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Showing posts from July, 2016

DPS: Plan First Then Get Money

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We need to stop estimating how much money is needed to fix DPS based solely on industry averages and norms. Instead, the district's budget should be based on a district based plan and budget to get the job done. It is fine to have industry benchmarks to be able to make comparisons, but this in no way addresses what needs to get done in specific districts. In Detroit's case we have state legislators representing districts across Michigan dictating what will be spent on education in Detroit. Those holding the purse strings and those in power in Lansing have no clue as to how to fix the problem.  Instead, they are following the Governor's lead and focusing on cost alone and sidestepping a detailed plan of action to get the results desired. A primary responsibility of government is to deliver needed services to its citizens in the most cost efficient manner possible. The first step in this process is agreeing on what services are needed. After identifying what is needed, a d

Trump Stinks! And So Do We!

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I dislike Trump and he is an easy target to slam, but guess what. He is winning. Even with his obvious shortcomings. This says more about us, the voters, than Donald Trump. What has happened to us? First, many of us are more prejudice and paranoid than we admit. It has to do with race and our position in this smaller world. We don't like to share. Over the last 50 years we have grown to understand as the white man starts out with a superior status in life and gradually and begrudgingly surrenders some of his power he begins to resent it. The same is true with material status and wealth. After World War II we were the last industrialized country standing. Then we helped the rest of the world. It felt good. We were doing the right thing and it was working. Then recently we woke up and realized power is relative and in relative terms some of our world influence and power is slipping away. China has gotten stronger and challenging our influence. Europe has rebuilt and is the lar