Every Child Left Behind

To Whom It May Concern,

I am a retired school teacher specializing in early childhood education. I was a part of a wonderful preschool program in the Detroit Pubic Schools sponsored by the State of Michigan with help from the Government, during the previous administration. The previous Republican Governor made it a point to do everything he could to dismantle the public school system in Detroit as well as other inner city school systems. Charter Schools and Vouchers, (which should be illegal) have taken over 35,000 children out of the system. This president has put in mandates with No Child Left Behind that are inappropriate for 4 and 5 years olds, underfunded the program and demanded tests that are not developmentally sound. Of course an old family friend McGraw Hill is being handsomely rewarded by publishing an absolutely terrible reading course called Open Court which is not developmentally appropriate for 4 year olds. They have disregarded all of the research, studies, and progress made in the past. This year, the preschools were told that they would have no supplies. The reason is because so much money has been diverted to Charter Schools that the public schools are now going through a wholesale closing with hundreds of teachers being laid off, several hundred schools closing, and children being moved around. Charter schools do not necessarily have to accept a child and usually leave the public school with those children in all grades who need the most help. Naturally they will fail without necessary things they need to learn and class sizes skyrocketing because of the consolidation of schools. Hundreds of schools are closed in Detroit. The State cannot pay for these schools and the Federal Government won't either. This to me is a direct result of this president wanting Charter Schools to take over the school system. Every time a school closes, a charter school buys it. Their test scores are not as good as public schools, and they get the money for each child. If a child returns to the public school system, the money does not go back to the schools. The Charter School keeps the money. He has privatized the custodians, allowing only one custodian for five schools. The other day, some schools had to be dismissed because there was not a custodian available to run the furnaces on a cold snowy day. The preschool has been changed from a wonderful program that was succeeding into a scripted program with no supplies or equipment, and one that does not teach critical thinking, takes away time from other subjects and the children are bored, crying, and hate this program. Parents who have had children in the old program notice the difference in the classroom when they enroll younger children. What is happening in Detroit is a travesty. It has been deliberately planned so that the federal government will not have to pay for inner city children. With federal cuts, the state cannot make up the difference. None of these things make national news. How can we as a nation stand by and allow these things to happen? It will only get worse as more school systems are forced to buy into No Child Left Behind. If they don't, funds are cut off.....what pittance is given to them. THIS IS WRONG. Charter schools are a big part of the reason a whole school system is being dismantled. I am appalled and angry even though I am retired. Parents, please question the legality of Charter Schools or this could be happening to your school system in the future. I remain an advocate for children...all children. What is happening in the inner city is unforgivable.