Monday, September 19, 2011

Michelle Rhee group StudentsFirst dumps $1M into Michigan lobbying effort during teacher tenure reform push (comments) | MLive.com

Michelle Rhee group StudentsFirst dumps $1M into Michigan lobbying effort during teacher tenure reform push (comments) | MLive.com:

Michelle Rhee group StudentsFirst dumps $1M into Michigan lobbying effort during teacher tenure reform push (comments)

Published: Sunday, September 18, 2011, 9:25 AM Updated: Sunday, September 18, 2011, 6:38 PM
Education reform group StudentsFirst founded by former Washington, D.C., Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, vaulted to the top of lobbying groups in Michigan this year, spending $951,000. Now MLive.com readers respond.

michigan-education-protests.jpgTeachers protest education cuts in Monroe, 2011.
That's according to a new report by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.

Gov. Rick Snyder and legislative Republicans have pushed big changes like teacher tenure reform, which StudentsFirst supported. Now Senate Republicans have a package that would allow unlimited charter schools and mandate the schools of choice program.

I asked the question why StudentsFirst has to spend that much money when Snyder and Republicans back their agenda.

Rams102 had an answer:

Because the public does not support everything the GOP is doing. They need people to believe that eliminating seniority is good for their kids......they need people to believe that taking away local control of their school districts is good for their kids.

They know a lot of what is going on in Landing is not completely supported by people who do traditionally vote Republican.

Fancy color mailers selling something costs a lot of money.

FairVoice wrote that it was good politics: