Detroit Schools Closing: Michigan Officials Order Robert Bobb To Shut Half The City's Schools

[Starry Messenger]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/21/detroit-schools-closing_n_826007.html

DETROIT (AP) -- State education officials have ordered the emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools to immediately implement a plan that balances the district's books by closing half its schools.

The Detroit News says the financial restructuring plan will increase high school class sizes to 60 students and consolidate operations.

A fucking disaster. This is where the bailouts should have happened, not on Wall Street.

[Bluebear]

1. 'This is where the bailouts should have happened, not on Wall Street.'

Oh, you professional left people. What's 60 per class? Let's go for 90!

:eyes:

[Starry Messenger]

6. I've seen the articles that advocate that.

It's sick. "It's just like teaching a college class" they say. lol. I have 35 teenagers per class already, on the best day I'm lucky if I only have to ignore one or two of them. They are *children*.

[demmiblue]

12. Oh, and fuck all those damn charters schools that are popping up all over the place

promising to be the fucking magical pill, while leaving these poor children behind.

The least among us, my ass.


*Pardon the French, but this pisses me off! :grr:

[Starry Messenger]

13. It's the manufactured crisis, on steroids.

It really pisses me the fuck off too. Will there be a resistance? I hope so. Detroit was the jewel in the crown for the working class of this country. They don't deserve this travesty.

[demmiblue]

14. Whoops, I posted my rant in the wrong place!

I hope there will be resistance... Detroit parents can be very vocal.

I love Detroit, even though I don't live there. I hope there is a future for that great city. :cry:


edit:sp

[Tatiana]

2. I don't think there are classrooms that will fit that many kids.

How do you teach a microbiology lab with SIXTY freaking kids?

Basically, you're reducing the options for high school students and saddling teachers with unmanageable course loads.

This is horrible. Instead of "Race to the Top " we needed to have been helping school districts deal with the horrible economic downturn.

[Starry Messenger]

16. I don't know Tatiana.

It's a complete nightmare. There are going to be kids sitting on the floors. Can this even be legal?

[Tatiana]

17. Actually, it may not be if you consider special education students.

I can't see how having up to 60 students in a classroom constitutes a free and appropriate public education.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. They abuse FAPE in every state on the country

FAPE is a joke anymore. Unless a parent has the money to file a lawsuit, they can't really challenge FAPE.

[Windy]

3. this is what happens when a republican governor takes the helm....

screw the poor.

[sufrommich]

4. They're also privatizing custodians,bus drivers and

maintenance workers, that's over 800 people losing their union jobs.

[Windy]

5. My sister in law works for Macomb county.... they are going to privitize IS

from what she is hearing. She will lose her job as well.

[sufrommich]

9. Yep, Farmington is going the same route. My sympathies to your

sister in law.

[demmiblue]

7. Gee... that will increase the beloved test scores and reduce dropout rates...

:sarcasm:

What a fucking disgrace.

[Arugula Latte]

8. Detroit will be the first major American city to become a ruin

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. New Orleans already has that crown

[Arugula Latte]

22. Well, I thought of that, but I think New Orleans will hang in there

It will never be the same, and it will be smaller for some time, but I don't think it will be largely boarded up forever, because there is a tourist draw there which Detroit lacks. (That's to say, yes, a good chunk of New Orleans will be boarded up for a long time, but I think there will still be a vibrant city surviving ... Detroit, I fear, will just keep shrinking and shrinking.)

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. The school system is gone though

That's what I was thinking of. And of course you are correct about the city as a whole. :)

[Initech]

10. Instead of republicans vs education, I like to think of this as:

People who don't think vs the rest of us.

[Starry Messenger]

11. *cough*

I hate to point this out, but Bobb was appointed by Gov. Granholm, the outgoing Democratic governor. He's been there for a couple of years, "fixing things". I guess it didn't work.

[blindpig]

15. Well, that ought to improve those test grades.

And how many of these managers/administrators will be sending their children there?

[Starry Messenger]

19. Seriously.

Their kids probably all go to private schools.

The situation in DPS will become so untenable, parents will be running for the charter schools. It's more or less what happened in New Orleans, only the hurricane destroyed the schools, not an over-paid flunky.

[leftstreet]

18. K&R

:cry:

[LooseWilly]

23. k&r

[Starry Messenger]

25. kick.