Friday, April 29, 2011

Rochelle Riley: Fighting change in the schools means, duh, losing | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Rochelle Riley: Fighting change in the schools means, duh, losing | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Rochelle Riley: Fighting change in the schools means, duh, losing


We are, as usual, having the wrong conversation.
In the days since Gov. Rick Snyder unveiled his hope for a 21st-Century education for Michigan children, we're not talking about the children.
We're talking about the past.
State Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer is an astute, caring leader. She doesn't see that the sky is falling on our children.
"To be clear," Whitmer, D-East Lansing, said in opposing cuts in the education budget, "before (Gov. Rick) Snyder proposed taking $895 million out of the School Aid Fund, there was no school funding crisis in Michigan. In fact, there was a surplus, making what we are now faced with a crisis of choice -- not of necessity."
Seriously?
Michigan is pr