In a continuing overhaul of one of the most troubled school systems in the nation, officials in Detroit on Wednesday announced a plan to close 45 of 172 public schools at the end of the academic year. The move is the latest in a string of efforts aimed at rescuing an academically failing district in the midst of a financial crisis.
Detroit has closed more than 100 schools since 2004, yet still has more than 50,000 excess seats throughout the system.
Robert C. Bobb, the emergency manager appointed last year by Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm to take control of the schools, proposed the closings, which would eliminate as many as 2,100 jobs, in the face of a deficit expected to peak at $316.6 million and a dwindling student population.
Only 3 percent of Detroit fourth graders were proficient in math on the last National Assessment of Educational Progress, an annual test of basic skills. The district is the largest in Michigan, with 87,000 students, most of whom are poor and black.
“I think you can say Detroit has hit bottom,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, a research group in Washington. “I don’t see how things could get much worse, so you’d hope there would be a chance to bring about improvement that they need so much.”
This week, Mr. Bobb announced a sweeping academic plan that calls for smaller class sizes, a 98 percent graduation rate and significant improvement in students’ yearly progress. “We have no more time to waste,” Mr. Bobb wrote in the plan.
The closings are part of a $1 billion facilities plan to be phased in over five years, paid for in part by federal stimulus money. Many students attend classes in outdated buildings in neighborhoods that are marked by abandonment.
The teachers’ union, the Detroit Federation of Teachers, said it opposed the closing of so many schools at once.
In the coming weeks, the district will hold public meetings for community comment before Mr. Bobb makes a decision in April.
-NYT
Are we witnessing Detroit dying right in front of our eyes? What are their real (positive) choices at this point? No Jobs, Poor School Systems, Corporations pulling out of the city, etc…
Is it possible we could see “The City Formerly KNown as Detroit” in the near future? I’m assuming the State can make the decision to combine it with one or more neighboring cities and either make them larger districts or rename the territory to attract more companies and hopefully jumpstart the economy… Thoughts?
Its sad to see but this is why Obama’s 2011 education budget needs to pass. Obama just spoke about this at America’s Promise Alliance’s unveiling of phase 2 of the Grad Nation program. Obama’s plan would address issues like this for 5000 of the nations lowest performing schools. His 2011 budget includes $900 million for grants to help turn schools around. To qualify for the money schools have to adopt one of the following 4 approaches to fix their school:
—Turnaround Model: The school district must replace the principal and at least half of the school staff, adopt a new governance structure for the school, and implement a new or revised instructional program.
—Restart Model: The school district must close and reopen the school under the management of a charter school operator, a charter management organization or an educational management organization. A restarted school would be required to enroll, within the grades it serves, former students who wish to attend.
—School Closure: The school district must close the failing school and enroll the students in other, higher-achieving schools in the district.
—Transformational Model: The school must address four areas, including teacher effectiveness, instruction, learning and teacher planning time, and operational flexibility.
Maybe we need to find away to get this passed ASAP or get an advance check for Detroit….