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The Tail Getting Ready to Wag the Dog in Detroit
An agreement reached Tuesday between Republican lawmakers and Gov. Jennifer Granholm allowing 15 new charter schools to operate in Detroit also would restore an elected school board to the city, but with limited powers.
Word of the agreement was met Tuesday afternoon with a protest outside Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's office and disdain from the teachers union.
Janna Garrison, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, said the agreement, if it becomes law, would mark a dark day for the city of Detroit.
"What it will mean is a separate but unequal education here in Detroit -- something legislators who support this would not tolerate in their own communities," Garrison said.
The agreement would allow Detroiters to vote for the school board. The school board would choose a chief executive officer, and the mayor would have the authority to approve or reject that CEO.
Since 1999, when the state replaced the elected board with mayoral appointees, the board's only power has been to hire and fire, as well as evaluate the CEO, who makes all the decisions.
Garrison said the union supports reverting back to an elected board, but she wants to look at any new bill and its language concerning the mayor's role.
"The mayor does not know of a deal at this time. He will continue conversations tomorrow with the governor and the Detroit delegation to see if a deal can be cemented," said Howard Hughey, spokesman for the mayor.
Detroit school officials declined to comment, saying CEO Kenneth Burnley would like to see the wording in the agreement.
On Tuesday, about two dozen protesters gathered outside the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center to protest the agreement.
Business leaders have expressed concern that a new board would interfere with reforms being instituted by Burnley.
— Chastity Pratt
Detroiters could elect school board with limited power
Detroit Free Press
2003-09-17
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
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