{"id":194,"date":"2013-03-13T10:09:41","date_gmt":"2013-03-13T10:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dave0.nfshost.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/2013\/03\/13\/mi-voters-plz-take-10-seconds-to-help-preserve-public-education-in-michigan-plz-share-rt-puremichigan\/"},"modified":"2013-03-13T10:09:41","modified_gmt":"2013-03-13T10:09:41","slug":"mi-voters-plz-take-10-seconds-to-help-preserve-public-education-in-michigan-plz-share-rt-puremichigan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/2013\/03\/mi-voters-plz-take-10-seconds-to-help-preserve-public-education-in-michigan-plz-share-rt-puremichigan\/","title":{"rendered":"MI voters: Plz take 10 seconds to help preserve public education in Michigan! Plz Share & RT! #PureMichigan"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPDATE MARCH 20, 2013<\/b>: Although this stupid bill made it out of committee unamended (boo!), it still needs approval from the House–so call or email your rep ASAP and repeatedly! The sample letter below still applies. Thanks!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you live in Michigan and give a crap about local-control of the public schools you pay for, please contact your rep *right this second*<\/a><\/b>–you can even crib from my letter, included below!
\nThe state House Education Committee will likely vote this afternoon on House Bill 4369, which expands the Education Achievement Authority \u201ctakeover\u201d district (currently dicking things up big time in Muskegon Heights<\/a> and throughout Detroit) to a statewide entity . I wrote about this extensively back in December<\/a>–the bill numbers are different, but the bad plan remains the same. The website of the Michigan Educator’s Association (I.e., my wife’s union) has a concise bit on the current bill<\/a>.
\nHere’s the letter I just sent. You can use it if you want, modify it how you choose, customize it to best speak to your concerns and community–just write your rep and do it *RIGHT NOW!*:<\/p>\n

\nSUBJECT: I OPPOSE HB 4369! DO NOT EXPANDED THE EAA OR PRIVATIZE PUBLIC EDUCATION IN MICHIGAN
\nDear __________________,
\nPlease do everything you can to oppose any expansion of Michigan\u2019s as-of-yet unproven Education Achievement Authority, and to limit the implicit privatization of public education in Michigan. This includes opposing House Bill 4369 (which expand the Education Achievement Authority to a statewide entity composed of charter schools). I have deeply held philosophical reasons for opposing the operation of our public schools on a for-profit basis.
\nHanding over our public institutions \u2013 and tax dollars \u2013 to private companies with no demonstrable record of success, and doing so without strict oversight, flies in the face of reason and should offend rational, honest public servants on both sides of the aisle.
\nFor a detailed analysis of the hazards of pitfalls inherent in the EAA, charter schools, and \u201ccyber\u201d schools, please take a few minutes to read this 2012 article by Ann Arbor Chronicle columnist David Erik Nelson: http:\/\/annarborchronicle.com\/?p=102112
\nThank you for your time, consideration, and good faith.
\nSincerely,
\nNAME<\/B>
\nADDRESS<\/B>\n<\/div>\n

(Obviously, plugging my old column is totally optional–but the details are all there, and the concerns for citizens laid out clearly, with citations and everything!)
\nThe MEA suggests contacting both your own rep<\/a> and the entire House Education Committee. I agree with this strategy; info for the entire Committee is pasted below:<\/p>\n

  • LisaLyons@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons, R-Alto (chair): (517) 373-0846<\/li>\n
  • RayFranz@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Ray Franz, R-Onekama (vice chair): (517) 373-0825<\/li>\n
  • HughCrawford@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Hugh Crawford, R-Novi: (517) 373-0827<\/li>\n
  • KevinDaley@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Kevin Daley, R-Lum Township: (517) 373-1800<\/li>\n
  • BobGenetski@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Bob Genetski, R-Saugatuck: (517) 373-0836<\/li>\n
  • PeteLund@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Pete Lund, R-Shelby Township: (517) 373-0843<\/li>\n
  • TomMcMillin@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills: (517) 373-1773<\/li>\n
  • ThomasHooker@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Tom Hooker, R-Byron Center: (517) 373-2277<\/li>\n
  • BradJacobsen@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Brad Jacobsen, R-Oxford: (517) 373-1798<\/li>\n
  • AmandaPrice@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Amanda Price, R-Park Township: (517) 373-0838<\/li>\n
  • KenYonker@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Ken Yonker, R-Caledonia: (517) 373-0840<\/li>\n
  • EllenLipton@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Ellen Lipton, D-Huntington Woods (minority vice chair): (517) 373-0478<\/li>\n
  • DavidKnezek@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. David Knezek Jr., D-Dearborn Heights: (517) 373-0849<\/li>\n
  • WinnieBrinks@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids: (517) 373-0822<\/li>\n
  • ThomasStallworth@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Thomas Stallworth III, D-Detroit: (517) 373-2276<\/li>\n
  • ColleneLamonte@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Collene Lamonte, D-Montague: (517) 373-3436<\/li>\n
  • TheresaAbed@house.mi.gov<\/B> Rep. Theresa Abed, D-Grand Ledge: (517) 373-0853<\/li>\n

    (And here’s all those emails in one easy-to-copy&paste-string: LisaLyons@house.mi.gov, RayFranz@house.mi.gov, HughCrawford@house.mi.gov, KevinDaley@house.mi.gov, BobGenetski@house.mi.gov, PeteLund@house.mi.gov, TomMcMillin@house.mi.gov, ThomasHooker@house.mi.gov, BradJacobsen@house.mi.gov, AmandaPrice@house.mi.gov, KenYonker@house.mi.gov, EllenLipton@house.mi.gov, DavidKnezek@house.mi.gov, WinnieBrinks@house.mi.gov, ThomasStallworth@house.mi.gov, ColleneLamonte@house.mi.gov, TheresaAbed@house.mi.gov<\/b>)
    \nThanks! GO FORTH AND HASSLE YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES! Be the Boss!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    UPDATE MARCH 20, 2013: Although this stupid bill made it out of committee unamended (boo!), it still needs approval from the House–so call or email your rep ASAP and repeatedly! The sample letter below still applies. Thanks! If you live in Michigan and give a crap about local-control of the public schools you pay for, … Continue reading “MI voters: Plz take 10 seconds to help preserve public education in Michigan! Plz Share & RT! #PureMichigan”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_share_on_mastodon":"1"},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davideriknelson.com\/sbsb\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}