Now here is a subject where you could spend the rest of your life trying to understand, not because it is so complicated, but largely because is has been tampered with by just too many less than honorable hands during the past 30 years. Thus you are barking up the wrong tree if you think you are going to pick up bits and pieces of information here and there and thereupon be a qualified Detroit Public Schools analyst. Likewise, it is going to take time for you or anyone to fully realize the seriousness and depth of Detroit public school problems. Most importantly, however, do not run in here in the middle of the ninth inning and start believing you know anything of value about Detroit public schools -- your silence would be greatly appreciated.
To really get a handle on what's going on in Detroit public schools today, you are required to go back to 1976, and you must stay there until you have absorbed any and all of the associated scene...(To be continued)
School Financing
An important part of the subject of the Detroit public school system is its financing. We have already touched upon the state lottery as a source of revenue for the schools. That in itself can and should suggest a 'shaky' funding device. You see, if it is true that the state lottery pours $600 million into the public school system, then it is also to be understood that a lot of cheating and other unethical practices have to be executed -- that's because on any given day, lottery players could prevent the system from profiting a dime. Thus, whoever administers that intake of funds, such authority has a free hand to use devious practices in an ongoing effort to support an honorable and necessary educational activity -- employing a less than righteous offense to subdue a defenseless opposition.
Unfortunately, there are just too many hands reaching out to claim their 'gift' from these funds, and by the time it funnels down to the public school, you're talking about chicken feed. What can be said at this point is that the Michigan State Lottery victimizes both the public school student who expects a fair chance at an education and the lottery player who expects a fair chance to win.
Actually, what would be best for the school system in Detroit is for public school funding to have its own non-political financing, where every penny goes to support the schools and their programs.
January 1, 1976 - What greets us?
1. A Coleman Young administration has just taken office and he brings along the terms "Hit Eight Mile Road," "Pruneface," and a profane vocabulary.
2. Julia McCarthy has not been named Superintendent, despite the fact that she was the choice of the outgoing Superintendent, Dr. Remus Robinson.
3. The Detroit School Board had held its Busing Conference, at which educators, parents, religious leaders, politicians, community activists, and business representatives were assembled. Transcript of conference
4. The U.S. District Court had been consistent in announcing it would review and consider all submitted plans before ruling on the busing question. Then at the eleventh hour, the court stated it would not review or consider any of the submitted plans because it did not wish to be influenced by other opinions. Judge Robert DeMascio issued his ruling on August 15, 1975. Judge DeMascio's ruling
Aftermath of the Busing Conference
In addition to having problems as an affiliate of a huge metropolitan city, the Detroit School Board found disgruntled parents everywhere yelling out against a mayor's use of 'improper' language, angry parents holding special meetings to protest the election of School Board officials, defiant parents conducting closed meetings as they made plans to defy any court-ordered busing, militant parents with their secret nightly meetings purchasing large amounts of ammunition with their lips sealed closed to any kind of a compromise. I was permitted to attend any and all of these meetings and that is what I did. Day and night I was on the move, talking with the opposition, arguing with them and pleading with them. My major strong point was that they were destroying the successful busing conference. I reiterated the fact that the District Court had promised to consider any and all of the plans and that the three reporters with whom I was in daily contact had informed me that the court had not considered our busing plan, nor had they rejected it. "My experience tells me that court-ordered busing is not going to take place." With these words from me all of the opposition groups one by one dissolved their forces.
Therefore, when Judge DeMascio issued the busing order, I removed myself from community activism for two years. It took that long for me to overcome the hurt, pain, and embarrassment of my last words to those opposition groups. Whereas to me, the court had made a personal attack on the Busing Conference Chairman, and although my actions may have prevented bloodshed on the streets of Detroit, the fact remains that I had denied those oppositions the opportunity of self-expression.
Equally paralyzing to Detroit Public Schools, to a particular district, and to me was that during the first three months of 1976, more than 1500 families moved from the southeast corner of the city where I lived and where Guyton Elementary School was located. One of my responsibilities was to bid farewell to each and every one of those paring friends, because we had become an extremely close community family. the disturbing fact was that most of them could not afford to relocate because to move would give them financial burdens they could not meet or overcome. Yet, court-ordered busing forced them to embark on an impossible mission.
Saving One School
Without any doubt whatsoever, what almost destroyed the Detroit Public School system was not the court-ordered busing, but the student takeover of schools throughout the district. I was asked to take on the assignment to correct this most disgusting outbreak of violence. My target was the school with the greatest number of incidents. I, and a 35-member Student Council which I was privileged to select, went into action. These are some of the things we were up against:
1. Multiple fights orchestrated in the lunchroom resulting in
more food on the floor than consumed by students.
2. Sex activities in the stairwell while a line of students
stood shoulder to shoulder to block the view.
3. Pay-off practices, where students were required to bring
money to school for the 'Big Chief' or be attacked.
4. Smoking in the lavatories, where several 'small fry' stood
watch while the 'big chiefs' puffed away.
5. The 'Action Crew,' where several students beat up another
student for any one of several reasons, but usually because
he had snitched on someone or failed to pay his dues.
I am not going to detail what we did in correcting the situation at this target school, but I can say that 90 days later the school was an ideal educational institution. I learned from one of the instructors of long tenure what had been the school colors of many years before. By use of the school's PA system and other means, I drilled those colors into the hearts and minds of the students, along with creating a school song, a school 'yell,' and a school cadence. I also promised them that if they 'came through,' I would see that their graduation ceremony would be held in a beautiful offsite setting. I decided that the 'come through' moment for these students would be when I assembled the entire student body in the auditorium, with me the only adult present, and the 35-member Student Council conducting the entire meeting without a single incident. School adminstration and staff felt that this would be too much of a risk. I argued my point and eventually was given reluctant permission.
As I met with the Student Council and we drew up our program for that student body assembly, I had no doubt about the success of that meeting. And, when all had been said and done, and that meeting had been held without incident, all I could do was sit back there in the last row of the auditorium and cry, and the tears became more plentiful as I watched that student body of more than 1100 students leave our 'conference' in the manner and likeness of dignitaries. Yes, Detroit's most problematic school had been reborn, entered into a new day and persevered.* -- But guess what? Those Detroit Public School funds refused to take a holiday; they disappeared as never before, and I am hoping your deliberation is going to indicate how to stop the abuse and misuse of those funds.
* I have a videotape of the transformation which has never been shown.
