Amber Arellano

School reform ideas finally gain steam

For years, Michigan's education debate has sounded like two divorced spouses, arguing over who ruined their miserable marriage.

One spouse is the older, more established partner, the teacher unions. They blame everyone else but themselves for so many schools' lousy quality. Their leaders, particularly at the Michigan Education Association, have trapped in a self-made world of victimhood and denial.

The other, younger spouse is no less culpable, stuck in the same self-deceptive world. That spouse is the charter school movement, which overall has produced schools so pathetic in communities such as Detroit, they're pretty much as dismal as the traditional public schools. As Los Angeles Green Dot charter school operator Steve Barr puts it: " 'Our schools suck a little less than the public schools' isn't exactly an inspirational rallying cry."

Finally, though, after years of suffering in the educational equivalent of the Sahara Desert, Michigan seems to be opening up to water and growth for students -- or at least the idea of them.

Lobbyists on both sides of the aisle are exploring taking more responsibility for their own work, and thinking about how student achievement should become more of a priority.

In Lansing groups such as MAPSA, the Michigan Association of Public School Academies -- the state's powerful political lobbyists on behalf of charter schools -- long have fought to lift the state's cap on new charter schools, regardless of their schools' success. Now it says quality should be more carefully considered in that equation.

Smart growth

Think smart growth for schools. MAPSA is among the state's education power brokers exploring a strong idea: a "smart cap" for charter schools. Such a cap could be done in many different ways, but the overall goal is worthwhile: supporting the creation of proven, excellent charter schools for children who need them -- and squashing the bad ones, either through closings or limiting their expansion, or ideally, both.

"There's a growing realization that the real issue here is quality," says Doug Ross, the leader of Detroit's University Prep Academy network of schools, whose charter group will explore partnering with the Detroit Public Schools on school turnarounds. "If you have high quality, the quantity will follow."

Hopeful shift

This is a fundamental shift, and a hopeful one. And it's not just happening on the generally Republican, pro-charter side of the political spectrum.

A growing number of state Democrats such as Rep. Tim Melton, D-Pontiac, are rightfully looking at charters as a solution -- or helpful threat -- to push Michigan's worst public schools to do better. Melton is from Pontiac, where the high schools' student achievement records are so awful, some of their scores are actually lower than Detroit's.

We do tragedy well in our urban schools -- and it is criminal.

School districts such as Pontiac and Benton Harbor need miracle workers to come in and clean up their failing schools just as Robert Bobb is doing in Detroit. These children shouldn't have to go to classes in virtual cesspools.

Bobb, Detroit Public Schools' emergency financial manager, realizes exceptional charter operators should play a role in Detroit, too. Bobb confirmed Thursday he is considering charters as potential reform partners in overhauling chronically failing public schools, and opening strong new ones under the DPS umbrella.

This is nothing less than extraordinary in Detroit, where many circles have treated the word "charters" has been treated much like a cuss word.

Now it looks as though Detroit Mayor Dave Bing may use that disdain -- and legitimate concern over many Detroit charter schools' poor track records -- to leverage public support for mayoral control over the Detroit Public Schools.

If you missed it, a Bing Twitter page posted a curious statement on June 15 on www.twitter.com/davebing: "I think it would be smart for the state to give my office control over Detroit Public Schools since privatization has failed and again."

Mayor-controlled charters?

That's a clever argument. Lots of Detroiters don't like charter schools, even the better ones, because they drain resources away from traditional public schools, which increasingly serve the city's most vulnerable children. The district's percentage of special education, learning disabled and English as a Second Language students continues to rise, presenting education innovators with a truly troubling policy problem.

Bing's staff said last week it didn't post the controversial Tweet, adding the new mayor's official stance on mayoral control (summed up by "I leave it up to voters") hasn't changed.

Those of us who follow educational news were left confused. Bing's staff said it wasn't Bing's Twitter page that posted the statement, but it sure looked like Bing's Twitter page. His staff also didn't deny any of the other Bing Tweets (such as "Go Red Wings!") on the site were illegitimate. If Bing has an imposter out there, he's doing a good job.

Regardless of who posted the Tweet, one has to think Bing has education plans. After all, the new mayor has hired a well-respected, high-level advisor on education, Sue Carnell, to be on his staff -- and he wouldn't need her if he didn't plan to do something with the schools. Look for more on how he'll handle this politically sensitive issue in the coming months.

Wouldn't it be ironic if in time, Bing assumed mayoral management of public school district (a great thing) that included a number of charter schools through an anti-charter campaign?

Whoever posted the Tweet, change is a-percolating on the education front this summer.

What remains to be seen: whether those changes will make student achievement -- the whole purpose of public education -- their top priority.

Amber Arellano is a Detroit News editorial writer who covers education. Her column archive is at detnews.com/arellano. E-mail her at aarellano@detnews.com. Join her live chat on Detroit education issues this Tuesday at noon at detnews.com/editorial.