Governor Snyder and Direct Control
.jpg)
Michigan’s Governor Rick Snyder signed an executive order that moved the state’s school reform office from the Department of Education to the Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
That may be one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever written.
But, as a helpful attempt to reinforce its truthfulness, I am going to write it again.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed an executive order that moved the state’s school reform office from the Department of Education to the Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
If you still don’t believe, check this.
There are many things to consider regarding Snyder’s decision. For example, why is a category with the title “school” not placed within a department that includes the label “education”? But that seems silly. (For another solid example that isn’t silly, see this.) I want to explore here the values that such a move represents. And since Governor Snyder has said nothing that I can find, I am going to use an article written by the Detroit News as the text that will provide us some insight into those values.
After a questionable beginning in which the article, “Snyder Right to Move Reform Office,” refers to Snyder’s frustration over “the lack of progress in Detroit schools” without explaining that this “lack of progress” has occurred under a series of Snyder appointed Emergency Managers, the actual situation is explained fairly dispassionately.
“The reform office has oversight of the 5 percent of schools that are the lowest-performing in the state. And it works along with the independently run Education Achievement Authority, the reform district that operates 15 of the worst schools in Detroit.”
These are indisputable factual observations. What it doesn’t also say is that the EAA was created with immense controversy and continues as a colossal failure, a judgement that is reaching consensus in Michigan. It also doesn’t say that the Governor Snyder and Direct Control | educarenow: