Jamie Wu

Michigan has long treated roads and bridges as the backbone of its economy. But the real infrastructure crisis is child care. According to a recent Michigan Chamber of Commerce report, the scarcity of affordable, high-quality care costs the state an estimated $2.88 billion annually, preventing families from advancing in their careers and diminishing their long-term earning potential.

For more than 150 years, American parents have had a complex, push-pull relationship with the people who educate their children. As the historian William Cutler (2000) explains, “Parents and teachers have often vied with each other for influence and authority” over what children should learn in which settings and under whose direction.

A leadership ladder model helps state, regional, district, and school leaders understand their roles in partnering with families to improve learning for students. Getty Images Countless studies confirm that, regardless of family background and student achievement level, students do better in school if their families are engaged in their education (Fan & Chen, 2001; Jeynes, 2012; Sheldon, 2019).