Maladroit Detroit

So you think your school board is dysfunctional? Just to put things in perspective, TB sent in this article about the Detroit School Board. Although the board isn't all that large (currently 46,000 students, down from 95,000 in 2009), it was recently given emergency funding of about $50 million in order to keep its schools open until the end of the school year.  So far this year, the board has faced teacher sick-outs, criminal charges against a dozen principals and an administrator involved in kickbacks for school supplies that never arrived, and school buildings in violation of city health and safety ordinances. The board is also deep in debt and running a chronic deficit. The board's response has been to file a lawsuit against the governor of Michigan.

It would all be pretty funny, except of course for the 46,000 children and their parents trapped in this nightmare. Clearly, they would all be better off if all the money going to the Detroit School Board were instead divvied up among the parents to buy the best education service they can find for their children.

Comments