Catch-22 at heart of state’s education system

Poor districts falling further behind

• By LOUISE WREGE – HP Staff Writer
• July 28, 2019

BENTON HARBOR — State officials “helping” failing school districts are only treating the symptoms and not dealing with the real problem, said Tom Watkins, who was state superintendent from 2001 to 2005.

“It’s kind of like standing downriver and pulling drowning victims out,” he said. “Maybe it’s about time we went upstream and asked, ‘Who’s throwing everybody in the river?’”

He said everyone needs to work together to fix the state’s education system, which has been broken for decades.

“We know that there are these big issues of poverty,” he said. “… Educating children will benefit all of us, and yet we kind of look the other way.”

He said pretending there isn’t a major problem with the state’s education system is like pretending that Michigan’s roads aren’t riddled with potholes.

“If you take a look at the roads, people can feel the bumps and get the pain of the potholes,” he said. “… The schools are viewed as – out of sight, out of mind. They’re only viewed as a problem if your kid is in it.”  – READ – SHARE – DISCUSS – LEARN MORE HERE –

https://www.heraldpalladium.com/news/local/catch–at-heart-of-state-s-education-system/article_e479b4cf-4145-5ff4-95e7-6f759d57d2e2.html