NORC May Meeting

Thursday, May 31, 2007

DISCUSSION: Due to recent and extensive media coverage of Michigan's school budget crisis, NORC conducted a spirited discussion on Michigan's school funding dilemma and various strategies to overcome the political impasse. Discussion kicked off with an overview of the current system that finances Michigan’s public elementary and secondary schools. Both sides had an opportunity to flesh out their plans for creating practices that the state government and various school districts may adopt to alleviate this current budget crisis and implement long term solutions.

Speakers for the Discussion:
Ryan S. Olson, director of education policy of the Mackinac Center and Charles L. Ballard, Department of Economics professor at Michigan State University.

Ryan S. Olson is director of the Mackinac Center's education policy initiative. Olson’s education policy analyses have been featured in the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News and numerous other Michigan newspapers, as well as Detroit’s WJR 760 AM, Michigan Radio and National Public Radio. He also oversees the publication of Michigan Education Report, a quarterly education journal available to Michigan school teachers, administrators and policymakers, and Michigan Education Digest, a weekly electronic periodical that summarizes key education news stories for more than 10,000 subscribers.

Charles L. Ballard is a professor in the Department of Economics at Michigan State University. He is a widely-published, award-winning author; a proud Princeton graduate; and has been a consultant to United States Department of Health and Human Services; Ministry of Business and Industry, Denmark; Finnish Forest Research Institute; Educational Testing Service; United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service; Helsinki School of Economics and Business; and the United States Department of Treasury, Office of Tax Analysis. Ballard is a member of the American Economic Association, the International Institute of Public Finance, the Midwest Political Science Association, and the National Tax Association.



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