Hollowing Out the Middle-Why Brain

Drain?

Reasons for the Study

Originally a study of young adults.

Found that this story is inseparable from brain drain.

For many rural communities this is the most pressing problem.

Counties with More Deaths Than Births

2011-12 (Red)

The Study The MacArthur Foundation funded the 18-

month project examining the lives of young people who attended high school during the 1980s and 1990s.

We moved our family to a northeastern Iowa community, renamed Ellis, population 2000, and spent 18 month crisscrossing the nation to speak to current and former Iowans living in 14 states.

We found early on that coming of age in a small town means facing two crucial questions.

Do you stay or leave?

If you leave, do you come back?

The Study

Focused on cohort sets.

(1) we call the Mature transitions, those who entered high school to graduate in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Age 28-30 in 2002.

(2) we call Early transitions, those who entered high school to graduate in 1995, 1996, and 1997. Age 23-25 in 2002.

The Study

The initial survey collected data on 275 former Ellis High students (81.12% response rate) and from this group we non-randomly selected subjects for in-depth qualitative interviews (N=104).

From the in-depth interviews we identified several pathways young people take that relate to the two questions.

Achievers

I felt like I had a lot of people who were really hoping that I would go on and do good things, and that I had a lot of potential and I think that probably left a deep impression on me that I had been embraced by the community and kind of set forth to go do something with what I had been given.

- Ella, graduate student, Achiever, aged 25

Seekers

Every time I come home to visit when I have a leave, I see my classmates doing the same jobs they were doing in high school, living in the same place—they haven’t done anything. I’ve been halfway around the world a couple of times. I’ve done all kinds of different things and lived all over the United States. Been and done so many different things that these people will never do.

- Jason, 29, Navy Seaman

Stayers

Nowadays, everything is so much computer[s] that you either are going to be a laborer or you’re going to be on your butt behind a computer. You got to do one or the other. And if you’re not good at reading and writing like I am [not,] you’d better learn some of those alternatives. – Trevor, high school graduate, Stayer, aged 29.

Boomerangs

Maybe if I had grown up in a big city, like Minneapolis, [I would have wanted a four-year college degree and a career]…[but] I don’t want to even try to be a superwoman. I’d rather hang out on the floor with my kids.

Madeline, community college grad/four year college dropout, Boomerang, aged 24

High Flyers

Liz Volker is a doctor and just the kind of High-Flyer that every small town wants. She settled in a town like Ellis, but did so not for financial reasons or for incentives.

She explains: probably the biggest motivating factor [in returning] was my family. I wanted to be close to my extended family…I chose to stay here because I wanted to raise my children here. I enjoy Iowa.

College for All?

Mantra that is widely accepted but misunderstood

Mismatch between credentials and jobs.

Graduation and employment data show the problem.

4 ye

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Non GraduatingGraduating

College for All?

One school superintendent said he had “no problem” with hollowing out because he sent over 85 percent of his graduating senior class to four-year colleges. When we informed him that, on average, only about half of these students would graduate in six years, he replied, “Once they leave, my job is done.”

Strategies-Jones Regional Education

Center Iowa

Strategies-Regional Planning Newton,

Iowa Newton Development

Corporation, spurred into action by Maytag closure.

Worked regionally with educators, employers and government.

Lured new business, re-trained workforce.

Strategies-Encouraging

Immigration St. James, MN

Three Ideas

“Grow Your Own” -Invest in all young people-equip them with the skills they need to succeed in modern economy.

“Collaborate”-Work regionally and collaboratively-in planning, pooling resources, and crafting solutions.

“Coordinate”-Explore range of educational opportunities and link these with regional employment needs.