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You might have heard something about a speech last night. From his claim that GM is back on top (rated “half-true” by PolitiFact.com), to his mention of a battery plant worker from Holland, Mich. (which, by the way, we’ve covered before), the Midwest got plenty of attention from the President during his State of the Union address.

And he’s not done with us. This afternoon, the President is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to talk manufacturing jobs. He’ll also be traveling to Arizona and Nevada. This Friday, the President returns to the Midwest for a stop in Ann Arbor, Mich. This time, he’ll be talking about higher education.

During the State of the Union speech, President Obama said higher education shouldn’t be a luxury, and he’s committed to funding it. That was the carrot for colleges and universities. This was the stick:

“Let me put colleges and universities on notice: If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down,”

The idea is similar to a law passed in Michigan last year for the state’s public universities. They raised tuition anyway.

Sarah Alvarez

David Dolsen (l), Jason Gumenick (center) and Lila Howard (r) sit in Saline High School.

It’s been a tough few years for teachers. Classes are bigger. Pay is down. Benefits cost more. And, in the last year, teachers across the Midwest have been at the center of collective bargaining fights in Wisconsin and Ohio. With all that, we wanted to know what it’s like to be a teacher today. So, three generations assembled in Lila Howard’s classroom at Saline High School near Ann Arbor. Howard is about to retire after years teaching AP Psychology. Jason Gumenick teaches government and is in the middle of his career. Then, there’s David Dolsen, a college freshman, who had both of the others as teachers.

“They’re probably two of my favorite teachers in high school and also two of my mentors here as well,” he said as the three sat at a table in the classroom.

Now, he wants to become a teacher and looks to Lila Howard and Jason Gumenick for advice. He knows they love what they do, but he hears from Howard what they’re going through.

“Taking away your bargaining rights, taking away your job security, tenure, money, things like that. So, how do you feel about that, David?” Howard asked. “Are those concerns you’re mulling around in your mind?”
“Definitely,” Dolsen said. “The only reason I’m not 100% sure that I would want to be a teacher is essentially because of those issues. The pay for teachers even is not very good, obviously, and there’s just no real security now.”

Jason Gumenick and Lila Howard have already seen their pay cut, and benefit costs rise. Howard thinks she’ll need to get another job in retirement. Jason Gumenick, who’s 37 and newly married, is not running out the classroom door, but in the back of his mind, he’s thinking what he could do if he were to leave teaching.

Sarah Alvarez

Saline High School

“I think a lot of teachers need to start thinking about Plan B,” Gumenick said. “Administration, public policy, business, different opportunities that might be out there.”

Howard chimed in: “Overall morale has, I think, drastically changed as a result of what’s going on in education.”

As David Dolsen, the college freshman hears all this, he begins to realize there might not be opportunities for him at home.

“I don’t think I could get a job in Michigan in teaching probably, or even in the Midwest from what it sounds like,” he said.

And, he’s thinking about alternatives.

“I’ve started to look at engineering.”

But not so fast. There’s some good news for prospective teachers like Dolsen. Dr. Cathy Rosemary, who chairs the education department at John Carroll University, says we could soon need a lot of them in the classroom.

“In the next ten years I see a big shortage,” she said. “Because I think classrooms—schools in general—are populated largely by women in their 50s and 60s and there will be time in the next decade when these folks will be retiring.”

Not only that, Craig Brown, a lawyer who represents school boards, says the changes in teachers’ contracts can benefit those new teachers entering the field. Loosening seniority rules can help the young get ahead.

“We’ve all read and heard about that teacher of the year in Indiana who was laid off after that school year because she was a young, new, exciting teacher but she didn’t have the seniority to maintain her job when the district faced financial difficulties,” Brown said.
And, for all the angst among teachers and prospective teachers, Lila Howard says this is still a calling. She wouldn’t trade this job.

“The students are the best thing about teaching,” she said. “That’s the bottom line. Being with them every day. Working with incredibly wonderful young people. The future of our society!”

And, as Howard works her last few months in Saline before retiring, all the political focus on teachers has her thinking of running for school board.

Sarah Alvarez contributed to this story. It was informed by the Public Insight Network.

Last month, Changing Gears teamed with authors and CNN anchors Ali Velshi and Christine Romans to collect your questions on the personal finance issues that you’re facing because of the recession.

Today, we’re bringing you the next in our series of Midwest Money answers from Ali and Christine, based on their new book, How To Speak Money: The Language and Knowledge You Need Now. (Each person whose question is used will receive a copy of the book.)

Today’s question comes from Regina Baldwin of Bowling Green, Ohio.

I am returning to school, while continuing to work full-time, to try to expand on my experience and enhance my ability to get a better job with a degree.  I’m concerned that I am on the correct path as I am over 40.  I am keeping my student loan debt at a minimum by attending a community college.  I am worried that I will not get a better paying job by the time I finish.  (If it makes a difference, I am pursing a BS in Business Administration-Computer Information Sciences with a focus on Accounting, and I currently work in healthcare.)

Ali and Christine answer,

If we were writing another book, we’d highlight you as an example of someone with exactly the right attitude and initiative in a new, more difficult jobs market. You are making exactly the right investment in yourself with this education and retraining, and the student debt you are taking on is what we consider “good debt.”

It’s even smarter since you are pursuing your studies at a community college. Bottom line, people are living longer and working longer, so the degree, the education and the work experience together are critical for many years of earnings.

At the same time, we hear you on your concerns that you might not end up with a higher-paying job in the end. Ali thinks your accounting focus is key. Accounting jobs are expected to grow 22% between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s much higher than the average of all professional occupations (17%) and translates to almost 280,000 new jobs.

(Click here for a gallery of the 20 highest paying jobs.)

Christine is enthusiastic about anything STEM (that’s the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and certainly computer fields are in there. In fact, more than half of all job hires forecast in the first months of this year are expected to be in tech. According to the Labor Department, median weekly earnings for computer scientists and systems analysts earn last year was $1,220 a week.

(Note: Changing Gears plans to report on STEM this year.)

It’s very important to be confident in your decision, build self-confidence and be aggressive: maximize your work experience as you pursue your degree. Network, volunteer for positions and new projects, and apply for internships in your new field. That’s tough while working full-time, we know, but short term pain will mean long-term gain.

Click to read Ali and Christine’s previous answers.

Retirement, debt, going back to school, and mortgages are all issues that are magnified by the recession. Where can you get Midwest Money advice?

Here. But you’d better hurry up. Through the end of today, CNN anchors and authors Ali Velshi and Christine Romans are taking Midwest Money questions from the Changing Gears audience.

We’ll be posting their answers next week. If Ali and Christine select your question, you’ll win a copy of their new book, “How To Speak Money.”

Send your questions by the end of today for Ali and Christine, then come back for the answers all next week.

Three stories making news across the Midwest today:

1. Chicago unveils microlending program. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel unveiled a plan Tuesday to create a new organization that helps the city’s small businesses. The Chicago Microlending Institute would train potential lenders on advising and giving loans to people starting small businesses, and would be funded by a $1 million loan pool funded by the city. Our partner station WBEZ says the proposed institute would be run by ACCION Chicago, an area small business lender. Emanuel said small businesses sometimes struggle to get loans from traditional institutions. “That’s the hardest first step,” Emanuel tells WBEZ. “That’s the hardest loan. You don’t have a proven model. You don’t have a proven record.”

2. Auto dealerships undergo facelifts. Three auto dealerships in the Milwaukee area are joining a growing national trend of expanding or renovating their facilities. Jim Tolkan, president of the Automobile Dealers Association of Mega Milwaukee, tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that auto manufacturers are requiring dealerships to remodel in order to meet “a look that is easily recognizable regardless of where you are in the country.” Others are unconvinced that dealers will recoup expensive outlays. “That is the unknown question,” Tolkan tells the newspaper. The National Automobile Dealers Association is expected to issue a report on the subject later this year.

3. Whoops! Indiana finds leftover $320 million. Indiana officials discovered Tuesday the state had $320 million more than anticipated in its main account. Gov. Mitch Daniels said the windfall came as a result of a multi-year programming error that was only recently caught by a stunned employee. Democrats aren’t necessarily buying the explanation after watching Republicans cut public education funding by $300 million at the end of 2009, according to the Indianapolis Star. “This wasn’t just an accounting error,” Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson told the newspaper. “Children got hurt by this, families have suffered.”

People all over our region are deciding whether they should go back to school to learn new skills, and possibly begin a new career. But for some, there’s a big obstacle: how to pay for it. Should you use your savings — or borrow money? What’s the best place for returning students to find scholarships?

Authors Ali Velshi and Christine Romans want to help. All this week, they’re taking Midwest Money questions from our Changing Gears audience.

We’ll be posting their answers during the week of Dec. 19. If Ali and Christine pick your question, you’ll win a copy of their new book, How to Speak Money.

Click here and ask your Midwest Money questions about financing your education, or any other topic.

Three stories making news across the Midwest today:

1. Mining company lays off 600 workers. A mining company in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will temporarily shut down part of its operations and lay off approximately 600 employees. Cliffs Natural Resources, which operates the Empire Mine in Marquette County, said production is expected to drop from 4.6 million tons in 2011 to 2.7 million tons in 2012, according to the Marquette Mining Journal. The drop comes because steel producer ArcelorMittal will take a blast furnace down for maintenance in the second quarter. A company spokesperson said the layoffs will last “several months” until the furnace goes online again.

2. Historic Cleveland property has new owner. One of Cleveland’s historic downtown landmarks was purchased today by a Canadian hotel and resort company during a foreclosure auction. Skyline International Development Inc. was the sole bidder for the Arcade, and purchased it for $7.7 million – the minimum bid, according to The Plain Dealer. The current site was renovated a decade ago for $60 million, but went into foreclosure in April 2009 when its Chicago-based owner defaulted on a $33.3 million mortgage. An attorney for the new owners said this is Skyline’s first U.S. real estate holding, but did not comment on the firm’s plans for the Arcade. With the property selling for the minimum, its creditors, including Bank of America, the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, will not recoup any of their investments.

3. Chinese students Milwaukee bound. Hundreds of Chinese students could attend the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in coming years thanks to a recruiting agreement the school’s chancellor signed today in Beijing. An agreement with a Chinese education network will boost the university’s international profile and help lure Chinese companies to Milwaukee, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It would also boost the school’s out-of-state tuition coffers. China is the city’s third-largest trading partner, according to the newspaper. The agreement runs for five years. “You could think of myriad ways these students could connect to help Milwaukee employers in China,” said Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

Welcome to Changing Gears. We’re a public media project looking at the economic transformation of the industrial Midwest, telling the stories of the people that are living through that change. Changing Gears is shared by three stations: WBEZ Chicago, Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor, and ideastream in Cleveland. You’ll also hear our reports on NPR shows like Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and on Marketplace. And, our team members are often guests on programs such as PBS NewsHour, Talk of the Nation and The Diane Rehm Show.

Changing Gears has reporters in Chicago, Ann Arbor and Cleveland, as well as a Web editor, a public interest journalist, and our senior editor. We’ve reported from Minnesota to New York, from big cities and small towns, and we hope we’re capturing a region that’s going through a transition.

Below, you’ll find answers to some commonly asked questions about Changing Gears, as well as handy guides for starting your own discussions about our stories and a teachers’ guide with suggestions on how you can spur classroom discussion using our coverage.

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A Conversation with Senior Editor, Micki Maynard

Q: Why is a project like Changing Gears important?

A: Most news coverage comes in two types: national, and local. But people in different regions of the country, like the Midwest, the South and New England, have a lot in common with each other. Changing Gears is a rare opportunity for regional coverage that you may not find elsewhere.

Q: What do you hope to learn about this region?

A: A lot of people have preconceived ideas about the industrial Midwest, and many of them think the region’s best years are behind it. We’re looking for stories that tell the true nature of the region, instead of re-telling stories that may no longer be true.

Q: Can Changing Gears have an effect on economic development in the Midwest?

A: As journalists, we tell stories — we don’t advocate for investments. But we can spark a conversation about whether there are opportunities here.

Q: Have there been any surprises from the stories so far?

A: It’s been surprising to learn just how many people are trying to get the Midwest back on its feet. There’s a lot of goodwill and effort going on, and far more entrepreneurs than you might think. Another surprise is that people from other countries are playing an increasingly important role in bringing our region back to life. Finally, it’s been interesting to learn that not everyone embraces the idea of a regional identity. We aren’t sure what to call ourselves, let alone have a common outlook.

Q: Is there one story that has had a significant impact on you?

A: During the first week of Changing Gears, Kate Davidson reported on two-tiers, the new workers in car plants who are earning sharply lower wages than veteran workers on the same assembly line. The story really touched a nerve with a lot of our listeners. It painted a clear picture of what’s happening in the Midwest: jobs are being created, people are eager to get them, but nothing’s the same as it used to be.

Q: What do you hope listeners take away from this project?

A: Three things. First, the Midwest is an important part of the American economy, despite the impression that it’s dying. New ideas are being born here every day. Second, this is a richly diverse region, in geography, in outlook and in demographics. You can’t generalize about the Midwest any more. We’re not all Democrats, or farmers, or factory workers, and we might not even have been born here. Third, the old thinking has to go away if new opportunities are going to be created. The days when your dad could get you a job in a factory, or your company would keep you on for life, are over. You have to take charge of your own fate.

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Start your own Changing Gears Discussion Group

After listening to stories from the Changing Gears team you might have more questions than you started with. You might also feel the need to continue the discussion in your own community. The size of a discussion group is not important. We do, however, hope you continue the conversation about how this region is being reshaped economically. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

• Invite a small group over to listen to stories and share their own stories about how the changes in the economy have impacted their lives.
• Start a Facebook discussion group by linking to stories on the Changing Gears website and allowing members to share their thoughts, comments, and ideas.
• Partner with a local library to share Changing Gears stories (available on the website) and start a discussion group with other community members.

Share your story

We want to hear from you. We know there will be stories we don’t get to tell so we’d like you to share your story with us. You can submit your story of how your life and community has been impacted by the changes in the economy. Perhaps you find yourself embarking on a new career. Maybe you’ve relocated to follow work. Maybe you started a small business so you have more control over your income and employment. We want to know your story. Please be sure to share your contact information in the spaces provided below.

Classroom exercises

You can use stories from Changing Gears to spur discussion in your classroom. These stories also provide your students with the opportunity to understand how their lives provide context to the current economic changes being experienced in the Midwest and across the country. Have students interview each other about the economic climate in your community and how the effect it has on their lives. This same exercise can be used outside of the classroom by having students identify people in the community who they can interview.  Sample questions are provided below.

1. Does our community have a major industry or industries on which it relies?
2. Has our community been impacted by changes in the economy?
3. In your neighborhood, have you noticed changes that are impacted by the economy? What kind of changes have you noticed and how do you believe they are tied to the economy? Have your career plans changed because of the changes you see in the economy? Why?
4. Do you know anyone who has been impacted by changes in the economy? If so, how?
5. Do you know anyone who has had to relocate because of changes in economy? Explain the relationship between the economic changes and their decision to relocate.
6. If you were the (mayor/governor/president/) what kinds of things would you do to encourage economic growth?

Historical context exercise

It is important that the changes in the economy be recognized as an event that is happening within a larger historical context. The exercise below can aid students in understanding that context.

1. Have students identify a major industry in your community.
2. Have students research whether that industry is declining or growing. What are the indicators of decline or growth in that industry?
3. Have students look at other economic factors (both national and global) that have encouraged the decline or growth of that industry.
4. Have students identify how the decline or growth of that industry has negatively or positively impacted the community.

Current events exercise

The challenging economy is a current event in and of itself. However, it also has a significant impact on other current events in unexpected ways. Have students identify and article and explain how the subject of that article relates to the economic shift.

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Feedback

As always, we’d like to hear from you. You can post comments below, follow us on Twitter @ChGears and email at changinggears@umich.edu. Let us know how you’re using the Changing Gears project in your classroom. Do you have an innovative idea? Let us know so we can share it with other educators.

Around the region, the expression “brain drain” is commonly used to describe the trend of educated folks leaving in search of better jobs or opportunities. A report out today says that trend may be reversing, if only temporarily.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports the number of foreign students enrolling in U.S. colleges is higher than ever, and many of those students are coming to the Midwest. Of the 10 schools with the highest international student enrollment, five are in Midwest (The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is number two on the list).

There are still many unanswered questions. How long do these students stay? Why do they stay, and what can they contribute to our region? We’d like to know more.

Inform our coverage: If you came to study in the U.S, tell us about your plans.