the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Apr 29, 2013
On national TV, joined by Chelsea Clinton on NBC’s Education Nation Detroit Summit at the end of March, Detroit Public Schools “Emergency Manager” Roy Roberts announced that the DPS was improving under his leadership. He claimed it had surpassed the Michigan state average in 14 of 18 categories measured by the MEAP, the state’s student proficiency test.
Immediately, his pants caught fire.
Or at least, they should have. Dr. Thomas Pedroni, a College of Education professor at Wayne State University, did his own analysis of the MEAP results. In his words, “The actual number was somewhat lower–zero.” The DPS actually trailed the Michigan average in all 18 categories. And in fact, it has actually fallen further BEHIND the state average since an Emergency Manager was appointed in 2009!
The Emergency Manager has been a huge failure for the children of Detroit. But that didn’t stop Roberts and Clinton from saying the opposite, or all those assembled at the “Summit” from applauding the lie.
Why? Because the big figure that HAS increased has been the privatization of the public schools and their funds. Roberts has gutted the DPS, laying off scores of employees and closing schools or turning them into privately-run charters. Pedroni found that the amount of the schools’ budget that has actually gone into the classroom has dropped under Roberts by 10 percent.
THAT’S what these vultures are applauding!