School Reform and Grassroots Politics

by: yvette248

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 12:06:56 PM EDT

Okay, so we've heard a dozen proposals over the past dozen years about how best to fix our failing schools and improve the quality of education for all children. We've seen the dropout statistics for the City of Detroit and grimaced as the rest of America falls perilously close to third world status in education all of our children. It appears even suburban school districts habitually graduate seniors without the ability to perform complex math functions, string together a complete sentence or find the state of Kentucky on the map.

Teachers are blaming parents, parents are blaming school boards, the media is the public school system and public schools are blaming charter schools for the virtual breakdown of our public education system. It seems as though quality education is being doled out according to a caste system, divided mostly along the lines of the haves and have nots.

Now The Detroit News publishes a story today about a man who is making a difference. A grassroots organizer by trade, he purchased a failing school in a Los Angeles ghetto and dramatically increased student test scores within a short period of time. He is currently duplicating this success in Chicago.

There are two really, really odd things that gives a twist to this usually predictable story about lone wolf success:  

1. This guy is a community organizer who has garnered the support of teachers, school administrators AND UNIONS in accomplishing this goal. (And no, the man's last name is not Christ.)
2. A group of teachers from DPS (yes Virginia, that's Detroit Public Schools) took a bus to Chicago recently in an effort to bring him here to do the same thing. (No, I'm serious. The man really isn't Jesus.)

The Three Trillion Dollar Massacre

by: DianeS

Tue Feb 05, 2008 at 01:56:40 AM EST

I wanted to make sure that we in Michigan made special note of Bush's proposed $3 trillion budget, and how it would affect the most vulnerable  among our population. 

For all this administration's talk of 'no child left behind' and the faux concern for the fate of the contents of a woman's uterus, the slated budget cuts for Medicaid, and Medicare will directly and adversely impact healthcare, quality of life, and education for disabled students. 

From The WaPo: 

Educators nationwide are protesting a Bush administration move to curtail hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid funding for disabled students that could force some schools already in budget straits to trim health services or cut back instructional programs.

The shift in federal reimbursement policy threatens to strip about $635 million from schools in the next academic year and $3.6 billion over five years, with Washington area schools in line to lose millions of dollars. The rule, to take effect in June unless Congress intervenes, will bar schools from billing Medicaid for busing special education students to and from school and for certain administrative expenses, including enrolling children in Medicaid and coordinating and scheduling services.

Administration officials said schools, required under federal law to provide education to children with special needs, should pick up the bill for expenses that are part of their "educational mission." But educators said it would further strain schools in a time of lean budgets, hitting big city and poor rural systems hardest.

...

Continued below the fold... 

Michigan's Issues: Really on Display in Primary?

by: TomChoske

Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 10:56:00 AM EST

McManus vs. Michigan's children: the cost of ideology

by: seaborn

Mon May 07, 2007 at 19:48:51 PM EDT

On the bus ride down, the parents on the trip - some Republicans, some Democrats and some independants - talked with the kids about Michigan's budget crisis, including the $125 per pupil cut that will be made if the Republicans don't cover their expenses in the next 24 days.  These cuts would cost the students of the Benzie County Central School District, which includes Crystal Lake Elementary, $246,285.

In response, the kids took part in a silent protest:

This was way, way too much for Michelle McManus.  In response, she allegedly called the Capitol Tour service and tried to have these 4th graders banned from the Capitol building.  That's right: a second term state senator responded to a silent protest not aimed at her but at the budget situation in general by trying to ban a group of 4th graders from ever visiting the site of their state government again!

What was it that Shakespeare said?  That's right: "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."

While McManus has tried to lay the blame for her budgetary irresponsibility at the governor's feet (even while bragging about blowing an additional $600-700 million hole in the state's budget), her little incident on Thursday shows that not even Michelle McManus believes Michelle McManus's talking points. 

She shouldn't.

An atrocity in Westland

by: Slouching Toward Youngstown

Tue Apr 24, 2007 at 15:39:04 PM EDT

Our state is teetering on bankruptcy and our education system is barely able to tread water because of massive budget cuts. Naturally, parents and students are madder than hell and not going to take it anymore. Well not about the budget crunch or impact on our schools. No sir. Not in Westland anyway they are peeved because the district is replacing the cheerleading coach. We get the government and the schools we deserve.

Lessenberry Lets Loose on the House Homophobes

by: LiberalLucy

Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 11:08:16 AM EDT

**Update: The Triangle Foundation is sponsoring a press conference (1pm today) for the bill and for Safe Schools Lobbying Day in the Capitol Rotunda. I'll see you there!

To say that I'm a fan of Jack Lessenberry is an understatement. If the world operated according to Liberal Lucy, Jack would be running for high office in 2008. I often read his columns and find myself saying "Why isn't he in the government? The folks in Lansing could take a page or two from his book." He's just that good.

This week's Metro Times column just goes to further solidify my faith in the Gospel of Jack Lessenberry. Bully for Nobody is a brilliantly sharpened jab at the thinly-veiled homophobes in the State's Legislature.

If you haven't heard of the anti-bullying bill that's in the House right now, you probably haven't seen much of the news the last month or so. Bullying = a bad thing, right? Generally if you have your wits about you, you'd agree. So what's the hold up on the bill? Well for starters, two very conservative state representatives - Jack Hoogendyke and John Moolenaar.

Hoogendyk and Moolenaar, you see, are bigots who are supporting the agenda of hate fostered by homophobes everywhere. They would deny this, but they would be lying. Currently, there is a badly needed anti-bullying bill before the Michigan Legislature (House Bill 4162) which would, among other things, protect students from bullying "based on a pupil's actual or perceived religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, height, weight, gender identity, socioeconomic status or any other distinguishing characteristic."

Anybody who has ever been bullied unmercifully knows what a terrible experience it can be. I got my share of it; I was younger, smaller and fatter than most of the other kids in my working-class elementary school. Even worse, I was a "brain," and had the athletic ability of a salamander.

I am baffled that anyone should care very much about what other people do sexually. And I have to wonder whether some people who feel so threatened are really showing us something about their own psychology.

In any event - any legislator who doesn't support protecting anybody and everybody from being bullied is promoting fascism, pure and simple.

Then when you're done, make a regular habit of reading Jack's blog, catching his regular column in the Metro Times, and listening to his podcasts from Michigan Public Radio. Michigan needs more Jack Lessenberrys.