It appears that the state House may vote on HB 4369, legislation that would expand the State school reform/redesign (SSRR) school district (which includes the EAA), today or in the very near future, perhaps even yet today. Word I have been getting is that the bill has changed since the Senate passed it. In response to this movement, State Board […]

Cold-hearted is as cold-hearted does One of the things at the top of the GOP’s “to do” list is “Dump Kerry Bentivolio”. Bentivolio is the Congressman from Michigan’s 11th Congressional District and has some of the most *ahem* interesting views about the role of government you’re likely to encounter. The GOP needs him gone. Enter David Trott, wealthy foreclosure specialist. […]

“I can’t hear you with all these facts I don’t believe in in the way…” The following post is by my friend Emma White, a specialist in communications and messaging. In the wake of the epic fail of the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity ad featuring Dexter, Michigan resident Julie Boonstra, Emma’s observations & commentary on the difficulty of using […]

The following letter was sent to the Education Achievement Authority administration by a teacher who very recently resigned. In it, they describe additional outrageous conditions inside the EAA. Since providing me with this letter, they also informed me they were contacted by a teacher who told them that students are being prepped for the forum at Eastern Michigan University today. […]

The G-7 countries issued a joint statement this morning warning Russia to back off in Crimea. In the statement they say, in no uncertain terms, that they will not recognize Crimea returning to Russian control if the proposed referendum passes. Their statement makes it clear that, with Russian soldiers patroling the streets in Crimea, if the referendum passes, it will […]

The EAA isn’t the only experiment being conducted on Detroit children In all of the sturm und drang over Republican Governor Rick Snyder’s Educational Achievement Authority experiment with Detroit children, it’s easy to forget about the other experiment they are part of: state control of the Detroit Public Schools by an Emergency Manager. I’ve written reams on this topic but […]

In addition to the multiple other education-related events happening in Michigan this week (details on the others HERE), the group Michigan for Public Education is holding its quarterly speakers meeting this Friday, March 14. This event will host three outstanding speakers covering an array of topics related to protecting our public education system in Michigan: David Arsen, Ph.D. from MSU […]

“It can’t be true…I personally do not believe that.” My home town of Dexter has been in the national news a bit lately. It started when Congressman Tim “the Original Tea Partier” Walberg invited a resident of our Stars Hollow-like village, Julie Boonstra, to be his guest at President Obama’s State of the Union address as a “victim of Obamacare”. […]

Historic downtown Chelsea As you look at the photo of downtown Chelsea above, imagine 80 gravel trucks a day, 6 days a week rumbling through the middle of it and then back again after they dumped their load. That’s one truck every 4 minutes during daylight hours and that’s the reality of what will happen if McCoig Gravel, a subsidiary […]

Many Eastern Michigan University faculty and students, particularly those in the College of Education, have been pushing the EMU regents to immediately end their partnership with Governor Snyder’s failed experiment with Detroit students known as the Education Achievement Authority. Professor Stephen Wellinski has created a petition which you can sign HERE to show your support. Dr. Wellinski has put together […]

It’s going to take actual leadership to fill all of these Snyderholes Anyone driving in Michigan these days knows that this is an epic year for potholes. The frightening part about it is that the daytime thawing followed by nighttime freezing that is the most significant contributor to potholes is only just now underway. If you think things are bad […]