Are Michigan Republicans really trying to turn the state's schools from public to private?

Is this just more rhetorical flatulence from the school lobby in Michigan or are state Republicans trying to turn our public schools into private schools?

This is what State Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Detroit, charged at a public forum in Kalamazoo.  He says that Republicans want to privatize every public service and turn them over to a system driven by profits.

For schools, he points to a Republican bill to dramatically increase the number of charter schools in the state.  Many are run by private management companies that function in a profit-making environment.

What's bad about this?  Are students worse off in charter schools?  Is there any evidence of that?

What's the worry?