Senate Bill 618 and 624 headed out of committe today for a full vote by the Senate. These bills would allow districts to bid out your services to private companies i.e. teaching by lowest bidder, lift the cap on charter schools, mandate schools of choice, and divert public monies to dual enrollment and virtual education programs (cyber schools) for private and home school students.
Gary Miron, Western Michigan University education professor and national charter school expert, and Barbara Bonsignore, the Public Policy Director of Michigan AAUW, gave testimony against lifting the cap on charter schools and if districts were allowed to outsource teachers they would become nothing but " corporate or franchise schools (think of "McDonald's School of Higher Learning").
Sen. Pavlov (R-St Clair) and Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R-Canton) were not impressed. Pavlov felt charter schools were accountable to the communities they were in and Colbeck did not believe "profits" were evil.
Riiiight, and Bill Gates is the Wizard of Oz!!
Call Sen. Howard Walker (R-Traverse City) NOW!! Tell him to vote NO on SB 618 and 624
But wait, there's more!
The House today introduced a four-bill package (HB 5023-5026) that deals with strikes, picketing, dues deduction and the hiring of scabs.
For crying out loud!! We already have laws on the books dealing with this stuff. Here's a novel idea, how about they deal with the 11.2% unemployment rate in our state; how about the Republicans deal with the rising poverty rate among children in Michigan.
I forgot, those are too tough to tackle.
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