| Founded in 1842, the Detroit Schools are one of the | | | | performance in Detroit Schools increased in reading |
| nation's largest public school systems. The Detroit | | | | and math at both the elementary and middle school |
| Schools' system is a district of choice, and is open to | | | | levels. More students showed a higher proficiency in |
| children who live outside the city. The district offers | | | | reading than in math. The study examined 5 years of |
| numerous academic and career/ technical programs. | | | | test, race, poverty and other student data. |
| Among these programs are: the Foreign Language | | | | Debate over charter schools is hot. Proponents of |
| Immersion and Cultural Studies School (the only one | | | | the schools, such as Daniel L. Quisenberry, president |
| of its kind in Michigan), Davis Aerospace (one of only | | | | of the Michigan Association of Public School |
| a handful of schools in the country where students | | | | Academies, said that "students make significant |
| can obtain a pilot's license), multiple award winning | | | | progress academically once they enroll in a charter |
| performing arts high schools, Detroit School of the | | | | school." Detroit Schools' District Interim |
| Arts, and Crockett Technical High School (is a digital | | | | Superintendent Lamont Satchel recently issued the |
| technology school). | | | | following statement regarding a proposal to bring 25 |
| The Detroit Schools consist of 232 schools; 147 | | | | new charter schools to Detroit: "The Detroit Public |
| elementary schools, 31 middle schools, 28 high | | | | Schools system remains the best educational option |
| schools, 12 special education schools, 10 adult | | | | for children in this city. We offer a richer variety of |
| education schools, and 4 vocational education schools. | | | | academic and extra-curricular options than both |
| Approximately 143,490 students attend Detroit | | | | charter schools and neighboring public school systems. |
| Schools. Student/teacher ratio in grades K-3 is 17:1. | | | | Above all, we vastly outperform charter schools in |
| Detroit Schools have a "minority-majority" population; | | | | the city on standardized examinations." The rich |
| 91% of students are African American, 5% are | | | | variety of Detroit Schools includes many different |
| Hispanic, 3% are White, 0.8% are Asian, and 0.3% | | | | programs, ranging from performing arts, technology, |
| are Native American. The Detroit Schools cover a | | | | media arts, commerce, finance, and, aviation. |
| geographical area that is 138.8 square miles and | | | | Another issue that Detroit Schools are facing is a |
| serves a city population of 951,270 people. | | | | shrinking student population. Over the past 10 years, |
| Several issues are currently being debated in the | | | | the district has lost more than 60,000 students. Much |
| Detroit Schools. Among them are student | | | | of this loss is due to the city's declining population and |
| achievement, as measured by the Michigan | | | | shrinking birth rates, but a lot has been attributed to |
| Educations Assessment Program, or MEAP, debate | | | | "poaching" from charter schools and neighboring public |
| over lifting the Charter School cap, and shrinking | | | | school systems. "This is a critical year for the [Detroit |
| student populations. | | | | School] District," said Lamont Satchel, Esq. "While we |
| A recent study on how the Detroit Schools' students | | | | continue to face declining enrollment we must also |
| are doing show that students have improved their | | | | confront the possibility of cuts in per pupil funding. |
| reading and math scores since a federal program (No | | | | ...But we know that these problems are not |
| Child Left Behind) began pushing for academic | | | | insurmountable. We can overcome these challenges. |
| progress. The report found that students' | | | | And we shall overcome. |