By Ariana Taylor and Angelica Euseary Renaissance Staff Writers
No one really knew what was going on. Rumors about how Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was going to get rid of the Detroit Public Schools’ $483-million debt were spreading like wildfire.
“I was just confused about everything,” said Valeria Rudolph, a senior at Communication and Media Arts High School. “Some of my teachers weren’t at school because they went and protested.”
Some students heard a rumor that every school in DPS would go from public to charter. At a press conference in Detroit on April 30, Snyder tried to set the record straight.
“I don’t know how anyone speculates that it would be a charter system,” Snyder said at the press conference. “It’s too bad to have them out protesting at this point. People have strong feelings ... but the real focus needs to be on what’s best for the kids.”
Many teachers skipped school April 30 to protest Snyder’s plan in Lansing. While holding signs that said things such as “No more charter,” teachers chanted “55 is a speed limit, not a class size” in front of the Michigan Capitol Building.
“There is no need to split the district into two to pay the debt. No one in the real world split themselves in two to pay debt,” said economics teacher Kevin Smith, who participated in the protest. “(Snyder) is just trying to confuse people.”
Snyder’s plan to pay the debt is to split the district into two, DPS and a new district called City of Detroit Education District.
“All I heard was that Rick Snyder was trying to turn DPS into charter schools,” said Renaissance sophomore Catera Chambers. “I don’t want to go to a charter school and after Mr. Smith explained the whole situation to us, I just didn’t understand why Rick Snyder won’t just pay off the debt. This plan doesn’t make any sense.”
The debt would be paid off with a millage, which would take seven years to be paid off, after which, DPS will disappear. Funding for the new district would come from Michigan’s school aid. Snyder plans to take $72 million from this aid, which would ultimately take $50 per student from other schools.
“I don’t see much difference of how it’s ran now and how it will be ran,” said English teacher Ms. Anderson.
Snyder and Detroit mayor Mike Duggan would appoint members to Detroit Education Commissioner. This commissioner would be grading schools performance on a letter grade system. School with a low grade would eventually be turned in charter schools per the Detroit Education Commissioner.
If legislation passes Snyder’s plan, he will have changes take place on July 1, 2016. According to Smith, teachers contract with DPS ends on July 1, 2016.
