Bobb to Close 45 schools

[laurin]

Well, it's good that they are trying to adjust things.
But when they close these 45 buildings, It will be a matter of time before they turn into Wilbur wright school or worse into Jane cooper[[now is an empty lot with a pile of tires and part of a plastic playground slide).
I've been to nearly half of the schools in the DPS district, and the Shuttering they do is half ass at best [[for fallout shelter location documentation for my website)

Both of my parents went to Osborn. My mother was surprised to hear of it's closing.

Osborn was split this year into the 'small school' design. The three small schools this year only accepted freshman while the upper school began to get phased out [[every year the small schools are slated to add a year). With Osborn closing next year, they're dissolving the upper school completely and moving the small schools to Brenda Scott. The Osborn building has been in disrepair for a looong time.

[casscorridor]

Liberal and conservative solutions, the urban consensus:

1. Shrink what is left of "dying" urban neighborhoods, because there is "nothing there" so anyone left must be a criminal or a drug addict, so we should lock them up, and then "sell" the plan to the public as grassroots and the best thing for the city and its residents.

2. Close [[or privatizing) all schools, hospitals, transit systems, roads and everything else accept the military, which will be a public-private partnership, similar to the U.S. Congress.

3. Give military contracting, prison guard and prison construction and police jobs to anyone who isn't already in prison or in the military. Create jobs through a public-private partnership in policing.

In Capitalism We Trust.

[Zacha341]

Just a few... Southeastern, Ford, Northwestern, Mumford, the school that was Murray-Wright [[can't recall new name), Central, Crockett, Southwestern [[I think), Finney, Davis Aerospace and the four Career Technical Centers: Crocket, Golightly, Randolph and Brighthaup...

Will there be any public high schools left in Detroit after this besides Cass Tech, Renaissance, MLK and DSA?

[DetroitTeacher]

Word on the street is that Cooley kids will go to Central. No word on where the staff might end up. Because DPS is going to the "marketplace" design, the vocational schools will be closing soon and the programs will be back in the high schools...at least that is what the plan was according to the "bond" meetings that I attended for Cooley's new design [[what a laugh it is, now).

[Zacha341]

Interesting, I wonder if CTE [[Career Technical Education) other wise known as vocational technology schools or [[vo-techs) will then be ending across the state?

The Michigan Center for Career and Technical Education [[http://www.mccte-fsu.org/) which partners with the MDE [[Michigan Department of Education) is still putting forth CTE initiatives, segmenting, standards and what all for various approved CTE programs. WSU and other schools are still engage in putting forth certs in CTE...

If Career Technical Education goes down in Detroit it will be a ripple effect throught the state... as a cost saving measure applied to the suburban CTE type schools - some which are "stand alone" type schools, some as programs within existing high schools.

Murray-Wright was a pioneer school for CTE as it had the vocational type classes down in the Wilbur Wright building half days. Then in the early 80's the formal stand-alone CTE type schools [[Crockett, Randolph, Brighthaup and Golightly) came about.

Word on the street is that Cooley kids will go to Central. No word on where the staff might end up. Because DPS is going to the "marketplace" design, the vocational schools will be closing soon and the programs will be back in the high schools...at least that is what the plan was according to the "bond" meetings that I attended for Cooley's new design [[what a laugh it is, now).

[oldredfordette]

Catherine Fersuson Academy? He's closing CFA? If you succeed, you get cut off at the knees. Ridiculous.

[Hermod]

Liberal and conservative solutions, the urban consensus:

1. Shrink what is left of "dying" urban neighborhoods, because there is "nothing there" so anyone left must be a criminal or a drug addict, so we should lock them up, and then "sell" the plan to the public as grassroots and the best thing for the city and its residents.

2. Close [[or privatizing) all schools, hospitals, transit systems, roads and everything else accept the military, which will be a public-private partnership, similar to the U.S. Congress.

3. Give military contracting, prison guard and prison construction and police jobs to anyone who isn't already in prison or in the military. Create jobs through a public-private partnership in policing.

In Capitalism We Trust.

Prithee tell what a capitalism/socialism polemic discussion has to do with efficient operation of a public school system that has a deficit and excess capacity.

[Danny]

I see that a couple of DPS schools on Detroit's Southwest Side are not of Bobb's list to be closed. A fast growing of Hispanics and Mexicans students are filling up those classrooms. [[expect for Southwesten High School) All of those kids who live at the 48217 area will have to go to Western International School.

[English]

Agreed, I just find it curious that I can't recall ever reading anything on this board from the parent of a current DPS student.

Says a lot about the demographics of this board, doesn't it?

Back in the day, Histeric had children who were at Cass Tech while I was teaching there.

[English]

Liberal and conservative solutions, the urban consensus:

1. Shrink what is left of "dying" urban neighborhoods, because there is "nothing there" so anyone left must be a criminal or a drug addict, so we should lock them up, and then "sell" the plan to the public as grassroots and the best thing for the city and its residents.

2. Close [[or privatizing) all schools, hospitals, transit systems, roads and everything else accept the military, which will be a public-private partnership, similar to the U.S. Congress.

3. Give military contracting, prison guard and prison construction and police jobs to anyone who isn't already in prison or in the military. Create jobs through a public-private partnership in policing.

In Capitalism We Trust.

And so goeth American the Beautiful in the first year of the second decade of the twenty-first century.

Fasten your seatbelts, folks. It's going to be a bumpy ride for those of who us are classified as "eaters"...

[BW7085]

^^^ I wonder how many of the everyday posters on here have kids in the DPS system? I know there's some teachers [[no administrators, at least none that have admitted to such) but can I get a "present" from the parents?

Present!!! My son goes to Ludington Middle School, which is not on the list to close. He is in the eighth grade and plans on attending Cass Tech next school year.

[scribe114]

I see that a couple of DPS schools on Detroit's Southwest Side are not of Bobb's list to be closed. A fast growing of Hispanics and Mexicans students are filling up those classrooms. [[expect for Southwesten High School) All of those kids who live at the 48217 area will have to go to Western International School.

I live in the 48217 area and briefly taught in River Rouge. A good portion of the school-age kids in 48217 area were absorbed by River Rouge H.S. when they went to open enrollment since Rouge is in walking distance from Fort St to Bassett. we even got kids from Delray. Southwestern and Rouge lost a good portion of those kids to Academy of Business and Technology, Melvindale, Ecorse and Lincoln Park, Southgate. As the respective Districts went deeper into the shitter.

[LeannaM]

Boykin Continuing Education Center looks like a nice building. Would be a shame to lose it.

Was this playground equipment part of Bunche's playground at one time?
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...61.22,,0,-2.35

Obviously it hasn't been used in a while.

Wow. Cooley High School is gorgeous.

Earhart is awesome as well.

[English]

Enjoying Huel Perkins' interview with Robert Bobb on FOX's Let It Rip...

[56packman]

I didn't see Holcomb listed on the ClickonDetroit link yesterday, shame. That's where I started school in 1964, stayed until fourth grade, we moved out of the city that year. A very nice building dating from 1924.
The scrappers are lining up already.

[Marlon_JB2]

The Osborn building has been in disrepair for a looong time.

Tell me about it. I graduated from the dump in 2004 and after almost being shot in the band room in 2001, I discovered exactly how bad this building was.

Boarded up windows
Rats and Mice
Roaches
Restrooms had been closed for years, the 3rd floor male restroom had even been closed as far back as 1998 when my sister graduated from there
Ceiling tiles falling down
Auditorium chairs broken
Lunchroom tables broken
Lack of supplies, and modern learning equipment [[at the time when XP was coming into play, we were still using Windows 3.1) From what I hear, this is STILL a problem, not enough balls or anything of the sort for Phys Ed, if you got a book, you were lucky...
No Toilet Paper [[This has actually been a problem since the beginning of the '90s)
Toilets that wouldn't flush

OK I really think you guys get the point now.

[Gianni]

One of the articles sais that Chrysler Elementary, will become a K-8 [[vs present K-5), have "School of Journalism" in its name, and be moved to the new campus at King when King is rebuilt. That may be a good thing for those at the school now except not sure what it will mean to have an elementary school on campus with a high school. So it sounds like the school itself will be moved and expanded instead of closed. The bad part: no word on what will happen to the current building. It will be terrible for the Lafayette Park neighborhood if the building is simply shuttered.

PS my kids went to Chrysler a few years ago. My oldest [[now in 8th grade) went from K through 5 and got a very good elementary education. The younger one we took out when the older one "graduated" so we could put them both in the same school.

[English]

One of the articles sais that Chrysler Elementary, will become a K-8 [[vs present K-5), have "School of Journalism" in its name, and be moved to the new campus at King when King is rebuilt. That may be a good thing for those at the school now except not sure what it will mean to have an elementary school on campus with a high school. So it sounds like the school itself will be moved and expanded instead of closed. The bad part: no word on what will happen to the current building. It will be terrible for the Lafayette Park neighborhood if the building is simply shuttered.

PS my kids went to Chrysler a few years ago. My oldest [[now in 8th grade) went from K through 5 and got a very good elementary education. The younger one we took out when the older one "graduated" so we could put them both in the same school.

Wasn't one of the attractions of Chrysler its proximity to the Lafayette Park neighborhood, so that students could walk to school without crossing a street? I'm pretty bad when it comes to Eastside geography [[understatement), but is King within walking distance? IIRC, it isn't.

[Neilr]

The K-12 campus model is not new in Detroit. In the 1920s Roosevelt Elementary, Durfee Junior High, and Central High School were built on the same campus, just North of the Boston/Edison Neighborhood on La Salle. Architecturally it was a stunning grouping of Tudor revival style buildings; but, seemingly, the concept wasn't successful because it was not duplicated elsewhere in the city.

[Gianni]

Wasn't one of the attractions of Chrysler its proximity to the Lafayette Park neighborhood, so that students could walk to school without crossing a street? I'm pretty bad when it comes to Eastside geography [[understatement), but is King within walking distance? IIRC, it isn't.

Yes, that was one of the attractions. I always liked to say that school started at 8:15 and that we left the house at 8:15, walked to school, and did not have to cross even one street. But when my kids were at Chrysler we were virtually the only family in the Mies Van Der Rohe townhouses who sent their kids to Chrysler. [[We were one of the very few families there at the time who had school age kids.) There were one or two from Lafayette Towers apartments and a few from some of the other aparments/condos in the Lafayette Elmwood area, but kids at Chrysler came from all over the city, far east side, Rouge Park area, Rosedale, etc., and their parents drove them to school.

King is a long walk [[about a mile) from Lafayette Park but for most of the families that go there it wouldn't matter if you were driving and if you live in other [[more east) parts of Lafayette Elmwood, it's closer.

[maxx]

Look for these "innovations" to come to Detroit.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/educa...ary_12-26.html

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sec...ces&id=3626537

[donpablo]

Agreed, I just find it curious that I can't recall ever reading anything on this board from the parent of a current DPS student.

My kids are DPS students and I have made a few positive comments about DPS on some other threads.

I have 2 daughters at Burton and my son attends Sherrill. [[Sherrill is on the list) These closings will only affect my youngest daughter because Burton is moving and my older two will attend Cass Tech and Davis Aerospace next year.

A "smaller but smarter school district" is exactly what we need. My daughter told me that Owen has space for 1000 students and only has 300+ enrolled. Burton will move to Owen with their 600+ students and DPS will have 1 less building to pay for. It couldn't make any more sense to me.

My only concern would be transportation. Hopefully that policy wont change. We know high school students take DOT but for K-8 students it is my understanding that if the school is more than 3/4 miles from your home, DPS provides transportation [[my son walks 6 blocks to catch his bus to Sherrill) As long as transportation is provided, who would care how far the school is? Especially if it is a new/updated school with more resources.

This may come as a complete shock to some of you but I am very excited at the possibilities DPS has to offer my children because we're going to take advantage of them!

[Cincinnati_Kid]

At first glance of the list, they'll be Pershing, Denby/Finney, Mumford, Central, Southeastern, Southwestern, Northwestern and Cody.

What about Henry Ford ? I didn't see it on the list. That's my old high school.

[reddog289]

I basically have to agree with the whole down sizing deal eventhough I work for a suburban school district with one of the two schools I work at about to close.
To put this in my perspective is you had the Dad, Mom and the two kids living in this area back in the 50's as compared to now which is what I call the empty nester stage later stage at that.
Personally I would not like it if I were a Student, Parent, Teacher or support staff in one of these schools. As a realist I saw the writing on the wall a few years ago.Even before the poop hit the fan. I have seen quite a few of families who enrolled their kids in kdg only to leave before the kids got to the 3rd grade.
As for the fate of these schools when they close . To me its a crap shoot. If they get occupied soon after they close, they stand a chance. If not then they will be at the mercy of the neighborhood. I have seen more distruction of this city in the past 5 years then any time in my life.Which saddens me eventhough I never worked or went to school in the city.No easy fix for none of this that I can think of.

[mam2009]

DPS parent here. I did not attend a DPS school growing up, but I did work as a substitute teacher for DPS a few years ago.

In theory, I agree with closing and consolidating the schools where enrollment is down or where buildings are not feasible for repair. My child's school's enrollment is so healthy that they moved to a larger building a few years ago so I can't really relate to the community activists and parents that say how bad closings and consolidations are. That's not to say that they don't have valid concerns. I just don't have personal knowledge of the perceived drawbacks so I don't comment about them.

I'm satisfied overall with my child's education. If the school werent tied to DPS, it would probably be even better. I'd like it if they were in a more modern building, had phones and internet access in all of the classrooms allowing them to integrate technology more into their curriculum, but you get what you pay for. I can't afford to send the kid to private school so this is my best option. Given that, I'd appreciate it if Bob Bobb manages our resources well.