Quality Education
WHY WE ARE DOING IT
Over 65% of our students do not have the means to get to school, and to stay in school. Chronic absenteeism is a sign that Detroit households have complex household service needs. This means that resource gaps in housing, food resources, transportation, childcare and employment have led to record-high rates of chronic absenteeism and underperformance. I intend to fully leverage the resources of my Administration to address these specific needs for children and families. I realize that if our youth are not in the classroom in the first place, we are not able to gauge their academic potential. I recognize that DPSCD operations lie with the school system - I intend to create and lead meaningful partnerships and advisory groups between my Administration and the teachers and administrators of DPSCD, to hear their voices and address their long-standing needs, so that they can focus on classroom performance.
WHAT WE WILL DO
We will ensure that we work collaboratively to address the factors that impact student attendance, and then coordinate with all stakeholders to ensure a world-class education for our youth, by:
Launching a supplemental Detroit Promise program to provide proactive mentorship and wraparound services to potential Detroit Promise participants and families, starting in middle school, to increase program utilization and ultimately reduce absenteeism
Creating targeted after-school programs and partnership options within the school district with the highest rates of absenteeism, located within 2 miles of school sites
Establishing a commission on education within the Mayor's Office with DPS, Charter and other crucial entities to better measure outcomes and identify gaps, with the goal of a collaborative strategy to track and address performance and outcomes. We will focus on building and expanding after school programs, literacy programs and tutoring, and importantly, focus on identifying and addressing the household social determinants that impact student outcomes in our schools
FIRST 100 DAYS:
LAUNCH THE ABC’S to PHD’s STUDENT & FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
The Mayor has to be more active in helping to raise the quality of education in Detroit. We need to bring together public and charter school leaders & stakeholders to best determine how to measure youth education outcomes. Chronic absenteeism is a sign that Detroit households have complex household needs. We will work with students, families, and DPSCD to provide world-class, multi-organizational supports that reduce barriers to well-being and education from pregnancy to graduation and beyond.