay Region childcare centers.

The Washington Post, July 21
Advice to Education Dept. on newest Race to the Top
Will a torrent of tests now rain down on little kids? Under the latest Race to the Top program – the Early Childhood Challenge (ELC) – that scenario has become much more likely. This could mean pre-school children losing play time and experiential learning in order to start practicing for standardized tests.

Comstock Park WZZM13, July 14
Sandbox Party partners with West Michigan Whitecaps to celebrate Michigan’s youngest learners
With the help of the West Michigan Whitecaps, the Sandbox Party would like to give you and your family the opportunity to enjoy a great day at the ballpark jam-packed with fun and celebration of Michigan's youngest learners.

Crain's Detroit, June 5
OTHER VOICES: Snyder's school ideas are great for state
EXCERPT: Education just got a lot better in Michigan. And that's because it's finally starting at the beginning. Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced that he will consolidate a host of state early childhood services into an Office of Great Start-Early Childhood in order to create a coordinated vision and focus for public early childhood efforts in Michigan -- and ultimately make it easier for parents to get the help they need locally. The end result will be more school-ready children.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, June 1
HHS announces Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program funding opportunity
EXCERPT: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced up to $99 million in competitive funding under the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. Funding for the MIECHV program is provided by the Affordable Care Act.

The Detroit News, May 24 
Editorial: Early education lesson
Gov. Snyder's preschool proposals stress lifelong learning; consolidate overlapping programs
EXCERPT: Too many young children in Michigan aren't getting the foundation of learning they need before starting school that would allow them to succeed once their K-12 education begins. Gov. Rick Snyder is on the right track with his proposals for early education, which highlight the importance of lifelong learning.

Department of Education, May 25
Race to the Top — Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) Program
EXCERPT: On May 25, 2011, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced that the Administration plans to use approximately $500 million of the FY11 Race to the Top funding for a major competition in support of bold and comprehensive State plans for raising the quality of early learning programs.

National Public Radio, March 26
Despite Benefits, Early Education Faces Cuts Nationwide
There is a lot of talk these days in Congress and state legislatures about cutting spending.  One issue that's received little attention is the effect of budget cuts on early childhood learning.  The research proves the benefits of pre-K and Head Start programs.  But they face cuts anyway.   

MLIVE, March 21 
The state of early education in Michigan 
As Lt. Governor Brian Calley is set to address a forum on early childhood education this morning in Ypsilanti, it's worth looking at how pre-k is faring in Michigan.  

Bloomberg Buinessweek, March 21
Newborn Screenings May Miss Hearing Loss in Some Kids
One-third of children who received cochlear implants had passed initial test, study says.  Newborn hearing screenings don't detect all children at risk for hearing loss, a new study finds.  

Top News, March 6 
Harvard study: Ear infection cases in US children have witnessed rapid decline 
Excerpt: According to a new Harvard University study, the last 15 years have witnessed a nearly 30 percent decline in the number of ear infection cases being diagnosed in American children.   

US Department of Education, March 3
Statement by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Early Learning Bill Introduced by Sen. Bob Casey
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today issued the following statement regarding the Supporting State Systems of Early Learning Act introduced by Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. 

The Washington Post, March 2 
Bernanke to budget-cutting state and local governments: Don't shortchange education 
Even as state and local governments take difficult steps to balance their budgets and address long-term shortfalls in their pension systems, they should not neglect the education and training programs that are the key to the nation's competitiveness, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke argued Wednesday.  

The New York Times, February 28 
The New Normal 
We're going to be doing a lot of deficit cutting over the next several years.  The country's future greatness will be shaped by whether we cut wisely or stupidly.  So we should probably come up with a few sensible principles to guide us as we cut.  

Detroit Free Press, February 26 
Local comment: For a richer state, add investments into budget 
Governor Rick Snyder's budget seeks to find the bottom of Michigan's fiscal free-fall by creating a simpler, fairer tax system, forcing action on long-standing legacy cost structures, and signaling that Michigan has a good business climate.  

Capital News Service, February 25 
Children need better preparation for kindergarten 
Lansing - Children who are unprepared for kindergarten may be unable to catch up in later education.  It's hard to pin down what the estimated third of unprepared children lack when entering kindergarten, said Lindy Buch, director of early childhood and family services at the Department of Education.   

Mlive, February 22 
Column: Study says preschool has saved state $1 billion in past 25 years
Governor Rick Snyder doesn't seem interested in investing in children right now, but one reason to reconsider: a new report from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan on the value of early childhood education.  

NPR, February 14 
For Kids, Self-Control Factors Into Future Success 
Self-control keeps us from eating a whole bag of chips or from running up the credit card  A new study says that self-control makes the difference between getting a good job or going to jail- and we learn it in preschool.  

SANDBOX PARTY PRESS RELEASE: Survey Results, January 18 
Full Press Release
A two-day Michigan Sandbox Party survey last week netted more than 1,300 responses from Michigan residents hoping Governor Rick Snyder will make early childhood issues a key component of his State of the State speech Wednesday, recognizing that investing in early childhood programs including child care, early education and learning, physical and psychological health, parenting and family support, are the best way to get the outcomes he has said are vital to Michigan's future.

The Detroit News, January 6 
Snyder names Corrigan to Cabinet 
Governor Rick Snyder today named Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan the director of the Michigan Department of Human Services.  Snyder called Corrigan "a true champion of children and their families."