Kyle Crys Out for Sacrifice

I just came across a Olson letter to the editor in last week's Jackson Citizen Patriot where Kyle blasts the Salters/Bishop Retirement Stimulus Plan. After a few 'the sky is falling' predictions, he moves on to:

These are tough financial times, and everyone in Michigan is making sacrifices.

Very inspirational. But then a better idea occurs to him:

To make it simpler, we are calling on the MEA to simply declare a "rate holiday" for several months, so schools could skip paying their MESSA premiums and save precious dollars.

This from the guy who is outraged at the suggestion that he's targetting the MEA and MESSA. No mention here of a rate holiday from SET SEG or any other health insurer, only MESSA.

Come on, MEA! Let's talk about sacrifice from everyone involved so we can truly address the financial crisis haunting our public schools.

Well not 'everyone.' Just MEA.

Westwood Heights Makes Up Its Own Mind

Voters in Westwood Heights voted 2 to 1 to recall three members of the WH school board yesterday. That means that inventing a non-existent MEA role, raving about union puppets and branding an election foolish without knowing anything about its history isn't enough to fool the public. The really sad thing is that Kyle's so PR tone deaf that he doesn't realize that as his road show moves around the state, he's only managing to establish himself as a know-nothing opportunist from the other side of the state.

EAG continues to show no return for its secret investors. The updated EAG Scoreboard:


[click on Scoreboard to download]

Kyle's Anti-American Views

One of Kyle’s ongoing rants is against teachers, other school employees, and private citizens from exercising their rights. In the February 19 issue of the Flint Journal, Kyle once again publicly criticizes citizens that participate in their community’s affairs. He argues that some citizens (school employees) shouldn't be allowed to participate in local government.

A high school civics text used in schools all over Michigan states that, “people have used their power and authority to influence their government. They have done this in various ways.” One of the ways is to elect and recall their leaders, yet Kyle thinks recall campaigns are “foolish.” In other words, the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution are foolish.

All over Michigan Kyle promotes an anti-democracy, anti-American view point. He doesn’t think that citizens should participate in local government. He doesn’t think elected officials need to be held accountable to the public that elected them. He doesn’t think Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote, “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” is valid.

Don't buy the Education Action Group's claims that there should be no recalls because they might hurt someone's feelings. Each American citizen, including a school employee, has the right to elect his/her leaders AND these leaders have the responsibility to listen to the voters.

Kyle Looking for a Phony Victory

Tomorrow's Westwood Heights recall election represents, at least in Kyle's mind, a chance to chalk up a victory (finally). You'll maybe remember that WH is where a long-simmering battle between board members, together with, according to press accounts, the hiring of a new superintendent and the firing of a principle has led to tomorrow's recall election against three school board members.

As today's Flint Journal reported, the history of this recall is complicated enough, but:

"There's a lot of people drumming up issues that aren't pertinent, and certainly they don't know all the facts." One board member said. The articles continues:

"A new twist has entered the race in the final week with a Muskegon-based group that calls itself Education Action Group claiming the recall is being pushed by the teachers union, which recall organizers called 'a blatant falsehood'."

Recall organizer James Mitchell wrote:



The resentment against EAG runs deep, thanks to the turmoil that the area is already dealing with. Just today, Flint's now former mayor, Don Williamson, asked for $250,000 in back pay, although he had agreed to work for a $1 a year. He's the guy that resigned just days before his recall election.

All this town needs is an outsider taking advantage of this chaos. But then that's just what Kyle's brand of attack conservatism is all about.

EAG Scoreboard

Yesterday, the Education Action Guy, Kyle Olson, wrote to his mailing list that he's having a great year. For example, he managed to determine that Wayne Westland school employees like MESSA. It took him four FIOA's to uncover that.

Forget that in the settlement, MESSA survived, they got a raise, class sizes got reduced a little, and Kyle's work probably had no effect, except perhaps to delay a settlement that could have been reached months ago. I'm sure the locals are happy he came to town.

But again, that got me thinking. That same email included some begging for contributions: "current funds are running low..." So as I wrote the other day, I wonder how Kyle's secret financers feel about their investment.

So let's have a look at Kyle's Scoreboard. The target district, the methods he used to nose in, and the result:



Not so good there, Kyle. I can see why raising funds is getting harder.

Kyle Has Zero Support

A recent poll on this site asked readers what they thought was the best way to improve their local public schools. The most popular answers included: maintaining adequate class sizes, providing a diverse curriculum, and ensuring that highly qualified/certified teacher and support staffs are employed by local districts.

One answer got ZERO support - NO ONE thinks that bashing teachers, support staff, and the MEA is a way to improve public schools. But that is exactly what Kyle Olson, the Education Action Guy, does. He butts into local public school issues with his anti-public school rhetoric, even when local teachers and school boards tell him they don't need nor want him (http://eagtruth.blogspot.com/2008/07/kyle-is-butting-in-again.html).

He somehow believes that demeaning teachers and support staff for working to improve their schools will help.

If you believe otherwise, join the growing list of supporters of EAGTruth at the EAGTruth.com website.

Kyle Loses Every Which Way in Wayne Westland

All of those who were paying attention noticed that Kyle's Wayne Westland FOIA request came up with nothing. Just back and forth between teachers and other employees about school, the contract and the strike. Not exactly headline-generating material.

No conspiracy by the MEA to force the locals to strike, no secret agenda, no nothin.

And now, we hear that the WW contract was ratified by the Board last night. One board member said that he was voting for the contract reluctantly, as the union won everything.



Not exactly. They got a raise, class sizes got reduced a little, and they kept MESSA. But they're paying a bit more for health coverage than they did before and got a "letter of reprimand" in their permanent file.

This is how contract negotiation works: both sides talk and eventually they agree somewhere in the middle.

But Kyle fails to change anyone's mind. MESSA survives. All that time and trouble trying to butt in and nothing changes. I wonder how Kyle's secret financiers feel about their investment?