Bernie Sanders wrote:The Detroit School system is under State control, ever since Detroit went bankrupt.
ROTFLMAOThe city of Detroit, Michigan, filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy on July 18, 2013.
Ground Control to Major Tom ... It's been under Democratic Control for over 50 years. It's been post bankruptcy for less than 3.
(Now if you want to get technical, it's the Detroit Teachers Unions that control the schools. I don't think they are Republican.)
Since this isn't New Jersey, I don't see a case where the governor is going to attack the unions. The state manages finances, nothing more.
So, I'm going to ignore the last three years, for a moment and bring out the BIG GUNS.
What’s Really Wrong with Detroit Public SchoolsLast year, DPS students’ scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress were the lowest of all large urban districts in the United States, as the Detroit News reported in December 2009.
WikipediaIn 2007, Education Week published study that claimed that Detroit Public School's graduation rate was 24.9%.[16] Groups including state and local officials said that the study failed to take into account high school students who leave the district for charter schools, other school districts or who move out of the area. Detroit Public Schools claim that in 2005-2006 the graduation rate was 68 percent graduation rate and expected it to hold constant in 2006-2007 [17][18][19] On February 14, 2009, the Detroit Free Press reported that United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan had concern over the quality of education Detroit children are receiving. A spokesman later stated that Duncan had no specific plans for Detroit. The students in Detroit's public schools perennially score at the bottom compared to other large urban school systems.[20]
Financially, the school system has been under state control several times, including under a Democratic governor.
SOURCET’S NO SECRET that the Detroit Public Schools have been in a state of chaos for some time. When former Democratic governor Jennifer Granholm appointed Robert Bobb as Emergency Financial Manager in 2009, many hoped that he would make positive changes. The district was carrying a $219 million deficit, not to mention some of the country’s lowest graduation rates and standardized test scores.
Back to the Wikipedia source
On December 8, 2008, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan determined the district's inability to manage its finances and declared a financial emergency.[29] Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed Robert Bobb as the emergency financial manager of Detroit Public Schools in 2009 to manage the school districts finances. His contract dictates a one-year tenure. The school district began selling 27 previously closed school buildings. On March 3, 2009, Bobb initially estimated that DPS's current year deficit would be no less than $150M, requested early payments from the state to meet payroll, and indicated that more additional outside auditors will be required to properly assess the district's financial situation.
In March 2009, Robert Bobb declared that the school district had 150 million dollar budget deficit, only including debts that he was aware of. Twenty million dollars of that money is owed to the district's pension system.[36] The DPS school board complained in that same year that the then deficit of $65 million for 2007–2008 school year was caused by accounting irregularities, including fringe benefits and paying teachers off of the books. Much of the deficit was discovered by outside auditors invited by former district Superintendent Connie Calloway in 2008.[37]
The 2008–2009 edition of the Michigan Department of Education's ranking of Michigan Public School financial data showed the mean Detroit Public School teacher's salary stood at $71,031, more than 14% higher than the state average of $62,237.[38] During the same period, the Michigan cohort graduation rate was 80.1%, while Detroit Public Schools' cohort graduation rate was 67.39%, 16% lower than the state average.[39]
List of Governors ...
G. Mennen Williams 1-Jan-49 1-Jan-61 Democratic
John Swainson 1-Jan-61 1-Jan-63 Democratic
George W. Romney 1-Jan-63 22-Jan-69 Republican
William Milliken 22-Jan-69 1-Jan-83 Republican
James Blanchard 1-Jan-83 1-Jan-91 Democratic
John Engler 1-Jan-91 1-Jan-03 Republican
Jennifer Granholm 1-Jan-03 1-Jan-11 Democratic
Rick Snyder 1-Jan-11 Incumbent Republican
You can't blame it on Republicans. The district was going to hell in a hand basket during the Granholm administration.