Robert Bobb (Broad grad) pulls the good ol' bait 'n switch on Detroit Public Schools voters

[Bozita]

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100320/SCHOOLS/3200362/1026/DPS-parents-feeling-betrayed#ixzz0ilv5vphw


Last Updated: March 20. 2010 4:27PM
DPS parents feeling betrayed
They say they were misled after backing bond to help their schools
Marisa Schultz / The Detroit News

Detroit -- Less than five months after Detroit voters passed a $500.5 million school construction plan, nearly half of the 18 schools that were to be rebuilt or renovated are now headed for closure or plans for them have been altered.

The changes have outraged some supporters of the Proposal S bond who say they feel cheated for voting for a plan they were told would mean new construction or renovation in their neighborhood, but instead their schools will be shuttered as soon as this summer, according to the facilities plan released this week by Robert Bobb, emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools.

"It's a slap in the face to the community," said Tia Shepherd, whose children's schools, Cooley High School and Bethune Academy, were slated for $17 million in upgrades but now are closing. "Our community got shortchanged twice."

-snip-

What became apparent this week is the original plan -- advertised in bright brochures and PowerPoint presentations to community groups -- has been altered. In addition to Bethune and Cooley, other changes include:

• Northwestern High School and Duffield Pre-K-8 were slated to be modernized but now are on the closure list.

• JR King Pre-K-8 and Marcus Garvey were targeted for a combined $27 million in renovations, but there was no mention of that in Bobb's presentation this week.

• Finney High School, which closed last year, was to be rebuilt along with a new McNair Pre-K-8 on a new $75 million Finney campus. The Pre-K-8 construction will be shifted to a new location, and a new high school at the Finney site will become home to Crockett High School under the plan.

• Chadsey High School and Munger Pre-K-8 both closed in 2009 but were scheduled to be rebuilt for $60 million. Instead, they will be demolished and the land left vacant for possible future use. A new pre-K-8 school will be built near Wilson playground instead, Bobb said.

"That's ridiculous," said Angie Hopp, whose son transferred to Southwestern High when Chadsey closed and was hoping to graduate from the new Chadsey. "We don't have any schools in our neighborhood. They say they don't want us to send our kids to charter schools, but they are taking everything from us and not giving anything back."

-snip-

more...

[madfloridian]

1. Sounds like the Detroit School Board is suing him.

Detroit School Board sues Bobb for illegal payments from Broad Foundation.

"The Detroit Public School Board unanimously voted Monday night to file a second lawsuit against Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb, saying $145,000 in private foundation support he receives under his new contract is unlawful.

"It's a conflict of interest," said DPS board member LaMar Lemmons.

Bobb's supplemental income from private foundations increased from $84,000 last year to $145,000 this year, under a one-year contract extension signed by the governor and state superintendent this month. The only philanthropic donor publicly identified is the Broad Foundation, whose support of charter schools has stirred controversy among some members of the DPS community.

"This is more than putting the fox in charge of the hen house, it's serving up the hens to be eaten by this guy," said George Washington, an attorney representing the teachers and community activist groups who have spearheaded the lawsuit and who urged the board Monday to join them."

[madrchsod]

2. obama/duncan`s private school corporations will buy them..

[DJ13]

3. Sounds like the tax plan was a bait & switch fraud to obtain tax money

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Solidarity with Detroit students and teachers!

:patriot: