XII Complainant Expert Estimates the Emergency Managers Pattern of Discrimination in Blocking a Proven
Strategy to Improve Test Scores Costs DPS $2 Billion dollars and Directly Leads to the Insolvency of the
District
There are many ways to improve test scores being piloted in public, charter and private schools across the
country. De-prioritizing safety (such as boiler operations so that students are cold or buildings pose a threat),
cutting off elected officials from copy machines, has not improved scores. The Emergency Managers have
specifically targeted programs whose goals are to improve those very scores, cancelled them and attempted to
discredit them in favor of de-prioritizing safety, keeping food from children, while giving themselves bonuses.
This is exemplified in the cancellation of QWK2LRN, a Detroit based educational research group which
developed a solution for raising the performance of Detroit Public Schools. It was cancelled by Emergency
Financial Manager, Robert Bobb. About a year ago, the QWK2LRN program directors presented new findings
of their success in other districts to the Detroit School Board. The Board unanimously approved the program be
forwarded for review to the last Emergency Manager, who did not choose to implement it or provide any
rationale for not doing so. The Board has attempted to discuss the implementation of the program with the new
Emergency Manager. The Board has not received a response.
Failure to consider educational innovations that come from the community, to the elected Board is not an
acceptable procedure. Detroit is home to Motown, the first mall, the first high way, Vernor’s Soda, K-Mart, the
first paved road on Woodward Avenue, and the first automobile. Because it would not be unusual for
innovation to come out of the community, it would only benefit the community, and the relationship to consider
ideas that have received wide applause at board meetings.
The Governor, through his Emergency Managers also fails to provide music and other programs consistently to
students in minority districts. Music and other programs enhance education. That Roy Roberts, Jack Martin &
Darnell Early have not shown interest does not match the educational goals which are proffered by the
Governor as reasoning for egregious actions listed here which have had an adverse impact on students and the
district.
Complainant states:
“I have two sons in college. My son initially went to Michigan State…but he didn’t do well
…because the school system under the Emergency Manager failed to provide him with the skills
he needed. My second son had to take remedial classes which I have had to help pay for.” 33
Complainant states:
“(My child) is forced to do below grade average work.” 61
“Children are not getting the education they deserve. …but the Governor changed the
community and dismantled it so it is no longer that it takes a village to raise a child, we are
being enclosed and shut down. I feel it is partly racism. Snyder is not good for the people.
They didn’t want to see black people doing well in Detroit like we were doing in the 80’s and
90’s so he makes it hard for us by closing our schools and making the neighborhood look bad
so we can be depressed because it is a plantation…Fifteen years ago, things were better….
Parents can’t give children a good edu