The emergency manager in Muskegon Heights school district in Michigan has decided to turn the public schools over to for-profit charter operator Mosaica Learning of Atlanta.
Mosaica schools in Michigan do better than the schools of Muskegon Heights, but have low performance in comparison to schools in the rest of the county. Test scores in Muskegon Heights were so low that almost anyone would have better scores.
The emergency manager said, in announcing his decision: “Mosaica will be a strong partner within the Muskegon Heights community. They have a proven business plan, an innovative curriculum that includes online learning and foreign language beginning in kindergarten, and a concrete plan for student safety that includes cameras in every classroom and hallway.”
Not everyone has such a high opinion of Mosaica. See here and here.
It’s hard to understand how a corporate charter chain expects to make a profit in a district whose schools ran a deficit.
Muskegon Heights is a small district, and now Mosaica will have a chance to show what it can do.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It will interesting to see what happens when we repeal the Emergency Manager law.
ONe of the ways “profit” will be made is actually a “scam” that will increase the per pupil funding coming into the district as a result of this move. The problem is none of the increase will go to actually benefiting the kids. Michigan’s foundation allowance is a combination of local and state funding. The more local funding provided by property taxes, the less from the state (and vice versa). However, charter schools (and districts) receive the entire foundation allowance from the state. That means Mosaica will get a full per-pupil foundation allowance while the district EFM will get to “pocket” the local property taxes on top of it. In the end, more money roles into Muskegon Heights, something the state legislature could have done on its own without calling in a private profiteer. Shameful.
“They have a proven business plan….”
This is the most troubling statement I’ve read.
Michigan legislators spout their commitment to ‘job creation’ yet contract with a company whose corporate offices are in Georgia, New York and Abu Dhabi, UAE. Lots of money to be made off of my tax dollars at the expense of our children’s education. I agree with David…shameful.
“and a concrete plan for student safety that includes cameras in every classroom and hallway.” Can you say BIG BROTHER!!!!
Mosaica is Advantage Schools, Edison schools, and possibly more. A quick check on Mosaica rendered this information easily. So, maybe it’s like putting a McDonald’s in a community. When it appears to be the only choice, people will go there. And if the store’s bottom line, the return on investment, weakens, it’s likely that the school, being a company store and not a franchise, will have the advantage of corporate money to ensure its operation. Or, they’ll pull out of the community, leaving a graveyard for their students. Like an empty Walmart. Is this the facade of the new education?
Diane,
Did you hear this on “All Things Considered” yesterday? It’s interesting that this is making the national news.
http://www.npr.org/2012/07/10/156573487/struggling-michigan-city-privatizes-public-schools
In a related story …
http://www.freep.com/article/20120712/NEWS02/120712030/ACLU-sues-Michigan-Highland-Park-reading