A dagger aimed at the heart of public education

Rob Glass:

Editor's note:
The following is excerpted from "an urgent call to action" the superintendent of Bloomfield Hills Schools dispatched to parents and residents in his public school district this week.)

A package of bills designed to corporatize and dismantle public education is being hastily pushed through this current lame-duck legislative session. If we do not take immediate action, I believe great damage will be done to public education, including our school system.

We have just three weeks to take action before it's too late. The bills are:

House Bill 6004 and Senate Bill 1358: Would expand a separate and statewide school district (the Education Achievement Authority) overseen by a governor-appointed chancellor and functioning outside the authority of the State Board of Education or state school superintendent. These schools are exempt from the same laws and quality measures of community-governed public schools. The EAA can seize unused school buildings (built and financed by local taxpayers) and force sale or lease to charter, nonpublic or EAA schools.

Bloomfield Hills' 2013 budget is $82,233,213 for 6,772 students, or $12,143/student. Madison plans to spend $15,132/student during the 2012-2013 school year.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at December 5, 2012 2:32 AM
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