this is a budget issue but also a conflict building between the governing powers and authority of the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch, all walking towards a conflict/confrontation with local government--school districts. Now through in parents and students and you have a huge "food fight".
Column: Gov, tear down these schools | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Sunday, January 16, 2011
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The metaphor of a food fight to describe the current situation in the Detroit public schools is spot on: it is downright ugly and Bobb's initial promise to get DPS "back on track" has not come to fruition in any sense of the word. Finley's suggestions, however, have me worried. His solution? Contract schools.
ReplyDelete"The only way to fix an urban district is to move it away from an operating model and toward a management model. In other words, instead of DPS running schools, the district should oversee a portfolio of schools that are actually run by contractors. The operators would be selected from a list of education providers with a proven record of success."
While I agree that our public school system that models a factory is antiquated and failing, the push for privatization brings up some serious concerns about agenda, accountability, availability and actual (non-high stakes testing) progress. A lot of people are throwing out solutions and "guarantees" to fix the 'problem' that is the DPS district but the possibility of a New Orleans or Washington, D.C. repeat weighs heavy on my mind. A quick-fix or a sharp budget-cut just isn't going to cut it.