Ben DeGrow was the Mackinac Center’s director of education policy. 

DeGrow joined the Center in 2015 after a long stint at Colorado’s Independence Institute, where he provided expert analysis on school choice, school finance, collective bargaining and education employment policies. He has authored numerous policy reports and articles for various publications, and has appeared regularly on radio and television and before legislative committees.

DeGrow graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in history from Hillsdale College, and went on to receive a master’s degree in history from Pennsylvania State University. Most recently he earned a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University. Ben’s classroom experiences include service as a university graduate assistant and as a substitute teacher in Michigan public schools. He also spent nearly a year on the editorial staff of the Hillsdale Daily News.

DeGrow lives in Midland with his wife and three daughters. He hails originally from Oakland County, where he developed a lifelong, longsuffering loyalty to the Detroit Tigers.