Contents of this issue:
- Philanthropist renews interest in Detroit schools
- REPORT: Michigan's minority graduation rate a "hidden crisis"
- Strong Las Vegas test scores extend Edison contract
- High schools focus on advanced classes, leave basics behind
- Kilpatrick makes concessions on district leadership amid
criticism
PHILANTHROPIST RENEWS INTEREST IN DETROIT SCHOOLS
DETROIT, Mich. — The controversy surrounding a proposed $200
million donation to build 15 new charter high schools in Detroit
last year has not completely deterred philanthropist Robert
Thompson from expressing interest in working with school leaders
again, according to the Detroit News.
Thompson last fall announced his foundation would donate $200
million to the Detroit school system to create charter high
schools, but revoked the offer after political interests
statewide sparked tension and controversy between Thompson and
education officials. Teachers' unions, state legislators, Detroit
school officials and the governor were all players in Thompson's
decision to withdraw his offer.
Several options exist for charity, said Thompson. "We're just
looking at what we want to do. There are a lot of needy kids in
Detroit. There are a lot of needy kids in other cities, too."
Thompson estimates his Thompson Foundation has already donated
about $30 million to Detroit charities.
SOURCES:
Detroit News, "Thompson gives Detroit a final shot at charters,"
Feb. 25, 2004
https://www.detroitnews.com/2004/schools/0402/25/a01e-74252.htm
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Detroit School Establishment
Turns Away $200 million Gift," October 2003
https://www.mackinac.org/5811
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Time to Stop Beating Up on
Charter Schools," November 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4864
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Impact of Limited School
Choice on Public School Districts," July 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/2962
REPORT: MICHIGAN'S MINORITY GRADUATION RATE A "HIDDEN CRISIS"
LANSING, Mich. — A study of graduation rates around the country
labels Michigan as one of the top 10 worst states for graduating
minorities, especially Hispanics, which is part of a "hidden
crisis" for minorities nationwide.
The study, a joint effort between the Civil Rights Project at
Harvard University and Washington-based Urban Institute, found
that 68 percent of ninth-graders graduate within four years, but
half of all minority students will drop out before graduation. In
Michigan, one-third of Hispanic students graduate high school,
while the overall graduation rate is around 74 percent.
The report also contends that Michigan overestimates its high
school graduation rate by not breaking down statistics by race.
"The dropout data in use today misleads the public into thinking
that most students are earning diplomas," Christopher Swanson,
research associate for the Urban Institute, told Booth
Newspapers.
The other nine states in the report's top 10 are New York,
Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Ohio,
Illinois and Connecticut.
SOURCES:
Booth Newspapers, "Michigan flunks report on minority dropout
rates," Feb. 26, 2004
https://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-3/
107779382766800.xml
Results for America, "Losing Our Future," Feb. 25, 2004
http://www.resultsforamerica.org/education/
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Graduation Rates an Imperfect
Measure of School Excellence," January 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/3932
STRONG LAS VEGAS TEST SCORES EXTEND EDISON CONTRACT
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Positive score results on standardized tests in
the Clark County School District may boost Edison Schools Inc.'s
reputation and land a contract extension with the district.
Edison, a publicly traded company, contracts with school
districts around the country to manage anywhere from one to
several schools to help improve management and student
achievement. Recently, the company has faced criticism for
instances of poor improvement by students under its control. But
elementary school students in Clark County under the Edison
contract improved at least 6 percentile points in each grade last
year, helping to improve Edison's image in that area.
"There's a reason to be excited whenever a kid shows
improvement," said Ken Lange, executive director of the Nevada
State Education Association. "Obviously the folks in those
schools and the students are working very hard, and there's been
a conscious focus on mathematics as a challenge area." Lange also
said that high teacher turnover in the Edison schools is an issue
that should be attended to, but, "We need to give (Edison) a
little more time," he said.
SOURCES:
Las Vegas Sun, "Improved scores may save Edison contract,"
Feb. 27, 2004
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2004/feb/27/
516431495.html
Michigan Education Report, "Edison spurs controversy, reform in
Michigan and United States," Spring 2001
https://www.educationreport.org/3412
HIGH SCHOOLS FOCUS ON ADVANCED CLASSES, LEAVE BASICS BEHIND
WASHINGTON, D.C. — An imbalance in class offerings between high
school and college costs billions of dollars annually, causing
high schools to rethink offering advanced placement (AP) courses
in lieu of basic writing and mathematics classes.
In the past decade, the number of AP courses offered in high
school rose from 400,000 to over a million, while the fastest-growing college courses are basic, remedial English and
mathematics. This reversal of roles costs colleges $2 billion per
year, according to the Washington-based Institute for Higher
Education Policy.
In pushing for increased AP course offerings, high schools
neglect the basic skills needed for college-rigor work, causing
problems for both students and colleges; fewer than half of
students entering college will graduate, according to a report by
Achieve, Inc., a not-for-profit education reform group.
SOURCES:
USA Today, "High schools skip over basics in rush to college
classes," Feb. 27, 2004
https://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040227/5962733s.htm
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Cost of Remedial
Education," August 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/3025
Michigan Privatization Report, "The 'Privatized' Cost of Remedial
Education in Michigan," August 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/3012
KILPATRICK MAKES CONCESSIONS ON DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AMID CRITICISM
DETROIT, Mich. — Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has whittled down
his proposal to gain control over the city's schools amid
criticism that claimed the plan was an attempt to transfer power
to the mayor's office.
In 1999, former Gov. John Engler transferred control of the
Detroit school district to the state and installed a new
appointed board to oversee the district. Kilpatrick originally
asked for ultimate authority in hiring and firing the district's
chief executive. Under the plan, Detroit residents would have
gone back to electing a board, but its function would have been
advisory.
Now Kilpatrick has endorsed an alternative put forth by state
Sen. Buzz Thomas, D-Detroit, that would give an elected school
board veto power over the mayor's appointment for chief
executive, as well as control over the budget. Under Thomas'
plan, voters could choose in November between such a system and
a traditional board.
SOURCES:
Detroit News, "Kilpatrick's school governance proposal
flounders," Mar. 1, 2004
https://www.detroitnews.com/2004/schools/0403/02/schools-78690.htm
Michigan Education Report, "Compromise Gives Archer Control of
Detroit Schools," Spring 1999
https://www.mackinac.org/1678
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org), a quarterly newspaper
with a circulation of 130,000 published by the Mackinac Center
for Public Policy (
https://www.mackinac.org), a private,
nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute.
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