Canton Candidate Forum a Success
GLEP, along with Students First-Michigan; MAPSA and MCCSA, was pleased to host a candidate forum this past Tuesday, October 7 at Canton Charter Academy in Canton. We appreciate the fact that Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R-7
th SD), and Carol Ann Fausone (R-21
st HD) attended the event while Rep. Dian Slavens (D-7
th SD) and Kristy Pagan (D-21
st HD) did not participate. It was a very good event that highlighted the candidates’ positions on key education issues for roughly 50 voters.
Governor Snyder rebuilds lead after confronting “big and persistent lie” from Schauer
Last week Governor Snyder starting pushing back against what the Detroit Free Press called the “big and persistent lie” from Mark Schauer on education funding in the state. Since that date, the Governor’s lead in statewide polling has continued to expand. Click
here to watch the latest Snyder campaign ad (“Pam”) and
here to read the truth about the districts portrayed by 4 teachers in a Schauer ad. It’s as if order has been restored to the universe.
Spending more and getting the same results
Andrew Coulson from the Cato Institute has taken a long look at trends in American education spending and performance for the past 4 decades, and he’s found there is no correlation between per-pupil spending and
achievement. In fact, the inflation-adjusted cost of K-12 education has almost tripled while test scores remain largely unchanged. Think about this the next time the traditional school lobby says that all they need is more money. Click
here for the story.
Snyder & Schauer Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, October 12
In the only joint appearance scheduled between Governor Rick Snyder and Mark Schauer, tune in at 6:00 pm on Sunday, October 12 to catch their joint town hall meeting hosted by Detroit Public Television, The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit. The one-hour Town Hall Forum will include an audience of undecided voters, chosen by independent research companies. The voters will ask questions of the candidates, along with Detroit Free Press Editorial Page Editor Stephen Henderson and Detroit News Editorial Page Editor Nolan Finley. Detroit Public TV Anchor Christy McDonald will serve as the event’s host. The Detroit Public TV production will be broadcast live in the Detroit area on WTVS 56.1 and will be made available to every media outlet in the state. Click
here for more information on the event.
Do Teachers Expect Less from Students of Color?
Students from low-income families and students of color may perform poorly in school because their teachers simply do not believe in them. A study published Tuesday by the left-leaning Center for American Progress, or CAP, looks at whether teacher expectations produce a Pygmalian effect that influences student achievement. Researchers found that students whose teachers expected them to graduate from college were significantly more likely to do so. But teachers had lower expectations for disadvantaged students and students of color, the researchers found. Teachers thought a college degree was 47 percent less likely for African-American students than for white peers, and 53 percent less likely for low-income students than for students from more affluent families. Teachers thought Hispanic students were 42 percent less likely than white students to graduate from college, the study found. Click
here to read the article.
Inspirational Radio Broadcast on Sunday, October 12
Clark Durant, founder of Cornerstone Schools, will be the special guest on WJR’s “Anything is Possible” radio show, hosted by Jack Krasula at 9:00 pm this Sunday, October 12. Cark will be telling the remarkable story of Cornerstone School: its founding, the philosophy behind it, and bold plans to expand Cornerstone’s reach. We have so much room for improvement in terms of urban education, and listening to what Clark has to say is a great start. Click
here for more information or
here to access the broadcast online at WJR.com.
UPDATE: Still No Superintendents Have Signed the “School Accountability Pledge”
MAPSA’s “School Accountability Pledge” is still available for signing by any traditional public school superintendent willing to operate under same accountability, transparency and oversight laws as Michigan’s charter public schools. We keep waiting for just one superintendent to sign it, and when they do we’ll let you know right away!
Education Reform News Clips
GLEP in the News
Next Week
Monday, October 13
- Michigan GOP Rally w/Governors Bush, Snyder and Engler in Troy
Tuesday, October 14
- Michigan Coalition for High Student Standards meeting in Lansing
Wednesday, October 15
- Capital Issue Forum w/Doug Roberts, Sr. in Lansing
- Governor Snyder Town Hall Meeting in Haslett, MI
Thursday, October 16
Friday, October 17
Do you support what GLEP is doing to improve education in Michigan? Please consider making a donation to help us continue our efforts, and all contributions are very much appreciated!!
Respectfully,
Gary G. Naeyaert
Executive Director
517-281-2690
