Saturday, March 18, 2017

Detroit: It Makes No Sense

Detroit schools are a mess. The state has gutted them through charter competition, a lack of funding, and an emergency manager that castrated all the powers of the elected school board.

Over the last several years, continuing now, those of us who work in public education and are part of advocacy groups know about the dilapidated schools, the broken plumbing, the mold in bathrooms, hallways, and classrooms, the roof leaks that require children to wear raincoats during inclement weather. Detroit teachers have struck, protested, and received threats of termination in response.

Detroit?

Something doesn't make sense. Here is some background:

http://detroitk12.org/content/2017/03/15/dpscd-board-voted-to-sue-states-sro/

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/01/23/detroit-schools/96971270/

http://www.freep.com/story/news/education/2017/01/25/close-failing-detroit-schools-what-parents-do/97003616/

https://news.vice.com/story/school-choice-detroit-betsy-devos

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/01/20/how-appalling-are-conditions-in-detroit-public-schools-this-appalling/?utm_term=.245c403e3210

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2016/01/more_than_100_photos_of_mice_l.html

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2016/01/14/detroit-schools-problems/78804118/

News about Detroit has always made me glad that our schools, despite their challenges and age, have not deteriorated to that point. That we still have local control through an elected school board that hires our superintendent. That our parents still have the option of sending their children to a neighborhood school secure in the knowledge that they will be sheltered from the elements, fed, have a textbook, and transportation.

Detroit? Why would Dr. Vitti leave Jacksonville for that mess?

I am working on a perspective to appear later. But I wanted to ask the question. Might it be some other goal is sought and we will learn in a few days that he has dropped out of consideration?

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