This made the rounds of the internets last week, but I think it got lost in the shuffle of the long weekend. A Principal in Michigan sent a letter asking his Governor to turn his school into a prison…
One solution I believe we must do is take a look at our corrections system in Michigan. We rank nationally at the top in the number of people we incarcerate. We also spend the most money per prisoner annually than any other state in the union. Now, I like to be at the top of lists, but this is one ranking that I don’t believe Michigan wants to be on top of.
Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.
This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison. The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per student….
Go read the whole thing. It says something about our priorities as a nation when we are willing to spend more money punishing the sins past than building the possibilities of the future.
h/t Silence