Letter to the Mayor Nov. 23-29 Michigan Citizen. At the Redefining Reform Town Meeting on education you stated, "People all over urban America are crying out for change and we are still talking about the same system." Then you asked, "What are we talking about that we are going to do that is different?" In response to your appeal, we urge you to consider the following recommendations: 1. Listen to young people and include them as decision makers. Michigan’s social studies curriculum is centered around core democratic values. Students should have the opportunity to practice these values in their school. Eliminate "zero tolerance" discipline policies across the Detroit Public School (DPS) system. Research has shown that these policies lead to academic disengagement and increased rates of incarceration. Create peer juries in all middle and high schools to ensure students’ rights in the discipline process. Peer juries allow students to work together to address the root causes of behaviors and other issues of concern. This model also allows students the opportunity to practice responsible citizenship. Empower the existing city-wide student government to be an authentic and powerful voice for all DPS students. (If modeled more like a union, students would be organized, student concerns would be taken seriously and the rights of students would be protected.) Include more students, parents and community members on the committee that writes and creates the Student Code of Conduct each year. Allow parents and students to vote for members of the Board of Education. Write all policies and reports in youth-friendly language to maximize awareness and participation. 2. Create full-service schools that meet the needs of communities. Put the "neighbor back in the hood" by supporting parents and families to be more involved in the schools. (Increased family involvement will lead to increased student achievement.) Involve students in community-building activities (i.e. – community gardens, recycling, murals) that relate their studies to their daily lives. Social workers should be present in all Detroit public high schools and available to students, teachers and staff. 3. Make schools smaller. Smaller schools are more cost effective. There are fewer violent incidents at smaller schools. Teachers and students know each other better in small schools and have the opportunity to develop stronger relationships. Smaller schools foster an environment/ culture of mutual respect. These ideas and recommendations are neither new nor radical. Instead they bring us back to some of the values and principles upon which public education was first founded. Schools should be organized democratically to prepare students for active citizenship. Classrooms should be structured cooperatively so that students are empowered to take on roles as both learners and teachers of knowledge. These ideas, furthermore, can be easily implemented and replicated within the public education system. Finally, our recommendations are supported by credible and relevant research (which can be made available upon request). This letter and the prior recommendations are the result of a collaborative effort from a session at the Best Practices 2003 Conference at the School of Education at Eastern Michigan University on 10-24-03. High school students from Detroit, educators, undergraduate and graduate college students and other concerned community members contributed their ideas for this proposal and have endorsed this effort. We recognize that there are other people and groups concerned about the public education system in Detroit. We urge them to duplicate our efforts and to contribute to the public discourse on these issues. Reforming the public education system in Detroit is an overwhelming and difficult task. Many stakeholders must be brought to the table and work together to ensure meaningful and sustainable reform. We believe that, as Mayor, you can play a key role in initiating and supporting this process. If you would like to meet for more input or to form working coalitions, please contact us. We look forward to your full attention to this matter and a timely response. Sincerely, Jamilia Harnois Youth United/ Freedom Schools* (313) 895-2860 office Janeblaize313@aol.com |