STATE OF OPPORTUNITY. Can Kids in Michigan Get Ahead?
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This special reporting project wrapped up in May 2017. Read more.

Schools as the default solution: The right move?

Erin Nekervis
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Flickr

For the rest of this week and next, we're preparing for our upcoming call-in show

We've focused a lot on schools and education because it's such a huge part of children's and parents' lives. After all, after age five, that's where kids spend most of their time and have formative experiences. 

But when it comes to answering the big questions, do we rely too much on schools? What solutions do we overlook when we put all our eggs in the education basket? 

One in four of Michigan's children lives in poverty conditions.

As Dustin Dwyer reported last week, for African-American children, Michigan is 48th out of 50 states in the Kid Count index for overall child outcomes. He talked to Jane Zehnder-Merrell, project director ofKids Count in Michigan, who broke the report down further by race. The report shows outcomes for white kids in Michigan lagging behind national averages. 

Our call-in show asks you to put on your thinking and doing caps: What can we do to change the life circumstances of at-risk children? What are we already doing that needs to happen more?

The call-in show airs on Thursday, April 17 at 3 p.m. Ask your questions or comment below, or join us on Facebookand Twitter.