Public school critics have a moral obligation to refrain from broad-brush pejorative bashing of teachers.
Sen. Mike Bishop and his foot soldiers must remain statesmanlike carrying forth toward a studies based, systemic reform of education. Teachers' roles may be thoroughly examined, but also the administrator's role must be intensely scrutinized. Engler once promised "real" education reform and now his neophytes must deliver.
The magic device Engler et. al. promoted was competitive charter schools under the guise of school improvement. Over a dozen years have flown by and now we see that there is a major flaw, "charter school corruption," rampant abuse of public tax funding and all the stale abuses of schools so long associated with powerless teachers and heavy-handed administration e.g. "a charter system that...is as corrupt and troubled as the Detroit Public Schools." They are faux public schools, private endeavors funded with scarce tax dollars, where, it turns out, in terms of record low math scores, "Charter schools performed just as poorly as traditional public schools in the city."
Amber Arellano reports:
"I often hear Lansing lawmakers say we should close down the Detroit Public Schools,"(Michigan State University's) Shakrani says. "They are mistaken. The charter schools are also troubled. The quality problem in Detroit education is across the board."Amber focused on a serious state government oversight and accountability failure:
"While a few charter schools in the city are academically strong and financially well-managed, such as Detroit Edison Preparatory Academy, city leaders and activists cite a common concern about charter school corruption. (Chris) White speaks for many when he says the same culture in the Detroit Public Schools is at work in charters. Some charter school developers see these academies as an opportunity to create jobs for their friends and families."What is needed in genuine school reform and what has not occurred is open debate prior to now.
"State charter leaders and authorizers also have expressed how difficult it is sometimes to close low-performing charter schools, especially when the schools' leaders use the issues of race and ethnicity to prevent shutdowns."
A public show of willingness is needed on the part of the Republican Senate and Bishop's people to act in the highest public interest. They must be willing to fully discuss, and commit to the state's resources and support necessary to make basic improvements which are the very genuine "reforms" that are sorely needed.
Playing the critic and dictating the changes, top-down, will not succeed. If there are genuine issues about the teacher's professional organizations which trouble recalcitrant Republicans, they must place them openly and above board on the table and enter a progressive give and take dialogue.
Bishop must be willing to honestly and completely discuss his objections or difficulties so that education for our children can move forward freed of the long GOP history of obstruction of our children's best interests, based on political gamesmanship-going back directly to that old foe, John Engler, and the Mackinac Center rogues.
Michigan Republicans ought to resist the temptation to blamespeak and become embittered cynics. They must discipline themselves to remain committed to the public square and open about their intentions and agendas; no hidden agendas and harsh reprisals. If their use of politics is to gain votes and power at the expense of public education, let them be warned, they play a dangerous and destructive game. Right now we see the terrible outcome for students of what was mapped out by the Michigan GOP 13 years ago.
To trade away our community public schools by inviting the public to hold them in contempt-based upon false or disinformational materials or studies prepared by hostile hard right sources such as Hillsdale College or the D.C. Heritage Foundation, which promote parochial vouchers and for-profit charters for the chosen few-is a civic evil.
Private entitlements are a divisive and specious activity. Those Republicans, who would sell the public school children into the realm of commercialization and profiteering, doing so, will be scorned for years to come.
Republicans may temporarily win the game of power, but lose the esteem of the public. They lose out by denigrating the sacred role of the teacher in the eyes of the parents, children and public, however in the end, the public will decide for itself whose institution is worthy of support and respect.
After now 30 years of relentless criticism of public schooling across the country, the public still holds fast to its love and respect for the "real" work that public schools are doing. Perfect? Absolutely not, but to be abandoned for privatization and profit-making? Never.
Politics is politics, but teaching is spiritual and enduring. Those who berate teachers by scapegoating societal problems unto them, in the end, are undeserving of public confidence or public office.
In the end the public school and the public school teacher will win out.
So let's scrap the puffery and get down to the business at hand in a truly cooperative fashion, drawing in parents, community, business, eager children, and, yes, bi-partisan politics.
As Disraeli so aptly said, "Individuals may form communities, but it is institutions alone that make great a nation."
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