Schools of Choice

We may be on the verge of a rather unusual political event. It seems that the makings of a what might otherwise seem an unholy union may be in store. Grosse Pointe Republicans and Detroit Democrats appear in agreement on the upcoming mandatory Schools of Choice proposal soon to be introduced in the State Legislature. They don't like it.

Not surprisingly, they are coming at it from different viewpoints. The Grosse Pointers do not want their schools tampered with by being made to accept out of district students. Democratic lawmakers from Detroit, Sen. Bert Johnson of Highland Park, Sen. Coleman A. Young II of Detroit, and State Rep. Lisa Howze, D-Detroit, all have spoken against it. They fear that the Detroit Public Schools would be further drained (the DPS has been losing students for years) without any chance to stabilize.

The idea, then, would appear to facing a sharp uphill climb. Even the Michigan Association of School Boards is against it, believing that any such choice should be left to the existing schools districts. Meanwhile, a group called the Michigan Communities for Local Control has been formed to direct efforts against the legislation. The MCLC argues that local officials locally elected van make the best choices for their schools.

However this all plays out, it isn't likely that we will see such hands across the aisle agreement with many other issues. But who knows? Maybe we can all just get along. So long as the right buttons are pushed.