Sticks and stones can break my bones but words -- like hold harmless and Academy -- mean something
Words mean things – even though my good friends who work more with numbers sometimes use the term “wordsmithing” in a less than positive way.
They can tell us much about what Governor Snyder and The Oxford Foundation’s reforms mean or don’t mean for top rated school districts.
Let’s start with the phrase “hold harmless”—that phrase has meaning and it tells us much about how state politicos, past and present, Democrat or Republican, think of top rated Districts when they set about “reforming” public education from Lansing.
In 1994, when Proposal A strictly limited what more affluent Districts could tax themselves to pay for their public schools, there was an understandable political outcry.
People in Bloomfield, Birmingham, Grosse Pointe, etc. understood that their District stood, quite literally, in harm’s way. They understood the good motivations driving (at least) some of the reformers who wanted greater equity in public education resources. But at the same time they wanted their Districts held harmless from such draconian attempts to cure specific problems. And while they might not want to pay more taxes they wanted the local right to choose if they paid more taxes.
The logic, if not the funding formula, was simple: don’t destroy what works to try to fix what doesn’t. And leave us in control of our own fate. Folks in these parts of the world have done quite well at life and don’t necessarily need direction from those who have done less well.
To a certain extent top rated Districts were successful, successful in the limited way good parenting can protect children from the sometimes absurdity of the political world.
Hold Harmless funds have, quite literally, kept Birmingham and Bloomfield public education top districts. It is not just the money, of course, but the way the money preserves a quality of District that continues to draw talented students or, at least, those who want good public education. In this sense, financial and cultural capital work as one.
The Oxford Foundation and today’s school “reformers” remember the words hold harmless, too.
That is why they are 1) targeting the very concept of the “District” 2) foregrounding proposals to either eliminate entirely or limit not hold harmless but what reformers now call “enhancement” millages to 3 mils and disburse that money across district lines 3) ignoring entirely the fact that some public education districts are terrific while 4) doing their level best to make everyone believe all districts are low functioning and in need of a radical makeover.
You should familiarize yourself with all 4 strategies.
Residents of BHSD are quite familiar with strategy #4 – the seemingly strange attempt by local critics to liken BHSD to the worst Districts in the state even though, by all measures, they are at the top.
For example, one of the strangest moments to me in the recent schoolboard race involved an August 27 Patch post by candidate Jenny Greenwell who touted the new East English Village Prep Academy (what used to be Finney) as a model for new high schools, including the building of the new Bloomfield schools. She was at the ribbon cutting apparently because her husband, Don Greenwell, and his firm, had participated in the remodeling of East English Village Prep. It struck me as odd to not only compare a struggling system to BHSD but to in fact hold up East English Village Prep Academy and Detroit reform as a model, an exemplar!
How odd, I thought, mistakenly.
Context helps.
Ms. Greenwell (perhaps inadvertently) referred to East English Village Prep as part of the Detroit Public Schools rather than belonging to the “non” District that actually manages it: Governor Snyder’s “shadow” district -- The Educational Achievement Authority (EAA). The EAA is explained quite carefully in the HB6004 analysis, set to become law soon. While the legislative leg work is not completely done, the EAA has been kicking along in Detroit for some time, taking over 15 schools (3 charters). This is what the EAA does. It identifies Districts in the bottom 5% of the state and then authorizes the state to take those Districts over and “remodel” them (The East English Village Prep was part of this remodeling, to the tune of 48 million).
Things aren’t going so well with this first reform effort and that can tell us much about current K-12 reform movements writ large.
When the Emergency Manager Proposal (#1) failed (along with Proposal 2 and others) on November 6, the Detroit Public Schools reclaimed control of this “shadow” District. Rather comically, the EAA Emergency Manager or “Chancellor” (a western European word that always implies an easy, aggressive, and very, very male quick solution to a complex problem), Roy Roberts, has threatened to quit because he has lost the total control Govenor promised him (those pesky parents!).
This "threat" to quit is comic because DPS can’t wait for the Governor’s man to go. As far as they are concerned he is already gone even though he is still considering quitting. Things are a mess. The only beneficiaries to date are those who got paid to create the “Academy.”
What is next on the legislative agenda? HB5923. It is sitting on the Chuck Moss lame duck table for Congress after Thanksgiving like a delicious and easy to grab leftover turkey sandwich with gravy.
Unlike HB6004, which it follows as sure as night follows day, this bit of reform makes no distinction whatsoever between the bottom 5% of schools and those at the top. As currently worded HB5923 will utterly efface hold harmless millages and open Districts like to BHSD and Birmingham and their tax money to all sorts of “schools" and change what many have come to know and appreciate.
In short, it will do for the rest of the state more or less what the EAA does for Detroit – only in kinder, gentler terms because those that have a choice in America usually avoid “Chancellors” if they can.
The BHSD 2020 folks and their educational gurus from Rochester might just get their “Academy” after all – unless those parents and taxpayers who value their top rated Districts come to terms with the fact they are in a knock down, bare knuckles fight.
Marcia Robovitsky
7:48 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
New post on Oxford Foundation-Michigan
Michigan Public Education Finance Project Alert
by Admin
The Michigan Public Education Finance Project would like to thank everyone for their contributions to our efforts to draft a new Michigan Public Education Finance Act to replace the existing School Aid Act of 1979. We have talked to hundreds of people and received dozens of emails. We set out to integrate Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s “Any Time, Any Place, Any Way and Any Pace” approach expressed in his Special Message on Education issued April 27, 2011.
The draft of the Michigan Public Education Finance Act of 2013 is aimed at creating a public education funding system that:
Creates career ready citizens;
Creates a path toward more robust performance-based funding;
Promotes individual learning styles;
Provides seamless transitions for the pupil between early childhood, elementary, secondary, and post secondary education.
The draft will be posted on the Oxford Foundation Michigan website on Monday morning for public review and comment. The comment period will run through Friday, December 14, 2012. We encourage you to review the draft and provide your comments.
Ken Jackson
7:53 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunday's front page Free Press report (they got a look early) indicates the Oxford Foundation Proposal will look pretty much like it did back in July.
Mike Reno
9:42 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Paranoia [ˌpærəˈnɔɪ.ə] (adjective: paranoid [ˈpærə.nɔɪd]) is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself. (e.g. "Everyone is out to get me.") Making false accusations and the general distrust of others also frequently accompany paranoia.
Elizabeth
3:45 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
HB 6004 requires all districts to inform the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) whenever a school buiding that was previously used for classroom instruction is closed, unused or unoccupied. That is in the draft bill (pgs 7 & 8 of the summary). Look it up. This is not paranoia or irrational or a delusion it is in the bill. This idea that a local district's school building must be used for a Special Designation School if that school requests it, with no input from the local district is unacceptable. What does the state know about our specific local issues about education and aside from education. For example, Bloomfield Township has no parks, what if BHS wanted to create a park in collaboration with the Township? This way the district could own the building/property for the future should it be needed and the township could be using it in the meantime. What if the district wanted to sell the property to someone else that would bring in more dollars than leasing it or selling it to another entity to run as a special designation school?
In my mind, the state should not be dictating what the residents of BHS district want to do with their assets. You may think it is being paranoid, but I consider it being aware of all the consequences both good and bad. Right now, I see little in this new structure that would make BHS better than it is today.
Mike Reno
7:20 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Elizabeth, I was more referring to the constants drumbeat about the Oxford Foundation boogie man, and this four strategy fantasy.
There are ways to address these concerns. For example, what if you were to propose that the matter be put to a vote of the communities?
The business acumen of most school boards is such that the legislature probably feels compelled to make these sorts of silly laws. School districts will cry the financial blues, yet sit on shuttered, valuable property rather than lease or sell, and put the value of taxpayer assets to use to educate children. Heck, it's actually turing a negative outflow (for maintenance) into a positive flow.
I'm not in favor of these sorts of "taking" laws. I'd support putting it to a vote. I can't imagine that sort of law would have any sort of negative impact on a district with prudent business thinkers. They'd never let it sit around idle for that long. Keep in mind this is property that has sat idle for two years. If a community wants to continue to do that, and a majority supports the idea, then fine.
Elizabeth
7:48 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Mike,
I understand what you are saying about the Oxford Foundation (OF) and the discussion about the specific bill they are drafting. Consider this though. The OF bill isn't worth anything unless the other bills like HB5923 and HB 6004 or it's Senate counterpart are in place. They are all pieces to the same education puzzle. Each bill taken on its own may not be too bothersome and those parts that are within the individual bills potentially can be changed with amendments. However, taken as a whole, they effectively change the education landscape in the State of Michigan for everyone. The state seems to be coming from the point of view that our public education system is broken. Parts of it may very well be, but other parts are working well. Why not work with the districts that are doing a good job to see where they could include classes for the child that is a high achiever. In some cases that might be an on-line class in other districts it may just be a few additional dollars and the community might be willing to pay additional taxes. Still other districts may need more social services to support the families so the children will be able to achieve. I imagine that it will be different for different districts.
Mike Reno
8:37 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
I think by and large the education system is broken.
I am not sure how you can tweak it. Maybe the concept is akin to the nearly decade long debate in Bloomfield over secondary infrastructure.
I have yet to hear a reasoned argument on how the Oxford ideas would "harm" most districts. Ken here is like Bill Mahr, tossing sarcasm and thunderbolts that fall on deaf ears... Except for those in his choir.
I can understand the concern over money... although I am not in agreement that money alone is the common denominator of successful districts. Exclude Bloomfield and Birmingham, and you have a lot of highly funded districts that don't do so well.
So how do you address a systemic problem where some big number... 70%... 80%... 90%... Are not doing do good.
The big hand of government is not going to fix it.
Local school boards have failed for decades.
I think it's time to give freedom a chance.
I don't think the intent is to "harm" Bloomfield in any way. Bloomfield is full of smart people... and well-connected people... who can offer amendments to the legislators. There are solutions to the things.
I think you just need to find another spokesperson. If you were a legislator, how would you respond to someone like Ken, and his "Listen you idiot..." approach?
Mike Reno
8:47 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
And regarding your suggestion to try to work with the districts... Been there, done that.
Joshua picked up the touch... ask him how that is going!
Not trying to be obstinate.... the reality is that ALL schools, for the most part, think they are doing great, and if they are willing to admit to a few isolated problems, it is always someone else's fault.
So as a parent... You see that the school is not adequately servicing your child. You have asked politely, and not-so-politely, and there is no change. You don't have the means for a private school. So what do you do?
Release the hostages! :-) Honestly, all most of us want is the freedom of choice. Let me find a better alternative.
Elizabeth
9:32 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
" The big hand of government is not going to fix it." But that is exactly what is coming down the pike. Actually it feels like a massively huge hummer with a huge hand of government coming down the pike. And I don't believe it will "fix the problem" or rather, it may cause more problems than it fixes.
Mike Reno
10:14 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
They are not coming to fix it... maybe they are bringing that hammer to break the monopoly!
Elizabeth
6:39 am on Monday, November 19, 2012
I meant Hummer, as in a vehicle driving down a road, or pike and about to run everything over, good and bad. It isn't as much about breaking up a monopoly as creating a million little Mom 'n Pops each with their own separate administration and then creating one HUGE monopoly for all those other "bad" schools being run by Lansing with its administration APPOINTED by the Governor. I would rather trust in a locally elected board. If the idea was to give those students who are achieving beyond the norm, greater choices, then do that. Instead, we are changing the entire system of public schools to one of being publically financed. From what you have written in the past, that is exactly what you want. Although I am not a lawyer, to me that notion is contrary to the intent of the Michigan State Constitution.
Elizabeth
6:44 am on Monday, November 19, 2012
I will add again, that I do not believe a State run district will "fix" the schools they are intending to "fix" with their state run district.
J Arch
7:43 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Mike, as an architect and someone who has spent countless hours in Lahser over the past 8 years, I can attest to the fact that anyone attempting either re-use or re-purpose that building will be faced with such substantial costs to rehabilitate it that it will only make sense for them to do so in order to control the real estate. The building itself as an asset is far beyond its useful and economic life. I know you have strong opinions on whether Rochester's renovation of Adams High School was justified, but Lahser in its current state is far below the condition of what Adams was before it was refurbished.
J. Wagner
Mike Reno
8:21 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Adams was before my time! :-) The only opinion I have on that is that is the no bid contracts that were issued... And you can imagine what I think of that!