Dear Governor Snyder,...This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison.

[kpete]

Dear Governor Snyder,

In these tough economic times, schools are hurting. And yes, everyone in Michigan is hurting right now financially, but why aren’t we protecting schools? Schools are the one place on Earth that people look to to “fix” what is wrong with society by educating our youth and preparing them to take on the issues that society has created.

One solution I believe we must do is take a look at our corrections system in Michigan. We rank nationally at the top in the number of people we incarcerate. We also spend the most money per prisoner annually than any other state in the union. Now, I like to be at the top of lists, but this is one ranking that I don’t believe Michigan wants to be on top of.

Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.

This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison. The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per student. I guess we need to treat our students like they are prisoners, with equal funding. Please give my students three meals a day. Please give my children access to free health care. Please provide my school district Internet access and computers. Please put books in my library. Please give my students a weight room so we can be big and strong. We provide all of these things to prisoners because they have constitutional rights. What about the rights of youth, our future?!

..............................

Respectfully submitted,

Nathan Bootz
Superintendent
Ithaca Public Schools
http://gcherald.com/letterseditor/letters-to-the-editor-may-12-2011-issue.shtml

[Bryan Buchan]

1. Very well put

n/t

[otohara]

2. Bravo Superindendent Bootz

good luck, nice letter.

[bobbolink]

3. Insightful and well articulated. I wish it had higher visibility, but at least it was in the paper.

It shows what we can all do to bring about awareness.

Thanks for posting this.

[maryf]

4. Institutionalized slavery...

hitting two birds with one stone here...K&R

[maryf]

5. Maybe if the kids earned a profit for the system

Like the prisoners' labor does, they might get more funding!