FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
June 2, 2016
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@
House Republicans Push For-Profit Charter Agenda on Detroit
House GOP concerned about for profit charters, not helping DPS and students
MICHIGAN — House Republicans have passed a package of bills that only serves the for-profit charter school industry and is a direct assault on public education and the futures of children in Detroit. The package would shutdown certain Detroit Public School buildings and allow for-profit charter schools to still operate at the expense of students and Michigan taxpayers.
“The House Republicans just couldn’t help but to play politics with Detroit schools to curry favor with their corporate donors like the DeVos family,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “House Republicans are more concerned about the will of the for-profit charter industry and the campaign dollars they bring into party coffers than they are about the well-being of teachers and the futures of students and families in Detroit. The elected officials like Kevin Cotter who push this package are trying to systematically sell off education as a commodity in Detroit.”
Charter schools already squeeze Michigan’s budget for $1 billion a year at the expense of neighborhood public schools with little to no accountability.
DPS has been under state control for years and under emergency management, debt has skyrocketed.
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