Category: Education

Newly-hired Michigan elementary school guard leaves gun in school restroom

Newly-hired Michigan elementary school guard leaves gun in school restroom

Oops

The National Gun Fetishist Association (NRA) wants to put armed security guards in every school in the United States because, as everyone knows, the only effective solution to gun violence is many, many more guns in our schools.

Besides, c’mon. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, in a word, THIS.

Find out what “this” is after the jump.

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Michigan’s failing schools chief finds he can’t educate kids at current funding levels

Michigan’s failing schools chief finds he can’t educate kids at current funding levels

Hmmm…imagine that

One of my favorite up-and-coming bloggers, Amy Kerr Hardin, has a piece up right now at her site Democracy Tree that shows the incredible hypocrisy behind Michigan Republicans’ efforts to “reform” Michigan schools. The piece, “Education Achievement Authority — NOT Fiscally Responsible”, shows that John Covington, the Chancellor of the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan, has applied for and received millions of dollars in federal grants in order to fund the EAA’s efforts to fix Michigan’s poorest performing schools. Seems he has found that the current level of per-pupil funding is inadequate.

Much more after the jump.

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StudentsFirst boldly decides to support veto of Michigan guns-in-schools bill AFTER it is vetoed

StudentsFirst boldly decides to support veto of Michigan guns-in-schools bill AFTER it is vetoed

Fearlessly leading from the rear… After the Republican-led Michigan legislature passed S.B. 59 – the so-called guns-in-schools-and-daycares bill — the Huffington Post asked anti-teachers union group StudentsFirst if they supported this legislation that would allow the carrying of concealed weapons in schools. It’s a fair question, right? If they truly DO put students first, a dubious claim at best given […]

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How much would you pay someone to take a bullet for your child?

How much would you pay someone to take a bullet for your child?

Why would you hire a greedy parasite to watch and teach your children all day?

Teaching is a tough profession. It has always been, but lately it has become so much tougher thanks to the anti-union attacks teachers and other public employees. It’s becoming harder and harder to understand why anyone would want to be a public school teacher these days.

The anti-union attacks on teachers have been around for decades, starting with idea that teachers get paid a full-time salary but really don’t work full-time; that their cushy workdays end at 3:00 and they have summers off. This is a very shortsighted view and, if you know anyone who teaches, you know how hard they work and how much of that work goes well past 3:00 and the month of May. Often the lines between their personal life and professional life are blurred. To most teachers, teaching is really a calling more than a job.

And yet, we treat these treat these everyday heroes as if they are not worthy of our respect.

Much more after the jump.

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UPDATED: Michigan GOP education “reform” drawing fire from across the state, Muskegon Hts. charter failing miserably

UPDATED: Michigan GOP education “reform” drawing fire from across the state, Muskegon Hts. charter failing miserably

Rushing through an ideological experiment because they can — not because it’s smart Michigan Republicans have embarked on what they are calling “reform” of our state’s K-12 school system. They are rushing to implement plans long proposed by conservative, anti-teacher groups like the Mackinac Center for Public Policy with laws that would increase the number of charter schools, impeded the […]

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Michigan Republicans move to privatize public education under the guise of “reform”

Michigan Republicans move to privatize public education under the guise of “reform”

This is a Big Government takeover, Republican style. Period.

Although many of us here in Michigan have been fearful regarding what the Republicans in our state legislature would do during the lame duck session which lasts for the next three weeks, few of us envisioned the draconian steps they would take to hand over the education of our kids to private, for-profit corporations and destroy our public school system once and for all. That is, however, exactly what they plan to do.

A new package of bills is making its way through the legislature (there’s an Education Committee meeting on them today, in fact) that will all but end public education as we know it in Michigan. The bills, House Bill 6004 and Senate Bill 1358, House Bill 5923, and Senate Bill 620 are revolutionary and are so far-reaching/over-reaching that school superintendents and other administrators across the state are sounding alarm bells far and wide.

All the gruesome details after the jump.

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UAW pulls endorsement for Rep. Maureen Stapleton, gives support to Rashida Tlaib

UAW pulls endorsement for Rep. Maureen Stapleton, gives support to Rashida Tlaib

The Students First kiss of death

State Representative Maureen Stapleton had received the UAW endorsement for the newly drawn 6th House district seat as a Democrat. However, thanks to a “kiss of death” endorsement by Michelle Rhee’s anti-teacher, pro-charter schools group Students First, they have withdrawn their endorsement and are throwing their support behind Rashida Tlaib, instead.

Details after the jump.

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“Get on the Bus” with University of Michigan regent candidate Mark Bernstein

“Get on the Bus” with University of Michigan regent candidate Mark Bernstein

Get on the Bus!

In March of this year, Mark Bernstein, candidate for regent of the University of Michigan, was endorsed by the Michigan Democratic Party at their 2012 Endorsement Convention. I have met and talked at length with Mark and I’m thrilled that he’s our candidate this year. He’s a solid progressive with a big heart and a strong interest in helping keep college costs down for Michigan students.

Mark’s team recently purchased a 20-year old school bus from the South Redford Public School District, painted it up with his campaign logo & graphics and set out on a statewide “Make College Affordable Tour”. After the jump is a video his team put together about the process and about Mark’s tour, an Eclectablog exclusive!

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New vote on Michigan cyberschools TODAY – CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

New vote on Michigan cyberschools TODAY – CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

You don’t always get a second chance like this

Last month, in a post titled “Cyber schools: A for-profit model designed to destroy our public school system & benefit corporations”, I wrote about the effort by Michigan Republicans to dramatically expand cyber schools in our state, an effort that is yet another step in destroying our public school system.

This is from the fine folks at We Are the People Michigan…

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Mitt Romney: Pander bear to young Americans – Romney v. Obama on controlling student loan debt

Mitt Romney: Pander bear to young Americans – Romney v. Obama on controlling student loan debt

You’re not fooling anyone, Mitt. Remember: we have the internet.

It’s not just Latinos that Mitt Romney is pandering to lately. His latest pander target is young people. Namely students.

During a news conference this week with Marco Rubio (his first since mid-March, by the way), Romney had to jump back in after it was nearly over when he remembered to throw in the fact that he suddenly agreed with President Obama on extending low interest rates on student loans, something that Republicans seem ready NOT to do

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Michigan GOP continues its attack on teachers – pensions & healthcare now on the chopping block

Michigan GOP continues its attack on teachers – pensions & healthcare now on the chopping block

Why would ANYONE want to be a teacher in Michigan??? Last month, I wrote about the latest attack on teachers in Michigan, an effort to strip benefits and cut into their pensions. Facing an unfunded liability of over $45 billion, Michigan Republicans are set to take it out of the hides of teachers with Senate Bill 1040. The bill will […]

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