Pontiac Schools: An enigma wrapped in a mystery pausing for an Emergency

The fate of Pontiac Schools remains a mystery wrapped in a enigma trapped in a political endgame while being patient about an emergency.

I don't understand either but don't count on any "transparency" or "accountability" any time soon.

Briefly, State Treasurer Andy Dillon, having temporarily escaped his own bad press, seems willing to grant the Pontiac School District one more year of life -- til 2014.
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130917/METRO02/309170119/1409/METRO/Pontiac-delays-meeting-poss...

But we just aren't sure.

Why?

Well, again,  the dissolution of Pontiac Schools would cause considerable upheaval in BHSD and other Oakland County Schools and potentially bring to the fore the severe problems of so-called "education reform" in the state. And, more pointedly, that revelation would --- believe it or not Ripley's -- reveal a Republican administration's willingness to do tremendous damage to Oakland County, once a Republican stronghold. When it becomes clear, for example, that a Republican administration was up for forever altering property values by playing games with education reform driven by outstate sources some Republicans here will be mighty upset.

What to do, what to do, what to do?

When in doubt pause, and see how things shake out politically -- even though we are supposedly dealing with an "emergency," a "crisis" in public education. (Diane Ravitch's book out today, by the way).

By rights, Pontiac should have been dissolved with Inkster and Saginaw Buena Vista in the Spring or Summer, but last minute wrangling by influential Oakland Pols (Mr. Pappageorge?) put this off -- much to the good fortune of BHSD parents who seem to believe BHSD is an eternal institution, free from any harm going on around it.

Many in Lansing, though, still want the District gone because when it goes it will cave once and for all public education in Oakland County. Fully half, I would guess, of BHSD parents would flee the District when the District is asked to absorb -- at minimum -- 1,000 kids from Pontiac and assorted teachers. Many already have, something that rightly scares the District administration. When Oakland County public education goes so does public education in the state. In short, you might be envious of top and affluent Districts but when they stop working.......

The EAA was supposed to take over schools like Pontiac but boy is it wobbling. The House approved its codification in April (my rep, Mike McCready voted yea), but full codification awaits State Senate approval. HB4369 sits there like Cinderella waiting to turn in to a pumpkin. The EAA can't handle its 15 schools in Detroit let alone Pontiac. Members of the Senate Education Committee are having to submit FOIAs to get information!

The hope seems to be that if Broad Foundation money,etc. can nurse the EAA through another year the walking talking education jargon machine that is John Covington actually can be the "statewide" District it claims to be when it is fact not one. Right now, this is easier than misrepresenting yourself on a fedaral grant.

The Governor seems less than enthusiastic. While still espousing "Anywhere, Any Time, Any Place," Education he did say today that the EAA was never meant to be a statewide district.

Wait? What?

 How does Education Reform work in the state, then, without the EAA taking on the low performing Districts?

In the meantime, the word continues to circulate that those in BHSD who want a top District to remain a top District are "racist."http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/09/tim_skubick_9.html

The new champions of racial justice, however, like Mike Flanagan, have nothing to say about the fact that the attacks on public education are in no doubt tied to the fact that many districts are considerably now more diverse than ever imagined. Mr. Flanagan -- in further keeping with the confusion and pause for election year to come dynamics -- refuses to show how his plan will save a single dime.

It is just common sense, he says -- wrapped in an enigma, shrouded in a emergency, paused for....