14 to be charged in DPS corruption case

[SDCC]

This dysfunctional, crooked, pathetic, entity known as DPS is the factor that DPS schools are in the condition they are in – which is a school system where teachers leave at the drop of a dime, school supplies are traded for kickbacks, and the buildings are falling down.
Oh, and Snyder is in the same boat – you guys suck. You sell out these children [[AGAIN) for a bowl of rice – Shame, if they have any.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...case/82376338/

[lpg]

DPS administration has been a corrupt cesspool for decades. Anybody remember the cars and drivers provided them while the kids did without ?

[Scottathew]

Your ass is grass, and Barbara McQuade is the lawnmower.

[ABetterDetroit]

And after hearing the teachers union complain loudly all year funny how none of them raised this issue. 14 administrators on the take doesn't happen in a vacuum.

[bmick67]

I just heard on WWJ that one of the principals is the one that Ellen DeGeneres gave $500,000 to recently. Any accounting of how much of that has already been squandered?

[401don]

Nice example, steal from your employer and the kids you're entrusted to educate - and anyone wonders why some Detroit kids end up as criminals.

[dtowncitylover]

I just heard on WWJ that one of the principals is the one that Ellen DeGeneres gave $500,000 to recently. Any accounting of how much of that has already been squandered?

Some of that was in the form of gift cards to individual teachers. I read that most of the money was funneled into a protected fund that couldn't be accessed unilaterally by the principal but overseen by the fund's administrators. I'm not sure any of the money has actually been used. As well, Justin Bieber is supposed to give a matching amount based on his ticket sales for his concert April 25.

[bmick67]

Gift cards to the teachers?! Red Lobster here we come.

[dtowncitylover]

Gift cards to the teachers?! Red Lobster here we come.

WOW, actually you insensitive asshat no they were to Lowe's to get repairs for the classroom.

[donpablo]

Im very pissed off as my son went to school at Davis Aerospace High School and the principle was Nina Graves-Hicks. When he was going into his senior year they moved the school from the site next to the city airport and they sold the planes. I have met her a number of times and I still have a picture on my phone of her with my son when he was standing on the stage receiving his diploma in 2014.

[Hypestyles]

where can you file to run for school board?

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

This is entirely unsurprising. I think we all know that a large amount [[certainly not all) of workers will engage in wrongdoing if they feel they can get away with it. There has historically been so little accountability for Detroit/Wayne County/DPS workers from [[the top down to the bottom), that there is virtually nothing that could happen that would surprise me. I remember reading when CofD went into emergency management that Orr's staff were stunned by the highly antiquated computers many city offices were using. Stunned because they were so old AND because the city had paid for new computers. Were there corrupt, unfulfilled vendor contracts? Did city workers take home nice new computers? Possibly both? Who knows? GOVERNMENT TILTS TOWARDS CORRUPTION EXCEPT WHEN THE PUBLIC CONSISTENTLY HOLDS THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE. I hope anyone who essentially stole from Detroit kids gets a hell of a long time in jail. Also, state law should ban pensions and benefits for any public employee convicted of corruption of any kind. Screw the kids and I am okay with you living in poverty in your old age. Plus, of course, they should have to pay restitution, plus interest. And they should be publicly humiliated. People need to know corruption has consequences. I would however, take a year off of their sentences for every other corrupt person they spill the beans on.

[michmina]

Oh and one of the principals was even on Ellen accepting huge checks for things like technology and supplies for his children! He sure put on a great show of being beset by poverty. The whole thing is yet another embarrassing and disgusting bunch of greedy and corrupted people who manage to find well-paying jobs in the public sector.

While we know not everyone is honest, there also seems AS USUAL to be no system of checks and balances in place while this was going on. When there is no cross-check, the thieves will be at work.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...rged/82382202/

[Wesley Mouch]

DPS has a funding problem. If teacher and administrator salaries were adequate, and if pensions were better -- then a better caliber of employees would be applying. We must eliminate the legacy costs borne by DPS, and we need to stop funding alternative ideas such as EAA and charters that are bleeding DPS of much needed funds.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

DPS has a funding problem. If teacher and administrator salaries were adequate, and if pensions were better -- then a better caliber of employees would be applying. We must eliminate the legacy costs borne by DPS, and we need to stop funding alternative ideas such as EAA and charters that are bleeding DPS of much needed funds.

Wesley, I think you are a little mistaken in your thoughts. First, let me state that I am not arguing that salaries are adequate at DPS or that legacy costs don't impact the employment and education situation in Detroit. But lack of money does not drive corruption; greed does. Poverty is plausibly an argument for crime if you are engaging in said crime to literally put a little food in your mouth. Such is not the case here.

As for solutions, I say dissolve DPS entirely, and let all Detroit education money follow the kids. They could go to suburban schools, private schools, or anywhere parents want to send them. DPS staff could even keep their schools open, run by the good teachers that would attract students. I think freeing good teachers to run their own place could be wonderful. I've thought for ages that we don't need to spend a lot of money to deliver the lousy education that DPS has been providing for most kids for decades. Money should not be spent to rescue DPS, it should be spent to rescue kids from DPS. There is too much corruption, legacy problems [[incuding old timey union contracts) shackled to the legs of Detroit's schools. Free the kids to go anywhere else.

[Shai_Hulud]

I know one of those principals. They were definitely competent and seemed to care about the students.

I guess the combination of easy money, rampant corruption, and little chance of being caught make it hard to resist.

[Wesley Mouch]

I know one of those principals. They were definitely competent and seemed to care about the students.

I guess the combination of easy money, rampant corruption, and little chance of being caught make it hard to resist.

Those with morals resist. Those with better morals call Barbara McQuaid.

Competence and care are not relevant to crime. Hitler was competent. Clinton cared about Bosnians.

Good people in a bad culture do bad things, yes. Better people don't.

So what can the public do? Be suspicious of any monopoly. Make sure there are competing entities delivering your services. Demand transparency. And most important -- be suspicious of any promises of money to fix things. Isn't it obvious that these band-aid fixes seldom work? How many times do we need to watch money pour into well-meaning programs before we realize its foolish?

[401don]

I know one of those principals. They were definitely competent and seemed to care about the students.

I guess the combination of easy money, rampant corruption, and little chance of being caught make it hard to resist.

Don't make excuses for people who should know simple right from wrong but would rather take from their neighbors and students. I don't understand this "little chance of being caught" mentality. The Feds have arrested the mayor, city council, cops, city suppliers, etc. and these people still think there is little chance of being caught?

[Danny]

I would like the feds of stopping those criminals for stealing our children's educational future from poor Detroit kids. No wonder they can't go to college or find work besides being a street pharmacist or a hoodie.

[Honky Tonk]

DPS has a funding problem. If teacher and administrator salaries were adequate, and if pensions were better -- then a better caliber of employees would be applying. We must eliminate the legacy costs borne by DPS, and we need to stop funding alternative ideas such as EAA and charters that are bleeding DPS of much needed funds.

We need to stop hiring crooks and opportunists that are bleeding DPS of much needed funds.

[Jimaz]

They need to send those principals to the principal's office.

Oh, wait.

[Shai_Hulud]

Don't make excuses for people who should know simple right from wrong but would rather take from their neighbors and students. I don't understand this "little chance of being caught" mentality. The Feds have arrested the mayor, city council, cops, city suppliers, etc. and these people still think there is little chance of being caught?

I wouldn't attempt to excuse it. I'm just trying to come up with reasons why the persons I would expect to be on the take appear not to be, and the persons I would least expect appear to be.

As far as being caught, this has gone on for a very long time. I'd imagine the number of people not caught is greater than the number who have been caught. However, you are certainly correct that the tide has turned and that will likely not be the case going forward.

[bmick67]

WOW, actually you insensitive asshat no they were to Lowe's to get repairs for the classroom.

If pointing out the obvious lack of controls and accountability makes me an "insensitive asshat" in your eyes, so be it. Do you really think it's OK to just hand out gift cards, Lowes or otherwise?

[DeLemur]

Atrocious and so sad the selfishness of people making well over $100K a year.
My DPS teacher friend always shook his head when DPS was brought up. I said "Why the kids are difficult to teach?" he said "No they're wonderful, its the adults you have to worry about."
Pathetic. These people need to be publicly shamed and given maximum penalties.

Yup, Spain Elementary was the highlighted school nationwide with the terrible building conditions and cut classes. Their principle was bleeding money to someone to get some of it back. Ugly.

I do wonder what the teachers knew and what they could have done about it. It appears that the billing wouldn't have made it to them. Principals shouldn't be allowed this level of check cutting. Lock 'em up.

[dtowncitylover]

If pointing out the obvious lack of controls and accountability makes me an "insensitive asshat" in your eyes, so be it. Do you really think it's OK to just hand out gift cards, Lowes or otherwise?

There's a difference between what everyone else has said on this thread, and rightfully so, and your remark. You did not point out "obvious lack of controls and accountability", you assumed the gift cards were frivolous and to a restaurant that's been described stereotypically as a "black people restaurant".

I'm not sure what the problem is in handing out gift cards...do you vet everyone you give gift cards to? These teachers need repairs, and they're gonna need more than $100 in gift cards anyway.