Detroit Schools Try to Lure Students Back

(AP)  Felicia Harvey has two reasons for sending her children to the Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences: They are learning at the charter school and she doesn't trust their education - or safety - to the city's historically poor public schools.

Detroit Public Schools emergency financial manager Robert Bobb is walking some of the city's toughest neighborhoods to bring back Harvey and other parents who have abandoned the district by the thousands.

It's an imposing sales job, especially with the district's $259 million deficit and his decision to close 29 schools and lay off more than 1,000 teachers before classes start Sept. 8.

"You hear all the negative," Harvey said this week following a surprise visit from Bobb to her west side home. "My theory is change doesn't come overnight. I'm not saying I'm willing to put my foot in the door. I have to wait and see."

That's a start for Bobb, a career public administrator given a one-year, $260,000 contract in March by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to rescue the district. Each student coaxed back brings along $7,550 in state funding.

Bobb has to convince skeptical, angry and disillusioned parents that decades of mismanagement, corruption and subpar standardized test scores - not to mention classrooms without textbooks and bathrooms without toilet paper - are over.

Since Aug. 10, he has taken five neighborhood walks of about three hours each, speaking to more than 100 parents.

"Some parents are changing their minds about coming back to DPS, coming to DPS for the first time or not going someplace else," Bobb said. "Just as valuable has been the opportunity to get real-time intelligence on the ground directly from parents."

Detroit Public Schools had 182,516 students in 1992-1993. Enrollment dipped below 100,000 last year; Bobb is budgeting for 83,777 students this fall.

He is battling charter schools as well as suburban schools - facing their own declining student base and less state revenue - that are opening their doors to Detroit's disenchanted.

A $500,000 "I'm In" student-retention campaign is featuring celebrity help from the likes of comedian Bill Cosby and a downtown display of 172 blue doors, each representing what Bobb calls a "solid education and a promising future" at each school. A parade and back-to-school rally will take place Thursday.

"I want to keep your kids in DPS," Bobb told parents at soon-to-close Birney Elementary in Harvey's neighborhood. Designed for 559 students, Birney has struggled to bring in 230.

This fall, another school, Durfee, will absorb Birney's students. Low enrollment is dictating similar scenarios citywide.

Since taking over in March, Bobb has revamped academics at 41 schools failing under federal No Child Left Behind guidelines; required about 2,500 teachers, aides and counselors at struggling schools to reapply for their jobs; and cut 72 administrative positions.

The contracts of 33 principals have not been renewed.

Another concern for leery parents is safety. District records show 35 fighting offenses at Durfee - where Birney students are supposed to attend this year - between the start of the last school year and April. One student was found with a gun, and there were four physical assault cases and two sexual assault incidents.

"I'm going to send them to charter schools. I'm not sending them to Durfee," 34-year-old Markita Wells, whose two youngest children were to attend Birney this fall, initially told Bobb during his walk Tuesday.

But 15 minutes later, her mood was softened by his pitch that changes are coming, especially at Durfee.

Wells later said she would give Durfee a chance.

"He made me feel comfortable where my child is going to go," she told The Associated Press. "He does have a plan. I feel better."

[ianlou]

As a resident of a suburb of Detroit who does not have any interest in gambling or attending professional sporting events, I avoid Detroit like the plague. I do, however, enjoy visiting Chicago once a year or so.

[ImIn23]

Why do you avoid Detroit? You stupid as hell ***** because you never know what its like to be in Detroit. No one is going to mess with you. Your not going to visit Detroit because of what you heard?...That's very stereotypical and ignornant. If you had sense, Chicago and Detroit have many similarites. The only reason why you visit Chicago because of downtown...Am I right or am I wrong...check your statistics hoe!

[formrusmcsgt]

...required about 2,500 teachers, aides and counselors at struggling schools to reapply for their jobs...
----
There are a good number of teachers who take their jobs seriously. My opinion is that there are just as many who do not.

The traditional low priority placed on teacher compensation lures many who want a easy career devoid of competition such as they would face in the business community.

Raise salaries, fail the flunkies by making teaching a performance-based profession, and let's get education on the priority level that our children deserve and our society's improvement requires.

[babooph]

So many of the students went back to Mexico-hard to get them back!

[BadBob11]

Where in the hell do they think that they are going to get anybody to teach, they can't learn. There can't be anybody stupid enough to send their kids to a Detroit school. They need to close the Detroit schools and send them all to Washington DC. or maybe to SanDiego, they have the biggest zoo. Street smarts is the only way they can learn anything.

[ImIn23]

first off, my student is attending a detroit public high school now, so your calling me stupid? My daughter is 4.0 student. How the hell you going to say close of Detroit's schools down? Where are they going to go? Some parents cant afford for their child to attend another school out of state or a school that costs money. You need to think about what you post before you post it dumb ass!

[rad7402]

Maybe Obama can start a "cash for flunkers" program, Which will award 2,000 per child for each year of attendance. Detroit public schools would be OVERFLOWING with welfare mamas

[jd2408]

rad7402, I reported you as being offensive. In my opinion you are an idiot and I truly hope they take your name and ban it.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

Saying "Each student coaxed back brings along $7,550 in state funding" insinuates that getting the kids back in school was for monetary gain. Sure, it will bring in funding, but expenditures as well. Schools are not for-profit organizations. The real reason for the push is that one of the HUGE benchmarks in making AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) for 'No Child Left Behind' is in attendance... one of the things that schools have little control over.

[rhs648]

Why should parents believe that Detroit schools, or any schools, will improve? Detroit public schools have had many years to improve. Instead, they have failed repeatedly. My answer would be to see me after you have improved the schools. Until then, why would I take a chance with my child's education? Also, wouldn't a smaller school system be easier and less expensive to administer. Detroit seems worried about losing federal and state aid as the numbers decline. It would seem that a smaller school system needs less money anyway, Is it a concern for providing a better education or the loss of funds which really motivates the leaders of Detroit?

[woeisme1]

Well it's a little more complex than that. Without the schools, the entire economy is effected. Let me explain it this way. Imagine the public schools were big insurance. Your right that a smaller school would probably be more efficient, cost effective and have better quality.

So imagine Obamas reform plan as the smaller school. I mean he is trying to reduce costs, be more efficient, and have better quality than the big public school system (big insurance).

Maybe the republicans can relate to that? Not likely.

[jd2408]

But 15 minutes later, her mood was softened by his pitch that changes are coming, especially at Durfee.
Wells later said she would give Durfee a chance....... I would tell him come back and talk to me when you clean up your act. Sorry to say but this is exactly the sad story of Detroit in a nut shell. They do not demand that their schools or their politicians perform up to par. They allow and keep voting in corruption. It just never changes because they will not stick to their guns and make it change. God Bless them, I wish they would.

[azure13]

Detroit is a hell hole. If I were those people I move out of there and empty that toilet bowl.

[NDivasKitchen]

Easier said than done. I'm one of "those people". I owe $50,000 on my home and can only get about $3,000 for it. Pay scales are so low that although I work 55-70 hours per week, I can barely manage and yes, I did all the right things: I have a college degree, extensive experience and had a career before the recession took it away. Many of us are stuck here and I agree with you in your opinion that Detroit is a hell hole. Try to have a little compassion though when you refer to "those people". But for the grace of God, it could be you.