Archive | Rick Snyder RSS feed for this section

VIDEO: Progress Michigan goes after ‘skunk works’ group working to commoditize/profitize Michigan public schools

By on May 16, 2013 in Corporatism, Education, Privatization, Rick Snyder

Ooo-ooo, that smell…

Last month, after the Detroit News tore back the curtains on the secretive “skunk works” group, staffed by some of Gov. Snyder’s aides and aimed at destroying our public school system while funneling the proceeds to for-profit charter schools, the group was quickly reconfigured to be one that was more, shall we say, public? The Governor’s staffer was replaced with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan who vowed any discussion of vouchers and the like would be “off the table”.

My pals at Progress Michigan endeavored to learn more about the group with a Freedom of Information Act request but were, in part, denied because “the Basecamp server that housed ‘Skunk Works’ discussions and files was shut down following the revelation of the group’s existence, making several files unavailable.”

They did receive some documents however.…


Read full story • Comments { 2 }

A majority of Michiganders support marriage equality — up 12.5 percent from last year

By on May 16, 2013 in Rick Snyder

This is what a blue state state looks like

56.8 percent of Michigan residents support same-sex marriage, according to a new poll from the Glengariff Group. That’s up 12.5 percent from a year ago largely due to a shift in the views of Republicans and independents.

In 2004, the state approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, even as it voted for John Kerry.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a policy question move as quickly as this one,” said Richard Czuba, president of Glengariff.

On the heels of Minnesota becoming the 12th state to legalize equal marriage, it seems that a candidate named “same-sex marriage” would easily beat Republican Governor Rick Snyder in a head-to-head match-up.…


Read full story • Comments { 0 }

State of Michigan finally gets its priorities straight, releases funds to reopen Buena Vista schools

By on May 15, 2013 in Education, Rick Snyder

Facing withering criticism from all fronts, the Snyder administration finally sorted out its priorities and has released money to reopen the Buena Vista schools that have been closed due to lack of funds.

Details along with a statement from Congressman Dan Kildee await you after the jump.


Read full story • Comments { 4 }

The State of Michigan steps in to save Buena Vista schools. Oh, wait. No they didn’t.

By on May 14, 2013 in Education, GOPocrisy, Pontiac, Republican-Fail, Rick Snyder

We regret the error

While the State of Michigan has stepped in to save the failing Pontiac schools from closing its doors due to lack of funding, they have NOT done this for Buena Vista schools. Rather, the federal government has, albeit in an absurdly lame fashion. The school is closed for the remainder of the school year but the feds are providing money for a voluntary “enhanced skills camp”.

Much more including video of Congressman Dan Kildee speaking about this issue on last night’s All In With Chris Hayes on MSNBC.


Read full story • Comments { 2 }

Day 4: Buena Vista schools still closed due to lack of funds. Why hasn’t Governor Snyder acted?

By on May 10, 2013 in Education, Michigan Republicans, Rick Snyder

Just not raining hard enough in Buena Vista Township, I guess…

This is front page of the Buena Vista School District website this morning. While it says that school will be closed on Thursday, apparently nobody has been to work yet today, either, because the school is still closed today. This is the fourth day the school has been closed because it has no money to pay teachers and staff.

This is truly outrageous. Where is Governor Snyder in all of this? Why is he waiting and allowing this to go on?

It’s gotten so bad the Congressman Dan Kildee has weighed in (and not subtly):

Gov.…

Read full story • Comments { 3 }

Politico: Polling shows Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder vulnerable if Mark Schauer runs

By on May 7, 2013 in Mark Schauer, Michigan, Rick Snyder

Why don’t we like thee, Governor? Let me count the ways…

Recent polling conducted for the Democratic Governors Association and leaked to Politico.com shows Mark Schauer with a lead over Rick Snyder.

Details and more await you just a click away


Read full story • Comments { 7 }

Will a cyber school website ever be a champion for our students or make a difference in their lives?

By on May 6, 2013 in Corporatism, Education, Michigan Republicans, Rick Snyder, Teachers

That’s not a relationship built for education

Last year, Michigan’s Republican-dominated legislature passed a bill that was then signed into law by Governor Snyder that expands cyber schools in our state. Michigan already has nearly a quarter of the county’s charter schools and upwards of 80% of them are for-profit, run by corporations who make decisions based on their impact on the corporate profit statement.

I’ve been concerned about this ever since the law was passed because cyber schools rob our children of the human contact and relationships that are essential for helping them become happy, productive adults with the social skills needed to be successful. The bill was, ironically, part of a package of bills the Republicans, without a trace of irony, called Parent Empowerment Education Reform (PEER.) Except that kids who “attend” cyber schools won’t actually have any peers, at least not the kind of peer you can interact directly with.

Rita Pierson is an educator who feels deeply about this topic. A teacher for 40-years, she has come to see the essential value of the relationships teachers develop with their students. She gave a TED Talk recently where she speaks in direct terms about this topic and her message is one legislators in Michigan would benefit from hearing.

Watch it after the jump.


Read full story • Comments { 4 }

Secret school reform group works to design a for-profit school model with Governor Snyder’s blessing

By on April 20, 2013 in Corporatism, Education, Privatization, Rick Snyder

Okay, this stinks

Here’s the thing about the idea of giving Michigan parents vouchers to use at any school, public or private, to educate their kids: it’s unconstitutional. Twice in the past 35 years Michigan voters have shot down ballot proposals to allow the funneling of tax dollars into private, non-public schools. This, of course, doesn’t stop corporatist groups and individuals like the Mackinac Center or the DeVos family for pushing endlessly for a school voucher system and the shifting of tax money earmarked for education into for-profit corporations.

This past week the Detroit News did some fantastic investigative journalism and reported that a group of school reformers, a self-dubbed “skunk works”, has been meeting in secret with the Governor’s blessing to form a new sort of private school where kids will be educated on the cheap using a for-profit model and it will be paid for with vouchers. The best part? No educators are part of the group.

Details after the jump.


Read full story • Comments { 11 }

Mich House Republicans vote to throw over 200K Michiganders off food assistance (& that’s only part of it)

By on April 9, 2013 in Michigan Republicans, Rick Snyder

“Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget and I’ll tell you what you value”

Earlier today I wrote about the budget priorities of the Michigan House Democrats. In that piece I wrote, “In stark contrast to our far-right ideological Republicans and our corporatist Governor, the Democrats’ priorities reflect concern and care for middle class families, children and seniors. Their budget is a sincere reflection of their values.”

Little did I know that just a few hours later, House Republicans would show their values. It’s a very ugly thing to behold.

All the gory details after the jump.


Read full story • Comments { 11 }

Michigan House Dems announce their budget priorities – Shift $1.5 billion back to middle class families

By on April 9, 2013 in Education, Michigan Democrats, Michigan Republicans, Rick Snyder

“Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget and I’ll tell you what you value”

This week the Michigan House Democrats revealed their budget priorities for the year. In stark contrast to our far-right ideological Republicans and our corporatist Governor, the Democrats’ priorities reflect concern and care for middle class families, children and seniors. Their budget is a sincere reflection of their values. By the same token, Republicans show what they value as they work to eviscerate public education, demonize teachers and other public employees, raise taxes on the majority of middle class Michiganders and cut taxes for corporations by an astonishing $2 billion.

Get the details after the jump.


Read full story • Comments { 1 }
eXTReMe Tracker