UPDATE: trip off till Wednesday. Lady M still recovering from Ricky’s moles.
So, on Monday Lady M and I head to the Motor City, home of Big Guy’s car companies. We’ll be working with Governor Jenni Granholm’s hubby, First Gentleman Dan Mulhern. You can tell he’s one of those cutting edge, post-modern kind of spouses because he kept his maiden name.
Dan and Jenni at the First Historic State Dinner. Note: being a thoroughly modern man, Dan is carrying Jenni’s purse for her. Michigan is so cutting edge. Even Nancy Pelosi’s stud wouldn’t do that.
And when I say “working” I mean working. Lady M will be speaking at a forum focused on Detroit students held at Wayne State University (great photo of WSU’s Old Main Hall, by John Cruz). Since we’re going all the way to Detroit, it’s only fair that we focus on their students, although it appears the term “student” is only marginally applicable in this town.
It seems that Detroit has now, officially, earned the title of the worst school system in both math and reading in the whole non-Mexican part of the United States. The whole school system is bankrupt and under the control of Emergency Financial Manager - you’re gonna love this - Bob Bobb! No, honest, that’s his real name.
Bob was appointed by Jenni in 2009 in a last ditch effort to save the Detroit Public School system. He has been doing a terrific job, considering how little he has to work with, and the Republicans and Detroit parents love him. The Democrats and teachers hate him, have taken him to court several times already and call him names that would cause anyone else to be called a racist. So you can see, he’s on the wrong side of the issue.
But before I go too far and call for a private school voucher system to replace all state controlled re-education camps public schools, I’d better get back to why we’re here.
You’re going to be surprised when I tell you our mission has nothing to do with Detroit children’s fat behinds. No, we are here to join forces with Mr. Mulhern-Granholm, business, sports and other civic leaders to draw attention to the importance of mentoring.
The best part: there’s going to be a lunch afterwards.
Our Motown trip is the final leg (‘cause we can’t do this all year!) of Lady M’s ongoing mentoring outreach program which she began during “Women’s History Month. Last year, 28,536 Michigan children were helped by 19,578 mentors, which is many more children helped than murdered in Detroit. So honestly, it looks like our work is almost done here.
I hope we have time for hugs, the kids seem to get a kick out of that:
One thing I know for sure we won’t be doing is taking any more questions from second graders.
Because no matter how much you think you’ve done to get them prepared to ask the un-prepared questions - screw their heads on straight, give them a few clues -
sometimes you’re still surprised by how it comes out.
Don’t worry honey, your mom don’t need not stinkin’ papers. My husband will make sure of it.
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