Mercedes Schneider, relentless investigator, here analyzes a proposal to turn Detroit public schools into an all-charter district.
Detroit is drowning in debt, most of it incurred since the state took control of the district. In particular, state-appointed superintendent Robert Bobb added $300 million in debt during his brief tenure.
The district’s schools are in terrible physical condition, unfit in many cases for children or adults.
The reformer proposal: fix everything by turning every school into a charter. Open and close charters at will.
Only a corporate reformer could come up with a plan that completely ignores the needs of students and teachers. Students need stability and security, not churn. Teachers need an environment conducive to teaching and learning, one where they get to know their students and can plan ahead and work together as a team.
Mercedes checks out the fellow who made this dumb proposal. It turns out he is affiliated with the Mackinac Center, Governor Rick Snyder’s favorite policy tank, which enjoys funding by the Koch brothers.
He is also associated with groups sponsoring charters in Ohio. Mercedes documents the multiple embarrassments of the scandal-ridden charter sector in Ohio.
Why would anyone want to inflict disruption on the children of Detroit? It is not for their benefit. Who does benefit?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Who benefits? investors, hedge funds, Wall Street, and private sector education CEO’s like Eva Moskowitz
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Corporate welfare exemplified.
Reasons why I support Bernie.
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Of course it’s charter schools. “Ed reform” consists of nothing else besides charter schools.
If putting in 45% charters didn’t work, the solution is (of course) 100% charters.
Where DON’T they do this? Is there a place “charters” isn’t ed reform’s answer to every problem?
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For greedy people, there is never enough.
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It’ll happen in Los Angeles too. Once it’s 45% charters the solution will be 100% charters. Less than 100% is never “enough” privatization, because UNTIL it’s 100% there will be no solution offered other than privatization. They can pick privatization or privatization, basically.
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The vultures are circling the slain DPS. Snyder and cronies will serve up the students to the Koch brothers. It just seems that too many states are abrogating their responsibilities to their citizens.
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YES. After many long years of watching how school reform invasions depend ever-more-obviously on a school “innovation” funding, the whole educational accountability system has turned into vultures. Vultures which endlessly circle overhead looking for weaknesses….
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In the latest issue of “NYSUT United” there is an interesting article about how Buffalo is fighting receivership in the courts. Buffalo does not want to become the next Detroit. NYSUT may be a day late and a dollar short, but they are finally willing to challenge unfair rulings in court. Receivership is one step above the big charter carve up and sell off when the state throws up its hands in poor communities and show it does not have the appetite to govern. More unions and communities should fight back, and call states out on their failure to adequately fund public schools. http://www.nysut.org/news/nysut-united/issues/2016/march-2016/lawsuit-targets-receivership-ruling
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