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Back in August this article was written Detroit’s Class Act as part of Fortune’s Assignment: Detroit series.  It cuts at the core of the issue for any future problem this country faces: Education.  Education is the base, the foundation, to build ANYTHING in this country (or anywhere for that matter) – in particular Opportunity.  America is the land of opportunity, but with failing school systems, what kind of opportunity is Detroit’s (or any poor community) youth really getting?  Or Detroit for that matter?

$300 million was turned down to fund Detroit charter schools because of in-fighting.  At least the money wasn’t taken and wasted, but if $300 million cannot help unite, what can?

Thus deeper issues of our blended economical and political structure in this country has also come to light.  When this country is founded on competition and constant innovation – how can a government controlled institution (Education) become better without competitive pressure? (Unless they really take to heart the product their producing – students- is competing in the global market…) The military uses outside corporations for weapon and defense development.

I work in the technology sector and we focus on the Education market (K – University) and we have found that teachers who use technology are the small percentage of all educators out there and that classrooms in 2010 look very familiar to the ones in the 1950′s.  What else looks like that in this country?

Fortune (CNN) has been coming out every issue or so with ideas and progress that Detroit is making in its recovery.  They talked a few months ago about Urban Farming given the acres of the abandoned land in the city, more recently Forbes highlighted the progress of Grand Rapids and how Detroit could learn a few things.

The latest I have read is how empty industrial buildings are being leased out as office space – for the Creatives: Glass blowers, cabinetmakers, architects, seamstresses, a sneaker designer, and three women who teach pole dancing, among others — 160 small-business tenants in all… and that only occupies 25% of the building.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/30/smallbusiness/detroit_auto_factory.fortune/index.htm

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