EMU faculty refuse to work in failing schools if it means breaking union contracts
Faculty from Eastern Michigan University will refuse to participate in a plan to reform failing schools if their work means nullifying any existing union contracts, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press
EMU's participation in the state's new Education Achievement System was approved by the EMU Board of Regents Tuesday .
"We won't have our membership involved in breaking union contract," said Howard Bunsis, treasurer of the EMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
EMU's role in the new Education Achievement System was announced on Monday at Detroit's Renaissance High School. Gov. Rick Snyder said Michigan is creating a new statewide authority to run the state's failing schools. Regents approved the university's participation in the EAS unanimously on Tuesday and appointed two regents to serve on the governing authority of the EAS.
The university would help create a "laboratory or university school" at the site of any public school that has been taken over by the EAS. It also would provide faculty and staff members to assist the new system, and conduct employee retraining. Approximately 200 schools in Michigan are considered to be failing, 100 of which are in Detroit.
EMU president Susan Martin told the Free Press no faculty would be assigned to the EAS to work in any school in Detroit, but union leaders remain skeptical.
To read the full report in the Free Press, click here.
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
gild
Sun, Jun 26, 2011 : 6:29 p.m.
Screw the kids -- politics is the most important thing! Solidarity forever! What -- you think we should put educating children ahead of our left-wind principles? Pshaw.
snapshot
Fri, Jun 24, 2011 : 6:30 p.m.
that's OK EMU we'll imprt educators from other states and when they are successful in a turn around all EMU educators can hang their heads in shame for failure to take the initiative to help fix a broken system because of a self interest union principle. All about the kids?
Ralph
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 9:14 p.m.
I believe only one person has said that they won't work if Union contracts are broken - Howard Bunsis.
clownfish
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:22 p.m.
If only we could get rid of unions all things would improve. For proof of this just look to the private sector were union membership has dropped to new lows. Has this led to an increase in employment in the US? Has it led to wage growth in the US? Has it led to more and better manufacturing plants being built in the US? Has a drop in union membership raised all boats or just a few? Theories are wonderful, it is so easy to assign blame to Others, but lets look at some stats to see if these theories are based on anything other than ideology.
Steffetta
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 2:08 p.m.
I'm a bit confused... what exactly about this is nullifying union contracts? Also, how can you take on a project to aid failing schools, and NOT send people to Detroit, where half of them are?? How did that meeting go? Oh, well of course! What an honor! We would love to help! But, ahem, just to let you know, we aren't interested in helping Detroit schools.
clownfish
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:18 p.m.
I think it is about appointed managers nullifying legal contracts within the context of reforming schools. Some public schools may be closed and turned into private charters resulting in contracts being nullified.
clownfish
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:54 p.m.
Once again people that will make no personal sacrifice for the common good are outraged that other people are unwilling to make personal sacrifice for the common good.
SonnyDog09
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 9:04 p.m.
Exactly what "sacrifice" are the EMU faculty being asked to make?
noneyab
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:40 p.m.
As an EMU faculty member, this opportunity excites me. However, my excitement is based solely upon the hypothetical as neither I, nor any of my colleagues, have any idea what we will be doing. That is precisely the problem. Once again, the EMU Board of Regents, and individuals in upper-level administration, have failed to seek input from the faculty. This only serves to exacerbate the tension on our campus. I refuse to say that I will not be part of this effort but I am concerned that I may be told to engage in efforts that have been created by those who know little, or nothing, about education. Additionally, I have concerns about the impact on the students paying tuition to EMU. Will this effort remove faculty from the classroom? Will additional workload be placed upon us, thus negatively impacting the quality of our work on campus? I hope we gain some clarity on this matter soon. If not, it may turn into yet another situation where EMU's potential is not realized.
eastsidemom
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 11:44 a.m.
Finally some integrity. Having low paid teachers does nothing to help students. All these professionals commenting about how they never have needed protection from their employers...it is laughable. And then all this bleeding about "our kids". As if any A2 professionals are up nights worried about the kids in Detroit. Sorry but I am not buying it.
free
Sat, Jul 9, 2011 : 7 p.m.
Better severance packages is what attracts better CEO's. That way if you are incompetent and get fired, you collect sooner. If you can't get fired, run the company into the ground and collect that way.
John Spelling
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 8:30 p.m.
clown - no, that's not my contention and can't quite see how you reached that conclusion.
clownfish
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 5:49 p.m.
John, is it your contention that higher wages do not attract a better employee? If so can you explain why "better CEO pay attracts better CEO's" has been a mantra of Free Marketeers for decades? Are they wrong, or is there something about teachers that makes them different than other types of employees?
John Spelling
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 4:50 p.m.
meant the other way around
John Spelling
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.
"Having low paid teachers does nothing to help students." I believe the same holds true subsituting "low paid" for "high paid".
1bit
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:29 a.m.
"We won't have our membership involved in breaking union contract," Although the thread has devolved into offtopic union/anti-union arguments, I think the fundamental issue Mr. Bunsis is missing is that this is not a fight about unions. There isn't a picket line being crossed. This is about educators helping other educators and helping kids. If the faculty at EMU do not want to be involved, or want to be paid more to help, then just say it.
Will Warner
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:09 a.m.
macjont, apparently both of us have lived in the same world that does not exist for 35 years. I suggest that people take all that energy they put into worrying about who has the power and put it into just cutting the mustard.
Mike K
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 9:47 p.m.
Maybe you didn't see this Mac. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-piPkgAUo0w" rel='nofollow'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-piPkgAUo0w</a> I think these guys are making good points, and I think you are avoiding them.
macjont
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 6:44 p.m.
No grye, I am not protecting the teachers to ensure the longevity of the union. I want to protect the teaching profession to ensure the sound education of our children. The unions represent their members and take necessary steps to protect the profession from mindless attacks such as those you continuously, mindlessly and disingenuously mount --- attacks that work relentlessly toward the destruction of our children's education. These attacks are silly, destructive and downright dangerous.
grye
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:34 p.m.
macjoint would rather protect the poor teachers to ensure the longevity of the union instead of having the union be responsible for their members.
braggslaw
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:07 a.m.
Teachers union protect poor teachers, leading to an overall degradation of the quality of education for our children
macjont
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:40 a.m.
Not sure what you mean, Will. "Cutting the mustard?" Living "in the same world that does not exist for 35 years?" Whatever the world is now, or has been for the past 35 years, I suspect that whatever the world will be in a future, a future that will extend long past the time I am part of it, it will require well educated people to cope with it. As in the past and as is currently true, the quality of education our young people is dependent above all on the quality of the people who teach them. Right now, and for the past 30 or so years, the teaching profession has failed to attract and retain the best and the brightest of our young people. They have chosen and continue to choose (see: <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/top-scholars-honors-academic-achievement-from-washtenaw-county-schools/#comments)">http://www.annarbor.com/news/top-scholars-honors-academic-achievement-from-washtenaw-county-schools/#comments)</a> other professions. Whatever changes we must make in our educational system, I do not believe we will improve this situation by diminishing teacher pay, benefits, or working conditions. And above all, it is the teacher unions that are striving to defend teacher pay, benefits, and working conditions. If unions do more than achieve this goal, they will do more for the education of our children and for our futures than all the gimmicks being proposed by current public policy makers --- people who are using the education of our children as political cannon fodder. I suspect that you and I will remain on the opposite side of these questions. But I see nothing wrong with this. You will continue to attack the unions; I will continue to defend them, not as perfect entities that cannot be improved, but as vital to our success as a society.
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 11:59 p.m.
A "crutch" Will? No Will, we all need the support (crutch?) of the power and influence provided by organization. We no longer live in the 17th, 18th or early 19th century where small atomized units were basically balanced in their power relationships. We've seen the effect of the weakening of unions over the past 30 to 40 years –– the diminishment of the middle class and the concentration of wealth in fewer and fewer hands at the top. Though I am not a member of any union and spent 35 years of professional life without belonging to one, I see and understand their value. No, a unionized professional is not an oxymoron. You are living in a world that does not exist.
InsideTheHall
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 11:52 p.m.
Howard Bunsis is part of the problem not part of the solution. It's about the kids, right???????
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 11:57 p.m.
Yes, but it's not that simple. Remember, this system works very well for a great many of our kids. (See: <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/top-scholars-honors-academic-achievement-from-washtenaw-county-schools/#comments)">http://www.annarbor.com/news/top-scholars-honors-academic-achievement-from-washtenaw-county-schools/#comments)</a>. We cannot know what we will gain from any proposed changes until we understand what we may lose.
Will Warner
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 10:38 p.m.
"Strong unions, unlike any other institution in our society, are working to protect salaries, benefits, and working conditions for teacher, and without this protection, teaching will become an even less attractive profession than it is now." Look, if you need the crutch of a union I feel sorry for you. It's an admission of failure. One becomes a professional to rise to a level of attainment, skill, knowledge, and irreplaceably that has no need of the strong-arm tactics known as collective bargaining. No self-respecting individual would submit to a system of last-hired-first-fired unless he had no other options. Having no options is one definition of failure. Unionized-professional is an oxymoron.
snoopdog
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 1:32 a.m.
Could not have said it better Will. A response below does not pass the smell test ! Good Day
Mike K
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:46 a.m.
Speak for yourself Mac - I do not need support, and happen to agree with Mr. Warner that "professional union" is oxymoronic. I fully support unions that are the actual employer of the skilled labor. Many provide benefits, and education to further the craft amongst other things.
Will Warner
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : midnight
macjont, apparently we have lived in the same world that does not exist for 35 years. I suggest that people take all that energy they put into worrying about who has the power and put it into just cutting the mustard.
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 10:52 p.m.
No Will, we all need the support (crutch?) of the power and influence provided by organization. We no longer live in the 17th, 18th or early 19th century where small atomized units were basically balanced in their power relationships. We've seen the effect of the weakening of unions over the past 30 to 40 years –– the diminishment of the middle class and the concentration of wealth in fewer and fewer hands at the top. Though I am not a member of any union and spent 35 years of professional life without belonging to one, I see and understand their value. No, a unionized professional is not an oxymoron. You are living in a world that does not exist.
owlnight
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 10:31 p.m.
Last year both faculty and regent signed a contract ? How can one change the rules ?
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 9:58 p.m.
A broken system? Hardly! See: <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/top-scholars-honors-academic-achievement-from-washtenaw-county-schools/">http://www.annarbor.com/news/top-scholars-honors-academic-achievement-from-washtenaw-county-schools/</a> Professional teaching staffs, facilitated over the long run by strong unions, are, at least in part, responsible for these accomplishments. Strong unions, unlike any other institution in our society, are working to protect salaries, benefits, and working conditions for teacher, and without this protection, teaching will become an even less attractive profession than it is now. And for those who doubt that the teaching profession is losing the battle to attract the best and the brightest of our young people, read the above referenced presentation in AnnArbor.com. Note how few of the students honored by this article have indicated that their future plans call for a career in education. This is a problem that has plagued the teaching profession for far too long. Teacher unions are fighting maintain the competitive balance the teaching profession has compared to the other professions. Those who attack teachers and their unions are undermining this effort and the future of our country. Thanks to those EMU faculty members who appreciate this and will not yield to the wrong headed, ill informed pressure, exhibited in many of these comments and elsewhere, to do otherwise.
genetracy
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 8:50 p.m.
The state of Michigan may be well on its way becoming a federal aid themepark but by God, the few remaining employed people in this state will have their union principles.
stunhsif
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 8:40 p.m.
And once again, the unions prove to us it is not about the kids, it is about protecting the unions. Narcissism at its absolute worst.
braggslaw
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:06 a.m.
It's all about self interest and job security, the kids are secondary.
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 10:08 p.m.
There is no such proof here --- unless you decide to see it that way.
SonnyDog09
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 5:08 p.m.
""We won't have our membership involved in breaking union contract"" The correct response to this is: "It has been nice working with you. We wish you well in your future endeavors. Don't let the door hit you in the rear end on your way out."
SonnyDog09
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:45 a.m.
If you refuse to carry out a lawful assignment from your boss, you deserve to be sacked. Union or no union.
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 10:10 p.m.
lynel, absolutely! Well stated.
lynel
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 8:05 p.m.
That way of thinking is exactly why we need unions.
xmo
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:54 p.m.
""We won't have our membership involved in breaking union contract"" Now we know who comes first and it is not our children! We saw it in Wisconsin, now in Michigan!,
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 10:10 p.m.
Wrong conclusion, xmo. Take another look and think it through.
tom swift jr.
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:37 p.m.
Remember the old saying attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller about the inactivity of German intellectuals ? "First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me." The faculty union has my full support and respect, and those of you bashing the fact that they have the integrity to stand up against this latest misguided effort by Snyder, might want to read that little saying again. The only folks left standing when all is said and done will be Rick and his corporate buddies. Unless you're part of that crowd, you might as well start packing.
grye
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:32 p.m.
macjoint: Unions are necessary when management puts employees in dangerous situations, and provides an unfair, unequitable working environment. Unions have been overstepping their boundries for many years and have deemed themselves the "owners" of the organization. They have forgotten not only their place, but why they came into existance. Unions are necessary in some situations but often are a burden to the business and employees. If the unions are part of the problem with the Detroit schools, then they need to be part of the solution or be disbanded. Sticking your head into the sand under this scenario makes you just as culpable.
1bit
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:15 a.m.
Hmm.. just learned that annarbor.com will block posts that have brackets. The part missing in my post above is "it is classic escalation rhetoric drawing an analogy between Nazi Germany and ...insert cause here..."
1bit
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:13 a.m.
Nope, ERMG, it is classic escalation rhetoric drawing an analogy between Nazi Germany and . The EMU faculty union decision has absolutely nothing to do with "the inactivity of German intellectuals". See snoopdog's accurately indignant post. We can all make our points just fine without bringing up analogies to murderous regimes. If they turn Detroit into a concentration camp, then feel free to make the analogy. Otherwise, let's stay on topic.
snoopdog
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 1:44 a.m.
Trade unionists and communists in Germany during WW II were not murdered "wholesale" in the gas houses as were the Jews. Your post is offensive, extremely disrespectful and intellectually dishonest. Good Day
InsideTheHall
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 11:55 p.m.
And the rocket ship is in full flight!
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 10:14 p.m.
The unions are necessary to keep those represented by Landes and the grye in check and to help attract talented people into the teaching profession. Much more needs to be done, but the unions are a start.
grye
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 7:45 p.m.
Ignore the problem and it will go away. Great attitude to take instead of working together and trying to solve the problem.
Stephen Landes
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 7:24 p.m.
Unfortunately the unions don't have anything useful to say about education. Teachers and professors do, but not their unions. If the unions were such a great help for students then all our young people would be well educated. As it is unionized teachers in some areas have not accomplished what they are supposed to set out to do and their unions, with all their concerns about maintaining the status quo, are a major part of the problem. Apparently the EMU union is more concerned about protecting "union brothers" than whether or not the children affected have a quality education. So much for public employee unions.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 5:36 p.m.
"And today's winner, proving Godwin's law, goes to..." Sorry, but no. He was not equating anyone with the Nazis. He was saying that, as happened in Germany, the failure to take a stand will make it impossible to do so later. Good Night and Good Luck
1bit
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 5:27 p.m.
And today's winner, proving Godwin's law, goes to...
braggslaw
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.
This completely disgusts me...
Mike K
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 9:40 p.m.
Mac - people like me aren't going away either. People like me who volunteer for school functions. People like me who help their kids with their homework. People like me who coach their kids teams.......... Yes, your approach does look bad. It's political. It is NOT in the best interest of education. Let's be clear, it's about a union not helping children due to other union rules. It's politics. The left will not embrace anything created, good or bad, from Snyder. But hey, at least MI liberals haven't run to Ohio.
macjont
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 6:49 p.m.
Mike K, the rest of your posts show where you are coming from, and I could not disagree with you more. If we fail to pay attention to the short-term and long-term damage these relentless attacks on teachers are inflicting on a valuable profession and our children, we will pay a horrible price. Yes, I consider myself a liberal and a progressive, but I believe my approach does anything but make us look bad. In any event, Mike, I am not going away.
braggslaw
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 3:06 a.m.
"great move" Failing schools, stubborn teachers unions, kids getting screwed .... what a "great move"
Mike K
Thu, Jun 23, 2011 : 12:36 a.m.
Mac, "great move"? Nice, hold schools hostage because of politics. Sweet Mac, real sweet. There is no such thing as a greater good. People like you make liberals look bad.
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 11:02 p.m.
Quite the opposite with me. A great move by the EMU faculty!
bruceae
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:27 p.m.
Eastern really has become a joke of an institution being run by it's unions. Why doesn't the State work with Central or some out of State Group that really wants to get something accomplished?
Mr. Ed
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:20 p.m.
Billy Warner is the AMA a Union, is the Bar a association a Union. If society was fair with no ignorance then we would not need Unions or discrimination laws disability laws, lawyers. OSHA, workers comp the Labor Department. The list can go on and on. We need to have Unions so Mr. Warner has something to write about.
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 10:17 p.m.
AMOC, not quite right. You cannot practice law in the State of Michigan if you do not belong to the Michigan Bar. I agree, however, that teachers might benefit from some kind of self regulation similar to the Michigan Bar.
AMOC
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 9:04 p.m.
Mr. Ed - Neither the Bar Association nor the AMA are unions. They are professional associations which you may (or may not) join if you hold certain types of licenses. Almost no profession of which I am aware have actual unions or "professional associations" which function as unions by representing the membership in negotiations; except teachers. Lawyers and doctors operate as employees only rarely, so joining a professional organization in order to have it represent them moot. The Bar Association can hold hearings on complaints regarding unprofessional behavior, because most states delegate this authority. For teachers or doctors, most states do NOT delegate the authority to pull a license.
Will Warner
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:02 p.m.
At last we were getting some people to take seriously society's failure to serve kids in some places, and committing on a massive scale to address it. Then this. If any more evidence was needed that unions in public service, including teaching, should be abolished, this is it. And why on earth is there a union for university professors? As a professor, with a PhD ,you should have risen beyond the need such things.
macjont
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 10:20 p.m.
"And why on earth is there a union for university professors? As a professor, with a PhD ,you should have risen beyond the need such things." This statement reflects a misunderstanding of the purpose of unions where institutional power, public or private, is involved.
Mike K
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.
Ignatz - there are always "horror stories". I've seen good people get let go. It's part of life. Either you bring on a lawsuit, get a "package" or simply move on. Blanket statements such as yours are far too general. There are many of us who go to work and make something positive of it -- you know, earning success, and it happens at every level.
Ignatz
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:32 p.m.
Mike K, I've seen plenty of examples. You are fortunate.
Will Warner
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:17 p.m.
Nor have I. But then, I make my employeers' goals and objectives my own, so it works out.
Mike K
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:12 p.m.
Ignatz, really? I've been employed for 25 years and never needed "protection".
Ignatz
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:07 p.m.
As long as you have an employer, you need some sort of protection from them.
Derrick Forshee
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 3:57 p.m.
Finally somebody is standing up in support of unions. Personally I refuse to cross a picket line, it makes me feel so proud attending this institution that like myself supports union efforts.
catfishrisin
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 3:37 p.m.
The Regents didn't even consult the education faculty - the ones that will be directly involved in the project -before entering into this latest PR stunt. How could you not include the primary players in the planning? The incompetence from above never ends.
grye
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 3:47 p.m.
I would have thought that education would be their primary concern, not union dogma.
grye
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 3:04 p.m.
Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Shame on you. This shouldn't be about union vs non-union. It's about helping kids get the education that is needed to excel in life.
grye
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 5:13 p.m.
Mike: I don't agree with unions and would like to see Michigan be a open shop state. Sometimes unions are necessary but they should not be as controlling as the MEA has become. They need to help fix what is broken but not run the place. When money was flush, there was much waste in the school systems just as with the rest of govt and most businesses. Times are tough now. I don't fully agree with the cuts at this time since some programs that truly are necessary, even though they are outside the core math, science, language, and history, are on the chopping block. Many believe the arts are not needed however there are many connections found between music and math, art and science. Sports can provide leadership skills that will hone an individual's future. Foreign languages learned at an early age help the mind to connect information in the future as well as in a global environment, foreign language skills are necessary to succeed. Parental involvement in key to a child's success but if it is lacking, shouldn't there be programs to help students at risk? It is very difficult to make the education system a "one size fits all". But you are right. The union members at EMU would rather assert their union power rather than help students and a school system, which happens to be key to the success of Michigan, succeed.
Mike K
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:11 p.m.
Derrick - maybe when my kids are in high school will I insert politics into the process. For now, it's all about reading, writing and arithmatic. Eventually, they will come to their own beliefs.
Derrick Forshee
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 4:02 p.m.
Really ??? This is an deducational institution, what kind of message are you sending to the kids when you don't stand up for yourself. Should we not be teaching our students to be politically active?
Mike K
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 3:51 p.m.
Let me be clear, grye; I was talking about unions, not education. I am all for improving education and participate in my children's efforts. Do I want to pay any more for it? Not really.
Mike K
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 3:46 p.m.
Steve - funding is half of the equation. Families need to value eduation and participate in the process. In fact, now that you have me thinking, families are more than half. Keep in mind that you and I pay for this through taxation.
grye
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 3:45 p.m.
You are wrong Mike. It's not about power. It's about try to fix a broken system. Would it be better to let it continue down the road as is? What good will that do? Steve: would you rather just hand over tons of cash to to the existing school board and wish them a happy day? This school system has been in disarray for many years. Something needed to be done. Cutting school funding didn't help the situation however even if the funding had still been there, the system was not on a path to recovery. So let's hear your plan.
Steve McKeen
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 3:33 p.m.
If it were really about helping the kids, the state would figure out a way to properly fund education rather than give giant tax breaks to businesses.
Mike K
Wed, Jun 22, 2011 : 3:19 p.m.
You're barking up a tree grye. It's not about kids, it's about power. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-piPkgAUo0w" rel='nofollow'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-piPkgAUo0w</a>