Detroit Schools plan Total Transformation. Broad graduate

[Fire1]

and financial manager, Robert Bobb wants to eliminate elected school board members and give control to former Piston captain and current mayor, Dave Bing. Goss, of the Skillman Foundation is eager to get this done while all of the "investors" are ready and willing. Personally, I think it's over for all but three public schools here.


http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100310/NEWS01/303100003/1319/&template=fullarticle

[Catshrink]

1. Has Dave Bing ever taught?

Does he know about education from the inside out? What is with these people that they think they know how to run schools when they don't know the essential elements of the job?

[Fire1]

2. Neither has Bob Bobb for that matter! They don't give a shit.

They yell these screeds saying, "it's ALL about the kids!" BULLSHIT! These kids will be dumbed down robots of the working class.

[tonysam]

3. It is a class war by the few against the many.

In the end, it's all about limiting upward mobility by destroying education.

[Fire1]

5. The only one's with a remote chance of achieving the

"American dream" and upward mobility are those already privileged and can afford a private education.

[Bozita]

4. Detroit Public Schools uber-boss, Robt Bobb (a Broad grad), gets $81,000 raise from *private* donors

Last Updated: March 03. 2010 1:57PM
Detroit Schools' Bobb gets $81K raise
DPS emergency financial manager's salary rises to $425K, largely via private groups
Marisa Schultz / The Detroit News


Staying a second year in Detroit has netted Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb an $81,000 raise, most of it coming from private foundations.

Bobb will make $425,000 under his one-year contract extension that took effect Tuesday, compared to $344,000 in his first year on the job, according to a copy of the contract obtained by The Detroit News.

His base salary will increase from $260,000 to $280,000 and he'll also get $145,000 in supplemental income from the Los Angles-based Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and other unidentified philanthropic organizations. That's up from $84,000 in private money last year.

The raise sends a bad message to district employees, Detroit Federation of Teachers President Keith Johnson said, since it comes as hundreds of district employees have been laid off and union workers have been asked to make steep concessions.

"I think it is really disingenuous to get what amounts to an $80,000 raise when so many people are being asked to take pay cuts," Johnson said.

more...


From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100303/SCHOOLS/3030350...

[Fire1]

6. Thanks. I posted this in a thread the day it came out..

Disgusting.

[tonysam]

9. These Broad "Fellows" are EVERYWHERE

Even in Nevada, at Reno's Washoe County School District. Heath Morrison, superintendent, is a Broad as is his new right-hand man, Pedro Martinez, a crony of Arne's.

I fully expect a bunch of school closings there, especially with the state budget in such bad shape.

[Fire1]

10. I totally expect a 'take over' throughout the U.S.!! n/t

[tonysam]

11. It's happening with astonishing speed.

Our very democracy is being undermined by a bunch of bored billionaires.

[Starry Messenger]

7. Excellent Schools Detroit

http://www.excellentschoolsdetroit.org/about-us

"An important early step in the planning process was to gather ideas and concerns from all sectors of Detroit through community meetings in November and December 2009, youth focus groups, small group discussions with multiple stakeholders, and other outreach efforts. The discussions were designed to generate the ideas that ensure our educational systems truly prepare all students for college, work, and life, whether students attend Detroit public schools or public charter schools.

Three nationally regarded firms assisted in the planning process. Led by The Parthenon Group, the team includes the Community Building Institute and KSA-Plus Communications."


!? They look like an international corporate financial consultant. Cripes!

The Parthenon Group

http://www.parthenon.com/Industries/Education

"Education
Education Center of Excellence - Overview

Parthenon has served as an advisor to the education sector since our inception in 1991. Our Education Center of Excellence (ECE) – the first of its kind across management consulting firms – has an explicit mission and vision to be the leading strategy advisor to the global education industry. To achieve this, we invest significantly in dedicated management and team resources to ensure that our global expertise extends across public sector and non-profit education providers, foundations, for-profit companies and service providers, and investors.

Parthenon’s ECE offers a dedicated practice of professionals with on-the-ground experience across multiple industries and projects in education strategy, reform, innovation and implementation. Our breadth of experience and depth of service as strategic advisors to the education industry is unmatched, with knowledge that spans all levels of education including early childhood, elementary, secondary, higher, vocational and professional education across both public and private sectors. Since the formal establishment of the ECE in 2001, Parthenon has worked on over 300 education projects across the globe.

Consistent across all ECE engagements is our hand-in-hand approach to client partnerships. Together we generate data-driven and actionable strategies that result in meaningful and measurable improvements in business and learning outcomes. We pride ourselves in a boutique approach to building life-long client relationships through dedicated ECE teams that understand our clients' unique needs. Our recognition that customized solutions are required to deliver differentiated outcomes for education clients has often resulted in ground-breaking strategies that have become models for sector-wide change.

Most importantly, our ECE has been built by individuals who are personally and professionally passionate about education - we attract the best people to our practice and deliver transformative results to our clients. Ultimately, our experiences with for-profit and public-sector organizations provide a unique institutional capability to serve education clients of any type in any country around the world."



(edit to add: the mention of Excellent Schools Detroit was in the freep article)

[Fire1]

8. This was the perfect set up. The timing was like something

out of the Shock Doctrine. These fuckers POUNCED when the media publicized those last test scores.

[Catshrink]

12. Just like in RI

These people are vultures.

[Starry Messenger]

13. It's so openly mercenary too.

They are hardly even giving lip service to any kind of "grassroots" cover. It's just outright corporate raiding.

[Fire1]

14. And so many of us are retiring in June, it's unbelievable. Of

course, they're practically pushing us out! I've started using my sick days because they will only pay us for up to 125 and I have 200+. Many haven't even reached full retirement age but just can't take it anymore (me, for one).

The union had some kind of meeting Tuesday evening at the union office. They had a full house and the teachers were angry about our pharmaceutical coverage that changed in January, the bullshit contract, Bob Bobb, the money they took out of our pay to make up for the thieves who've been stealing from the district for YEARS, etc., etc. The union officials had to call the police to remove the teachers from the building. I didn't go but saw it on the news that night. That was the talk of the school the next day. It is one big MESS!!

[Starry Messenger]

15. Did you see that Bobb's getting sued for the bonus from Broad?

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/03/11/25470.htm

I don't know if it will slow anything down, but at least he's getting some sunshine poured on that charter money.

[tonysam]

16. He reminds me of L.A.'s Cortines

Another crook on the take.

[Starry Messenger]

18. It's so bizarre

I lived in Oakland when he was City Manager and he was just this quietly competent guy. Then he goes to Broad Academy and then? they implant him with a Borg chip or something? He's a total asshole now. :grr:

[Fire1]

17. Yes, I saw that. But we figured there is nothing they can really

do about it because it came from sources other than and outside of the district.

[Starry Messenger]

19. What a nightmare

:( I guess we're going to see more of these bonuses becoming common in the near future. I hate this.

[Fire1]

20. Thank you guys for the camaraderie. It helps alot. I've got a

headache after talking about it and I've got to face the music tomorrow. I'll probably check in at lunch time or on my prep. Pleasant dreams, all.:loveya:

[Starry Messenger]

21. Goodnight Fire1, thanks for the words from the scene.

Have a good day tomorrow.