Educators are speaking. Are lawmakers listening? Last night the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education unanimously voted to voice its opposition to HB 4369, the legislation that may likely be voted on in the state House today to expand the Education Achievement Authority. “As an educational body, as a policy body, when we see the level of distress that […]

Last week the Michigan AFL-CIO gave its endorsements to two statewide candidates and several Congressional candidates: Mark Schauer, Governor Gary Peters, U.S. Senate Jerry Cannon, U.S. House – CD 1 Dan Kildee, U.S. House – CD 5 Pam Byrnes, U.S. House – CD 7 Sandy Levin, U.S. House – CD 9 John Conyers, U.S. House – CD 13 Yesterday, Mark […]

What gives, Harvey? [Photo by Anne Savage, special to Eclectablog] Yesterday was another day without a vote on HB 4369, the legislation that would expand Republican Governor Rick Snyder’s failed experiment on Detroit children known as the Education Achievement Authority. I’ve spoken to multiple legislators who say that bill proponents are close to having enough votes. However, there is so […]

I slipped out of the country for a few days’ vacation in Mexico this past week and was pleased to learn upon my return that the EAA expansion bill has not yet been passed. What I have heard is that the Republicans pushing this legislation are only one vote short or that they may, in fact, now have enough and […]

SAVE THE DATE! On Wednesday night, I’ll be moderating an issues forum organized by the Plymouth and Canton Democratic clubs. The panelists are an all-star cast: Karla Swift, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO David Hecker, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Michigan Emily Dievendorf, executive director of Equality Michigan Libby McGaughey, Vice President of Planned Parenthood Advocates of […]

Global climate change, global schlimate change The day before the Dexter Tornado hit Dexter, Michigan on March 15, 2012, Anne and I were installing a new garage door opener in shorts and t-shirts. Swarmed by mosquitoes, we were forced to slather up with bug spray because it go so bad. The next day, after hitting a record-breaking 75 degrees, we […]

Yesterday we heard from a faculty member about the Education Achievement Authority “public forum” held on the campus of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. In that account, we learned that the forum was little more than a staged promotional event for the EAA. Today, we hear from David Chapman, an organizer with the EMU student group Students for Ethical […]

Republican Governor Rick Snyder is spending an enormous amount of effort trying to convince Michigan residents that he has increased school funding. In reality, it’s true. The state of Michigan is spending a bit more now than when Snyder took office. But that’s only because he includes temporary federal funding as part of the Stimulus spending legislation sent to states […]

When you don’t have facts, all you have left is lies Diane Ravitch recently posted a piece titled “The Abject Failure of Michigan’s Educational Achievement Authority”. In it, she highlights the excellent analysis of this year’s MEAP test scores done by Wayne State University professor Thomas Pedroni. Then, in the comments, Pedroni was attacked by someone named Curtis Linton: Diane, […]

I have received word that the House Republicans now have enough votes to pass the bill that will expand the State school Reform/Redesign district (HB 4369). Since the SSRRD is comprised exclusively of the Education Achievement Authority until February of 2015, the bill is essentially an expansion of the EAA. I have also heard the Senate is recessing this morning […]

First, I want to reiterate what I said yesterday: there is a very good chance that Republicans are close to having enough votes to to expand the State School Reform/Redesign district (HB 4369) which, for now, is only the EAA. They may vote as early as today if they get enough votes. Two Democrats, John Olumba & Harvey Santana, are […]