And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "Gary Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: FW: DETROIT NEWS Editorial -- Support for Lily Tomez Kehoe >Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 10:22:07 -0500 >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook 8.5, Build 4.71.2377.0 >Importance: Normal > >Good news, as a major metropolitan newspaper comes to the defense of Flint >School Board Trustee Lily Tomez-Kehoe's support of a new charter school for >Latino and Native American children (see editorial below). Your outspoken >support is needed and deeply appreciated as well. > >GARY GLENN >President >School Choice YES! >517-839-4500 >517-839-4506 (fax) >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >www.SchoolChoiceYES.org > > > >Editorial >DETROIT NEWS >Detroit, Michigan >December 18, 1998 > >FLINT'S CHARTER HYSTERIA >We have written often of attempts by public school officials in the Detroit >area and outstate to squash the budding charter school movement . Now comes >news that a Flint Board of Education member is under attack for merely >expressing her support for a proposed charter school in the Flint school >district. It's worth pondering for what this incident says about the larger >issues of school choice. >The imbroglio began when a local newspaper discovered that Lily Tamez-Kehoe, >a member of the Flint school board, had written a letter of support to >Central Michigan University regarding Flint Advantage Academy, a proposed >charter school requesting the university's authorization to open. The >school, while accepting all children, would feature a curriculum >underscoring Hispanic and Native American cultures. This emphasis appealed >to Ms. Tamez-Kehoe, who is also executive director of Flint's nonprofit >Spanish Speaking Information Center. >After the letter became public, Flint Board of Education President Randall >Talifarro wrote to his school board colleagues and to the newspaper. He >reminded them that if students chose to leave the Flint district's schools >for the charter school, the Flint school district would lose state money. >Citing a state attorney general's opinion, Mr. Talifarro branded Ms. >Tamez-Kehoe's support for the school a divided loyalty and concluded that "a >Flint Board of Education member ... supporting local charter school efforts >... should no longer serve on this board." >Put aside the issue of one elected school board member calling for the >resignation of another. The attorney general's opinion cited by Mr. >Talifarro isn't relevant. The opinion addresses conflicts of interest that >occur when a public school board member is also a member of a charter school >board. >The opinion's call for "undivided loyalty" refers specifically to the >conflicting fiduciary responsibilities that holding both board positions >would entail. Ms. Tamez-Kehoe, in contrast, is not a member of the proposed >charter school's board and has no fiduciary responsibilities to the school. >Nor does she risk any other inherent conflict of interest. Her first concern >as a school board member should be to help children, not the school >district's head count. Many public school teachers, for instance, send their >own kids to private schools, and no one is calling for their resignations. >Indeed, Ms. Tamez-Kehoe appears to have captured the spirit of the state >school code, which says "the public schools of this state serve the needs of >the pupils by cooperating with the pupil's parents and legal guardians to >develop the pupil's intellectual capabilities and vocational skills in a >safe and positive environment." Charter schools, after all, are chosen by >parents and pupils, and Ms. Kehoe's letter of support explicitly refers to >her concerns about learning and safety. >In fairness, Mr. Talifarro and Ms. Tamez-Kehoe's other critics also charge >that her letter makes inaccurate claims about the district's schools, and >that Ms. Tamez-Kehoe has failed to bring her criticisms before the board >before. Their disagreement with her (she denies their claims) will no doubt >spawn a valuable political debate. >But this debate should take place - not be drowned by a hysterical chorus of >protest over support for school choice. Indeed, voters should question a >school board that tries to place a colleague beyond the pale just because >she thinks outside the box in an effort to help kids. School officials who >can't accept calls for charter schools should continue to face the heat of >competition. > > > > www.detnews.com/EDITPAGE/9812/18/2edit/2edit.htm > > >
