school choice

[Charles Brown]

Charter schools are a very big project of Michigan's Governor, John "Hitler" Engler (nationally infamous for his welfare deform model, cheered by Clinton) . We have a number of charter schools in Detroit. My understanding is that they are not private schools exactly, or at least they can't be run for profit. They do avoid the teachers' unions, though they are administratively tied to Central Michigan University , a public school,  or to local school boards.  The failing of them may be that it is not that easy to just start and run a school. So far their test scores are lower than the regular schools. 

The biggest funk going on now is that Engler is getting a law passed to abolish the elected school board in Detroit and have the Mayor appoint a school board. This is the result of a Republican juggernaut in state government , which is similar to what Frances Bolton mentioned regarding Florida. I think the ruined family farmers and laidoff autoworkers outstate have turned semi-fascist in their alienation ( Michigan was reported as having the nations largest militia membership at the time of the McVeigh massacre. What is to be done ?

Oh, of course the social fascists in Lansing, the state capital, are introducing death penalty legislation.

Charles Brown


>>> <digloria at mindspring.com> 03/16/99 03:08PM >>>
At 02:34 PM 3/16/99 -0500, you wrote:
>
>Charter schools are proliferating now.  Vouchers are less
>widespread, and private management even less so.
>
>Charter schools mean a business or non-profit can apply for a
>license to run a school with public funds.  The charter specifies
>what, if anything, the school is obliged to do.

McDonaldization is still an option is either case.

kelley

"jesus was a freak; 
king kong was a freak;
just gimme a freak"