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Every candidate talks about Livonia values but when you look at that definition you come up with a clear definition of values that clearly takes the voter away from supporting certain candidates.
Livonia was built on traditional public schools, with young families moving to our hometown for the quality of schools. Second and third-generation families move into Livonia in part because of the school system they attended.
Schools built Livonia and if we are looking for traditional Livonia values we need to look at those candidates who do not support taking monies away from our schools to open the newly configured charter schools.
Candidates like State Senate candidates Ken Crider and Emily Bauman, State Representative candidates Cathryn Neracher, and Penny Crider, candidate for Governor Tudor Dixon, school board candidates Jeff Ferguson, Pamela Morgan, Reina Vendramini each talk about opening up alternatives to traditional public schools, ie, charter public schools.
Kendall Carll wrote in Youth in Policy the leading nonpartisan organization that is strictly youth-led and youth-founded, "Charter schools are public schools that receive government funding yet operate independently from the traditional state school system and are criticized for their lack of transparency and apparent discrimination."
By increasing funding for charter schools and calling them public schools we are lowering the funding and standards available to our traditional schools.
These candidates, especially Bauman and Crider point to lower test scores in our traditional public schools during the pandemic. This is a sophomoric argument as all sectors of our society suffered as our traditional activities from schools to shopping to travel to eating out suffered. It was a worldwide pandemic. What would you expect?
Bridge Magazine shared an opinion article by Mitchell Robinson Charter schools have done more harm than good in Michigan writes, "Public school supporters know that many of the problems in the schools, while they may not have all been caused by charters, have been made a whole lot worse by them – and the reform movement leaders who are profiting from charter schools.
'Let’s stop pretending that competition and choice are the solutions to the problems that have been created by competition and choice.'
"Let’s adequately fund all of our schools, and make sure that the school in the inner city is as clean, safe, and well-equipped as the one in the wealthiest suburbs.
"Insist all kids be taught by dedicated, committed professionals, with the appropriate coursework, licenses, and certifications.
"Let’s demand that all schools offer a rich, engaging curriculum, including music, art, and physical education, and let’s stop referring to these subjects as “extras” or “specials” – our children don’t see them as “extras.” For some kids, these are the things that make school worth going to.
"Let’s guarantee that every publicly-funded school is held to the same standards, regulations, and expectations, that all such schools are required to admit any child who wishes to attend, that “lotteries” and other similar methods of artificially “managing” student enrollment are eliminated, and that every child has access to a high-quality public school, regardless of geography or socio-economic status.
"Let’s stop pretending that competition and choice are the solutions to the problems that have been created by competition and choice.
"Let’s stop trying to fund two parallel, “separate but equal” school systems, and put a moratorium on the creation of new charter schools until all publicly funded schools are “competing” on level playing fields.
"And let’s return control for our public schools to where it belongs: elected school boards made up of concerned citizens from the communities in which their schools are located. Let's put an end to schools governed by unreliable charter management companies."
Traditional public schools are the answer not opening up more charter schools and siphoning money off to Grand Rapids, or Texas, or North Carolina.
State Senate candidates Ken Crider and Emily Bauman, State Representative candidates Cathryn Neracher, and Penny Crider, candidate for Governor Tudor Dixon, and school board candidates Jeff Ferguson, Pamela Morgan, and Reina Vendramini are to be commended for running for office but Livonia voters should not be swayed by their definition of values.
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