$1.6M Travel Expenses under DPS EFM Robert Bobb...

Detroit Schools Spent over $1.6M on Travel: Report

Former EFM Robert Bobb Disputes That Figure

See article below:

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news...-20110624-wpms

I don't buy what Bobb is selling. Byrd-Bennet was making over 20 grand a MONTH! That runs into about 6 teachers' salaries [[at about the mid pay range). I know, for a fact, that at least 3+ consultants were flown in about twice a month from CA [[and include their hotel bill in with that) for Literacy Coach training [[and we have perfectly good folks in DPS who could have done the exact same training). That doesn't include the team of workers from Knowledge Delivery Sytems who came in to bore us to death with what we learned online. Add to that the Math and Tech Coach training and consultants. All on DPS' dime!

I hope Roy Roberts pulls talent from WITHIN DPS for Professional development and whatnot. He has a host of really great teachers from which he can choose. I hope the lawsuit against Bobb sticks. He was pulling in more than the President of the USA in salary alone. Nevermind his "living expenses" which were also paid for by DPS.

Yep all of this out-of-state consultancy and yah-dah has been on the on DPS' dime!

The 'cash cow' of DPS continues to be milked even as it is supposedly being rescued.

Someone is going to be pulling down moneys from DPS until the last gasp...

And the teachers will be the usual suspects to have their rages reduced again and again. All the while the talk of 'educating the children' will continue to go forth.

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Originally Posted by DetroitTeacher

I don't buy what Bobb is selling. Byrd-Bennet was making over 20 grand a MONTH! That runs into about 6 teachers' salaries [[at about the mid pay range). I know, for a fact, that at least 3+ consultants were flown in about twice a month from CA [[and include their hotel bill in with that) for Literacy Coach training [[and we have perfectly good folks in DPS who could have done the exact same training). That doesn't include the team of workers from Knowledge Delivery Sytems who came in to bore us to death with what we learned online. Add to that the Math and Tech Coach training and consultants. All on DPS' dime!

I hope Roy Roberts pulls talent from WITHIN DPS for Professional development and whatnot. He has a host of really great teachers from which he can choose. I hope the lawsuit against Bobb sticks. He was pulling in more than the President of the USA in salary alone. Nevermind his "living expenses" which were also paid for by DPS.

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What on earth could they need consultants for?

Wow, no wonder the girls & teachers at Catherine Ferguson were so mad about potential closing - those young mothers with babies in daycare took a trip to South Africa last year. Must have done wonders for their self esteem. I know it says that it was covered by a donation - but from what other fund, denying something from what other kids?

Detroit Teacher - if the DPS had such capable people already on staff, why was it failing remarkably to educate kids? Sometimes people from outside with fresh perspective and expertise would seem to be the only answer. let's find out what we do not know.

Can't seem to find any honest people with integrity to run a damn thing in Detroit. All these "educated" people that come out of the woodwork seem to think that when there's any money available it can be used as their own personal ATM machine.

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Originally Posted by SWMAP

Wow, no wonder the girls & teachers at Catherine Ferguson were so mad about potential closing - those young mothers with babies in daycare took a trip to South Africa last year. Must have done wonders for their self esteem. I know it says that it was covered by a donation - but from what other fund, denying something from what other kids?

Detroit Teacher - if the DPS had such capable people already on staff, why was it failing remarkably to educate kids? Sometimes people from outside with fresh perspective and expertise would seem to be the only answer. let's find out what we do not know.

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I recall that those students held various events to raise money, and pleas were made for donations, specifically for that trip. So I don't think money was rerouted from elsewhere.

If this were any other profession I might say that expertise in one's profession does not mean you can teach others. But these are TEACHERS. They are supposed to know how to teach and they are supposed to have expertise specifically for teaching certain subject matters. If there is no one capable of doing so, then it says as much about the State of Michigan as it does the teachers. Michigan certifies them and a great number of them, if not most, probably were educated and trained in Michigan universities.

Maybe no Michigan university is qualified to be a partner in this reform. Maybe we need a university from outside of Michigan.

SWAMP: DPS never, ever asks teachers and those within the district, with the expertise necessary, to input anything. We've tried. They've shot us down each time! Everything is usually hush hush until the consultants show up at the door wanting to give us PD. I've sat through the same PD for YEARS...Anytime a teacher suggests something, we get shoved to the wayside and told our ideas will never work. After a bit, we stop trying. I've been trying to get online classes going for a LONG time [[and even volunteered to do it on my own time) but have been shot down each time I suggest it. It's free through Wayne County RESA. DPS has a large number of kids who don't come to school but are perfectly capable of doing the work. Online classes would really benefit those kids [[or kids who can't make it to school for whatever reason). Michigan actually has a graduation requirement of an online learning experience. DPS kids don't have that opportunity and we just fake it.

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Originally Posted by SWMAP

Wow, no wonder the girls & teachers at Catherine Ferguson were so mad about potential closing - those young mothers with babies in daycare took a trip to South Africa last year. Must have done wonders for their self esteem. I know it says that it was covered by a donation - but from what other fund, denying something from what other kids?

Detroit Teacher - if the DPS had such capable people already on staff, why was it failing remarkably to educate kids? Sometimes people from outside with fresh perspective and expertise would seem to be the only answer. let's find out what we do not know.

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Originally Posted by DetroitTeacher

SWAMP: DPS never, ever asks teachers and those within the district, with the expertise necessary, to input anything. We've tried. They've shot us down each time! Everything is usually hush hush until the consultants show up at the door wanting to give us PD. I've sat through the same PD for YEARS...Anytime a teacher suggests something, we get shoved to the wayside and told our ideas will never work. After a bit, we stop trying. I've been trying to get online classes going for a LONG time [[and even volunteered to do it on my own time) but have been shot down each time I suggest it. It's free through Wayne County RESA. DPS has a large number of kids who don't come to school but are perfectly capable of doing the work. Online classes would really benefit those kids [[or kids who can't make it to school for whatever reason). Michigan actually has a graduation requirement of an online learning experience. DPS kids don't have that opportunity and we just fake it.

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That would actually be an excellent tool that we could use for the students in the city...

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Originally Posted by DetroitTeacher

SWAMP: DPS never, ever asks teachers and those within the district, with the expertise necessary, to input anything. We've tried. They've shot us down each time! Everything is usually hush hush until the consultants show up at the door wanting to give us PD. I've sat through the same PD for YEARS...Anytime a teacher suggests something, we get shoved to the wayside and told our ideas will never work. After a bit, we stop trying. I've been trying to get online classes going for a LONG time [[and even volunteered to do it on my own time) but have been shot down each time I suggest it. It's free through Wayne County RESA. DPS has a large number of kids who don't come to school but are perfectly capable of doing the work. Online classes would really benefit those kids [[or kids who can't make it to school for whatever reason). Michigan actually has a graduation requirement of an online learning experience. DPS kids don't have that opportunity and we just fake it.

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You and your like-minded colleagues sound like a perfect group to start up an innovative charter, run by y'all. Why not pursue your mission to educate Detroit kids in a non-dysfunctional, teacher-run environment?

Thanks for the suggestions about my ideas. Unfortunately, I don't have the cash flow nor the backing to open up my own school. I have pretty unconventional ideas and I don't think they'd flow with the status quo. There is a teacher run lower grade school in DPS. They aren't having any more luck than DPS, I don't think.

I don't know, with your grant-writing ability, track record of results and a critical mass of like-minded individuals, you might be able to get the attention of chartering university or one of the big kahunas in the foundation world, several of which are already involved in Detroit and education. This is what charters ought to be about, sharp people trying innovative approaches, and when successful, duplicating and enhancing the model.

Det_ard: I've thought of that. I am just afraid that I'll be taken out of the classroom to do mundane office work. I really, really love teaching. I'll just keep plugging along and doing what I do. I really do wish I could get this online thing going. I do it for my individual students but nothing on a larger scale.