Charter Schools created in Michigan--again.

[MichiganVote]

Highland Park school district goes charter

Another Michigan public school district has chosen to sell its schools to the lowest charter company bidder. Highland Park school district will become the second charter school district, following the lead of Muskegon Heights schools.

According to Joyce Parker, Highland Park schools Emergency Manager, turning the school district over to a charter school management company is the only way to allow students to attend school in the fall. Facing an $11.3 million deficit, the Governor declared a financial emergency in January.

As in Muskegon Heights, the current district will exist only in a financial sense to pay off the debt. The new charter school management company will use state funding to provide educational programs for students.

Bids will be going out this week with plans to have a management company in place by mid-July.
Two charter school companies vie for Muskegon Heights schools

By the end of this week, Muskegon Heights Public Schools Emergency Manager Don Weatherspoon will have sold the entire school district to one of two for-profit charter school management companies--Leona Group or Mosaica Education. It's an unprecedented move to eliminate the district's $12.4 million debt and it signals the end to traditional public education for more than 1,400 students in Muskegon Heights.

The current school district would no longer exist, but would still have to pay off the debt using its local millage, a 3 percent fee from the charter school company, rent from its buildings and whatever other means the state Department of Education and Treasury approve. The charter school would be in charge of educating children and receive the district's $7,397 per-pupil funding, but the school district would oversee the operations of the charter school company.

http://www.mea.org/two-charter-school-companies-vie-muskegon-heights-schools

[demmiblue]

1. This is truly scary stuff.

What the hell is happening to our state?!

[MichiganVote]

3. We'll be Lousiana before you know it. DeVos salivates for vouchers for religious schools.

[HockeyMom]

2. If a parent doesn't want to send their kid to a FOR PROFIT Charter

what are they supposed to do?

[MichiganVote]

4. Good question. If surrounding schools are not school of choice-which means

that you have to provide your own transportation-shit out of luck. If you read Charter school scenarios in other parts of the country, you'll note that they charge fees, routinely screen out or expel kids with differences and they also do not hold regular board meetings.

[theaocp]

5. My district is right up the bus route and is school of choice

I've heard rumblings about Highland Park kids, since transportation is better to and from us in Madison Heights. Oddly enough, I used to teach at a charter school in Highland Park. Those folks literally stole money from me for work I performed and then went to Vegas and partied. At the time, they were under Mosaica (don't get me started on those clowns) and eventually kicked THEM to the curb. I don't know who they're with now. What a mess.

[MichiganVote]

6. Charters hire a lot of the loser admin. or retiree admin, this will change as new grads

go for the admin. degrees. Then-bedlam will arrive.

[d_r]

7. Emergency Manager

Remember that the republicans put in those "emergency managers" and this is the kind of thing they are doing - privatizing public education. Privatized education is the dream of the right wing.

[MichiganVote]

8. yeah well now its our reality