Reuters – Staff Writer
“Michigan Governor Rick Snyder on Thursday proposed a dramatic restructuring of Detroit’s public school system, which remains financially and academically troubled despite years of state oversight. The governor’s plan would split the district into two entities. The Detroit Public Schools, run by a state-appointed emergency manager, and its elected school board would continue to exist but only for the purpose of eliminating the district’s $483 million operating deficit. A new Detroit Education District, managed by a seven-member board initially appointed by the governor and Detroit’s mayor, would take operating control of the schools. Another appointed commission would hire an education manager to run the school system. “The schools will be a vital part of Detroit’s continuing comeback, and this plan represents state and city leaders working together on a long-term solution,” Snyder said in a statement.”(more)