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Around the 1950's population in Detroit boomed. Because everyone was coming to Detroit for work during WWII and/or arriving home from deployment, that meant that there needed to be a lot of schools to contain all of of children. Therefore, there was a lot of schools that were opened. But then the population declined and enrollment in school followed. These closings are still happening today, often because the schools simply cannot be or are not kept in good condition, which upsets the school system greatly. These closings force students to relocate, teachers to find new jobs and the school system to shoulder the burden.
-Cassidy Gardner

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Charter schools have exploded in Detroit lately and I have to wonder if Detroit Public School's reputation has something to do with this. At the same time, charter schools oftentimes also have a bad reputation for being a "last chance" type of school. Why else might a parent choose to send their children to a charter school besides a lack of better options?
-Cassidy Gardner

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The article points to a lack of strategic forecasting and planning in civil engineering over the course of Detroit's history. Repeated inadequacies in managing city planning created a reactive firefighting effect, where the response to a growing demand was to continue to "overproduce" schools that would eventually become unnecessary/unneeded product. A leaner, more stable approach to "production" may have helped prevent the financial disasters we are facing today - but hindsight is 20/20.
-Cynthia Schindler

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The hidden costs of closing schools really surprised me. I hadn't realized how much closing a school actually COST the district versus financial savings, and that was a real eye-opener. When a charter school comes in DPS, are they usually for-profit? If so, is there a way to leverage the profits from the charter school toward the costs of closing the public school?
- Cynthia Schindler

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Cassidy - I am not a parent :) so I can't really speak to why parents might send their kids to one type of school versus another. I've been subbing in inner-city charter schools this year, though, and can tell you what I have noticed - a lot of times, it is the only school in that neighborhood. And, many of them are free. I am sure there are many reasons, but those are just a few things I have seen for what it's worth!
- Cynthia Schindler

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The linking culture to education piece really resonated with me. I went to an afrocentric elementary and middle school and built a true self confidence about my cultural heritage because we weren't learning about "Black authors" we learned about authors who were Black and Native American and learned about people of different ethnicities holistically.

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Racial tension and police relations with Black citizens of the city of Detroit definitely played a huge role in the 1967 Detroit Riot. The Detroit Riot is actually one of hundreds that took place that summer, but is more notable because of the damage it did and how long that damage lasted. *Interesting Fact: My mother was born about a month before the Detroit Riot and my grandmother would have to be escorted by the national guard to purchase simple items such as diapers. During the 50th anniversary of the riot, my grandmother participated in an interview with some of her close friends from that time.

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To Cynthia's point, I agree that it seems odd that DPS continued to overproduce schools with no foresight that trends might not continue in that direction. It also saddens me that one of the principal methods by which schools were desegregated in the 60s in Detroit may have exacerbated white flight from communities within Detroit, decreasing the tax base further. I'm not sure how school planners could have anticipated or prevented such a reaction from white families while also staying true to the necessary and long-overdue directives of integrating the school districts.

Louis

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The Intersection of City Planning, Transportation, and Schools

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The Intersection of City Planning, Transportation, and Schools

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One point of the paper that I wanted to investigate further was the seeming ease with which many white families left Detroit in favor of the suburbs, and how such a situation could have been made possible. Upon further investigation, the advent of integration and the school bussing program coincided with a major development of the interstate highway system, buoyed by federal highway funds in the 50s and 60s, allowing middle-class and upper-class white families, many of whom harbored and expressed racism towards black students and families within Detroit, to move out of the city limits and still commute comfortably into the ever-decreasing prices of automobiles. What I don't understand is how city and state planners couldn't anticipate that the highway system would make it so much easier for residents to move out of cities, effectively gutting them of huge swathes of public revenue. Why would city planners concoct such a system without considering the short-term and long-term effects that such transportation systems would have on the density and nature of cities?
Louis

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I also hadn't realized how little room for flexibility DPS had in reducing costs for schools when enrollment plummeted. I would have thought that schools could simply reduce staff numbers proportionally, but when the lion's share of costs are not from salaries necessarily, but rather utilities and rent, the fixed costs can rapidly outstrip one's variable costs. Such a problem doesn't seem to have an immediate solution, and it worries me that there doesn't seem to be a plan in place (at least from DPS in the article) to address the scars they've had to leave within the communities in which they've shut down schools.
Louis

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Detroit’s history has been a key element that has been affecting the school system from parent, student, neighborhood, to city relationships. In the beginning, it seemed the Detroit’s School Board went overboard on building as many schools, without considering the quality of the school, which as negatively affected the schools today from infrastructure to the politics within the school. Detroit’s history of an ongoing financial crisis, a mistrust in the Board of education, strikes, closing of schools has created an atmosphere of hopelessness in the Detroit school system.

At Lousis point, I agree with what you said about how the desegregation of schools increased the White Flight out of city. The schools needed the population to support itself. When the automobile plant left to the suburbs it took many of the school's attendance, and economic support. The history of the decisions to move has clearly correlated to the negative impact of the school systems today.

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The idea of amplifying student’s qualities and guide them to use their qualities to empower their education. As a teacher, it is important to see your student’s strengths and “teach” them ways on how to positively use their strengths, such as education, setting goals, to being a positive role model. When the article discussed Lewis’s way of, “channeling and valuing their skills,” it resulted in her students engaging and having a positive relationship with their classmates to Lewis. I believe Lewis’s way of engaging thoroughly with her students showed she cared and wanted them to succeed, which is a goal I set for myself going into the classroom.

Jenise I liked your comment about how you said, "We learned about authors who were black/Native American  and learned about people of different ethnicities holistically." I think it is important to incorporate race and heritage, but also focus on separating the labels and focusing on who a person is holistically. In my experirence in education, people were separated into groups based on their race, without insight on the culture. It is so important to include an overview and not just define a person based on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, etc. A person is more than a label, and separating labels, or stereotypes would hopefully allow for students who fall into negative stereotypes, to gain a higher self-esteem or appreciation.

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Louis,
Unfortunately, I think that you're right when it comes to DPS not having a plan. In the schools I have worked with, I saw a lot of plasters to cover the bigger problems. For example, the media room was constantly dangerously overheated but they had no money to fix it. This meant they had tons of fans running constantly, which adds to their electricity bill monstrously. It's things like this that most people don't think of, and unfortunately it's a very real thing happening right now in Detroit.
-Cassidy

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Louis, I think you bring up a really interesting question of how planners could have anticipated or prevented the white flight that accelerated post-school integration. People can not be forced to stay in a city they do not want to be in, and due to disparities in wealth and opportunity access, white families had the choice of leaving when black families did not.  I wonder if more could have been done to educate white parents about the value of sending their children to diverse schools or to combat prejudices and racist attitudes.

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Jenise, thank you for sharing your family's experience regarding 1967. I was wondering if your family has any thoughts about the recent anniversary events that have framed this summer as one of rebellion or revolution against the assassinations and racial tension caused by the structural policies and policing against the black community. The words "riot" versus "revolution" and "rebellion" are ones that bring up a lot of emotion for long time residents. I was wondering if your family members have any thoughts on these words with their experiences. Thanks for sharing!

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Thanks for sharing your experience with Afrocentric Education! That's great to hear that it was empowering and building confidence in students.

I found such pride when my parents enrolled me in Irish Dance as a kid. This set me up with a great sense of expanded cultural identity, and it also helped me to appreciate cultural dance forms from all over the world.

It's so important to provide opportunities to honor home space knowledge in the classroom and empower students to share their backgrounds with pride. Afrocentric education is a great example of schools doing that in Detroit!

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From LoveLand, I learned that the Detroit Public school system growth and 'decline' parallels the growth and 'decline' of the city of Detroit. As the City began to expand and grow following, subsequently so did the school system. Throughout 1912 to 1918, enrollment in the schools grew 10% each year. Between the years 1910 and 1930 over 180 schools were added to the city and its expanding borders. It wasn't until the onset of the Great Depression that the growth of the school district was slowed. During the 1950's Detroit's population was at its peak. With the affordability of the automobile, the City grew outward as many families chose to commute to work in the City. From this, construction of more schools to the outer edges of the city proposed a challenge for the district. Enrollment in DPS peaked in 1966 however shortly after began to slowly decline due to automobile plants leaving the city and 'white flight'. Between the years 1966-1971, 15,000 students left the school district. With the loss of students, it meant loss of state funding for the district, leaving the district with cost of more buildings than needed. As the district continued to struggle with de-enrollment, other challenges of teacher strikes and deteriorating conditions in schools only proposed more hardship for the district. In 1994, the State of Michigan authorized the creation of 'Public School Academies' (charter schools) which contributed as well to the decline in enrollment and subsequently DPS school closures up until recent years. From 2000 to 2015, 195 schools closed in DPS and there was a total of 71% decrease in enrollment.

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Cassidy, I think you make a valid point in the popularity of charters being in part due to the reputation of Detroit Public School System. From personal experience working in Detroit Public School system this year, I think many times parents are trying to do what is best for their children. They themselves may have gone to DPS and wanted a better experience for their children. Charters have a unique way of branding/advertising themselves in that traditional public schools often don't. Rather than it being a last resort, it at times can be thought to be a better alternative than the local public school (assuming there is still one present in the neighborhood).

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The loss of population to the suburbs has drastically hurt the funding and attendance in the Detroit School System. A city, once with well over 2 million residents, has lost population each year for fifty years. Without a growing student base, the schools are put into a situation of allocating resources across a large geographic area and for a system that once had a much larger base.

On a personal note, I work in the Detroit Fitzgerald community. This neighborhood loses a considerable amount of students to charter schools and various suburban school districts nearby, such as Ferndale Public Schools. This loss of funding has forced many schools to close, and the attitude that persists is that if parents can enroll their children elsewhere, they will.

Leanna and Louis, you both comment on a critical part of this issue. If you were a parent who could send your child to a school neighborhood without abandoned buildings, wouldn't you? If you could send your child to a school with funding for after-school programs and higher test score, wouldn't you? There is racism and fear behind the white exodus to the suburbs, but the black families of many neighborhoods want the best for their children. Many time schools in Detroit are viewed as secondary to the options of the nearby suburbs.   Thank you Louis and Leanna for bringing up these points. I also wonder what could have been done by planners and school officials to combat the racially motivated redlining of neighborhoods in Detroit's history.

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The limited housing of post-WWII Detroit caused problems for the expanding population of African-Americans who were contained within a small, old, dilapidated portion of the city. By acquiring new levels of wealth to match their middle-class white neighbors, they were looking for a way out during a time when it was acceptable for communities to codify their racist beliefs into restrictions on who could live in their community. Obviously, this had to change, but I was surprised to learn that it took three years for the first segregated community to finally allow well-off African-Americans to move into these segregated communities. Once it was legal, and African-Americans could move out of the overcrowded city center, they still met with corrupt “blockbusting” techniques that sold houses at a high price to African-Americans, then bought and resold white-owned homes for cheap to sell at exorbitant prices to other African-Americans who were looking for a way out or a ladder out of poverty and overcrowding. The negative cyclical process this created robbed so many of their wealth, and reinforced negative stereotypes when increasing poorer African-American home owners could not afford to keep their homes maintained.

I was also interested to learn about the simultaneous self-segregation occurring in the black community. Of course, creating communities of respectable business owners and entrepreneurs was seen as a way of combating the negative association of integrated communities and the system of declining home values from blockbusting. Nevertheless, this sparked some class conflict in a time when African-Americans were isolated enough as it was.

Lastly, I thought the mention of the 12th Street district was interesting, mostly for the fact that it was integrated, and retained higher home prices than restricted communities during the same time. It is a great example of the foolishness of racism and racist policies.

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This article reinforced my idea that using culturally familiar ideas in lessons is an extremely effective way of teaching someone something. This is evidenced by Patricia Hillard’s inclusion of rap to teach literary devices. I was surprised to learn that there was not a correlation between the teachers other than their personal devotion to teaching or that they were admired and respected by both their students’ parents and the principals. I would have thought there would be a method that may have proved more useful than others, but it seemed most teaching styles I’m familiar with were represented. I learned that there are opportunities to bring in community leaders or community experts in a field to help teach the practicality of a certain lesson. I had been previously been under the assumption that teachers were on their own (besides the help of mentors and school staffs).

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The Vicious Cycle Response (Aj St. Charles)

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The Vicious Cycle Response (Aj St. Charles)

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While I am also saddened at the lack of foresight in the creation of new schools and its possible relationship to increasing white flight, I would say there were ample signs that this might happen. I would point to the "Origins of Urban Crisis" piece to show that there was already a long history of white flight from even integrated communities.

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Cassidy,
While I don't have any experience in Detroit Public Schools, I can speak to my experience in some rural school systems in which I have worked. It seems that it is always a difficult sell to a community to fix problems in ways that have large up-front costs, even when they have the means. Unfortunately, when the means aren't available, cheaper, temporary solutions have to be thought up, and instead of buying time to fix the problem in a meaningful way, they usually only continue to drain the resources that could have been allocated to the better solution. I think the only real solution is to have the community see the issues and realize first hand what an effect they have on the children of their community.

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I agree with AJ in that this article reinforced my conception that culturally responsive pedagogy is the most effective. While I was likewise surprised to see a lack of correlation in terms of explicit strategies among the teachers, I did find it important that each teacher had a deep-rooted commitment to the goal and purpose of education. Furthermore, it seemed like all of the teachers had the unifying quality of believing in both the power of education as well as the right of a quality education as belonging equally to everyone.
-Nick C.

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How will DPS respond to increased urban migration?

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How will DPS respond to increased urban migration?

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I was struck learning about the rapid and massive expansion of DPS facilities throughout the 19th and 20th century, particularly in correspondence with the auto boom that encouraged urban sprawl. One feature that stood out within this expansion was the small size of schools, done in an effort to create more tightly knit neighborhood communities.

Reflecting on Detroit's recent renewal and revitalization, I began to wonder how DPS facilities will respond to increased urban (re)migration. As Millennials begin to repopulate the historical centers of the city, how will the diffuse network of schools handle denser neighborhood populations? Will the recent trend towards charter schools continue in order to account for a potential increase in demand as Millennials begin to have children? Is there a plan in place already to account for this? I don't have any answers, although perhaps someone else has some insight into this! In any case, what are peoples' thoughts on what the district should do?
-Nick C

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Similar to many others on this thread, I was surprised to see how little of a strategic plan DPS has for declining enrollments and the management of school closures. These issues cannot be exclusive solely to DPS, though, so I wonder what other school districts have done to successfully mitigate these issues, in both the short- and long-term. Is anyone familiar with the practices of other school districts in this regard? What are some 'best practices' from across the nation that DPS could emulate and incorporate to better respond to these issues?
-Nick C

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One aspect of this article that I found particularly intriguing was the inclusion of community members in the regular class activities of one teacher. I am familiar was programs that bring in leaders and innovators (traditionally defined) within the community, such as Parachute Teachers, although I found the strategy presented in the article to go even further. Inviting parents of the children in to share a unique skill

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One aspect of this article that I found particularly intriguing was the inclusion of community members in the regular class activities of one teacher. I am familiar was programs that bring in leaders and innovators (traditionally defined) within the community, such as Parachute Teachers, although I found the strategy presented in the article to go even further. Inviting parents of the children in to share a unique skill expressed very clearly that everyone has something to offer, and that the unique background of each student is something worth both celebrating and sharing with others. I found this approach incredibly smart and inspiring; I plan on incorporating it into my own teaching strategy next year!
-Nick C

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One aspect of this article that I found particularly intriguing was the inclusion of community members in the regular class activities of one teacher. I am familiar was programs that bring in leaders and innovators (traditionally defined) within the community, such as Parachute Teachers, although I found the strategy presented in the article to go even further. Inviting parents of the children in to share a unique skill expressed very clearly that

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One aspect of this article that I found particularly intriguing was the inclusion of

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The article discusses multiple reasons why the Detroit school system has changed so dramatically. The main reason that stuck out to me was the correlation between jobs and students. When there were a lot of jobs in the city, there was a consistent amount of students attending city schools. However, when those jobs moved to the suburbs, the students went with them.  Because of this, Detroit schools got hit hard and they never really recovered from the devastating blow. However, I think the article is also pointing out the remedy to the Detroit Schools situation by examining what went wrong in the past. If the lack of jobs removed people from the city, then the city has to find a way to create more jobs to gain the students and resources that it needs to repair the school system.

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That is completely true. No one can force people back to Detroit. Especially when there are more job opportunities are outside of the city. Then my question is, what can Detroit do to attract more people? If people won't come for the schools or the jobs, what will they come for? As I was reading the article, I was trying to think of some solutions to counteract the issues but the only thing I could think of is finding something equivalent to the automotive industry.
-Ashley Green

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In the "LoveLand" article, there was a section that discussed how much money went into closing schools. It ranged from three hundred thousand to millions of dollars. Not only did these school closings result in less jobs, but it contributed to vacant buildings scattered throughout the city. My question is, was it worth it?

Personally, it seems like it cost more money to shut down the schools than it did to keep them open. At least if the schools were open, something could be done with them. There could have been schools dedicated to science, medicine, art, etc.  Then perhaps Detroit schools would have something new to offer the students.

-Ashley Green

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That is a great question. While Detroit took a major hit, other districts had to gone through a similar circumstance. I can't help but wonder if Detroit schools had the best leaders? If other districts survived, why not Detroit?
-Ashley Green

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Ladson-Billings' idea that "Culturally relevant teachers utilize students' culture as a vehicle for learning" reinforced my idea that a classroom experience should be tailored to the diverse backgrounds of each student. But I was surprised by the fact that none of the teachers Ladson-Billings surveyed had a cohesive teaching style that differentiated their success. It was refreshing – and comforting – that these teachers' success came from genuine passion for the job and a belief in the success of every child. I also learned that cultural competence can be expounded through parent participation in the classroom. Utilizing teachers in the classroom is definitely something I'll explore in my classroom next year.

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“That’s Just Good Teaching” had many ideas that are truly important in serving other peoples children. I think it reinforced the importance of school and culture. Expecially when the one teaching does not look like their students. It is important to not only build the matter, knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, but also the student teacher repor. The three criteria discussed in the article of academic success, cultural competence, and challenging of the status quo are wonderful representations of what is needed. Learning that teacher can bring in parents to share their skill sets of the neighborhood was something that I learned and thought could bring value to many students whom may not have families at home with them. As well as showing support and relationship with other members of the community. I already knew that rap and poetry are a wonderful way to work together. Tupac for life! However it did surprise me that more school boards have not helped teachers conduct research on this area.

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They history of Detroit has played out in the school system by showing the great success and growth of our motor city and school expansion up until 1966. 1966 is when the student enrollment peaked. However then the system began to shrink. The contributors to the shrinking are, the big three automobile industries moving out to the suburbs, along with the "white flight", as well as in the 1990's the creation of charter schools. It is truly a tragedy we chose not to learn in diverse classrooms, instead of having impromptu segregation.

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I think your positive view of charters provides a missed point, that I so often forget. That the charters are often in areas where there are DPS schools closed down. However I wish Detroit had a strong enough tax base to help grow a stronger Public school system that could create new curriculum and ways to learn as well as getting the neighborhoods excited. Perhaps there would be a way that Public Schools and Charters could partner together and take the positive and growth from each.
-Natalie Pinard

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I enjoyed reading how you would love to use the power of student knowledge in the classroom, it is so very important not to under estimate the value and knowledge base that they are. I wonder what topics you will try to have them share on. Or how you will urge them to share out their thoughts and ideas from their fellow classmates!
-Natalie Pinard

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I’m my opinion I don’t think charter schools always have the best interest of the students at heart. Particularly those that are for profit, a child’s education can not be measured by the amount of money the charter school receives. A child’s education should be measured by how prepared they are to compete on a global scale. Some charter schools I’ve worked in spend more time preparing students for standardized test instead of teaching them the actual skill needed to pass the test and succeed in life.
Katherine Tucker
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I found this piece incredibly interesting and relevant to our upcoming assignments. I loved reading about Ann Lewis's strategy of using her students' personalities and social dynamics to the advantage of the classroom, which further reinforced my understanding of ways to work *with* the students, rather than trying to fight against their natural tendencies and behaviors. I also enjoyed reading about her strategies to encourage code-switching and improving students' linguistic skills in a way that did not put their home language/dialect in "second place" to standard English.

I was surprised to learn that "school is perceived as a place where African-American students cannot 'be themselves,'" and that it is "an alien and hostile place." I am interested in learning more about how I can mitigate that in my own classroom.

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In the piece, Patricia Hilliard's teaching strategy, which combined rap and poetry, stood out to me for its creativity and cultural integration; additionally reinforcing the strategy I use as a peer writing consultant (working "with" the student and having them teach me, rather than relying on them to adapt to my style). This idea is something that I've been considering for the past few weeks when I imagine myself teaching--how can I make science culturally relevant to my students? How can I use their interests to benefit their own science education--particularly if they are behind?

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I attended a small public-charter in Detroit for my K-12 education (and my school has been a TFA partner since 2010!). I don't believe all charter schools should be thought of in the same way-- each one operates completely differently and the same goes for public schools. It all depends on the administration, and even the teaching team. While it's safe to say for-profit charter schools may not have the children's best interest at heart, I attended a charter school that was founded by a local community member who was born, raised, and educated in Detroit and I think this distinction is extremely important.

I never thought of charter schools as a "last chance" or last resort for children-- I have always thought of them as the opposite! Charter schools, especially the one I attended, can offer students unique learning experiences, opportunities, and resources that public schools may not offer or have access to. For example, growing up, funding was significant cut from public school arts and music programs across the nation-- but my school, a performing arts academy, focused on the arts and students from across the city who were passionate about the arts were able to attend my school.

But, I do think that charter schools can become harmful overall. Public schools in this nation deserve more resources. While charter schools may be a good alternative for students, who has access to them? Many parents do not know about charter schools, or they are not easy to access, whether that is because of location, an application process, or lack of space to meet demand.

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How will population growth affect the Detroit education system? -Jamie T. 

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How will population growth affect the Detroit education system? -Jamie T. 

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The Loveland reading mentioned that a significant cause of the decline of the Public School system in Detroit was "white flight". Today, Detroit has the smallest population since the 1950s (that year, Detroit was the 4th largest U.S. city). But social scientists predict that Detroit's population will be on the rise again soon. As people make a return to the city, does that also mean there will be a return of students into the Detroit public school system? Are there any ways, positive or negative, we see gentrification and
Detroit's population growth affecting schools across the city?

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I found the section describing Ann Lewis's teaching style fascinating. I think it showed how important it is to use student's existing strengths to their advantages. She took a quality, the social power of her male African American students, and challenged the students to use it to pursue academic excellence. I think this was interesting because it helped to show the students the value of their natural abilities. These students became positive role models for their classmates and helped the whole class strive towards academic success.

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Response to "How will population growth affect the Detroit education system?" -Megan Eme

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Response to "How will population growth affect the Detroit education system?" -Megan Eme

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I think that a growing population could have a positive effect on schools in Detroit. Hopefully the rise in the number of students could provide some better funding to the schools that already exist. If there is a large number of students needing to enroll in Detroit public schools, more tax dollars will also need to go to these schools. Hopefully the population growth isn't too rapid, however, so that schools are not overcrowded and resources can be adequately distributed.

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Emma,
I think you bring up a really important point about trying to figure out way's to connect student experiences to their learning- especially in a subject such as science. I think it is much easier to come up with ideas on culturally-relevant teaching in subjects such as English/Language Arts and social studies, but much harder in subjects like science. It is still important to make these connections, but I think it takes a little bit more thought.

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The numbers presented in "LoveLand" are shocking- Megan Eme

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The numbers presented in "LoveLand" are shocking- Megan Eme

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Obviously I knew that Detroit had an exodus of people leaving in the recent years, but the actual numbers presented in "LoveLand" were still shocking to me. A 71% decrease in enrollment in just 15 years (2000-2015), is crazy to think about. I know you can't make people stay in schools or in a city that they want to leave, but it makes you wonder how anyone let the problem grow this large. It will be interesting to see what changes as people begin to return to Detroit.

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I can truly relate to this piece as a student and as an educator. As a student I attended detroit public schools and most of my teachers looked and had experiences like me. I was lucky enough to have teachers that embraced the African American culture and encouraged us to go to historically black colleges and universities. It was no secret that there was more to the African American culture than the Martin Luther kings, Harriet Tubmans, and sojourner truths. So when I attended Clark Atlanta University I was exposed to an abundance of African American scholars that I never heard of throughout my secondary education. So when I became a teacher at ecorse public schools I required a lot from my students during Black history month and various holidays that represented various cultures and ethnicities. I encouraged my students to research historians and scholars representing their race, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds. They had to dress the part and present in class therefore it gave not only the students an opportunity to learn but myself as well.

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This was an interesting article, my question is historically we have been taught to refer to this time in history as the 1967 riots. But recently in the media I.e during the anniversary many refer to this as the 1967 rebellion. Rebellion is defined as a act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler. Riot is defined as a violent disturbance of peace by a crowd. Which definition most accurately defines what occurred in 1967?

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When it comes to education I think it’s safe to say that  most parents want their child to have a quality education that helps them compete and succeed on a global scale. But when we look at the historical reputation of detroit public schools we see a decline in population and the quality of education being provided as well as the continued dilapidation of the facilities our children are being educated in. I think the quality of an education in a safe,clean ,technologically advanced environment goes hand and hand. I think individuals with a stake in educating our children need to realize that it’s difficult to learn in an environment that is falling down around them,even with exceptonal teachers. At the same time just because your child is in a brand new building doesn’t mean the quality of the education provided is exceptional. There needs to be a middle ground. Theres a lot to be said about being a product of your environment.
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I don't necessarily think an equivalent to the auto industry is the best solution or the solution that will bring the most people back to the city. Detroit is being revitalized as a new city and large organizations that do different things are moving Downtown. Cities should have a diverse set of jobs, industries, and educational choices. --Jamie

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Similar to Jenise's story, my father was seven years old that year and my mother was five. My father vividly remembers one day of the riot in particular-- looking out of the window and seeing a green military tank drive down his residential street. It's so interesting the think about how we see history: many people would say that the 1950s and 60s seemed like a long time ago, but it wasn't. Especially linking this to the Loveland reading, the contributing factors of racial tension had a direct correlation to the population in Detroit and the decline of the education system today. My mother remembers when her school was population with hundreds of students when she was in high school, and now, it is fighting to remain open. The elementary and middle school she attended was closed a few years ago.

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In the sixties, after the collapse of industrialization in America, many African Americans in Detroit were left jobless. This coupled with increasing racial discrimination from whites who "lost" their neighborhoods, led to anger and resentment in the African American community, particularly in the younger generations. Tired of lack of opportunity, discrimination, and militancy in communities, the flashpoint was set in motion.

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I was also interested to learn about the "self-segregation" based on class. I've only ever learned about white flight, but never about the increasing class differences and discrimination within the African American community.

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I really appreciated your family's story, as the only stories I've heard have been from the perspective of those who contributed to white flight (family friends), because they were fearful of tanks rolling through their streets. Additionally, coming from the West side of the state, I didn't know the history of racial tension in Detroit. This being said, unfortunately, most people in Michigan (at least outside of the city and Metro area) still view Detroit as a "war zone" or dangerous place, likely because they've only heard the perspectives of those who decided to, and were able to, flee.

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I appreciate the multi-dimensional study of culturally relevant pedagogy as not "inserting culture into education," but rather, "inserting education into culture." The awareness of celebrating culture as a vehicle for academic success is certainly promising, and is a methodology I hope to bring to my students. I once read a piece about students studying Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly" in school in order to further engage with Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. I feel that adapting, offering opportunities to "code-switch" in essence, can be useful in developing a broader sociopolitical context.

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Jenise, that was courageous of you to share your family's stories. I am wondering what your thoughts and perspectives are on the film Detroit that came out a few years ago? Or what your Grandmother thought about the implications of the film on popular audiences?

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Overall, the disillusionment of economic, social, and political opportunities for black Detroiters who had been largely excluded from white society served as catalysts for the 1967 riot. Lack of entry into racially segregated neighborhoods, lack of industrial jobs, and general racial segregation of public spaces, each compounded on one another to create this specific historical flashpoint.

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The "school choice" movement has seen an especially prominent boost thanks to Betsy DeVos's touting of charter schools as the wave of the future. I cannot say why a family may choose to send their child to a charter school, however, I believe DeVos' argument is that charter schools propel public schools to be better. The data does not support this claim (schools in Michigan, particularly charter schools, are underperforming by national standards).

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I found the most interesting part of the Cultural Pedagogy ideology presented through this article to be the collectivity of it. While I had a solid understanding of cultural pedagogy as a "pedagogy of opposition", I was surprised to see the emphasis on collective achievement and not just individual success. Furthermore I appreciated the three criterion outlined as part of cultural pedagogy (Students must experience academic success. Students must develop and/or maintain cultural competence. Students must develop a critical consci\ousness through which they challenge the status quo of the current social order.) Of specific interest to me, in regards to these criterion, is the development and maintenance of cultural competence that accompanies the pedagogy.

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Megan, I fully agree with you in regards to your fascination with Ann Lewis's teaching style. The concept of learning with students and using their strengths is one that I really appreciated reading about. Furthermore, I find your point about emphasizing students natural abilities specifically poignant as it allows students to feel more successful.

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Cassidy: I find your question to be something I have been struggling with myself. In January of last year I had the privilege of touring Jalen Rose Leadership Academy (JRLA) a charter school that is heavily staffed by current TFA corps members and alumni. JRLA has found an incredible amount of success in educating students and has an incredible graduation and matriculation rate. However, in talking with the principal at the time he informed us that the toughest part of his job was turning away students, as JRLA only has a limited amount of students. Concurrently I was shadow teaching at Denby High School, a public school on the east side of the city. There, the 9th grade principal informed me that the toughest part of his job was having to accept any and all students. Ever since I have really been struggling with the concept of charter schools that really help their students while at the same time leaving other students behind and adding stress to public schools, teachers, administrators, and communities.

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I wanted to quickly highlight the connection of the recent history of Detroit (re: 2008 forward) and how the state government of Michigan's policies impacted Detroit's school system. Specifically agreeing with the article in how the state appointed emergency financial manager has moved DPS into a deeper cycle of student loss, school closure, and negative community impact.

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I really enjoyed reading about the comfortability aspect of students being in the classroom.  As the article states, it simply revolves around "good teaching", which is obviously easier said than done. But I like how there is no special formula that appeals only to one specific race. It is about making the kids as comfortable as possible, and trying to get them as interested as possible in the material. This combination is essential in a productive environment and has inspired me to learn more about the culture of Detroit and incorporate that more into my classroom in an effort to make my students as comfortable as possible.

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Patrick - what you say here is great, especially with the collective success. I am a big team guy, so I see this mode of success as equally gratifying. Knowing you helped the collective effort is an awesome feeling, which should be incorporated into the classroom. I appreciate you sharing.

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I was able to read this book in a class I took at school. The content here is astounding and it was tough for me to wrap my head around. In terms of the reinforcement of segregation in Detroit, I think AJ did a pretty nice job of summing it all up. However, I want to focus more on the role of the realtors. As mentioned in the book, even affluent African Americans were not able to leave the neighborhoods labeled "black". In many cases, African Americans could not afford housing outside their current neighborhoods, and had no access to a good-enough education to become financially able.  However, there were some that did have financial means, but realtors would steer these families to other black neighborhoods, or show them houses in white neighborhoods that were much too expensive. With realtors negotiating such high prices and most African Americans not able to afford to move, the zones of Detroit remained very rigid.

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I appreciate you sharing your family ties; I cannot imagine a tank driving down my street. I can also see the pride you and your family have for Detroit, which is what it needs to rebuild. The riots in 1967 definitely contributed to the population decline in Detroit, but it seems as though Detroit is coming back. And I think it is pretty cool that we get to be here at such a crucial time and deal with a such a crucial aspect of revival: education.

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Reflection on LoveLand: The Current Schooling Dilemma 

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Reflection on LoveLand: The Current Schooling Dilemma 

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The current situation of the education system in Detroit is rooted in events of Detroit's past. Around the time of the Great Depression, student numbers began to drop. However, in contrast to the trend in attendance, the city of Detroit continued to open more schools. Eventually, this caused them to have way more supply than there was demand. As a result, the city was forced to close several schools, and the education system in Detroit began to change.

What surprised me the most about this article were the cost deficits the city faced after the first year of closing a school. While it seems very apparent the city would undergo expenses to properly close the building, I didn’t realize the extent of this financial burden. It seems to put Detroit in a really tough situation—DPS are deteriorating, and attendance is too low to keep many of the schools open. However, to close the building doesn’t have a quick enough pay-off to work in the favor of the city, while there is a lack of resources being given to the school system for them to stay open. So, what do they do?

In part, Charter schools seem like a temporary solution for the kids currently getting their education. A large portion of Charter schools in Detroit are non-profit, meaning the kids have free access to an education in a better environment than that of the current DPS. However, if more money, teachers, students and other resources continue to be poured into the Charter schools of Detroit, it doesn’t lend well to helping DPS out of its current situation. This makes me wonder, should all energy be devoted to Charter schools? Or only to DPS? Or both? Is there a way the public school system and charter schools of Detroit can work together to cohesively revitalize the education system for the kids they are serving?
-- Tessa Manilla

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Response to Cassidy: Charter Schools vs. Public Schools

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Response to Cassidy: Charter Schools vs. Public Schools

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This past semester I took an education class focused on low-income areas. One factor we discussed in response to why students attend a certain school was location. Sometimes a parent or parents of a low-income household need to be at work very early in the morning, making the children responsible for getting themselves to school. Depending on public transportation and what the school provides, the student may go to the school closest to them because it is the only one they have access to. With so many of Detroit's public schools closing, and so many Charter schools opening in the area, perhaps some charters are more easily accessible?
-- Tessa Manilla

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One portion of this text that reinforced an idea I have heard, is the importance of culturally relevant teaching. Students need to “develop a broader sociopolitical consciousness that allows them to critique the cultural norms, values and institutions that produce and maintain social inequities” (pg. 162). I believe this will be especially important in Detroit, where inequality is so prevalent and apparent in not only the education system, but also politically and socially.

While the idea of culturally relevant teaching is not new to me, the practicality of it surprised me, and seemed very creative. For example, one teacher had students learning history from an outdated textbook. They used the textbook for appropriate content, but then made it culturally relevant by discussing the inequity in funding for new resources, that allowed some students to have newer textbooks, while some had to read from the old ones. What I appreciated most about this teaching was that it did not stop at simply recognizing this discrepancy—after analyzing the situation, students wrote letters to the editor of the local newspaper to inform the public about the situation. This practice engages so many different styles of learning, different areas of education, and is culturally significant in the students' lives.
-- Tessa Manilla

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You mentioned how your teachers, when you were in grade school, had a similar look and experiences to the ones you had. I think that is so cool, and there is value to being able to share that with a teacher; it almost creates some level of immediate understanding and comfort.

I think one of my biggest barriers when starting school in September will be the lack of immediate shared experience between my students and I-- my upbringing was very different to theirs, and I don't look like many of the students who attend DPS. Since I don't automatically have that connection with my students, I think using our differences as a learning opportunity for both the students and myself, will be crucial in creating a comfortable and productive classroom atmosphere.
--Tessa Manilla

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Real Estate and the Unequal March of Progress

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Real Estate and the Unequal March of Progress

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As AJ discusses, following WWII the combination of limited housing and the legality of restrictive community standards forced African-Americans in Detroit to be confined only to a small, aging portion of the city. As he further discusses, even once restrictive practices were outlawed, with the landmark case of Shelly v. Kraemer, real estate agents, often “realtists" who were themselves disenfranchised from the city’s real estate board, furthered the problem through predatory schemes of blockbusting. I agree with Joey that the role of realtors in the housing market is particularly interesting when examining continued segregation in Detroit. Whether it was tactics, such as paying black mother’s to walk their children down the street, to promote fears of black movement into white neighborhoods, or providing unfair land contracts that limited the ownership potential of new black residents, these individuals found ways to profit from the racial fear and tension that existed in white neighborhoods. (195) They continued to reinforce segregation by blocking movement into particularly desirable areas and create a cycle of overcrowding and poverty. For me, the example of the continued segregating impact of real estate agents forces us to ask how lasting change is most effectively created. We see that while the courts ruled restrictive practices to be illegal, segregation continues to take place because of the attitudes, beliefs and fears of those buying and selling houses. While it is unreasonable to expect no resistance to a change of this magnitude, the story of segregation in Detroit shows that changing the law is not enough. To best make an impact, advocates for change must also engage in the difficult task of winning over the hearts and minds of those in the community.
-Daniel Distler

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Charles, I agree completely that it was refreshing to see and hear a perspective that did present a cohesive style as the path to success. I agree that it reinforced my idea that success in the classroom stems from genuine care and belief in each and every student. Finding ways to express care for and belief in our students is something that I know each and every one of us will do our best to bring to the classroom everyday. While of course, simply caring is far from a guarantee of success, this article provides an important reminder that an important step to being a great teacher is not losing the passion for and belief in what we are doing. -Daniel Distler

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One idea this article reinforced for me is that there is no “magic-bullet” in teaching. While I agree that the article makes, important points about the importance of maintaining "culturally relevant” pedagogy, a cores message that this piece reinforced for me is the importance of knowing yourself and your students. As new teachers, we will face the  difficult but extraordinarily important task of helping our students to grow. To achieve this we will not only have to find ways to connect with them, but to understand ourselves and how we impact our lessons everyday. This article reinforced my belief that there is no one right way to achieve these goals. For some, in can teaching literary devices through rap, for others it can be finding unique ways to show our students that we care. Each of us must look to our students, to understand their needs and experiences, but also, upon reflection, look to ourselves to try to understand how we can best make a difference the classroom everyday.  -Daniel Distler

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Tessa, I agree that the current schooling dilemma has become quite daunting for public officials. Faced with the impossible task of closing schools, which financially often doesn’t yield encouraging results, “Loveland" paints a dismal picture. Charter schools further complicate the issue as they offer an avenue for progress but not for all students and with costs. I also echo your idea that perhaps the solution lies in charter schools and public schools working together to help generate overall improvements. To broaden this further, on the whole I believe that any solution is not complete without cooperation from all sectors. As many others have mentioned the history of Detroit’s school closely mirrors the city’s economic progress. To move forward, reform must take place in education, the city’s economy, and all other aspects of life. This city’s educational dilemmas will not be solved by one policy or even by those in education alone. I agree with entire that progress will best come through a cohesive response that serves all of those within the city. -Daniel Distler

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When I was reading, "But That's Just good Teaching," I was reminded of something my principal said this past school year. She said, "When a critical consciousness is raised, it is nearly possible to reverse." I was reminded of this because critical consciousness is a key component of culturally relevant teaching. We are all doing this work because we know that there a great inequities in our country's education system and other institutions. We are teaching the future politicians, lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc. so we must teach them to question the status quo and work with their families and communities to raise their critical consciousness.

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Katherine,

The project you did with your students sounds like such a wonderful learning opportunity. It sounds like it met all of the criteria for culturally relevant teaching - students achieved success on a rigorous activity and exploring various cultures throughout the year. Were you able to discuss with your students why Black history never went further or deeper than Dr. King or Harriet Tubman? If so, I am sure that encouraged students to question that status quo/raises critical consciousness.

Thanks for sharing!
Clare McFadden

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Prior to the 1966, Detroit was struggling to keep up with growth in the number of students attending Detroit Public Schools. The automobile plants in the city began to leave for the suburbs. White people began moving to the suburbs as well. This exodus lead to a large cut in funding from tax money. Racism also played a large role. The Civil Rights Movement led to the desegregation of mostly white schools, which caused white parents to dis-enroll their white students. Frustration from teachers led to strikes and shut down schools in the 80s and 90s. In 1994 , Michigan authorized the creation of charter schools. Charter schools have a growing presence in Detroit through today. I was left pondering a few questions: How do we strengthen the public schools? How do we eliminate the need for charter schools? Is there a way for both the public and charter schools to both be great options for families?

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Response to Ashley Green's Post to Leanne's Post

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Response to Ashley Green's Post to Leanne's Post

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Ashley,

I agree that jobs and economic opportunity are reasons people move to a city. I also know that parents look at the public school system their child would attend if they bought a house in a certain neighborhood. People can commute for work - I know a lot of people who work in Detroit but commute into the city from the suburbs. I think one way big way to get people to move back to Detroit is to continue to work on the education system there.

Thank you for sharing!

Best,
Clare McFadden

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My family has lived in the Metro-Detroit area for over 50 years. Because of this, I have heard many stories about the city. My Grandfather used to often reflect on times when Downtown "Motown" was the place to be. Music was being produced, business would flourish, the population was ever increasing, auto production was at a high, and then it stopped.
This article hits at many of the same points my Grandfather used to mention. Back in his day, the auto industry was booming. This surge in job opportunities led to a booming economical infrastructure for Detroit. The job market brought many working families into town, and working families bring children.
These children needed to be educated, and to keep up with the demand Detroit built new schools for them. However, what Detroit could not do well was keep up with the growing population. It was almost as if they could not build schools fast enough.
When the decline in population came with the lack of working demand after World War II, Detroit did not have the population density necessary to fill all of the schools that were filled previously.  (Desegregation also played a role in school closings.)
The lack of finances after this time period was especially devastating. The schools had no funds to continue providing good conditions for the students. A lack of leadership within the schools led to a lack of support. The public did not have the faith necessary in the schools to push them forward.
As a result of all of this, Detroit now faces the challenge of reorganizing its educational budget in lieu of the cost of closing schools, and less funding.
One question and task now becomes figuring out how to repair the infrastructure of Detroit's educational system fiscally. The other is dealing with all of the buildings left abandoned.

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A culturally relevant curriculum is very important. It is essential to keeping students interest. Moreover, it is equally important to create an environment where the students feel safe and accepted. I think one of the reasons students of color struggle with academic success is because it is not “cool” or “popular” to seem smart or interested in the curriculum. One of my students said I wasn’t black because I talk proper and enjoy education. When I asked him what makes him black, he said he was black because he is ghetto. It wasn’t until I had him look up the word ghetto, he was introduced to a new concept for the first time. Therefore, I think it is important to create a classroom environment that debunks stereotypes and allows students to be themselves.

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That is a great quote from your principal! Like you said, we are educating the next generation of lawyers, businessmen and politicians. To raise students critical consciousness, I think it is important to see that these careers are possible. Many minority students only picture themselves as athletes or musical artists. I hope that the improvement of education will show students that they have multiple gifts and opportunities to showcase them.

Ashley Green

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Housing reinforced segregation in Detroit in multiple ways. During the 1950's, African Americans were trying to obtain every opportunity they could. Many were trying to find equal employment, and as a result, blacks began moving to Detroit. While this occured, housing policies were established to keep blacks out but throughout time, the boundaries continued to be pushed back. It is clear that the fear of integrated neighborhoods was enough to create white flight. Since the success of Detroit was established by the white community, the resources went with them as many whites fled the city. Therefore, blacks were heading to an area that would lack the resources they needed to contribute to a thriving city.

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I think the focus of realtors is an interesting point. If policies were put in place to keep blacks out of the city, I wonder how Detroit became so segregated? Could it have had something to do with the realtors? I am also curious as to how black managed to push the boundaries that were set in place.

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I learned a lot by reading about the inclusion of students' parents as classroom resources. I think this is a great idea for many reasons. It is clear from the success of the program that Winston had positive relationships with the parents of her students, and its likely that this program strengthened those relationships. As parents highlighted a specific skill which might be seen as something "everyday" that, though valued, doesn't necessarily "belong" in the classroom, it also helps to create a fluid relationship between home and the classroom. Students are not only able to see culturally relevant elements in the classroom, but also learn to apply the skills they are learning in class when they are outside of school.

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Hi Ashley,
I really enjoyed reading your response. After reading it, I looked up the dictionary definition of ghetto myself, and the definition explicitly references minority groups, isolation, and segregation. I think by responding in this way, you helped your student not only to branch out from negative cultural stereotypes, but also to tie these stereotypes to structural oppression. I think this is a perfect example of a way in which teachers can encourage critical consciousness in students -- not just speaking out against negative stereotypes, but reminding students of the histories of systematic oppression in which they are rooted.

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In "Origins of Urban Crisis," housing and housing policies limited the movement of black people in Detroit, led to "white flight," and created conditions in which class divisions within racial divides manifested in spatial segregation. This article is incredibly informative, and I learned many specifics about the relationship between housing and segregation in Detroit. However, I think one thing that is important/interesting to acknowledge is the way in which housing and housing policies made visible racism and class relations that were already prevalent in Detroit. Housing policies were shaped by racist ideologies that intersected with issues of class, and these ideologies were suddenly undeniable. It is horrible how housing policy reinforced a segregated Detroit and that people held (hold) these beliefs, but I also found it admirable how anti-segregation activists were able to not only address discriminatory housing laws through their interventions, but also to use their opposition to these laws as a means by which to convey a moral anti-racism message and address underlying issues of ideological oppression.

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Hi Ashley,
The issue of closing schools can be difficult, and I am not sure myself how anyone could evaluate if something is worth it since there is no guarantee how the other path would have played out if taken. Financially, it seems like it was not, as the presentation mentions that the project of closing schools often cost more than it would have cost to keep them open. It also seems like the non-financial damages outweighed the cost, as students dropped out instead of attending other schools and neighborhoods lost potentially vital hearts of the community. In my mind, it seems that it was not worth it. However, I am not sure what a more viable or more productive option would have been, and I am wary to critique the decision too heavily when I can't think of an alternative that would have been better.

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"Origins of Urban Crisis" outlined

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Cassidy thank you for your post. Some of the strong points I noticed were in regard to how school closures affected the infrastructure of Detroit. It is hard to think of what it means to have to move because there is no longer an available school for a child to go to, because the closest one closed down. Forcing teachers to find new jobs is not always beneficial for the economy either, because the only amount of money in a system is what is put into it and remains sustained. It must have been very stressful for students and families trying to find not only a new school, but often new work and other things. It is cool knowing that we are going in to the system in an attempt to make a difference, and I hope we can all see that happen together.

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The riots were fueled by the discontent and inequality felt and experienced by the poor members of the Detroit society. This occurred in tangent with rising tension between the police force and civilians.
This lack of proper decency led to an uproar. Black Americans wanted to be treated as everyone else was treated, they desired equal opportunity to wealth, justice, education, and happiness.
It is often remembered by the magnitude and duration of its effect on the city. What it did most notably is show the rest of Detroit the real issues the Black Culture was facing and that they were truly fed up with it.

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The commitment to a collective empowerment resonates with me. Traditionally, one may think of the individual nature of the teacher student relationship; empowering each student, assisting him or her to reach their own full potential. But, pan out slightly and refocus on the student group as a whole. This is especially significant when working with a population that is not always depicted in the mainstream fashion of being successful, or belonging in the academic arena. Having this in mind, one can move forward in a manner that actively acknowledges and questions this status quo, rather than quietly trying to undo it.

If one hopes to see a paradigm shift, one needs to encourage their students to feel empowered. Teachers can help bring students to the realization that, while at the moment, they may exist in a system created by others, their understanding of themselves should never be shaped by this outside perspective. Focusing on empowerment through culture is key when creating a strong foundation for young individuals.

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Initially, I had expected more of a connection between the various successful teachers, as well. One that spoke to a specific teaching method or practice. But as I read on, I suppose, it just goes to show, there is not one single, correct way to be an effective teacher. I think this is important to acknowledge in moving forward.

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With a whole host of factors contributing to the segregation of the housing market in Detroit, I would like to focus on the “blockbusting” that took place. I found this section to be particularly interesting. As racial tensions and fears of the encroaching black community were on the rise, some real estate brokers saw a prime opportunity to take advantage of community members and profit greatly. These blockbusting brokers did this by working both sides of the aisle. They intentionally introduced black individuals in predominantly white areas in order to incite fear in the current white neighbors. They even used blatant tactics, such as paying an African American woman to walk with her child through a white neighborhood in order to start rumors on integration. Once planting the seed, they would swoop in to encourage whites to sell their homes, then, reselling these homes to black families. Effectively and intentionally, flipping a neighborhood, rather than allowing the integration process to occur organically.

The calculation in which these brokers manipulated the housing market was particularly startling. Not only did these individuals unscrupulously control the influx of new inhabitants into certain neighborhoods, but they provided blacks, who were looking to escape the inner city with limited options, unfair lending methods. They engaged in land contracts with new black home owners. But these came with high down payments and excessive interest rates, putting new black inhabitants at risk of not being able to maintain their homes or their status as residents.