The Detroit Public Schools have been practicing social promotion because they lack the structure and tools that would allow them to meet the needs of students at different learning levels in an individual classroom.
If Detroit changes its policy then 2,173 8th grade students who failed MEAP reading would be held back. (Sweeping Social Promotion Ban Could Prove Costly to DPS | Detnews.com | The Detroit News).
Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager, Robert Bobb, has signed an executive order banning teachers from passing students who are not proficient at their grade level to the next grade. Some blame social promotion on low test scores and high dropout rates. Urban illiteracy rates are estimated to be 47% in Detroit.
The school in To Kill a Mockingbird was not equipped to support students at different levels.
Scout was able to read before entering Kindergarten. Her teacher, Miss Caroline, was not able to handle Scout being above Kindergarten reading level and told her that she should stop reading. “’Now tell your father not to teach you anymore. It’s best to begin reading with a fresh mind. You tell him I’ll take over from here and try to undo the damage–‘” (23).
Even though the Detroit Public Schools and Miss Caroline’s schools had different problems, they both had difficulties dealing with students not at the “normal” learning level.
Schools cannot do it alone; it will require the help of parents and the community.
Robert Bobb has put into place ideas and policies to deal with the poor state of Detroit Public Schools and raise the education to be at a competitive standard. The school district cannot reach these goals without help from parents and the community.
The Learning Village project with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an interactive web-based portal which will include books and lesson plans on line. The Detroit Public Schools is recruiting volunteers to tutor students in reading. (DPS to Make Textbooks All-digital in 5 Years | Detnews.com | The Detroit News).
By taking these steps, the Detroit Public Schools are involving the community and will have a chance of meeting their goals.
The school in To Kill a Mockingbird could not force the students to learn if their parents did not force them to attend school, and even though the school did not support Scout’s reading ability, her father did.
Atticus made a deal with Scout that he would continue to read with her as long as she did not tell Miss Caroline. “’I have a feeling that if you tell Miss Caroline we read every night she’ll get after me, and I wouldn’t want her after me’” (42).
Those children who had support from their parents were able to do well in school, but those who didn’t have the same support did not do well and remained illiterate.
The current poor state of the Detroit Public Schools has many similar connections to the school portrayed in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Social injustice occurred in the novel as well as today for some children in public schools where they don’t have support of their parents or the tools necessary to learn. For students to be successful, it is crucial for parent evolvement and a strong school network. It is only by implementing new ideas and ways of educating will the injustice issue be overcome. Social injustice in the Detroit Public School System is not Detroit’s problem alone, but rather a greater community issue that needs to be solved. Community leaders need to motivate and help to organize students and their families so that they can take advantage of the structure and tools that are being put in place with the new plan.
"DPS to Make Textbooks All-digital in 5 Years | Detnews.com | The Detroit News." The Detroit News | Detnews.com | Thursday, March 4, 2010 | News, Sports, Features, Blogs, Photos and Forums from Detroit and Michigan. Web. 04 Mar. 2010. <http://detnews.com/article/20100204/METRO/2040464/DPS-to-make-textbooks-all-digital-in-5-years>.
This article gives detail regarding the project that the City of Detroit School District has with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing (HMH) using federal Title I stimulus dollars that are designated for supplemental programs. The project is targeted towards all 6th to 12th graders in the school district. The supporters of this project hope that the technology will equalize the playing field for the students in the district. This type of article is very useful for my research because it gives specific examples of the tools that people believe will improve education. The source of this article is the Detroit News. It is one of the major newspapers for the Detroit Metro area. The author is a staff reporter who does many great stories for the paper. This article is suitable for all ages interested in the DPS system.
"Investigators Search for 650 Stolen DPS Laptops | Detnews.com | The Detroit News." The Detroit News | Detnews.com | Thursday, March 4, 2010 | News, Sports, Features, Blogs, Photos and Forums from Detroit and Michigan. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. <http://www.detnews.com/article/20100212/SCHOOLS/2120403/1409/metro/Investigators-search-for-650-stolen-DPS-laptops>.
This article quantifies the number of laptops that have been stolen over the last eight months from Detroit Public Schools. It also gives the estimated value of the stolen items. The article gives details of who is involved in the investigation and where raids were conducted for evidence. This is the article that gave me the idea for my social injustice topic. It made me think about how strong of an impact it has on students in the DPS system. The source of the article is The Detroit News. It is reliable because it is a reputable news source and always has reliable sources in their news articles. This article is intended for people interested in what is happening in Detroit. It is suitable for all age groups.
"Sweeping Social Promotion Ban Could Prove Costly to DPS | Detnews.com | The Detroit News." The Detroit News | Detnews.com | Thursday, March 4, 2010 | News, Sports, Features, Blogs, Photos and Forums from Detroit and Michigan. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. <http://detnews.com/article/20100213/SCHOOLS/2130319/Sweeping-social-promotion-ban-could-prove-costly-to-DPS>.
This article highlights the executive order signed by Robert Bobb banning social promotion in DPS and the impact it will have on the district and students. It gives the point of view from people who are both for and against the ban. It also highlights what the potential costs to the district will be. The last section of the article gives statistics provided by the DPS. This article will help my research by providing specific details about the current state of the school district and its ability to educate. This is a reliable source because it comes straight from The Detroit News. This news organization always provides trustworthy news to the Detroit-Metro area. The author, Karen Bouffard, is part of the Detroit News Lansing Bureau. This article is suitable for anyone who has an interest in the DPS.
"USATODAY.com - Big-city Schools Struggle with Graduation Rates." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-06-20-dropout-rates_x.htm>.
This article identifies the 50 largest school districts in the United States, and their graduation rates. Detroit is the 11th largest school district on the list. It has a graduation rate of 21.7%. This is the lowest graduation rate on the list of the largest 50 school districts in America. The study examined the percentage of students that graduate and found that around 70% of freshmen make it through their senior year successfully in four years. The article quotes another researcher who states that the graduation rate is closer to 82% of all students. This article is useful towards studying the Detroit Public Schools because it provides specific details of the problems that the district faces. The source of this article is USA TODAY. USA TODAY is very reliable because it is known for covering exceptional news stories around the country. The author, Greg Toppo, has been working for USA TODAY for many years and has won awards for his excellence in the field. The article is appropriate for all ages and should be seen by anyone who finds interest in learning about the problems in the Detroit Public Schools.
Social Injustice in Detroit Public Schools
by
eykzsgyq (student)
