30,000 Back Mayor-led DPS
A group of community leaders announced Monday that it has collected more than 30,000 signatures from people in favor of a plan in which Mayor Dave Bing would oversee the Detroit Public Schools.
Supporters of Change For Better Schools collected the signatures in an effort to show Detroit City Council there is a strong interest in a Mayor-controlled Detroit Public School District.
Alice Thompson, CEO of Black Family Development, said Detroit Schools are scoring the worst in the nation.
"The issue of them ranking the lowest in the nation is not because they don't have the capacity to learn, they do," Thompson said.
Improvements in teaching and learning begins at the top of the governance structure, Thompson said.
It plans to present the signatures to the Detroit City Council -- in hopes of persuading the council to put the issue on the November ballot.
If voters approve the measure in November, the state Legislature still would need to act.
The vote could lead to the elimination of the Detroit school board.
Meantime, a group called the Coalition to Restore Hope to DPS and other citizens will be releasing a reform plan for the district that keeps control of schools under the school board.
Among the plans to be outlined include:
--A District-wide conflict resolution and violence prevention strategies that are proven effective
--A volunteer management program to help close staffing gaps due to budgetary constraints
--More effective grants management to take advantage of foundation and stimulus dollars
--Increased business partnerships to supplement and provide essential programs such as sports and the arts
--Year-round schools to ensure year-round learning
"These improvements require massive coordination and a community-wide effort-an effort we do not believe Mayor Bing is capable of mounting," the group said in a statement.
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