Blogs > It's Time To Take A Stand

Being a business theatre producer has allowed Brian the opportunity to meet and work with some very fascinating people from a variety of backgrounds which, in turn, has helped shape his knowledge and his opinions. His blog will not always be political, it will be about a lifetime of subjects, and nothing is off limits. “Few people have original thoughts, we are shaped by the people we know and meet” he says.



Saturday, March 6, 2010

Race to the Bottom

The latest news that Michigan did not qualify for Race to the Top federal funds should not be a surprise to anyone. One leaders continually show us why our state and schools are in such turmoil. They lack character, commitment and action on a timely basis.

County Executive L.Brooks Patterson chastised the Michigan Education Association for not collaborating with the committee who wrote the application. Doug Pratt, communications director for the MEA claimed that the MEA only received a 12-page summary of the application, rather than the more than 600-page application and were asked to sign-off on it without any details. But on the Paul W. Smith show on WJR-AM radio on Friday, Iris K. Salters, president of the MEA claimed it was just a 5-page summary. They should at least get their stories straight.

Whether it was a 5-page or a 12-page summary or the entire application was made available is only part of the problem. The real problem is the lack of action on a timely basis. The committee wasted so much time bickering back and forth that they didn't produce any results on a timely basis. The deadline was upon them and they were still lacking an application or support.

Just like the Michigan legislature trying to enact a budget on a timely basis. They wait until the very last minute before they even consider doing something.

The real problem is that everyone is to blame but politics being politics no one accepts any responsibility for their actions or lack of actions.

The school system in Michigan is broken and needs fixing. It is not a funding problem, it is a spending problem and it is this writer's opinion that parental involvement is and will be the best remedy.

Parental involvement is the key to all successful students but we may need to teach parents how to be parents. Far too many are absent from their children's education. Far too many think schools should raise their children during the day. Far too many don't know how to be responsible parents.

If more parents were involved they would demand that school districts to be more efficient; they would demand an end to the waste; they would demand school districts spend more than the current 15% on their children; they would demand reform. It is estimated that 85% of all school funds go to salaries, benefits and administration of non-academic activities.

But school districts don't encourage parental involvement and don't spend any funds trying to improve parental involvement. Sure they pay lip service to it but they really don't want it. It is time that parents get more involved in their kids lives, maybe have a little less extra curricular activities and put a little more emphases on academics.

I know the economy is bad and that many parents are unemployed. Rather than sit around the house between looking for employment, get involved in your kids education. It doesn't have to cost a penny and the results could be amazing.

That is my stand, what's yours?

2 Comments:

Blogger Bruce Fealk said...

Wow, Brian, we totally agree.

March 7, 2010 at 4:12 AM 
Blogger Brian J Perks said...

Double wow! Bruce, if we look hard enough we might find other areas in which we agree.

March 7, 2010 at 8:27 AM 

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