Detroit Proposes Last-Minute Schools Solution: Charter Conversion

After hearing that class sizes in Detroit Public Schools could be raised to 62 students a class, voices around the nation were outraged.

The next proposal? Close half the city's schools. That didn't get any more support.

Severe budget cuts and mandates from the state meant Robert Bobb, emergency manager of the Detroit Public Schools, has been forced to make some drastic decisions.

But now he's proposing another idea that may mean schools stay open, but many teachers could still lose their jobs - massive charter conversion.

Bobb has proposed converting 40 of the district's schools into charter schools. That's on top of the large number of Detroit kids already in charter schools - the city is the third-highest in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal.

What would this mean for Detroit public school students?

Their local school would likely stay open, rather than close down. But it would re-open, managed by a charter organization. That organization would have the flexibility to run the school the way it sees fit - including firing all the current teachers and hiring new, non-unionized ones.

Why do it? Well, it would save the district a lot of money.

"We shed all physical plant operations, maintenance, security, central overhead costs. Overall staffing are expected to be lower as well," said District spokesman Steve Wasko. "Pension costs are a major reason for this."

But DPS teachers aren't supporting the move, which would mean violating their union contracts. Keith Johnson, union president says massive charter conversion "would not happen under my watch."

Currently, the Detroit school board would need to approve the move before it happens. But if another Michigan law passes through the legislature, Bobb would be given ultimate authority to change the troubled school district. The bill would give state-appointed emergency managers the ability to make drastic changes over the districts and municipalities that they oversee, even the power to dismiss elected officials. If it passes, Bobb wouldn't need the approval of the school board to make any of the changes he's proposed to DPS.

Tocarra Nelson's petition, which targets Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and the state legislature, has gathered 719 signatures.

The petition's signers have left passionate comments arguing against drastic cuts to Detroit Public Schools. College student Brianna Cummings now studies at Michigan State University, but graduated from Detroit Public Schools. She's outraged by the proposed cuts in the district.

"It is very disturbing that something like this would even be proposed let alone taken seriously and put into action," says Cummings. "Please support our children and our schools to make Detroit a better place."

Janee Brown, who lives in nearby Southfield, Michigan, is also a graduate of DPS. She says education should be last on the list for budget cuts.

"If we really want to see Detroit become the vibrant city it once was, we cannot continue to treat the children in its education system this way."

Photo credit: Detroit Public Schools