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U.S. Secretary of Education visits Detroit Public Schools [VIDEO]

People's Connection — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:29:58 +0000

US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan: Two years later, I couldn’t be more hopeful and optimistic about Detroit and where it’s going to go

US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Detroit Public Schools today as part of “Education and the Economy,” the U.S. Education Department’s second annual back-to-school bus tour. Duncan joined DPS Emergency Financial Manager Roy Roberts, Gov. Rick Snyder, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan, and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, for a “New Day” forum at Charles H. Wright Academy of Arts and Science to highlight recent steps initiated by Michigan and the city of Detroit to provide better support and turn around persistently low-performing schools across Michigan.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DETROITK12.ORG

DPS & Major Church Leaders Announce “School Readiness Sunday”

People's Connection — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:39:27 +0000

Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts and some of the City of Detroit’s most prominent and influential pastors and bishops held a news conference to announce an attendance initiative and brand new “DPS School Readiness Sunday” to be held two days before the First Day of Teaching and Learning for the 2011-12 school year, at churches across Detroit. The pastors, along with others from dozens of city churches and congregations, committed to speaking about the value of attendance to their congregations during services on Sunday.

In attendance were: Pastor Larry Bell, President , AME Ministerial Alliance of Detroit and Vicinity; Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, Pastor, Fellowship Chapel and President, Detroit Branch NAACP; Rev. Dr. James Perkins, Pastor of Greater Christ Baptist Church, First Vice President of Progressive National Baptist Convention; Rev. Zachary Hicks, Pastor of Faith Clinic, representative of Bishop P.A. Brooks, 1st Assistant Presiding Bishop, COGIC ; Bishop Edgar Vann, Second Ebenezer, Kingdom Alliance; Rev. Dr. Michael Owens, President, Council of Baptist Pastors, Bethel Baptist Church East; Rev. Dr. Oscar King III, pastor of Northwest Unity Church and Immediate Past President of the Council of Baptist Pastors; Rev. Christian Adams, presiding pastor, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church; Rev. Gregory Roberts, Director of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Rev. V. Lonnie Peek, co-chair of the community public relations committee of the Baptist Council. Also supporting the initiative is Bishop Charles Ellis, Presiding Bishop, Pentecostal Assembles of the World and other pastors from throughout the city.

[PICS & VIDEO] 2011 DPS Education and Enrollment Expo and Parade

People's Connection — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 06:22:20 +0000

I’m In! Check out all of the great photos & video from the 2011 DPS Education and Enrollment Expo and Parade!

Detroit Public Schools’ high-energy Back-to-School Parade and Rally and brand new Education and Enrollment Expo drew thousands of participants Saturday, Aug. 27, offering parents a one-stop opportunity to enroll in DPS and get their children ready for school. Gospel artist Vickie Winans hosted the rally and served as grand marshal for the parade, which included Curious George, the return of the All City Marching Band and classic parade floats.

The high-stepping parade was bigger and better this year, making its way down Woodward Avenue past the iconic Spirit of Detroit statue, which is dressed for the occasion in a signature blue DPS shirt through Aug. 31. The parade featured new floats, as well as clowns and hundreds of DPS student and parent marchers. Units included the All City Marching Band in its first appearance in seven years.

The newly reconstituted band is comprised of 88 musicians and auxiliary personnel from Cass Tech, Detroit School of Arts, Martin Luther King and Renaissance high schools. Also appearing were Curious George, popular Thanksgiving Day floats from the Parade Company, such as Motown and the Big Green Bookworm, and a 180-member Detroit Public School League unit, including cheerleaders and football players.

Schools and teams: The Nichols Middle School cheer team, Girl Scout Troop 72264, Pasteur Elementary’s NASA Crew, the new Dr. Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Medicine, the Gentlemen’s Club of Brenda Scott Academy, a citywide JROTC unit and the Spain Elementary School Dance Team were among the student groups.

Click Here for more pics from the event

About the Expo:

The new Education and Enrollment Expo served as a one-stop location to get ready for school. In addition to offering the city’s largest school shopping fair, including both traditional and DPS-authorized charter schools, parents took advantage of free immunizations, free parenting workshops, on-the-spot enrollment stations and district representatives who were on hand to answer questions about transportation, food and much more.

For more info about the great things that are happening at Detroit Public Schools, click here or visit detroitk12.org

Have Fun and Help Your Future This Summer with B.R.I.D.G.E.S.

People's Connection — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:44:18 +0000

The Detroit Branch NAACP 2nd annual B.RI.D.G.E.S initiative is underway.

Building Resources In Detroit, Giving Expanded Service initiative begun as a way to develop solutions, for community, policing and youth violence prevention for Detroit area youth during the summer.

The program will run Monday through Friday from 3:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. at six Detroit Public Schools. The dates are July 11 through August 26, 2011. The participants in the program will receive job readiness training, college preparedness “Green” Technology and recreation opportunities. All services are free and open to Detroit residents and Detroit Public Schools students between the ages of 14-24. B.R.I.D.G.E.S is done in partnership with Detroit Public Schools, DTE Foundation, Sodexco, Securitas and Detroit Police Reserves have also volunteered services for this program.

The Six Schools Are:

o Cody
o 18445 Cathedral Street

o Kettering
o 6101 Van Dyke Avenue

o Mumford
o 17525 Wyoming Avenue

o Pershing
o 18875 Ryan Road

o Southwest High School
o 6921 West Fort Street

o Spain Elementary
o 3700 Beaubin

“We pledged to work for real solutions to bring about change in Detroit and we have taken the first step with the B.R.I.D.G.E.S initiative.”, said Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, President of Detroit Branch NAACP. Donations are still being accepted for the program.

Great Things Are Happening at Detroit Public Schools

People's Connection — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:43:31 +0000

The DPS Education and Enrollment Expo

Detroit Public Schools’ high-energy Back-to-School Parade and Rally are back for the third year in a row, on a new weekend day with a brand new Education and Enrollment Expo that will offer parents a one-stop opportunity to enroll in DPS and get their children ready for school.

Gospel artist Vickie Winans will host the rally and serve as grand marshal for the parade, which will include Curious George, the return of the All City Marching Band and classic parade floats.

Where and When:

10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday August 27 in Downtown Detroit

The event will feature major school supply and backpack giveaways, free food, free immunizations, and school uniform giveaways. Sponsors include Mr. Alan’s, Office Depot, Forman Mills and Sodexo.

Watch the video below and learn more about the educational advantages DPS has available now!

More about the Parade, featuring Vickie Winans and Curious George

The high-stepping parade will be bigger and better this year. It will begin at 11 a.m. at Grand Circus Park and make its way down Woodward Avenue past the iconic Spirit of Detroit statue, which will be dressed for the occasion in a signature blue DPS shirt, and end up at Hart Plaza, where the rally and expo will take place.

Gospel artist Vickie Winans will serve as grand marshal, and the parade will include the debut of the newly reconstituted Detroit All-City Marching Band and signature floats from The Parade Company, which produces the America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Curious George will give away books to children along the parade route.

Download the DPS Back to School Parade, Rally and Education and Enrollment Expo flier

Detroit Public Schools is creating Centers of Excellence in every school in every neighborhood. The district’s primary mission is educating students to perform at high academic levels.

This fall, the district unveiled reforms throughout the district’s 141 schools, including expanded time for reading and mathematics under a common core curriculum, pre-algebra for 7th graders, a tutor for every pre-kindergartner through the Volunteer Reading Corps, additional language courses available, Advanced Placement courses available at every high school, more opportunities for student apprenticeships, internships, shadowing and mentorships, millions of dollars in school building improvements, and new safety and security systems in every school through a $41.7 million public safety plan.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ABOUT DPS

Local charter school founder to lead at DPS

Mildred Gaddis — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:38:06 +0000

BY CHASTITY PRATT DAWSEY
DETROIT FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER

Local charter school founder Doug Ross is facing a test that could reveal whether his schools’ successes can be replicated on a large scale.

Ross, who has been a critic of the Detroit Public Schools, will become director of the DPS charter school office starting in September, DPS said Wednesday.

He is founder of New Urban Learning, a nonprofit charter school management company that manages the University Preparatory Academy, University Preparatory Science & Math Academy and University Yes Academy charter schools in the city.

Ross joins DPS as the district is expected to reassess plans to charter as many as 45 schools in coming years. He said parents can expect to see DPS charter schools turn out students who go on to graduate from college.

“What Detroit urgently needs is more good schools, regardless of who runs them,” Ross said.

With backing from the Bob and Ellen Thompson Foundation, Ross’ charter schools promise that 90% of students will graduate and that 90% will go on to college.

University Preparatory Academy, which opened a decade ago with 112 sixth-graders, has exceeded that goal for each of its high school graduating classes. However, with Michigan Merit Exam scores that are marginally better than DPS’s, the school is still struggling to show high standardized test scores.

DPS has nine charter schools and is converting another five to charter schools for the fall. The number of additional charter schools DPS will create is undetermined, Roy Roberts, emergency manager for DPS, said Wednesday.

Ross said earlier this year that DPS should get out of the business of managing schools and let entities with proven records take over operations.

Margaret Trimer-Hartley, superintendent of the University Preparatory Science & Math Academy, said Ross created schools that will continue to grow after he moves on. “I feel pretty confident he planted the right seeds,” she said.

But parent Chris White, cochair of an activist group called the Coalition to Restore Hope to DPS, said Ross’ hiring is a conflict of interest.

“He can get DPS to close a charter school that is his charter school company’s competition,” White said. “That’s a problem.”

DPS Increases Number Of School Closures

AC — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:52:11 +0000

According to a DPS Press Release, DPS will be closing 20 schools by the fall of next year in addition to the 14 schools that were previously announced.

Is this the answer to better the future for our kids? Does this anger you? Please let us know how you feel in the comment section below!

Senator Young Demands Investigation of Wrong-doing at DPS

Mildred Gaddis — Wed, 18 May 2011 11:25:18 +0000

LANSING- Senator Coleman A. Young II (D-Detroit) has requested that Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette investigate incidents of fraud in the Detroit Public School system. The request comes after several cases of fraud and abuse have received increased media attention and as several former employees are facing criminal trials.

“Stealing money from children is monstrous. The students in our schools already have enough obstacles to overcome without criminals trying to rob them of their education,” said Senator Young. “I hope that the Attorney General will act quickly to investigate these cases. Our kids deserve better treatment than this.”

The school district is currently reporting that there are 48 open cases being investigated in relation to various violations including fraud and theft.

Snyder Taps Roy Roberts to Head Detroit Schools [VIDEO]

Mildred Gaddis — Thu, 05 May 2011 10:35:47 +0000

By COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -Gov. Rick Snyder appointed a former General Motors Corp. executive on Wednesday to take over the daunting job of emergency manager for Detroit Public Schools, tasking him with turning around a district that has battled financial problems and declining enrollment for more than a decade.

Roy Roberts, 72, will take over for Robert Bobb, who was named the school district’s emergency financial manager by former Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2009. Bobb’s contract expired in March, but Snyder extended it through June.

Snyder Taps Roy Roberts to Head Detroit Schools: MyFoxDETROIT.com

“The number one priority is providing the children of the Detroit Public Schools with a quality education, and for that to happen the school district must be financially sound,” Snyder said. “Roy Roberts’ problem solving skills, expertise and strong management and leadership skills will be of tremendous benefit to the students, teachers, administrators and families of the Detroit Public Schools.”

Roberts will have broader powers granted through a recent state law, including the ability to toss out union contracts as part of cost-cutting efforts. His contract is for one year and pays him $250,000.

“This is a mission for me. This is something I want to do,” Roberts said after being introduced Wednesday at a news conference.

School Board reacts to losing control and Robert Bobb taking over [VIDEO]

Mildred Gaddis — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:32:21 +0000

DETROIT (WXYZ) Anthony and other board members talked about their diminished roles after Bobb’s lawyer laid out Bobb’s new and expanded powers over the district.

A small group of people came to Monday night’s meeting, which was mostly behind closed doors.

When board members came out of the meeting, there were some emotional moments during the public’s turn to talk.

“We voted you in and now you are nothing, they say,” said one woman in tears.

Another parent said, “We are proud of you and know this is a difficult situation.”

A spokesman for Bobb, Steve Wasko, said the board will still have a role. They could be like agents in the community; they can work together with Mr. Bobb to talk about programs and policies.

Wasko said, just because Mr. Bobb has a hammer, it doesn’t mean he will use it right away.

Robert Bobb is expected to stay until the end of the school year and then another financial manager will be named.