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Detroit: paying the piper, calling the tune?

From: Learning Matters
Length: 05:18

Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb was brought in to fix a school system that's a big mess. But who's paying his salary? Private foundations that support charter schools. Read the full description.

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Detroit Public Schools are in crisis. Students are failing to meet national standards. The system is over $300 million in debt. Allegations of corruption run rampant throughout the system. You might even call it an emergency.

Michigan’s governor actually brought in an Emergency Financial Manager to deal with the situation. His name is Robert Bobb, and he’s got a lot of critics – especially DPS employees who fear that Bobb has an agenda to turn all of Detroit Public Schools into charters. Why might they think this? Well, foundations that support charter schools are paying almost one third of Bobb’s salary. Just what is Bobb’s agenda for the Detroit Public Schools?

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Piece Description

Detroit Public Schools are in crisis. Students are failing to meet national standards. The system is over $300 million in debt. Allegations of corruption run rampant throughout the system. You might even call it an emergency.

Michigan’s governor actually brought in an Emergency Financial Manager to deal with the situation. His name is Robert Bobb, and he’s got a lot of critics – especially DPS employees who fear that Bobb has an agenda to turn all of Detroit Public Schools into charters. Why might they think this? Well, foundations that support charter schools are paying almost one third of Bobb’s salary. Just what is Bobb’s agenda for the Detroit Public Schools?

Additional Credits

Field reporter: John Merrow

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