Michigan's John Engler: The Judas who led the Public Away from Public Education and Civility

John Engler’s personal crusade to eliminate public schools has at its heart the weapon of “Faux Public School Academies” better known as “public school charters.” Charter Schools are direct descents of Neo-Jim Crow Segregation academies .  These are schools siphoned off taxpayer dollars for partisan and ideological purposes.

Charters are mainly privately-run , proprietary operations funded with tax dollars taken from traditional public schools funding sources - one clear major steppingstone in the take-down of traditional public education as we have known it.   The yellow pages of the Deep South are crammed with private and religious academies run to provide schooling for white parents’ children - with every intent to support and expand paid segregation via public tax dollars.

What a long awaited dream is being achieved via for-profit “charters!”  Using chartering and vouchers to fund these separatist operations (with public tax dollar creates a separate educational and social apartheid.  Using local and state tax dollars to re-segregate the south (and the entire nation) is a wholly unworthy accomplishment (Much MORE on Engler and Charter Schools below).

Decades Long War on Unions: Protesters hold "Stop Engler at Northwest
(Airlines)" signs and pass out John Engler Flyers in May of 2006

First Some History: Nasty was the virus infused into Michigan Politics by John Engler
No amount of sophistry or interpretation of the present "sorry state" of Michigan politics and/or its immediate future can ever factor out the corrupting cynicism and bone-ugly operations of John Engler.

Engler's revolutionary angst and bitter many years of partisanship has produced a maelstrom of civic negativity in his aftermath. Many "Englerites" (and there are plenty surrounding Rick Snyder) conditioned and trained in the "Englerisque" ways have continued and matured in "bad habits" with regard to how state government is run and how the legislature behaves-late night sessions, straight party voting, and verbal bullying. Engler's part in term limits has come to be a disaster undermining good government. His appointees and friends are still scattered around the workings of this state, unrepentant if not aggressive.

One of Engler's most visible undermining achievements was his part in creating the Mackinac Center for Public Policy - a perpetual negativist voice that has near unlimited access to both the Detroit News but many of the other newspapers and media outlets in the state. Mackinac Center's voice is an echo and a replay/update of that of Engler.

Engler planted this very bitter seeds of divisiveness in this state and also in the nation. It was Engler who, in full support of Newt Gingrich, encouraged the complete shut down of the federal government to embarrass Bill Clinton and the Democrats.

It was "Big John" who royally rewarded Engler cronies with highly placed state jobs and salaries which actually exceeded his income as governor. It was Engler who participated in and surfed off the effects of the 1983 recall efforts in the state.

The cruel and unthinking explosion of 89,000 singles from the welfare rolls and general assistance with one quarter being mentally ill and another quarter "unemployable" under heavy protests from the religious community. It was Engler who attacked the state's mental health programs in search of cost savings. Parents with children suffering with mental disorders had to take their children out of state for treatment because of Engler's revolt and ideology.

The stacking of the Michigan State Supreme Court with highly loyal and politically activist judges, one of whom telegraphed his opinion on a famous case, losing his probity for even-handedness. The amount of money raised and spent to elect the Engler Three to the state supreme court was patiently obscene.

The huge expansion of the Michigan prison system under Engler, as a state industry, has resulted in many of our current corrections imbalances and difficulties. The decline of the state started its momentous downhill, run-away pace under Engler. Jobs were being lost from 1990 on. Engler's replacement jobs, if you recall, were at McDonalds, WalMart, and Menards, hardly the living wage jobs required to live nominally in this great state.

Engler's sops to business were ineffective in building up the US manufacturing base and he was always ready to say more tax cuts would improve what in fact got worse-by projecting blame on some other entity or group.

The propensity of Engler to favor certain corporations and lower their taxes created structural deficits, many of which compounded the huge debt he left - to be covered by his successor, Jennifer Granholm. This was all at a time when the nation had a period of huge deficit reduction and surplus, and a booming economy.

Engler and George W. Bush deliberately and systematically ignored the need to bring General Motors to account for its ineptitude and disregard for sound business practices. Bush's right hand man, Andrew Card, knew the inner workings of the auto industry and was ineffective in making the difference which was required.

No one wants to remember G. W. Bush. Among Republicans is name is trash. Bush's will carry into history the burden of his ineptitude and an uber-cowboy attitude which took this nation and the world to the brink of economic disaster and disrepute. Engler's sticky fingers are all over the tarnished silver platter he used to deliver goodies to his insiders and cronies.

When it came to Engler's legacy, following his governorship, he was deemed unacceptable for a position in the Bush administration. Then as a highly visible and as the overpaid head of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Engler compounded the mistakes John made in Michigan, inflicting them on the entire country.

Engler's part in the demise of Northwest Airlines and his perpetual support of outsourcing and manufacturing in Communist China over and against the pleas from such groups as the tool and die manufacturers in Southeast Michigan, who cry out for regress of such grievances. As one loyal and supportive Engler contemporary has stated, there are those who would like to have the "fat boy" back.

Engler's a mindsticker. Ask the state's teachers about Engler. He's well-remembered and still greatly-disliked. The entire state breathed a sigh of relief when Big John left the state, but he still makes his appearances like his latest visit to CMU.

John Engler as Corporate Thug: Union Bashing in Blood-sport Englerite Politics
(Original Cartoon in the MetroTimes Series on John Engler by Curt Guyette 1999-2002)

Engler dropped his proud proclamation of his Engler Revolution when it became obvious that the public was fed up with that term.  But his undercutting the stability and necessary functions of state and local government by revolutionary means continued to the end of his tenure.  Keep in mind a revolutionary TAKES FORCEFULLY FROM SOME to gift those takings to others he favors, there’s nothing civic-minded or healthy about that.

Engler’s role as a fire-breathing pugilist politician became well-known.  Porcine and in-your-face,  (Engler is literally the model of "Godfather Politics" adopted by Chris Christie of New Jersey)  Engler was side by side with (and devising) Newt Gingrich’s infamous and dangerous total shutdown of the federal government in the 1990’s.

At one point in Engler’s escalation of personal braggadocio, the then governor donned a leather Hell’s Angel-style black leather biker jacket and strutted about; proud of his new and expanding tough bully image.  Engler believed he had achieved his goal as the man who had made Michigan governance the throny nest of those whose mantra was “Death to Public Service.” To this day, John M. Engler is a man with a malevolent, indelible image and remains the perfect archetype for vulture politics.

Back to Charter Schools...

John Engler - Master of Predatory Politics - The Judas Who Led the Public Away From Support for Local Democracy in Education

Central Michigan University’s Center for Charter Schools was recently renamed to honor Engler, by some of the folks he appointed at CMU. At the renaming ceremony in Mt. Pleasant John Engler had this to tout:

"We can announce today charter schools are here to stay" ….“Competition and choice are here to stay."

The Detroit News account of this event noted on May 22, 2012:

“Monday's dedication festivities at CMU reflected on the legal, political and social struggles Engler and charter school proponents have endured while highlighting new laws allowing unlimited charter schools in Michigan after 2015 and an expansion of cyber charter schools.” 

And so the Engler Revolution slogs on!

Engler and Charters
Engler’s ensconcing of Charters at CMU was but one part of his personal “revolutionary” master plan. Engler announced at the Harvard University School of Education, May 3, 1995 (Box 123, Engler Records, Michigan Historical Collections, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI) and made himself crystal clear as to where his passion was and where his efforts were leading.   In ten years Engler hoped to render the education unions inoperable.  Destroying the professional associations for educators would then give him entre to an entire plethora of destructive legislation and ideological opportunities.  John M. Engler never reached that goal as governor, but his successors (with the ardent help of many Rad Right think tanks and civically subversive groups like the secretive Mackinac Center for Public Policy and Rick Snyder) never relented.

Currently under a CEO/Boss Rick Snyder (who sees himself the “executive hire” in sole command of Michigan) and with the help of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) (A.L.E.C. in which Engler is an important, long time operator  and committed proponent /supporter) and the Tea Party Republicans or TeaPartisans (funded by such anti-public education mega bucks as Walmart, Amway / Dick & Betsy DeVos, and the Koch Brothers) the push is on to complete the felonious work of Engler. 

See Also the exhaustive article: "Public Money Finds Back Door to Private schools" in the New York Times on May 22, 2012.

Michigan Was Not the Earliest Leader of the Charter Movement, That Distinction Goes to Minnesota

It was not Engler and Michigan who were the leaders in the origins of the charter movement.  Historically “chartering” was a teacher envisioned concept for real improvement in education and schools utilizing less administration deadweight and over-regulation,  hoping that by ramping up autonomy and innovation they could do great things for kids.   It became apparent to the determined critics of public education that “charters” could be easily co-opted, and so they were.   “Chartering” as a competitive wedge, an anti-neighborhood public school device (incentivized by privatizing and appeal to long sought sectarian goals) could be used to undermine the entire taxpayer funded system.

Undermining public education had taken root in the radicalism of the Cult of Ronald Reagan and was fully expressed in Reagan’s anti-public union action: the PATCO Action - where the aircraft controllers of the nation were summarily fired.

CMU is a poor excuse for a Teacher Training Institution:  Why was it made Engler’s center for Charters?

Such schools as CMU fall into a category where “the schools that train our teachers are known to be "under performing." To illustrate, "fewer than 70 percent of graduates [of our schools of education] meet state licensing requirements.... Sandra Feldman, the [former] president of the American Federation of Teachers...acknowledges that the quality of teachers isn't high enough."

Central Michigan University has had since 1996 an opportunity to retool, become a premier and singularly outstanding teacher prep institution.   Instead, it chose to  take the easy path, accept the 3% management fee offered for overseeing the Englercentric faux public charters (CMU now loosely supervises over 50 charters with 30,000 students receiving the foundation grant at about $7,000 each).  Meanwhile the university remains a sub-standard venue for teacher prep.

For a powerful account of Engler's lachluster history and more on CMU's Charter School initiatives read Michael Hanley, Democratic Michigan State House Leader in 2000, in "The Political Brutality of John Engler Over the Issue of Charter Schools":

"Charter schools may be sponsored by a variety of governmental institutions. Unlike traditional public schools, their boards are not elected by the public (or even the parents of their students). Unlike private schools, they are financed by public tax dollars. Proponents claim that charter schools will make traditional public schools better by creating competition in the educational marketplace. Opponents argue that some Michigan charter schools have been poorly managed and have not delivered results in test scores. These claims are supported by several critical reports authored by Michigan universities and think tanks [Mackinac Center and others].

State law allows any local school district, intermediate school district, and most community colleges to sponsor an unlimited number of charter schools. However, state universities are limited to 150 overall. In his 1999 State-of-the-State message, Governor Engler called on the legislature to eliminate this cap on university charters. A united House Democratic Caucus and about nine House Republicans have resisted this initiative. This bipartisan coalition continues to believe that additional accountability measures, such as a certification requirement for teachers and expanded oversight of how public tax dollars are spent by the schools, should be in place before the university charter cap is raised. Of course, some legislators believe that charter schools are a generally bad idea, and do not support expansion under any circumstances.

It deserves to be noted that one of the reasons the Governor insists on removing the cap is that Central Michigan University - the state's most aggressive charter authorizing institution - has reached its limit for granting charters.

And who appoints the Board of CMU? John Engler."
{emphasis added)

Man Who Did Nothing Else Butt: A life-long Government Employee
and Politician (with 3 government pensions), John Engler Hates Government

John Mathias Engler is a Master at Utilizing Government to Undermine Government

Engler’s gamesmanship with various aspects of tricks and schemes devised to distort or control branches of Michigan government knew no bounds.   He shifted aspects of the Michigan State Board of Education to the State Treasury Department. He purposely under-funded the Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System (MPSER) retirement fund. According Michigan State Senator Glenn Anderson:

“Republicans want to blame our teachers and our school workers for the issues with the current retirement system, but the real problems started 15 years ago when Gov. John Engler made severe changes to how the system was operated. MPSERS had previously been prefunded, but Gov. Engler decided to take the lid off the cookie jar and start stealing money from the fund to fill other budget holes. Now, former, current and future school employees are being unfairly punished for the mistakes and financial mismanagement of their benefits by the state.”

Engler devised many other means to obfusticate and to purposefully undermine programs and organization(s) he wanted to REVOLUTIONIZE.

Source: "GOP's attacks on retirees must stop" by Glenn Anderson on DailyKos (May 2012)

To quote John Engler from his State of the State in 1997:

"Being for public education means making sure that every school, every classroom, every teacher, every student is safe."

"BEING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION MEANS KEEPING EDUCATION OUR TOP PRIORITY!"

"One key to quality education is quality teachers. Proud, passionate -- these professional men and women are making a difference in the lives of students every day. That's why I was outraged to read in the Detroit News that in one high school this year nine teachers have been assaulted."

"When teachers are attacked in their own classrooms, academic performance is also a casualty. I may be old fashioned, but it seems to me, if a student lays a hand on a teacher, that student is gone."

Just words to fill in the time looking back, fake whiskey talk used to gin up support for his major overhaul of not just education financing, but the whole public perception of Public Education.  Perhaps no single individual has done more, going out of their way to make the lives of Public School teachers in Michigan lives more miserable and more publicly attack teaching as a profession, that Johnny Mathias Engler.

NAM and Damn
John M. Engler coming off term limits, and failing at his short-lived, only private sector job at EDS, was hired to run the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) a very right of center, right-wing infested, anti-union amalgamation of interests working against American workers and as an aggressive partner with Communist China.  From its earliest days NAM has been a perfect match for Engler.

Even back in 1903 the then radical NAM President “David MacLean Parry  delivered a speech at its annual convention which argued that unions' goals would result in ‘despotism, tyranny, and slavery.’ Parry advocated the establishment of a great national anti-union federation under the control of the NAM, and NAM responded by initiating such an effort.”   Eight years later, “In an address at its 1911 convention, NAM president John Kirby, Jr. proclaimed, ‘The American Federation of Labor (AFL) is engaged in an open warfare against Jesus Christ and his cause.'”

Engler’s All About Power & Money
John M. Engler is reputed to have received a million dollars a year to pontificate and expound at his NAM post.  Not bad for a “kid from a family farm near Beal City,” a legislative loner who honed his command of government minutiae and insider operations to the point he was once hailed as the “Butcher from Beal City” for his savage and relentless attacks on the mentally ill, the homeless and many other aspects of Michigan’s infrastructure and operations using government-to-destroy government.

Go ahead rebrand Central Michigan’s Center for Charter Schools with the name “Engler,” but know full-well that such a label on the public university’s infrastructure has degraded, not enhanced, the image and mission of that state institution.  The Engler Center for Charter Schools would rather have been a perfect fit for Hillsdale College – well-fit to that rogue institution’s overall mission and purpose.

On the Reader:

• "The Real Engler Revolution" and Engler series by Curt Guyette (MetroTimes 1999-2002) (Note: On-line archive no longer availible - Use Lexis-Nexis to access).
• Read about Engler's Michigan "Virtual High School" history (page 24-25) and history of "Virtual Education" used to create defacto vounders system. 
• Engler as "Public Official of the Year" in right-wing, ALEC funded "Governing" magazine in "Remaking a State through Ideology and Determination" (2001), creating $1.3 Billion "Rainy Day Fund" and... 
• Then read how Engler depleted that fund and hacked State Revenues as he left office in 2002 in "Rick Snyder’s Michigan Data: Reversing Engler Mistakes by Reviving Them (Slash, Burn, Repeat…)" (February 2012).
• More history on the political fights between Dems and John Engler on Public School funding and Engler's appointment of the CMU Charter School Institute board in "The Political Brutality of John Engler Over the Issue of Charter Schools" by then Dem House Leader Michael Hanley in 1999.

Related Slates:
The Ugly History of Engler’s Attempt at What He Praised as “School Reform” During the Engler Revolution in Michigan (April 2011) - Nerd Snyder Goes Engler’s Mississippiafication of Michigan One Better: Rick’s Kicked Michigan’s Future Right Into the Crapper (April 2011) - Before Rick Snyder Removes the Michigan Public School Code, Step Back to the Engler Revolution: What  Will NO CODE Mean? (April 2011) - John Engler presided over the beginnings of the Mississippiafication of Michigan (March 2011) - The Governor (Granholm) Must Lean on the MEA to Accomplish the GOP Senate's Radical Goals (December 2009)

More on Michigan Public Education on the Gazette.

Original.

When Radical Tax Hatred & Vengeance Go Too Far: May 18, 1927 – Sweet Innocents & Loving Teachers Gone Forever - Michigan’s Bath School Massacre

85 years ago today, a maniacal tax-hater bent on vengeance nearly wiped out his entire Michigan community killing scores of children, teachers, and others, including the Bath School's superintendent. Only a part of his explosives ignited. This event remains the single most tragic loss of children's lives due to a school massacre in American history.

This sober and unforgettable heinous event should serve as a strong and present warning: There is a limit to what our society can allow when it comes to direct action and the purposeful stoking up of anger and resentment against taxes and public institutions.

Bath School Disaster Makes National Headlines (Baltimore News May 19, 1927)

Yes, Bath Consolidated School was a 'government school.' Bath School was a public school; operated and run by the local governing school board and supported by the means of democratic voting-majority rule. Bath Consolidated 1927 was a proud community school.

One man, having been elected to the Bath school board, designed to work against it; plotted and executed a diabolical, murderous plan to punish his own community for offending his personal ideology and hatred of taxes levied for progressive educational reform-consolidation of the area's rural one room schools into a new and modern building.

Across the Country People Sense the Ongoing Warning Revealed in the Bath School Disaster

"I realized that today (May 18, 2011) is the anniversary of a terrorist act in Michigan 84 years ago. Ironic and fitting that it happened in Michigan, the home state of Betsy DeVos (sister of Erik Prince and wife of Amway heir Dick DeVos), the rabid crusader for dismantling public education."

This was the troubling revelation and remonstration of U.S. Rep. Emma Berry, from Texas, on this date a year ago.

Today, 85 years after this horrific event, the single greatest domestic terror attack on innocent children in the history of America, we are rightfully reminded that there are radical forces still seeking to destroy, bring down our proud historic institution, the public school.

It may not be one stupendous blast of dynamite under the school house, it is a sustained and sinister series of local and state battles across the country pitched and fought by people with rage and anger at the public school and the teachers who mentor our children.

-----

The rise of the national TeaPartiasns (Republican Tea Party members) across America has given "legs" to the multi-millions of the Walton Family and the Amway Clan which have lit the fuse of mistrust and angst in the minds of the malleable public. Hating taxes, resenting the conditions of urban schools (abandoned by whites and cut off by business and corporations) as well as religious bias against the curriculum that includes a wide spectrum of free expression and critical thinking (dubbed by Fundamentalists and Christian Dominionists as a new religion: 'Secular Humanism') these mega-wealthy radicals (who have done so much to destroy the heart and soul of American communities with their plunder of dreams and usurpation of local merchants places on Main Street), now dane to take away that which is left, the neighborhood school.

-----

The vouchers and the charter school movements were born out of rabid reaction to the Civil Rights Movements of the 1960's and the forced federal integration of public schools. The segregation academy was the response to these revolutionary attacks on the "separate and equal" racial doctrines and the charade of Jim Crow Laws devised to enforce racial injustices, a quasi-pogrom that had ruled in America for far too long. In Michigan during the early 1920's there was a rapid rise in the activity and membership of the KKK. Churches and ministers, leading business men and citizens joined up as was discovered in Newaygo's cache of KKK member records and hidden memorabilia. This movement included religious individuals, mainly Protestant Fundamentalists, who like their counter parts in the Southern Baptist Convention, were rank racial and religious bigots with hatred for the "others" they despised in their society.

-----

The 1920's may have been "roaring" for bankers, speculators, and others on Wall Street and in large urban areas, but life on the farms and in the countryside at large was steadily declining, revealing the tell-tale signs of a economic and social rift. The gap between the wealth and income of the ordinary folk, many of them still on small family farms, was corrosively and aggressively taking hold and would result in, what we know now to be a widespread, deep national depression which lingered into the Second World War.

There are chilling parallels with the 1920's and today. The KKK is passé and in its place is the conspiracy of corporate backroom operators, the Koch Bros. et al, and The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), whose collaboration with FOX Cable News has ginned up a pseudo indigenous/astroturf amalgamation of hate and angst known loosely as the Tea Party movement. Their mantra: No new taxes, no collaboration, no helpful compromise, no bi-partisanship, no hand of fellowship: It's the enforcement wing of the Party of 'NO'.

This rise of a multiplicity of groups-skillfully manipulated and utilized to terrorize the Republican office holders of the nation-via the Karl Rovian tactic of TeaPartisan 'Primarying' of Moderates and Independents in the GOP-has given rise to a 'mob' of malcontents and anti-tax activists who feed on fear, anger, and personal greed. Their targets, much like that of the KKK, are immigrants, minorities, and other elements they envision as gnawing away at their own wealth, assets, and future security.

The Kehoe Malignancy
Andrew P. Kehoe, who was the mad bomber of Bath School May 18, 1927, would fit right in (during the lead up to his murderous act) with the TeaPartisan sentiment and share their anger and desire to radically alter the course of public education. He crossed the indelible line. Kehoe went far to the darkside. There is no way to excuse or diminish his aberrant act of blind rage and unhinged revenge against his own community-its children and teachers, none. There is here on this sad anniversary, however, sufficient and strong warning that the desire to perseverate and concentrate angst on government coercion and police powers to tax its citizens still inflames minds-some of which are unreasonable and unstable.

Squaring Off Against Political Vengeance & Reprisal That Goes Too Far
The current frame of mind in the Republican dominated Michigan Legislature includes a bull-headed determination to take down public schools and replace them with a zoological jungle of loosely-run charter schools, vouchers for religious/sectarian operations, on-line teaching schemes (virtual schools) and full-frontal attacks on the mentors who teach our children in the neighborhood school owned by everyone.

A miasma of delusion and reprisal is currently sweeping the Nation, and Michigan, replete with program cutting and give-aways, for-profit enterprises designed to undercut and replace the public schools. This is coup can only be classed as an updated campaign by some to resurrect the destruction and divisiveness of the KKK, benefit from the power of reprisal and greed, and offer private operators entree into billions of taxpayer dollars specifically set aside for publicly operated education and community acculturation.

Bath School Memorial Plaque Listing Victims (Bath, MI)

Never Again
It was out of such motives that anger and ideology drove Andrew P. Kehoe May 18, 1927 into an act arising out of public school hating, tax-resenting, a single man's act which is unparalleled for its murderous zeal to kill children. Kehoe is a tragic and powerful reminder of unilateral direct action and a ghastly and deviant design laid to takedown a community-centered on obliterating its children.

Communities are rapidly losing their control and oversight of their neighborhood schools. Just as WalMart, with its cheap Chinese goods and poverty wages, has brought down town after town, now the Waltons, Michelle Rhee, Jeb Bush, and others led by Amway and Betsy Prince DeVos (American Federation for Children or AFC) are determined to rifle the assets and plunder the funding sources of your public school for personal profit and their extreme ideological purposes.

If these Anti-Public School forces succeed, we will not have learned the harsh lesson of the Bath School Disaster: The public school will always remain the enduring heart and soul of any community. Public schooling is essential to sustaining American democracy.

A Powerful Afterthought:

Pres. Bill Clinton's Remonstration and Plea Against Domestic Terror, Dark Forces That Give Rise to Evil

"To all my fellow Americans beyond this hall, I say, one thing we owe those who have sacrificed is the duty to purge ourselves of the dark forces which gave rise to this evil. They are forces that threaten our common peace, our freedom, our way of life.

Let us teach our children that the God of comfort is also the God of righteousness. Those who trouble their own house will inherit the wind. Justice will prevail.

Let us let our own children know that we will stand against the forces of fear. When there is talk of hatred, let us stand up and talk against it. When there is talk of violence, let us stand up and talk against it.

In the face of death, let us honor life. As St. Paul admonished us, 'Let us not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.'"

Source: Speech Transcript of President Clinton in Oklahoma City, OK on April 23, 1995.

On the Reader:
Documentary "Bath School Disaster" by Lansing Community College (March 2012).

Contemporary, firsthand account and history of the Bath School District events by local resident M. J. Ellsworth (1927 5th Edition 1991), description of events on Wiki and a Rootsweb extensive list of historical sources and articles.

More recent coverage in "Survivors Recall 1927 Michigan School Massacre" a NPR story on April 17, 2009 and "Local residents recently discuss the future of the Bath School Memorial Park" and historical site - Story and video (May 14, 2012)

Related Slates:
More on Public Education and Michigan Public Schools on the Gazette.

Original.

Charles Koch & High Rollers Who Bought Michissippi’s TeaPublican Legislature’s 2011 Anti-Public School Rampage

Top Individual Donors to Michigan's Republican Party Related PACs

• Snyder, Richard & Sue (Self-supporting for Campaign)    $5,943,702
• DeVos, Richard, Sr. & Helen (FL) (Rich)    $1,199,904
• Lynas, Robert & Joyce     $1,007,000
• Perry, Bob (TX)    $1,000,000
• KOCH, DAVID (NY)    $988,604
• Singer, Paul (NY)     $783,400
• Cohen, Steven (CT)     $482,604
• Jandernoa, Michael & Susan     $416,655
• Weiser, Ron & Eileen     $418,247
• Johnson, Ruth (Self-supporting SOS Campaign)     $354,834
• Mills, Ted     $339,500
• Meijer, Frederick & Lena    $339,000
• DeVos, Richard, Jr. & Elisabeth (Dick & Betsy)     $334,754
• Moroun, M.J. & Nora     $333,225
• Nicholson, James & Ann     $302,704

Source: Michigan Campaign Finance Network - Citizen's Guide (2010)


Original.

Fools All: It’s twilight time in the TeaPublican Michigan State Senate

"Confiscation Schools"! Has Pavlov's Ed Committee Lost It's Mind? Sowing the Seeds of Local Discontent & Destruction: More angry, bullheaded attempts to destroy public education as we know it.

Yesterday, if the senate schedule held, the Senate Education Committee headed up by Sen. Phil Pavlov, entertained and possibly passed to the full senate, a complete package of utter nonsense (So-called Conversion Schools). Damaging and destroying our communities, this radical, unheard of ignorant overreach is again based on raw revenge, demeans and exposes these TeaPublican Senators as fools- dangerous to Michigan children, the foundations of public education, all dangerous to our futures.

Let's look over the rail and examine the non-sense proposal:
Sen. David Robertson: SB620 (Robertson) Education; public school academies; conversion schools...

Convoluted/Simpleton Rules for Confiscation of Neighborhood School Operations by Outsiders & Privateers:

Revise "the School Code to provide for the organization and administration of conversion schools, which would be public schools previously operated by a school district and converted under a contract issued by an authorizing body."

1. -- Require a petition to convert a school to be signed by at least 51% of the teachers at that school or at least 51% of the parents or guardians of pupils at the school.

2. -- Require an application to convert a school to be submitted to the board of the school district that included the school and, if that board did not approve the application, allow it to be submitted to another authorizing body.

In a public small school with, let's say 10 teachers, 6 teachers could revolt and privatize the school, a small group of parents may do likewise.

The local school, previously belonging to and operated by the local public district, would be removed from public jurisdiction, supervision, and control. The neighborhood schools would be made into another faux public school: A private school funded with taxpayer moneys.

Charters are by law, in most cases, private schools -unless operated by directly by a college or a school or ISD district- schools that are funded with public tax dollars, but run willy nilly by private, for-profit operators. They are franchise schools or corporate schools. Faux Public Charters are private schools funded with public money, operating outside the control and purview of the local population.

The acrimony, destruction to student progress and education and accompanying disruption created by this Robertson "nonsense proposal" boarders on fantastical. It's just plain NUTS.

Mr. Robertson's proposal for "conversion schools" fronts for "the Republican-led effort (which) would throw all kinds of new powers to parents and charter schools. It would even let a district fill classrooms with teachers employed by private, for-profit companies."

What are these angry and aggressive TeaPublicans thinking? Rather, what are they doing out of rage?

Note: the local elected board of education can be leap-frogged and excluded from the control or loss of a school to the local public. 

Sen. David Robertson is so intent on doing harm, that he is willing to go wild in his anti-public, anti-community crusade.

Conversion schools are schools of destruction and disillusion of the right of local citizens to own and control their local schools. To simply create a questionable legal legislative mechanism to remove a school from the public to private hands is A THEFT OF THE COMMON PROPERTY OF A NEIGHBORHOOD.

This proposed act allows for the introduction of educational management companies (including out-state corporations) which will be involved in the conversion school's operations.

Addressing the very real problems of the politics of Conversion Schools the proposal inserts these caveats:

1.)" A requirement that the board prohibit specifically identified family relationships between board members, individuals with an ownership interest in an educational management organization involved in the school's operation, officers or employees of such an organization, and employees of the school."

2.)" A requirement that the board prohibit any individual from being employed by the school in more than one full-time position and simultaneously being compensated at a full-time rate for each of those positions."

A sampling of other Roberson concepts in his Proposal:

1.) Require a conversion school authorized by a school district to be located in the school that was converted and prohibit the district from charging rent, but make the school financially responsible for maintaining the facilities

2.) The bill also would include a school operated by a conversion school corporation in the Code's definition of "public school", and would include a conversion school in the definition of "public school academy".

3.) To obtain a contract to convert a public school operated by a school district to a conversion school, one or more people or a legal entity would have to apply to the school district and submit to the board of the district an application and a petition signed by at least 51% of the teachers employed by the school district at the school to be converted and/or at least 51% of the parents or legal guardian of the pupils enrolled in the school. The board would have to consider the petition and approve or deny it within 60 days. If the board denied the petition, it would have to issue a letter of denial to the applicant.

4.) Collective Bargaining: If a conversion school were authorized by the board of the school district that operated the school that was converted, the school district would be the employer of the employees regularly working at the conversion school, but the school and its employees would not be subject to collective bargaining agreements that applied to employees of the school district employed in similar classifications in schools that were not conversion schools.

If a "conversion"school were authorized by an authorizing body other than the board of the school district that had operated the school, the school district would not be the employer of employees regularly working at the conversion school and the school and those employees would not be subject to a collective bargaining agreement with the school district.

SOURCE: Senate Document "CONVERSION SCHOOLS S.B. 620: COMMITTEE SUMMARY"

Footnote: David Robertson is the self-same individual who has taken up Snyder style Socialism Central Control: usurpation of local and community voice in the locals own affairs. Its one horrednous step too far:

Mr. Robertson sez, ""We need to empower the top executive to appoint more people ;who will go deeper into the bureaucracy," Robertson said. "THE HEART OF THE ISSUE IS POLITICAL POWER."

Blogger Eclectoblog states:

"If his (Robertson's) proposal to let the governor appoint 1% of the state government employees moves forward it would increase the current number by a factor of 4.5. Again, this is all about political power and ROBERTSON HAS BECOME SO INTOXICATED WITH HIS PARTY'S UNBRIDLED OVERREACH IN MICHIGAN THAT HE DOESN'T FEEL ANY NEED TO HIDE IT."
(emphasis added)

SOURCE: "Republican state senator Robertson wants Governor to have MORE power"

Just what are Mr. Robertson and the 'rogue' TeaPublicans up to? Let Susan Demas explain:

"It's hard for Republicans to make the case that they haven't singled out schools and teachers' unions in a host of policies this year. Legislation mandating public employees to pay more for health insurance had an opt-out clause for municipalities -- but schools are forced to participate. Teacher tenure reform once again dictates to school districts how it deals with employees, whereas local governments don't get any such edicts."

"And even this week, the Senate passed legislation limiting school board elections to November of even-numbered years. That saves money. But the Senate wasn't interested in saving more money by applying it to municipalities. They can still hold elections four times a year, every year.

"Because the hope is that it will be easier for conservative school board members to get elected when there's more than just school issues on the ballot. Another goal is to make it harder for schools to pass millages -- even though schools have few options as the Legislature swiped $1 billion from the School Aid Fund this year and passed new business taxes specifically designed to give schools less money.

"REPUBLICANS MAY HAVE THE VOTES TO KEEP BEATING THE MEA AND TEACHERS' UNIONS LIKE A DRUM. BUT THEY SHOULDN'T INSULT OUR INTELLIGENCE BY CLAIMING THAT THEY'RE JUST THINKING OF THE CHILDREN."
(emphasis added) 

SOURCE: "With Right to Teach, Republicans' war with unions gets personal"

Why would Mr. Robertson do this?
"I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work in all these policy areas during the new year," Robertson said. "I'm confident we can make Michigan a place that businesses long to call home. I can't wait." 

Add in his comment: "The heart of the issue is POLITICAL POWER." There you have it.

Mr. Robertson-Legislating Recklessly
One source states:

"Antisocial behavior may not always be related to some form of physical ailment or illness. Some people are just comfortable with living recklessly and form a bad habit of living carelessly and irresponsibly. This involves their own freedom of choice." 

Being interpolated, Sen. Dave Roberson is more than comfortable with viewing himself as super important, and going to the limit and beyond in his anti-public crusade, he is anti-community and should be shunned and discredited-he is far too irresponsible to represent his own district, much less inflict such nonsense on the state via his exalted view of the power of his office as a extreme ideologically oriented state senator.


Original.

Pavlov’s Folly: Proposed Privitzation of the Teaching Profession in Michigan

"Folly is a more dangerous enemy to the good than evil. One can protest against evil; it can be unmasked and, if need be, prevented by force... Against folly we have no defense. Neither protests nor force can touch it; reasoning is no use; facts that contradict personal prejudices can simply be disbelieved - indeed, the fool can counter by criticizing them, and if they are undeniable, they can just be pushed aside as trivial exceptions."
-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Under Pavlov Teachers become Indentured Servants of the TeaPublican Rabble

Reports succinctly an informed Kos Michigan source in "The Wal-Mart of Education States: Michigan":

"Michigan's teachers are facing an uphill battle. Besides fighting off right to work legislation, tenure 'reform' and a host of other anti-teacher bills, there is a possibility that MICHIGAN MAY BECOME THE FIRST STATE TO LEGALLY HIRE/FIRE TEACHERS AND REPLACE THEM WITH PRIVATE EMPLOYEES.

"'I look at it as offering options. If there is something out there that can offer school officials the same options at a lower cost, schools need to take a look at that. It needs to part of the conversation on reform.' Senate Education Chair Phil Pavlov (R - St. Clair).

"Senate Bill 618 reported out of Senate Education Committee with a close vote, and was separated from the rest of the GOP 'reform' package.

"SB 618 was reported out of the Senate Education Committee this afternoon and now moves to the full Senate. SB 618 allows the outsourcing of teachers and removes the cap on charter schools.

"Committee members voted 3-2 on the bill and on a substitute amendment that broke the tie-bar between SB 618 and SB 624 which mandates schools of choice.

Advocates against 'schools of choice' rejoiced, but what does this mean for education in Michigan? Apparently Michigan's teachers are about the go the Wal-Mart way. Save Money. Live better. Seriously?"

Sen. Phil Pavlov may have his "moment" in regard to the pull down of the teaching profession, but his moment is limited. Pavlov too will be timed out.

Pavlov will go down as a bullheaded enemy of children, their mentors and instructors, a real destructive force -AN A.L.E.C.'TOOL'- that lowered our communities deeper into the muck of an unfolding and steep decline of a great state into a place called "Michissippi" -a state of broken social contracts and shattered achievements.

Only a gnarled ideologue would covet such a epigram: He did his best to kill the best in Michigan community.


Original.

Sen. Phil Pavlov is responding like a Pavlovian Dog: Mackinac Center Gollum & Grand Guide Ken Braun delights in the success of political “Puppy Training”

As outlined by Ken Braun, the rad-right has anti-teacher Phil Pavlov by the short hairs. Pavlov is trained to do the destructive work which his handlers have "puppy-trained" him to do. SEE original Mackinac Center article: "Politician Puppy Training"-  What the tea parties can learn from the dog by Ken Braun Dec 24, 2010.

Go out and do something super"nasty for your " control", your TeaPartisan corporate/Chamber handlers/rad-right wingnuts. When the bell rings salivate, bite, and submit destructive legislation just as DeVos's American Federation for Children (AFC), the Waltons, Heritage Foundation, Heartland Institute, and the Koch Brothers (Cato, Americans for Prosperity, etc): demand when they pull an elected official's choke chain.

Doggone if State Senator Phil Pavlov isn't the "best of show", the boneheaded Doberman has an aggressive/negativist attitude; Let's go get a pound of teacher flesh.

In "Michigan Bill To Privatize Public School Teaching Sparks Concerns" on Sept 2, 2011 Joy Resmovits writes:

"Michigan state Republicans said this week they are preparing a package of bills to privatize public school teaching -- eliciting concerns about working conditions and trading academic quality for cost effectiveness.

"The legislation prepared by state Republican Sen. Phil Pavlov, who chairs the state Senate's education committee, would allow private, for-profit companies to compete for teaching jobs in public schools and would limit the power of teachers unions in seeking compensation packages.

"But few specifics are known about the bill package, which has yet to be officially introduced. And Pavlov isn't divulging much more -- for now.

'I don't mean to be vague about this,' Pavlov told The Huffington Post. "I can tell you everything on Wednesday (9/7/11)."

Pavlov did provide a general outline of the plan, but with minimal details.

'This package of bills will increase choice in many facets in Michigan in a way that has been necessary for long,' Pavlov said. 'We want a large comprehensive choice package that includes the expansion of charter schools and dual enrollment, to really put more opportunities in front of parents and students in Michigan.'"

In a one state "depression," Michissippi can hardly wait to find out what "bone of contention" this "puppy trained" Pavlov will trot out to the Michigan Legislature to please his "handlers" and "controllers." The destruction of public education for partisan revenge, and for the purpose of lining the pockets of J.C. Huizenga's Heritage Academies, Michelle Rhee's radical program, et. al.

Taken together this regressive movement constitutes a viral civic evil, it entails the beginning of end for our American Freedoms and way of life. That is freedom from the Koch Bros. American Legislative Exchange Councils coup d'état placing the Corporatocracy in charge of everything public and part elements of the grand "commons" so much a part of American life heretofore.

"A coup consists of the infiltration of a small, but critical, segment of the state apparatus, which is then used to displace the government from its control of the remainder."

Wake up Michigan. A corporatist coup d'état is underway. Your way of life, as you know it will be changed forever if the Corporatocracy (Corporate controlled democracy) they represent should succeed. Our moonfaced Nerd, Rick Snyder, is helpless amid this blitzkrieg of reprisals and instructional destruction/devolution.

There are those who get it, and get very well. From Michigan blogger Eclectoblog on Daily Kos:

"When you have done nearly all there is to do to hurt teachers, what remains? It's simple, really. Outsource their jobs. Privatize the actual education of our children."

"School districts could hire school teachers through a private company, expanding a privatization program already allowed for lunch workers and bus drivers, under legislation being prepared by the head of the Senate Education Committee."

"As part of a significant education reform package sponsored by Senator Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair), schools could privatize their instructional services, giving district a way to avoid the perceived high-dollar packages pushed by the teacher unions.

"'I look at it as offering options, 'Pavlov said. 'If there is something out there that can offer school officials the same options at a lower cost, schools need to take a look at that. It needs to part of the conversation on reform.'"  

Eclectoblog concludes thusly:

"We really are going over a cliff in Michigan. The main questions remaining are whether or not we can hold on long enough to vote these idiots out of office in 2012 and how much damage they can do to our society until we do." 

This posting drew hundreds of comments in support.

Mackinac Center for Public Policy Director Ken Braun details his Puppy Training/political control mechanism:

"Almost everyone loves puppies, at least until they start making messes on the carpet. With every puppy comes the responsibility of training it to become "man's best friend." The same can be said about legislators. WHILE THEY ARE, OF COURSE, NOT DOGS, THEY DO NEED TO BE TRAINED IN ORDER TO BE TURNED IN TO A VOTER'S BEST FRIEND. While most go to Lansing or Washington to do the right thing, MANY WILL END UP MAKING MESSES that result in less liberty."

"Training legislators, as with training puppies, must be done with care and common sense. Puppies don't learn to bark before going outside because their masters have set an example by peeing in the backyard themselves. That type of 'communication' would just confuse a puppy (to say nothing of the neighbors). INSTEAD, AN EXTERNAL SYSTEM OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS IS USED TO GUIDE THE PUPPY TOWARD DOING THE RIGHT THING."

"THERE'S A LESSON IN THIS FOR TEA PARTY GROUPS WHO SEEK TO COMMUNICATE THEIR CONCERNS TO POLITICIANS. YOU DON'T NEED TO EXPLAIN THE PRINCIPLES OR SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS. INDEED, THIS IS OFTEN THE LAST THING THAT WILL WORK."

(emphasis added)

Russia's Dr. Pavlov accomplished a number of studies:

"Further work on reflex actions involved involuntary reactions to stress and pain. Pavlov extended the definitions of the four temperament types under study at the time: phlegmatic, choleric, sanguine, and melancholic, updating the names to "the strong and impetuous type, the strong equilibrated and quiet type, the strong equilibrated and lively type, and the weak type."
-- Wikipedia

What type of temperament types does Sen. Phil Pavlov represent on Dr. Ivan Pavlov's scale?

Outside Michigan, people are becoming highly aware, and are catching on, as to the drastic anti-American heritage uprising the TeaPublicans are fomenting as ideological/fear-filled Mackinac Center, et. al. "puppy trained" Pavlovian dogs.

Ken Braun, Michigan's "Pavolvian "puppy trainer" and and leader of Michissippi's march into regression advocate, is the MacCen's Gollum: "Where would you be without me, gollum, gollum? I saved us! It was me! We survived because of me!"

Original.

Déjà vu All Over Again

Great teachers pack up and go somewhere else for the duration of a noxious "silly season"-the era of "teacher bashing," obstructing, and de-funding of public education. It's a radical rightist, pro-profitization agenda that hangs over Michigan like a black cloud of doom.

Hopefully you'll be able to return at a later time, but it will be years before Michigan will be once again ideologically hospitable to "great public school teachers."

Posted earlier in "Great Teachers: Pack-up & Go":

"Great teachers are intelligent, they are caring, and they are insightful. They know that a state legislature such as the TeaPublican radical rabble now in control of Michigan's education funding and legislation (made brazen by a complete majority in all 4 branches of State government) is no friend of theirs. TeaPublicans are highly primed to do harm to public education armed, early on, by the Engler Revolution which seized and destroyed local school control and funding. Militantly marching onward, TeaPublicans have now shown they are bitter and implacable enemies of the mission and goals of a true mentor-teacher of children."

The reality is such that smart college graduates will find a professional life in a more cultured and less-antagonistic and anti-government locale, far away from the provincial taunts hurled in the hostile manner of these Know Nothings of Michigan.

The civic sins of our past are heavy now. The way out and back to what Snyder mocks as the previous "status quo," the healthy normal, is nowhere in sight.

Like Engler, Snyder proudly touts his snide attack on what he derides as the current "status quo"- the peaceful and productive civic order we all depend on.

Now the lesson. What is meant by an attack on the Status Quo? It is an effort to cause trouble, challenge the status quo, disturb the balance, make a stink, upset the apple cart. Further, it is A CONTRIVED EXCUSE TO DO HARM to vital parts of our civic structure and tradition, all for short-term political and ideological gain.

Are these the types of disruptive social attitudes we really need in Michigan at this very critical time? Whatever happened to consensus, co-operation and collaboration between the powers that be and those who teach our children.

Great teachers teach, but perhaps not near so many (will choose to teach) in Michigan, currently under such virulent disrespect and dishonor as displayed by the TeaPublicans now in power in Lansing.

Follow Up: On the program, Hardball, Chris Matthews asked former U.S. Secretary of Education Bill Bennett, a while back, the all important question. What should school teachers earn? BENNETT REPLIED GOOD TEACHERS SHOULD BE PAID $80-85,000.

Final Note: Excerpt from our Previous Posting (11/21/10) "Coming Michigan Teacher Shortages":

"It will not be long and Michigan will again be desperately seeking new teachers to fill jobs that were passed over by bright and cautious graduates who will take up their careers in other states more teacher friendly and more progressive than the retro-Michigan dominated by muckrakers at the Mackinac Center and those who back their political mud runs."

Meanwhile In Meltdown Michissippi
As the reams of news articles begin to come in, reflect on the terrible social and civic sins of this vengeful Governor and his subservient super-majority of wingnuts, the public will be rightfully repulsed and very angry; ready to back recall various efforts.

What a terrible mistake the TeaPublicans have made! They set out to kill public education to please vicious vixens Michelle Rhee and Betsy DeVos-hyper-critics and nascent profit-takers, intent on harvesting millions of dollars from the implosion of public schools-as we, the public, have loved and supported our cherished neighborhood schools for generations.

As Nietzsche warned: "Beware of those whose urge to punish is strong." The nation is beginning to see the deconstructive dirty work of DeVos/Rhee and understand it is top-loaded with "punishment."

Cry too for our communities that surround and depend on the wonderful public school for local economic and social survival.

Alas, it will be too late for an entire generation of school children, just now being thrown to these selfish wolves. Kids are being unpardonably neglected by those TeaPublican ideologues (led about like sheep by powerful national partisan and corporate forces, such as the Brothers Koch), Neo-antichrists, and tax-haters. The Snyder led TeaPublican Super-Majority have become A.L.E.C. cyborgs who would not, could not, collaborate and work cooperatively with educators to make Michigan whole and good again.

This outrage is unacceptable to informed citizens and local business leaders who care about hometowns and historic institutions in a genuinely conservative, Christian manner.


Original Post.

Great Teachers: Pack Up & Go, Snyder Hates You

Starting today the devastating, hate-inspired impact of harsh anti-teacher measures ramrodded through by TeaPublicans takes over.

Witness soon the growing, aggressive, and vengeful aftermath of the TeaPartisan fury and purge of teacher rights and privileges in Michigan-completed in a blitz/spade of Reprisal Lawmaking finalized on the last day of June 2011. Cringe as these negativist measures go into full effect. Watch helplessly as entire systems and achievements are destroyed.

There is all that talk about "reform" of education: John Engler was a big "revolutionary" who thought he knew how to reform education. Rick Snyder, the "always project positive" corporate educational hit man has done his snide share, as a result Snyder now makes John Engler, the former satan for public educators look like St. Francis-viewing the metrics of The 30th of June outcomes; lawmaking in deconstructive, vicious, and morale-destroying legislation, aimed directly at individual teachers, NOT their professional association-as is so often reported.

What will Snyder's hits on Michigan Public Education produce? Here is a prime example. The "best and the brightest" are always the mantra of Snyderesque reformers. The best and the brightest are smart enough and thorough enough to look at the long haul (career view), the real world impact of the devastation and damage Snyder has inflicted on the teaching profession in Michigan. They're packing their bags, Good-bye to Michigan. How so? Follow this news story:

WASHINGTON: Debbie Johnson got her teaching degree from Michigan State University (MSU), but recruiters persuaded the 23-year-old to start her career in Georgia, where the weather is warm, the cost of living is lower and the schools offer more resources, such as projectors and interactive wireless pads.

"I like technology," Johnson said. "There are a lot of [classroom] resources here I hadn't seen in Michigan. There's an amazing opportunity."

Michigan is one of 31 states facing a multimillion-dollar budget gap this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. That makes its teachers prime poaching targets of out-of-state recruiters from states such as Texas, Georgia, Nevada and Wyoming, where school-age populations are growing.

Even if teachers aren't yet being laid off, a tough economic climate is often enough to drive them away, said Kelly Herndon, director of recruitment and retention for Gwinnett County, Ga.

"I watch the markets," Herndon said. "I'll admit, if the economy is in bad shape or the state legislature isn't managing funds, I focus on those states."

In some states, teachers are being let go because of shrinking budgets and shrinking school populations, including Michigan, Florida and California, which is facing a projected $11.2 billion deficit in 2009.

-- Excerpted from: "Recruiters zero in on teachers in ailing states", Nathaniel Weixel, Stateline.org, The Seattle Times, 12/14/08

Original Post.

Hatred for Teachers: The Radical Right has created a defining Moment in Michigan; TeaPublicans have institutionalized HATE

Hatred of public school teachers has been a constant underlying theme of the organized, hateful ideologues for a very long time. It didn't start with Ronald Reagan's commitment to abolish the U.S. Department of Education (just established by Pres. Carter), but that sentiment and the "bold-but-brash" actions of Reagan in PATCO spiked the direction things would go from there on. Ginned up on the anti-unionism that is part of radicals' cherished "Freedom," this mindset is "Give us the freedom to do things that are off the scale of civic good, if that's what we demand."

Many of the "Republican" radicals and near anarchist Libertarians have sought to go the distance on outrageous legislated reprisals: e.g. Eradicate the public school teachers' unions and now, as under, Rick Snyder, abolish Detroit's public school system entirely. 

No place has seen as much bitterness and vituperation and anti-teacher unionism "gotcha" come into play than Michigan in the last 30 years. The poster boy for this raw reprisal and the bone-ugly has been John Mathias Engler, a rural farm boy from Beal City, who serves as the crude archetype of "in-your-face" legislation and bitter rhetoric. Engler is the prototype, mold, from which such curmudgeons and bullies as N.J.'s Chris Christie, mirroring Engler, have emerged.

Add in major monies: Amway's cash-flushed aggressive anti-teacher/union darling-Betsy DeVos, the community-busters: right-wing Think Tanks-- the Koch brothers CATO and sub-group Americans for Prosperity, and foundations of the Scaife, Olin, Bradley, Smith-Richardson, and Walton families--whose leaders have publicly indicated their desire to completely eradicate taxpayer-financed public education. And there are dozens more.

Add in religious groups against mainstream American beliefs: the zealot Christian Re Reconstructionist movement, James Dobson (who trumpeted long and loud: "Take your children out of public schools." Expand the list with wild-eyed radicals such as disgraced and criminally indicted extreme-right savant, Mark Siljander, the former Jerry Falwell, and a host of others who misuse the public's interest in religion for private political purposes revolved around personal power and control of wealth. Much of this movement had apartheid, a revival of the old segregationist academies of the Jim Crow South as its highest priority.

Add in the disinformation factories of Heartland Institute, the Heritage Foundation, Michigan's Mackinac Center, the Center for Free Enterprise, FOX News, Rush Limbaugh's daily rants, and many, many more and hate becomes the basis of published fact.

So now one party, the TeaPublicans of Michigan, has a strangle hold on all four (4) branches of state government. There has been unleashed a grand scheme contrived by radicals such as Grover Norquist and Newt Gingrich to use federalism, state power, as they envision it, to make massive blitzkrieg on legislative policy and governance at the state level and thereby circumvent and handicap the role of national and federal powers in areas where they are at odds. At the state level these burrowing ideologues can utilize their "new found" majorities to terrorize all "enemies" and are being ginned up to do so.

The moment to act on the hatred stoked-up against the role of teachers in their own affairs and the place of teacher influence in education policy-making has come to a volcanic episode of uncontrolled anti-public school legislation. These Know Nothings, whose revisionist efforts would set back the profession of teaching into the 19th Century, know full-well what they are attempting to do. There can be no reasoning with carnal rage as seen in recent committee and floor behavior.

They are attempting exterminating, purging the influence of teachers in every governmental realm they can conceive. As one watches the introduction of anti-teacher bills into the Lansing docket, it is clear that the anger and the vituperative and bitter intent of this out-of-control radical majority, a lockstep cabal of extremists, will continue unabated until the public becomes fully and clearly aware of the vast harm and danger their polices present to our families, our communities, and our children.

A FINAL WORD
Underlying all of this hatred and push to seize control of teacher's rights, compensation, working conditions, and to marginalize their influence is the real reason the Mackinac Center has spent millions to usher in this bitter and resentful moment. In many ways their deep angst and corruption is the source of all that ails the Michigan psyche.

Certain insurance elements invested in the MacCen are backing and infesting the secretive work of Mackinac Center. They are salivating over the prospect of fees and contracts for privatizing educators' insurance. They are the same tight group that wrestled the successful and lucrative Michigan Accident Fund away from the state early in the Engler Era. Multiple millions are there for MacCen competitors of MESSA to harvest and profit from, via the power and the thrust of the present anti-teacher environment headed-up currently and pushed behind the present Capitol scene by former REP. WAYNE KUIPERS, a cunning operative who has a double-edged axe to grind with teachers.

No longer in elective office, yet armed with a seething resentment, KUIPERS soldiers on for himself and for a nasty group of backroom men intent on profitization from Michigan's economic crisis-brought on in part by their own incompetence and inabilities to face the challenges presented business and state government in the 21st Century.

Original Post.

Dead End/Bad Trade Off: Profitazation or Abandonment of Detroit’s Public School Children

Specious envy surrounds the sacred role of a teacher at a low period when unjust criticisms are being hurled about, as they are so often now days.

The kinds of snide remarks popping up in this blog are typical of the anti-intellectualism which has haunted the country from long ago and consistently undercut its greatness. Much of the anti-public schools spiel has the dark undertow of Michigan's historic KKK.

With all the puffery about the public wanting only the "best and brightest" to enter teaching, and knowing the uncertainty and vicissitudes of the occupation; why would an extremely bright young person go into teaching? Especially, as teachers now know, that one major political party, Michigan's GOP, has dogged and derided the profession (coming from every level from the Reagan Presidency on down, over decades) with every sort of encumbrance, criticism, and financial or legislated penalty that could be devised or contrived. Literally they are attempting to undermine public schools to de-certify the teacher's unions; and convert public schooling to a profit making industry via charters and vouchers- a monstrous blunder tainted with educational apartheid.

People Love Their Public Schools, They Are the Heart and Soul of Many A Community Communities celebrate the sporting events, the homecomings, the high achievements of PS science clubs and other extra-curricular activities. They follow their graduates progress into all manner of successes and higher achievement. And, of course, many graduates become teachers themselves. So many so that, there are hundreds of applicants for a single opening in schools--when schools are hiring.

How proud a parent is to say or learn their daughter and/or son will take up teaching! 

How welcome a new teacher is at the mortgage department of the local bank or as a new member of a place of worship; or as so many eventually do, a teacher becomes an elected local official or civic board member. Kill that spirit at your own peril, you mumbling detractors!

After 20 years of fierce and unrelenting Republican and "Anti-Tax" Libertarian attacks, cuts, and trash talk, the public still loves the schools. They respect teachers world's better than the politicians and far-rightist pundits who perennially attack and purposefully undermine public schools as an institution. Who are these greedy and cynical hacks-whose feral skills are on the prowl to tear it down the PS?

So many people say, "I owe it all to my teacher." What a testament to teachers! Teachers are the true heart of historic social acculturation and the proud soul/mentors at the core of this venerated institution. Except for inner cities, some depressed rural areas or isolated small communities, the Michigan school facilities are much better than those I have closely observed in Virginia or any number of other states.

Across Michigan, we take pride in our local schools. We really do want our children to have the best opportunities possible. Until Engler, the one very fundamental axiom of classic Republican scripture was local school control, which in Michigan was taken from us, ripped away by rouge Republicans in a bold manner in 1993. Now we see and realize the danger and the error of that plot. State control of local school funding is undependable and subject to the nastiest of politics and very anti-student.

The sad thing in all of this is, Nolan Finley. Finley has had moments when he was an advocate, supporter, and even a collaborator with MEA and public education. An important fact considering his own immediate family members, his daughters are members of the teaching profession.

Albeit, Nolan works for newspaper tycoons who have a very aggressive and dangerous ideological attitude/slant against public education. Such an un-civic attitude doesn't build good will, it doesn't foster cooperation; it cuts to the heart of the promise of our nation--a free and excellent education--underwritten by the public at-large.

The long dismal decline of Detroit is a humiliating, humbling, and a sadly tragic blotch on the pride of all Michiganders. The city's public schools reflect the systemic decline and despair of its trapped population, rather than produce that state of affairs.

Now comes the lowest suggestion, depraved conclusion of one Nolan Finley, "DEMO" DETROIT'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS: "DPS can't be saved. It pushed beyond the tipping point years ago, and must be allowed to slide into oblivion."

Aggressive Profitazation of public schooling as a new "disaster" capitalist's scheme: Profit at the direct expense of Children and their mentors. Don't even dare to call it "good for kids."


Original Post.

Suffer Detroit's Little Children to Become Victims of For-Profiteers

WE KNOW WHO MOST OF THE STUDENT UNDERACHIEVERS IN MICHIGAN SCHOOLS ARE:

*They are the poor.
*They live largely in urban ghettos.
*They live in high crime areas.
*They are exposed to constant gun violence.
*They are children in homes rife with abuse and neglect.
*They are hungry and go day-to-day without proper nourishment, staggering numbers qualify for free or reduced meals.
*They are the children of children, frequently the off spring of promiscuous mothers, often children themselves.
*They live in rundown, dangerous, or condemned housing. Many have lost their homes to foreclosure and eviction.
*They go cold in the winter without proper outerwear.
*They are exposed everyday to the drug culture.
*They are harassed, threatened, and controlled, herded about by gangs. They live in constant despair, terrorized by street crime and shots in the night.
*They are those who have been neglected or abandoned by the houses of worship.
*They grow up in a jobless environment and have no real hope for an adequately paying occupation.
*They are in large numbers teenage boys of color who drop out of school.
*They are unhealthy, too many die as infants, get few vaccinations, no pre-natal or little post-natal care.
*They are culturally deprived: living in areas with few good public libraries or free or affordable cultural activities.
*They have very limited access to banner stores such as abound in the suburbs.
*They are often in foster care, having been abused, neglected or abandoned by their parent(s).
*They have little opportunity to investigate the natural beauty or the beauty and wonders of the out state areas of Michigan, many have never left their neighborhoods, have never seen the open countryside, the dunes, or the Mackinaw Bridge.
*They have juvenile criminal records, often numerous misdemeanors.
*They are truant, or frequently fail to come to school.
*They have few books or educational stimuli in the home.
*Their caregivers are unemployed or on welfare.
*They often lack the basic social skills, at age five cannot perform such simple tasks as tying their own shoes, may eat out of bowls without utensils. .
*They are outside the profile sought by the "marketplace entrepreneurials," with the exception of drug pushers.
*They have not received the proper diets in the early critically formative years of mental development.
*They are victims of various kinds of political shams and disparaging debates, the flotsam and jetsom of Lansing debate and cynicism.
*They cannot move or play freely in their neighborhoods without fear and anxiety.
*They are the state's foster care kids (approx. 17,800 in 2010); the percentage of these kids committed to Michigan's foster care programs who do not graduate is very high, approaching 60% or more.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT?

Everything, if we comprehend the depth of the problem and nothing. If we shift blame and refuse to do what we can to correct this deplorable situation through a sustained, collaborate and costly effort, then, we ourselves, are at the heart of this egregious failure.

In a moment of pure honesty Grand Rapids former Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Grotsky said some of the best teaching takes place in our inner cities, predominately minority elementary classrooms, it doesn't show up in high test scores, but taken from where these students start out, how far behind educationally they come to us, the persistent progress that is being made reflects some of the finest teaching in the district. The love and dedication of these teachers is outstanding.

Our public schools rooms are "nurseries of our future and their wanton neglect entails a kind of social suicide."
Why are we squandering hope and help for a school generation moving through the inner city public schools while we repeatedly make public education the object of criticism and scorn, as the editorial board of the Detroit News is prone to do with its habitual harangues. When does the News become collaborative with teachers and go pro-active?

When are we going to hold the tax-hating Lansing pols responsible for their cynicism and neglect?
In spite of the many attempts to portray themselves as the promoters of "education reform" in Michigan, the Detroit News and the stonehearted TeaPublican Majority's civic and social blindness about life in the abandoned squalor of the state's dead and dying cities ignores the root causes of educational underachievement. In the their blame-laying fixations on test scores and measurements, that simply confirm the plight of our urban and poor rural area children, they have not become the answer, they have become enlargers of the problem.

Now, Nolan Finley, calls for the giant evil step: DEMO DETROIT'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS: "DPS can't be saved. It pushed beyond the tipping point years ago, and must be allowed to slide into oblivion."

"Whoever is a cause of trouble to one of these little ones who have faith in the goodness of life, it would be better for him to have a great stone fixed to his neck, and to come to his end in the deep sea." -- Paraphrase of St. Matthew 18:6

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Make My School A Prison: An important letter from Snyder’s trash bin

"Please provide for my students in my school district the same way we provide for a prisoner. It's the least we can do to prepare our students for the future."

The following is the content of a letter sent to Gov. Rick Snyder concerning the negative impact of Michissippian TeaPubulican cuts in per student funding as per the Snyder Budget.

Dear Governor Snyder,

In these tough economic times, schools are hurting. And yes, everyone in Michigan is hurting right now financially, but why aren't we protecting schools? Schools are the one place on Earth that people look to "fix" what is wrong with society by educating our youth and preparing them to take on the issues that society has created.

One solution I believe we must do is take a look at our corrections system in Michigan. We rank nationally at the top in the number of people we incarcerate. We also spend the most money per prisoner annually than any other state in the union. Now, I like to be at the top of lists, but this is one ranking that I don't believe Michigan wants to be on top of.

Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.

This is why I'm proposing to make my school a prison. The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per student. I guess we need to treat our students like they are prisoners, with equal funding. Please give my students three meals a day. Please give my children access to free health care. Please provide my school district Internet access and computers. Please put books in my library. Please give my students a weight room so we can be big and strong. We provide all of these things to prisoners because they have constitutional rights. What about the rights of youth, our future?!

Please provide for my students in my school district the same way we provide for a prisoner. It's the least we can do to prepare our students for the future...by giving our schools the resources necessary to keep our students OUT of prison.

Respectfully submitted,
Nathan Bootz
Superintendent
Ithaca Public Schools

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Michigan’s TeaPublicans Have Just Raised Your Taxes by Nearly 2 Billion Dollars to Bailout Their Business Buddies Without Proving Why...

Michigan’s TeaPublicans Have Just Raised Your Taxes by Nearly 2 Billion Dollars to Bailout Their Business Buddies Without Proving Why Business Needs This Massive “Gift” of Cash

A malignant miasma has overtaken Michigan Legislative Republicans. This party, so opposed to "new taxes," has just A-bombed a sizable section of the state with a massive tax increase, a nearly 2 billion dollar "gift"/"bailout" to business interests-now firmly in total control of all four branches of Michigan governance:
1. The State House, 2. The State Senate, 3. The Executive Branch, and 4. The Michigan Supreme Court.

Stonecold Ugly is the rule of the day.

Radicalized Republicans, known as TeaPublicans, have become the owners of a massive tax increase on a defenseless section of the public: The old, the poor, the school children. Passage of Snyder's budget proposal yesterday literally stolen from them an unprecedented-targeted tax takings.

The "bum's rush" is on, with much more to follow.

Particularly, Snyder wanted his budget passed before next week's report that there is a sizable uptick in revenue from recent economic activity.

Two deceptive elements included in the Nerd's budget are: The clever K-16 treatment (lumping into the K-12 budget higher ed) of the $650 million school fund surplus, which coupled with the uptick in collectable revenues (about to be released) would offset, to a large degree, the harsh cuts to school funding imposed and inflicted by anti-public education GOP Teapartisans.

Specious is the Snyder Nerd-O-nomic claim that this massive taxation is "fair." It destroys the Nerd's claim that his budget-based on a huge tax increase for a targeted group-includes, somehow, a "shared sacrifice" on the part of business.

There's no sacrifice involved here for businesses, but there is a real possibility of dozens of "Kalkaskas" statewide.


Original Post.

Nerdly (Rick) Snyder Fails Citizenship 101

Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder has not proven the factors supporting the need for his theft of Public School Financial resources (a $900 million cut, and upwards of $1.1 billion in School fund surpluses and unexpected new revenues due to go to schools), nor has Snyder built a credible case for why his corporate backers are not paying their proportional higher share in increased taxes helping Michigan through this crisis.

Why rather than accept "shared sacrifice" during this crisis, are Snyder's business cronies actually being given "no strings attached"-huge sums of money fleeced from ordinary citizens? You and I know, Snyder knows he's stealing revenue that belongs to K-12 schools support. Yet the Nerd stubbornly persists in his one way trip to disaster.

To compound the ugliness of this corporate/business "gift outright" is the fact that those who have backed Snyder in this erroneous decision are a secret group of contributors. The public is being fleeced and those involved in this civic crime are hidden from our view and directed criticism.

Like other actions supporting this situation in Michigan dovetails with the highly planned, well-orchestrated and choreographed National Legislative Coup mounted by radical rogue elements, best identified as TeaPublicans-funded as foot soldiers/astroturf activists by mega corporations and radical hard right think tanks. This is their golden moment of radical opportunity. 

University of Wisconsin Professor Bill Cronon published March 15th a study guide that blew the cover off this coup, even then underway nationwide. Cronon asked: What's fueling the "sudden and impressively well-organized" wave of right-wing legislation targeting the environment, workers rights (collective bargaining), public service, students voting rights, women's issues, and, immigrants in state legislatures across the country? Answer in large part: The Koch Brothers, Walton family, Amway clan's secretive legislative mill: The American Legislative Exchange Council (A.L.E.C.)

A.L.E.C.'s finger prints are all over the Nerd's legislative agenda current and what's to come. Snyder's own hired honchos have added expensive PR and media ads to their arsenal of anti-public service "revolutionary action" to cover the tracks back. What do they want and why are they hiding who they are from the public?

Reports Todd A. Heywood:

"The (Snyder hired Yob associates')Values Group is pushing support for Gov. Rick Snyder's controversial budget which includes eliminating the state's business tax, creation of a flat six percent business tax, eliminating the Earned Income Tax Credit, cuts to education funding distributions, cuts to local revenue sharing programs and a new tax on retirement pensions. Snyder and the GOP majority in the state legislature plan to pass the budget by June 1, weeks before the Values first campaign report is filed ."

We know, now in part, why there's the Nerd's "bum's rush" to pass as much of the massive anti-public schools, anti-public service/police/firefighter/corrections officer/social worker, union busting legislation as possible. The reason is clear: as the public awakens to the threat and the damage done by this rogue rebellion-the Retro-Engler Revolution, they will begin to resist and block Snyder's re-invention of Michigan's entire governance into a troubling morass which will pull the state down into a deeper and longer "One State Depression." Snyder's corporate backers and his host of privateers-anxious to get their hands into the public treasure-cannot stand exposure during these critical early months of their blitz.

Rich Robinson, executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, sees the rules under the current elections law as the heart of the present problem:

"I've been complaining about our crappy lobbying and campaign finance laws for years. We just don't require frequent enough reporting," Robinson tells Michigan Messenger in an e-mail. "WE SHOULD KNOW THE SOURCES OF MONEY THAT ARE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE POLICY PROCESS BEFORE POLICY DECISIONS ARE MADE."

Progress Michigan's executive director David Holtz has puts it on the line:

"AN 86 PERCENT TAX BREAK FOR CORPORATIONS AND ZERO TRANSPARENCY FOR CITIZENS - THAT'S THE ARROGANT MESSAGE WE ARE GETTING FROM GOVERNOR SNYDER'S POLITICAL CAMP."

"We should assume there's a reason they are not immediately disclosing the corporate and other donors behind these ads. But that reason doesn't have anything to do with transparency or good government."

What Snyder's doing is dead wrong:
- Robbing the children's education,
- Putting dictators in place of elected officials
- Taxing deferred savings of the elderly who face end-of-life's daunting expenses
- Putting thousands of children/needy families off public assistance
- Shortening the foreclosure period allowed for redemption by half
- Reducing unemployment with over 400k on the brink of no support other than limited charity
- Purposefully cash-starving local units of government into bankruptcy
- Giving billions to business without supporting evidence that such a give-away is really necessary rather than dead wrong

Ashamed, the Nerd, responsible for this tragic set of events, should hide his aggressive self-serving MO and conceal his greedy corporate supporters from the worried public as long as possible.

We are learning that we live in an evil time.
________________________________

"(T)his is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." 

-- John 3:19-20

"It is a proven fact that Evil will Increase in Direct Proportion to the Preaching of the Lie. If Good men do nothing to restrain the effects of evil, it will inevitably triumph over all men. Evil is done in darkness. It Cannot stand the Light of Day. Exposed it will either lash out or run and hide. HOWEVER EXPOSING EVIL REQUIRES VIRTUE AND COURAGE, BECAUSE IT IS ALWAYS COSTLY TO DO SO. WHETHER THE EVIL BE POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS, IT WILL DESPISE ANYONE WHO SHINES THE LIGHT OF TRUTH."

"In a Free Society Evil is restrained by holding forth a Standard of Truth. But when Truth is fallen in the streets nothing remains but the evil. Then the institutions become corrupt from top to bottom and rotten to the core. Like the one bad apple in the barrel ruining all the others, so one bit of leaven gone un-checked will destroy the Standard."

"The Root of a tree must remain healthy for the tree to bare its fruit and prosper. If the Root is allowed to decay, soon the whole tree will produce nothing but degenerate fruit. Tell one lie and by necessity you must tell another to cover the first."

-- A Timely Prophetic utterance from Standing the Gap

Original Post.