Democrats to Snyder: Don't close our low-performing schools
WASHINGTON Michigans five Democratic members of the U.S. House asked Gov. Rick Snyder today to block the Michigan School Reform Office from forcing as many as 38 schools across the state to close because of consistently poor academic performance.
As the Free Press reported last month, the state School Reform Office (SRO) released a list of schools including two dozen located in Detroit that were ranked in the bottom 5% for academic performance for 2014, 2015 and 2016, meaning they could be closed under state law.
We ask that the state not close any schools without consultation and input from the local community. Not only is that type of collaboration required by federal law, it is also what local parents are demanding and what is best for our children, said the letter to Snyder.
Signing the letter were U.S. Reps. Dan Kildee of Flint Township, John Conyers of Detroit, Sander Levin of Royal Oak, Debbie Dingell of Dearborn and Brenda Lawrence of Southfield, who called the potential closings a short-sighted measure that will have detrimental impacts on students.
Read more: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/02/21/snyder-school-closures-michigan-detroit/98200844/