Public summer school, religion, the DeVos family, and *free* laptops

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/08/grand_rapids_school_board_memb_4.html

Grand Rapids school board member questions religion's role in Believe 2 Become program to reward students with laptops
Published: Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 9:28 AM Updated: Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 9:57 AM
Kym Reinstadler | The Grand Rapids Press


GRAND RAPIDS -- A Grand Rapids school board member wants to make sure that a promising new community-based initiative with ties to the public schools doesn’t violate the separation of church and state.

Tony Baker questioned the district’s role in the “Believe 2 Become” partnership, through which up to 200 middle school students could be rewarded with a laptop computer if they successfully recover failed academic credits in summer school, plus devote summer afternoons in one of a dozen civic programs.

Some of the afternoon enrichment programs are meeting in churches and some program literature includes language that could be considered religious, which should give a public board pause, Baker said.

Superintendent Bernard Taylor said the afternoon programs that meet in churches have no religious focus. The possibility of earning a laptop increased participation in middle school summer school, he said.

Even so, Baker said the district should be cautious before allowing outside groups assess to its students and before providing any fiduciary functions.

A representative of Lighthouse Communities and National Community Development Institute, which is organizing Believe 2 Become with funding from the Doug and Maria DeVos Foundation, said plans for the initiative will be developed with input from people who attend meetings beginning with an Aug. 26 session from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Ford Middle School.

After discussion, Baker and the board unanimously voted to purchase $462,000 worth of laptop computers to reward the middle school students who successfully complete summer school with good attendance and homework records, and whose parents attend at least one school event.

The district will be reimbursed for the computers by its Student Advancement Foundation, which solicits monetary donations to support school programs.

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What about the kids who passed and didn't need summer school? Will they all be failing now so they too can have a free laptop?

Talk about lowering standards!

Or clean needles for junkies.

ohhhhh, there is the "possibility of earning a laptop", but the board unanimously voted to purchase half a million dollars worth of laptops..........yada, yada, yada". Of course there's no religiousity in the programs language, nor would a meetings in a church be contrued to have a religious focus. It's all about the laptops.....................Right?
If I read this correctly, they could have used that same half a million dollars to hire some teachers, but what do I know? I think Mr Baker has the right idea.

DeVos is that the Amway fambly?

http://mediamattersaction.org/transparency/?funderID=17

Betsy DeVos, former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, is sister to eric prince, blackwater founder.