Showing posts with label Greenhills High School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greenhills High School. Show all posts

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Greenhills: WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR ELITIST EDUCATION DREAM CAKE AND EAT IT TOO? (Part 3 of 3)

How satisfying and helpful it would be to Snyder's school of choice, Greenhills, Ann Arbor, to receive a sizable state voucher for each select student's expenses as Betsy DeVos' (AFC) American Federation for Children is pressing forward nationwide with the help of A.L.E.C (The Koch Bros. /American Legislative Exchange Council) championed by Tom McMillin"R, Rochester, and other A.L.E.C. members in the Michigan TeaPublican Super Majority.

Rick Snyder has two realities:
1.) His commitment to elitist education for his own child at Greenhills, and 2.) Snyder's serious and devastating legislative cuts for the children of all parents, those outside Snyder's tight circle of care.

Flint's WCRZ.com media commentator, George McIntyre, adds color to this summary of Greenhills School:

"Governor Snyder's daughter attends a private school, Greenhills School, in Ann Arbor. The annual tuition? $20,000. However, that's apparently not enough. The school has posted a video on YouTube appealing for funds.

"Ironic, don't you think, when you consider the fact that Governor Snyder just signed legislation which will cut per-pupil funding for Michigan public school students by $370, bringing the yearly allowance down to $6,846. That's quite the comparison."
McIntyre wraps up with this thought:
"It's amazing to me that $20,000 per pupil isn't enough to make ends meet for the Governor's daughter's school, yet public schools are afforded just over one third of that amount. IT'S NO WONDER ITHACA PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT NATHAN BOOTZ WROTE A SARCASTIC LETTER, ASKING SNYDER TO TURN HIS SCHOOL INTO A PRISON." (emphasis added)
THE RICH ELITES HAVE, BY FAR, THE GREATER SHARE OF RESOURCES TO EDUCATE THEIR OFF-SPRING, THE POOR AND THE WORKING ARE FORCED TO SHARE THE DIMINISHING REMNANTS ON THEIR CHILDREN AND HAVE A DESPERATE FIGHT WITH TEA-PUBLICANS TO MAINTAIN PROGRAMS AND QUALITY.

How sad that we have allowed the TeaPublicans to plunge Michigan to this historically embarrassing low, dangerous point!

It's a sure sign that the usurping, profitization, in Snyder-led cultural and educational apartheid is designed to overpower local communities and neighborhood schools. Greed and privatization/profit-taking are indeed alive and metastasizing in Michigan. How shameful!

Original and Part 1 and Part 2.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Greenhills: Snyder, Greenhills, Betsy DeVos & THE GOAL: Universal Vouchers (Part 2 of 3)

If Nerd Snyder and his Tea-partisan crowd in legislative the super majority comply with the American Legislative Exchange Councils' Model Legislation, the anti-public schools Mackinac Center, and the heavy, heavy pressure from Betsy Prince DeVos' AFC, there will be a push to put vouchers in place for private and religious education in Michigan in the very near future as well as a plethora of other damaging legislation/profitization. See the VIDEO with an UW expert here.

Rick Snyder's private academy, Greenhills, would be the perfect private voucher venue. How much easier it would be to fund a student at Greenhills with a hefty taxpayer coupon/voucher to underwrite their high costs.

Elsewhere the voucher push is well under way as part of the GOP State-by-State Legislative (American Legislative Exchange Council - ALEC) coup; this legislative blitzkrieg is characterized in the manner that is being carried out in Utah and many other states-under Republican control. Previously, Betsy's high-buck voucher efforts with a Utah statewide voucher ballot proposal were soundly defeated 2-to-1, and now, using the TeaPublican majority in the Utah legislature, the DeVos backed vouchers are being pushed again in Utah this time in the legislature and in other state legislatures are involved in a massive and coordinated effort cross the nation with Betsy's backing.

Read how Betsy is involved in such brash and damaging acts against public schools as the Sen. Alberta Darling (Wisconsin Recall Election target) backed $800 million dollar cut in state support is hurting kids!

Betsy's front group "The American Federation for Children (AFC) has reportedly spent more than $500,000 in television ads to support Darling and other Republicans facing recall elections because of their support for Walker's anti-labor legislation."

Continues...

Original and Part 1 and Part 3.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Greenhills: Let's Pay A Visit to Rick Snyder's Personal School of Choice (Part 1 of 3)

Here's what Snyder's school has to say about its operations and outcomes.

Greenhills description:
"Diversity at Greenhills: 31 percent of Greenhills students self-identify as persons of color: 9 percent multiracial, 6 percent African American, 12 percent Asian AmericaN, 1 percent Hispanic American, 2 percent Middle Eastern, 1 percent of the student body are international students."
From Greenhills materials:
"(Greenhills) has earned for itself A REPUTATION AS A HUMANE AND CARING SCHOOL (emphasis added) that offers an excellent education to a wide range of students."

GREENHILLS IS A UNIQUE SCHOOL IN A MYRIAD OF FABULOUS WAYS, TAKE A LOOK AT THE ACCOUTERMENTS IN ITS OWN EXHAUSTIVE REPORT.

GREENHILLS FACTS:

  1. MHSAA - Greenhills School is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) and offers the following sports: BOYS-cross country, golf, soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, lacrosse, and track and field. GIRLS-basketball, cross country, field hockey, tennis, volleyball, soccer, softball, golf, and track and field. COED-swimming and equestrian." Greenhills is considered the "Number 1-ranked athletic program in Class C two out of the past three years, as ranked by The Ann Arbor News."
  2. Tuition - The Greenhills YouTube video promotion pegs the costs at "$20,000 '.
  3. Financial Aid - "Nearly $954,000 in need-based financial aid was awarded to 19 percent of the student body. The average award was $9,628."
  4. Contributions to the Greenhills - "Since 1993, more than $18,500,000 has been contributed to Greenhills' Annual Fund, Auction, Endowment and Capital Campaigns to support the school." 
  5. Fine & Performing Arts - "The Fine & Performing Arts Department offers concerts, theatrical productions and art gallery showings throughout the year. Fine and Performing Arts events include: A fall play, spring musical, annual senior Shakespeare performance, Middle School spring play, VooDoo Theatre Company (student-run troupe) Middle and upper school band concerts, Middle and upper school orchestra concerts, Jazz band and combo performances, Middle and upper school choir concerts, Middle and upper school forensics tournaments, Fine Arts Showcase and more."
  6. Activities and student organizations - These include, but are not limited to the following; Evergreen (literary magazine), The Alcove (student newspaper), Forward (yearbook), Amnesty International, Peer Counselors, Student Council, African American Focus, Multicultural Focus, Science Olympiad, Gryphon Club, Chess and Go Club, DDR Club, Debate Club, Ski Club, Student Mentors, Honor Committee, The Discourse, Gay-Straight Alliance, Service Learning Board, and Improv Club"
  7. Academic & Athletic Facilities - Smartboard technology in every classroom, Schmidt-Cassegrain 14" telescope, Ten dedicated physics computers, Wireless computer cart, Two computer labs, State-of-the-art microscopes, including a Phase-Contrast/Dark Phase research microscope."
  8. Greenhills' "Campbell Center for the Performing Arts" - State-of-the-art theatre, scene shop, dressing room, green room, mirrored dance studio, two instrumental rehearsal rooms, choral rehearsal room, The Harry Anderson Library, Borders Athletic Center: Two full gyms, four locker rooms, weight room with mirrors, indoor batting cage, climbing wall, Eight Court Tennis Complex, Softball Field, Soccer and Field Hockey/Lacrosse Fields, All-Weather Track, Amphitheater, Weather Station,( and a) Wind Turbine."
  9. Details on Instruction and Class Size: "AVERAGE CLASS SIZE-15 STUDENTS, STUDENT: TEACHER RATIO-7:1," (emphasis added)
  10. There's a rigorous Matriculation/Admissions Policy at Greehhills - "Admission to Greenhills is competitive. Applicants in the 9th through the 12th grades are required to take the Secondary School Admission Test" and applicants are also "REQUIRED TO SPEND A DAY AT THE SCHOOL TO ENSURE THAT GREENHILLS WILL BE A PROPER FIT."(emphasis added) Applicants also have to have three recommendations, send their transcript, and complete short answer questions and essays."
  11. Notable alumni by accomplishments - "A.F.W.K. - rock musician, E. K. - Special Assistant to President Barack Obama, P. T. - Photographer, Los Angeles, CA, E. Q. - Producer, New York, NY, B. L.- screenwriter, J. C. - frequent New York Times contributor, author, N.P. - opera singer, played lead role of Macbeth with BBC Scottish Symphony, E. M.-playwright and screenwriter" 12.)"Graduates Attending College:100%"
Contributions to Greenhills School (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization) are tax deductable.

A FINAL NOTE
When the additional solicited contributions are added into the cost, when the spending from the endowment and other private sources are factored in, the cost of education for one student at Greenhills may reach into the mid-$20,000 range. This year's tuition is up $1,500 from 2 years ago.

Continues...

Original and Part 2 and Part 3.