"Darnell Earley has to go.
The emergency manager of Detroit Public Schools is now irrevocably tainted by his time in that same role for the city of Flint.
Whether he deserves blame is still in question, but Earley was the state-appointed manager who oversaw Flint’s transition from the Detroit water system to Flint River water.
Gov. Rick Snyder’s reputation has suffered for not acting quickly enough to ameliorate the situation in Flint and to demand accountability after.
The governor has a major perception problem having Earley at the helm of the financially failing DPS.
And reports this week of school buildings that are unsafe and unclean for children only make it more obvious that this emergency manager is no longer a good fit.
You can’t have the same man associated with the poisoning of Flint’s children now responsible for the safety of nearly 50,000 Detroit kids.
...Snyder envisions splitting DPS into two entities to separate more than $500 million in debt from a new district that could direct its funds to educating students rather than covering past borrowing.
...Earley has also defended his record in Flint.
In a guest column for this paper in October, he wrote: “Contrary to reports in the media and rhetoric being espoused by individuals, the decision was made at the local level, by local civic leaders.” Earley says the decision to move to Flint River water was approved by the mayor and City Council months before he was appointed emergency manager in the fall of 2013.
That may be accurate. But Earley was in charge when the actual implementation took place.
And the buck stops with him and Snyder..."
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