Michigan: Governor Whitmer Lacks Authority to Take Control of Benton Harbor, Says Tom Pedroni
Thomas Pedroni, a professor at Wayne State University, argues that Governor Whitmer is in over her head in her efforts to direct the future of Benton Harbor schools.
She doesn’t even have legal authority to take charge of the district, he writes.
He writes:
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is in over her head in Benton Harbor Area Schools. Suddenly, though, our fledgling governor is waking up to the reality that she is alienating the very demographic — black and progressive voters — who just seven months ago propelled her to the state’s highest office.
Earlier this month community educational advocates from predominately black districts across the state gathered in Benton Harbor to express support for the district’s families, encouraging the BHAS elected board to remain steadfast in its refusal to endorse the governor’s “proposal.” They highlighted the harm inflicted by previous state strong-arming in Inkster, Buena Vista, Highland Park, Muskegon Heights, Saginaw, Detroit and Albion. Many reserved special animus for a governor who had campaigned on a promise to buoy education and protect local communities from the type of state meddling engaged in by her gubernatorial predecessors.
Lost in all this, and apparently lost even on the governor CONTINUE READING: Michigan: Governor Whitmer Lacks Authority to Take Control of Benton Harbor, Says Tom Pedroni | Diane Ravitch's blog