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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Should Flint Sue the State about no "open meetings' by the both the state and Brown?
From the Huffington Post
Gov. Rick Snyder 'Deactivates' Jack Martin, Emergency Manager Of Highland Park Schools
First Posted: 02/21/2012 4:55 pm Updated: 02/21/2012 6:01 pm
Highland Park Schools Emergency Manager Jack Martin will be walking away from his position heading the district -- at least for the time being.
Gov. Rick Snyder has "deactivated" Martin, in order to comply with a court ruling, Michigan Radio reports.
Ingham County Circuit Court Chief Judge William Collette found Feb. 15 that the state-appointed financial review board that recommended an emergency manager for the district to be "null and void" because its private meetings violated Michigan's Open Meetings Act.
Until Snyder's decision Tuesday, Martin continued to show up for work last week, in spite of the ruling.
Though the state had previously opposed Collette's ruling, Snyder said Tuesday he would honor the judge's decision, MLive reports.
"It is only prudent to assume our emergency manager is not effective at this time," said Snyder
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The governor said the Highland Park Schools financial review team would hold an open public meeting Wednesday afternoon.
Snyder will also ask the state legislature to pass emergency measures by the week's end to allow Highland Park students to switch to another district or to a charter school, Michigan Radio reports.
In the meantime, the Treasury office said in a release the state would seek an operating agreement for the district with another school system or charter operator.
Highland Park Schools ran out of cash earlier this year and was making payroll and operating costs with a loan from the state.
The status of Detroit's financial review team, which also fell under the purview of Collette's ruling, remains unclear. The body began meeting to examine the city's finances in January.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:13 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Gov. Snyder restarting Highland Park schools emergency manager plan
Published: Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 4:30 PM Updated: Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 7:33 AM
By Dave Murray | dmurray@mllive
| MLive Media GroupGov. Rick Snyder, joined by state Superintendent Mike Flanagan and Treasurer Andy Dillon, spoke to reporters about the changes in the Highland Park emergency manager plan.
LANSING – Gov. Rick Snyder is re-setting his plan to install an emergency manager in the Highland Park schools after a judge ruled that review meetings leading up to the decision violated the state’s open meetings act.
Snyder said Wednesday a new review meeting is planned to be conducted in open session on Wednesday to being the process anew, but is planning other moves to head off a potential “payless payday” for school employees on Friday.
Those plans include offering all students the chance to attend classes in another district through a school choice plan, or to contract with a school district or charter school operator to run the district through the end of the school year.
Highland Park Schools get about $14,000 per student in state aid, and spend $16,000 per student – and have just $40,000 in the bank. Snyder said that’s an “extreme” cash problem, and is not enough to cover payroll on Friday.
“We need to take care of the students,” Snyder said, flanked by state Superintendent Mike Flanagan, Treasurer Andy Dillon and Jack Martin, who had been appointed emergency manager. “This is not the very best option. But ideally we could have students returning to their classes with their teachers and finish out the school year.”
Snyder said he could reappoint Martin after the review meeting and following a seven-day appeal period or, more quickly, if the Highland Park Board of Education asks for help.
A template bill to offer the school choice or partnership with a district or charter school operator would require emergency legislation, which could move through the Capitol before the end of the week.
Flanagan said the plan came together “on the fly” over the weekend, and praised Snyder for putting the interests of the students to the forefront.
“The students are not responsible for this financial mess,” Flanagan said. “The board created this mess, and the students should not have to suffer.”
E-mail Dave Murray: dmurray@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterDMurray
defcan2 February 21, 2012 at 6:00PM
Could someone tell me why? all the urban or black communities school have to have emergency managers ? Detroit, Ecorse, Flint, Pontiac, Benton Harbor, Muskegon Heights, and others. It seems that there should be attempt to correct the problem.
lookme February 21, 2012 at 6:03PM
The Governor will not send money to pay the teachers. HP is only 12 million in the hole. But, Detroit is over 200 million in the hole for the last 5 years. The Fuhrer pumps money over there every day. Maybe because the power brokers in Detroit are his financial supporters?
watch dog gram February 21, 2012 at 6:13PM
What is Governor Snyder supposed to do, just let it go along and maybe something different will happen, if the school district can't manage then they need someone to step in to get back on track. Giving the children a chance to go to different schools is good, it should be about the children. Schools need to get it right now. |
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Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:21 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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State says judge's ruling on Highland Park schools' review team and emergency manager doesn't apply to Flint
Published: Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 11:32 AM Updated: Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 12:13 PM
By Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com
FLINT, Michigan -- A judge last week invalidated the appointment of the Highland Park schools emergency manager, saying the state review team violated the state's Open Meetings Act by not deliberating in public.
But the state treasury department said the judge's ruling does not apply to Flint, even though the local emergency manager was appointed under the same process as in Highland Park
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"Last week's ruling, which is related to lawsuits against the Highland Park Schools and City of Detroit review teams, is not relevant to the situation in the City of Flint," Treasury spokesman Terry Stanton said in an email.
The state Attorney General's office declined to comment on the connection Tuesday.
"Because this case didn't involve any actions in Flint, it's not something I can offer a comment on," spokeswoman Joy Yearout said.
The lawsuit was filed by Highland Park School Board member Robert Davis, who complained that the Detroit and Highland Park review teams' deliberations weren't in public.
A decision made by a public body can be challenged under the Open Meetings Act within 60 days following publication of the meeting's minutes.
Following the judge's ruling, Gov. Rick Snyder said the school district's emergency manager must step down, but he also said Wednesday that a new review meeting is planned to be conducted in open session to restart the process.
State Rep. Woodrow Stanley, D-Flint, said the judge's "very significant" ruling is good for the appointment process for emergency managers.
Stanley said he didn't know whether the court ruling for Highland Park will have any legal implications for Flint, but said it does show "in some fashion that (the review team) wasn't in total conformity."
Stanley said the positive effect is that, moving forward, the ruling ensures future review teams will deliberate in public.
"Now the public can see what's going on in a public setting," he said.
pdpauldubois February 22, 2012 at 12:00PM
Certainly the ruling would apply to Flint, but since the manager and the elected officials seem to be working will together we should let the current situation stay in place and get the financial situation straightened out.
kemcha February 22, 2012 at 12:20PM
The state says? Well, somebody needs to tell Governor Rick Snyder that the State of Michigan is not the Court of Law. Nothing the State of Michigan or Snyder's Administration says is worth a hill of beans.
It's a good thing that the only people whose word means a damned thing is the courts and NOT Snyder's Administration.
1milkshakes1 February 22, 2012 at 12:43PM
More irony when Hoodrow Stanley speaks as some sort of authority, which he is.... to the tune of 27 missing millions. When will the dopes that elect him learn? |
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Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:32 pm |
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JCARPENTER
F L I N T O I D
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| Yes and I will see if thats possible. Stay tuned. |
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Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:00 am |
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