|
 State
schools chief impresses many at Manley
by Matt Bach, Flint Journal, August 23, 2002
State schools Superintendent Tom Watkins stood in front of
fourth- and fifth-graders at Manley Elementary School and
asked them if they knew who he was.
"The president?" one girl asked.
While many students didn't know who he was, Flint school
officials, area politicians and community members who came to
hear Watkins speak Thursday at the Sarvis Center in Flint
certainly did.
And most were impressed with his support for giving more money
to alternative education programs, aligning departments in
Lansing that deal with education issues and raising the age
when students can drop out of school -- it's 16 now; Watkins
hasn't specifically said what age he thinks it should be.
"I want to make it unacceptable for people to bash public
education," said Watkins, who has teamed with the Michigan
Education Association to place pro-public school billboards
throughout the state. "We need to be able to stand tall for
public education."
Watkins also took a swipe at President Bush's "No Child Left
Behind" reading program and how it labeled more than 1,500
Michigan schools as failing schools.
"I believe in leaving no child behind," Watkins said. "I just
feel the federal government shouldn't be spanking our
children's behinds."
He also criticized Lansing lawmakers for supporting $1 billion
to improve the Detroit sewer system but turning down $1
billion to help struggling school districts.
"The headline should read, Poop is more important than kids,'
" he said.
"I liked his stance on alternative education," said Charles
Dunn, president of the Flint School District's security union.
"I'm a product of alternative education, and not everyone is
going to be a doctor. They should be putting in programs that
will help these alternative kids. I liked how he said he won't
forget them and how he will continue to work for more
dollars."
Lily Tamez Kehoe, Flint Board of Education president, said
Watkins should be good for Flint.
"I'm excited about him," Kehoe said. "He recognizes the
different problems we have with facilities, and how there are
different learning techniques out there and that one mold
doesn't fit all children. I'm really energized with the way he
views things." |
