Bobb's New Plan: Two Systems (Detroit and New Orleans school systems discussed)

[Starry Messenger]

http://michigancitizen.com/bobbs-new-plan-two-systems-p9078-1.htm

DETROIT — On Nov. 15, DPS Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb will present a “Preferred” deficit elimination plan to the governor, state lawmakers and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The plan comes with a threat.

“It will be essential that this transition plan, once finally developed, prevails if we are to avoid the extremely draconian measures outlined in Plan B,” Bobb writes in his 2010-2011 Deficit Elimination Plan Narrative (Click on ‘Bobb’s New Plan’ at michigancitizen.com.

Those “draconian measures” include increasing class sizes by crowding 62 high school students into each classroom; closing 70 more schools; selling district real estate; outsourcing and consolidating duties including accounting, payroll, risk management, and purchasing, with the city of Detroit.

<snip>

Like Detroit, parents and community had little to say about the restructuring of the New Orleans district that was completely shut down — all personnel fired and forced to reapply — after Hurricane Katrina, Flaherty notes.

New Orleans residents want a say in their schools, Flaherty says.

“People want more control over their school system. Pre-Katrina there was 128 public schools in the city,” Flaherty says. “A hundred and twenty-four of them were under control of the New Orleans school board, which was some form of elected management over the system. Now five schools are under the control of that school board, and the rest are either under state control or under control of these charters, with very little oversight and control to the people of New Orleans. ... What’s wrong with the people of New Orleans that they shouldn’t be allowed to have elected control over their school system?”

Flaherty says the New Orleans style system — dubbed the first 100 percent free-market education system in the country — is being exported all over the world and the country.

If Bobb gets his way, it appears Detroit will follow suit.

[maryf]

1. “Preferred” deficit elimination plan

is this a euphemism for profit loss control? those damn teachers and books cost so much and what do the kids need to know anyway? pushing buttons, whether on a cash register or weapon is all the education they need...:sarcasm: on edit K&R of course

[Starry Messenger]

4. Especially since Bobb ran up the debt instead of reducing it like he was hired to do.

Ostensibly anyway. Where did the money go then?

Gov. Jennifer Granholm sent Bobb to take over the districts finances, encumbered with a $230 million debt created by the first state takeover. Under Bobb, the debt has inflated another $120 million

“There’s no way we’re ever going to eliminate . It’s a fake issue. It’s always going to exist unless we attract 50,000 more students,” Adams said.

[donco6]

2. When is it "taxation without representation"?

Charter boards are not publicly elected. Usually, they choose some parents of kids in the school - and often those are appointed by administration. If the charter is receiving taxpayer dollars, where's the representation part?

[Starry Messenger]

5. I don't get it either donco6.

It especially chaps my ass to know these unrepresented schools are now being touted as "public". Did the world forget what that word actually means sometime in the last two decades?

[dkf]

3. How do you fit 62 kids into one classroom?

That sounds like a fire safety violation to me. How ridiculous.

[TBF]

6. Maybe they'll do away with classrooms.

you know, just put in a gymnasium and run teaching movies on a screen.

I really shouldn't even say that - some "reformer" will think it's a good plan ...

[Starry Messenger]

7. It's probably already been floated.

"No Idea Too Awful" seems to be the slogan. I just saw Catshrink mention in another thread that an admin suggested large scale "lecture hall" classes for high schoolers, you know "to get them ready for college". Who are these people? Some of the reformers could be Dickens villains they are out of touch, and it would be funny if they weren't real people in positions of power.

[donco6]

8. LOL! Yes, Dickens villains is exactly right.

"If those gosh-dern chilluns ain't learnin', we'll just beat the learnin' into 'em!"

[Starry Messenger]

10. Exactly!

I've been thinking about Wackford Squeers from Nicholas Nickleby, who pocketed the fees from parents and kept his students in austere conditions while his family enriched themselves.



I'm sure he really cared about children though. :sarcasm:

[donco6]

11. He was just preparing them for the real world, after all. n/t

[Gabi Hayes]

9. sooner, not later:

[Starry Messenger]

12. It's a tragic vision.

So many wonderful things are possible with public education in this country if they would fund it properly. The technocrats must hate that fact, they sure seem to love their fascist vision of assembly line schooling.

[Starry Messenger]

13. Detroit Students: Classes Are Crowded

http://www.clickondetroit.com/education/25025165/detail.html

DETROIT -- Some Detroit students said their biggest challenge isn't the homework they're assigned, but where to find a seat in their classrooms.

Mumford High School senior Glen Miller is taking college-level chemistry, and said seats are hard to find because there's nearly 60 students in the class.

"It's like a race to get up there, and if you don't have a seat, you're just standing there for the whole hour. It's just tough," Miller said. "It's hard to see the board because everybody is in the way and I can't really focus on my work."

<snip>

Bobb admitted student numbers in some classrooms might be high, but said there isn't a single classroom with as many as 60.

"We don't have a classroom, that I'm aware of, in our high schools -- other than the auditorium-- that can seat 60 kids," he said.

How the hell would he know, has he gone to the schools and done a head count?? The arrogance of the school reformers is crystallized in that one statement. If he thinks something couldn't happen, then it isn't happening. Don't listen to the students, ignore the teachers--just go by truthiness and everything must be hunky dory.

[Starry Messenger]

14. k

[maryf]

15. Besides

the kids implied there aren't enough seats, so he may be right there isn't a classroom with 60 seats, but 60 kids he doesn't deny?

[Starry Messenger]

16. Good catch.

:thumbsup: