Bobb's Blackmail

Oct 25, 2010

Robert Bobb wants to tear apart the Detroit Public Schools.

That much is obvious from the two choices he is about to present for addressing a budget deficit of 332 million dollars – much of which HE created.

Plan A asks the state to wipe out the district's debt – in exchange for having the state completely reorganize the district. Few concrete details have been revealed – Bobb's waiting until after the election for that. But Bobb's office says Plan A will include:

• State take-over of the schools;
• Eliminating requirements teachers know much about their subjects or even about teaching;
• Increasing charter schools;
• Setting up "cyber schools," making students stay home and "go to school" over the Internet – in other words, giving them no school at all.

Bobb says the only alternative is "Plan B", which includes:

• Closing 100 more schools in the next three years;
• Increasing class sizes to 31 students at K-3 grade levels, and a whopping 62 students in high school classes;
• Outsourcing the finance department (including payroll) and other divisions, and eliminating student transportation completely.

Plan B, in other words, will destroy the district in the name of "balancing the budget."

So – agree to hand over the school district to the state and to charter schools to destroy, or Bobb will destroy it himself!

This is the choice Bobb offers – stab students in the back, or hit them over the head!

This is not reform – it is reaction, moving us back to the early 1800s when there were no public schools!