Years of debt have cast a dark shroud over Detroit public schools. Lack of funds due to corruption and mismanagement have led schools to close, teachers to protest by calling out sick and deficits to rise as enrollment continue to fall.
Governor Rick Snyder rejoices on the middle of all the hullabaloo as the House and Senate successfully passed bills that aim to pick Detroit from the ashes and help it rise again. The bills were heavily favored by the Republicans that Democrats were in opposed of because according to the latter, these are "inadequate" and "politically motivated" (via CNN).
The bills in question passed the Senate with a 19-18 vote on Wednesday that was followed by a 55-54 decision from the House, both of which are controlled by Republicans. It is now waiting for Governor Snyder's signature who has recently applauded the passed bills as a "fresh start" for Detroit public schools.
The new bills propose a $150 million budget to build a new Detroit school district that would be active in educating students while the old district would remain alive to collect taxes and reach the half a billion worth of debt it has incurred since 2009. The school board that would be in charge of officiating operations in the new district will be elected while the overseer of finances would be a commission appointed by the state (via Local 4-ClickOnDetroit).
AFT Michigan, Detroit Federation of Teachers released a statement thereafter, urging Governor Rick Snyder to veto the bills. While the group recognizes that the new plan would provide more resources and returns the power of electing the governing board to the people, it shows "an utter disregard for children's futures because "it does not meet the needs of students and attacks educators."
While the House bills pay down the debt that accumulated at DPS under state control and provides for DPS employees to keep their jobs and their union representation, the package as a whole does not prioritize adequate financial investment in the district.
The bills raise the stakes of standardized testing, which waters down education to multiple-choice answers, while, ironically, at the same time Congress in minimizing the role of this type of testing," the AFT Michigan statement says.
As per WZZM 13, Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive disagrees, saying "This represents a realistic compromise for a path to the future. At the end of the day, our responsibility is to solve the problem. Without legislative action, the Detroit Public Schools would head toward bankruptcy, which would cost billions of dollars and cost every student in every district in Michigan."
In a statement as quoted by WZZM 13, Governor Snyder says, "This is a new Detroit Public School district. The debt will be gone. The emergency managers will no longer be needed. Local control will be restored, so that new leaders for the district can be chosen this fall by Detroit voters."
The Senate-approved bill is an upgrade of an earlier bill passed by the House. The House plan did not include a Detroit Education Commission (DEC) that would rule parts of the charter and other public schools in the new district. The latter was endorsed by Governor Snyder himself and had a bi-partisan vote in the Senate as well as Democrat votes from the House (via WZZM 13).
Do you agree with Governor Snyder that the bill would help Detroit public schools to rise above its debts and start anew? Comment below your thoughts and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
