Tag Archives: public education

Celebrating the life… and evil lies… of Charles Darwin

By Mark | January 28, 2013

Had a vengeful God not struck him down for heresy, the famed naturalist Charles Darwin would be turning 204 years old on February 12, and literate folks around the world are marking the occasion by planning celebrations in his honor. I had forgotten that “Darwin Day” was upon us until earlier this evening, when a [...]

Posted in Other, Religious Extremism, Science, Uncategorized | Also tagged anti-science, Charles Darwin, Christopher Columbus, Columbus Day, creationism, Darwin Day, dino nuggets, Dinosaurs in Eden, evolution, Hitler, humans coexisting with dinosaurs, Kirk Cameron, Mark Chancey, Michigan Skeptics Association, Origin of Species, Phylum Feast, religious fundamentalism, Science, separation of church and state, Texas, Texas Freedom Network, the rapture, threats to public education | 35 Comments

Exploring Michelle Rhee’s destructive influence over Michigan education reform

By Mark | January 10, 2013

I’m spending my evening getting acquainted with Michelle Rhee, the controversial former chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools, who’s gone on to a lucrative career as a hired gun in the fight to destroy teachers unions and privatize American public education. While I’d heard about her in the past, and I’d known that she’d [...]

Posted in Education, Michigan, Politics | Also tagged Catherine Ferguson Academy, charter schools, collective bargaining, D.C., David Tepper, dismantling of public education, District of Columbia, education reform, for-profit charter schools, Jeff Clark, Kevin Johnson, Michelle Rhee, Michigan Education Association, no child left behind, Norm Donohoe, Oregon, PACs, Paul Scott, Philip Anschutz, privatization, Proposition 2, Rupert Murdoch, StudentsFirst, tenure, threats to public education, Tim King, Waiting for Superman | 31 Comments

For those of you who were wondering what the Republican endgame would look like, just turn your attention toward Michigan, where women’s rights, gay rights, public education, and unions are all being systematically dismantled before our eyes, in one fell swoop

By Mark | December 7, 2012

Not only did both houses of Michigan’s Republican-controled legislature, with the aid of billionaire conservative activists like Dick DeVos and the Koch brothers, jam through controversial right-to-work legislation this afternoon, in violation of long-honored rules, as members of the public were forced from the Capitol by armed police and pro-labor protestors were assaulted with pepper [...]

Posted in Civil Liberties, Michigan, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged abortion, Brandon Dillon, Dick DeVos, HB 4054, HB 4157, HB 4466, HB 5711, health care, Jeff Irwin, Koch brothers, Rick Snyder, right-to-work, Roger Kahn, threats to public education, war on women | 51 Comments

Public Education Finance Act of 2013… a bold gambit to dismantle public education in Michigan once and for all

By Mark | November 29, 2012

Saying “I’ve never considered myself a conspiracy theorist—until now,” Rob Glass, the Superintendent of the Bloomfield Hills School District, sent a letter out to parents in his district yesterday, outlining the education reform plans unveiled last week by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. “This package of bills,” said Glass, “is the latest in a yearlong barrage [...]

Posted in Education, Michigan, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged Bloomfield Hills, charter schools, dismantling of public education, Education Achievement Authority of Michigan, education reform, expanding the school year, failing schools, for profit schools, for-profit charter schools, Gretchen Whitmer, John Engler, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Michigan 2020, Michigan Public Education Finance Act of 2013, Michigan State House Bill 5923, Michigan State House Bill 6004, Michigan State Senate Bill 1358, Michigan State Senate Bill 620, Mike Huckabee, Oxford Foundation, Parent Trigger, Richard McLellan, Rick Snyder, Rob Glass, school, School Aid Act, school vouchers, taking back our schools, Vickie L. Markavitch, ] | 43 Comments

Announcing that five Ypsi schools share one librarian, 826 Michigan asks for volunteers to staff libraries so that our children can once again check out books

By Mark | October 24, 2012

When I received the above message earlier this afternoon, I didn’t think there was any way that it could possibly be true… I knew, of course, that Ypsi’s schools had suffered severe cuts. Just a few weeks ago, I’d watched Linette design a poster for Fly Children’s Art Center, drawing attention to the fact that [...]