Essay: Detroit Schools - 9/8/06

Seven years ago, the state legislature took control of Detroit’s failing public school system. A reform board was appointed and charged with hiring a Chief Executive Officer with virtually unlimited power to run the schools.

David Adamany, the tough, no-nonsense and just retired former president of Wayne State University, was hired to do that job for the first year. I knew Adamany, a man few liked and everyone respected.

He was chosen to run the schools for the first year because he was fearless, honest, an expert in public finances, and couldn’t care less about Detroit politics or what anyone thought of him personally.

Twice during that year, he and I met for lunch outside Detroit to talk about what was really going on with the schools. The idea was that our meetings were off the record unless he agreed otherwise.

The first time, he just looked at me. He was a dry man, not given to exaggeration, or running away from a tough job. “However bad you think the schools are, it is worse,“ he told me.

Every statistic, every test score, every fact the schools put out about themselves was fictitious, he said. Generations of politicians had used the schools as a dumping ground for their cronies.

The schools had no idea how much land they owned or how many students they really had. In one case a clerk had approved a multi-million dollar contract.

Knowing his acumen and honesty, I said I thought it was a good thing he was there. “I don’t,” he shot back. Would you take this job if you had to do it over? “No!” he said. That’s off the record, right?

“No!” he said.  Had I been dictator, I would have forced David Adamany to run Detroit Public Schools for a decade.

Instead, he did all he could do for a year, and then, burned out on Detroit,  went off to run Temple University in Philadelphia. To replace him as the permanent CEO, the board hired one Kenneth Burnley. He was a man who always smelled very nice and wore expensive cuff links.

Detroit schools are falling apart. They have no money, few resources; the teachers, paid less than their suburban counterparts, are being asked to take massive pay and benefit cuts.

They face staggering challenges in trying to educate children who are sometimes hungry and who have little support base at home and nobody telling them how important education is. 

Detroit parents who care are now flooding the enrollments of charter schools and the systems in nearby suburbs.

What’s happening is a disaster worse than Hurricane Katrina. It involves our future -- 129,000 students who are being failed by the system. Somebody needs to take control and save these kids, whatever it costs, or we will all pay.

This is a ticking time bomb in the heart of Michigan, and when I turned on local TV news this morning, they were talking about Paris Hilton. We are in far more trouble than most of us know.   

Hear Audio Story   

Comments

[Thrasher]

David Adamany was a nitemare for DPS an overrated inflated tough guy whose claim to fame must have been drunken press clippings by his margainal press agent the guy who had secret kiss and tell lunches with him.

Today the DPS is still reeling over David's sweetheart deal with our local PBS station who got paid with Detroit tax dollars and then cut and ran to Wixom.

As usual Jack offers up nothing but cheat shots at Black officals and thier cufflinks and hero accounts of white guys dealing with those negroes and coloreds in Detroit.

The attack on DPS continues yet I doubt if Jack and his comrades will report on the decay and ignorance in suburban schools and the cheating, computer hacking, inflated gpa's etc..

Jack and other apologists forget the obvious our country and it's leaders are not DPS type graduates..I guess that accounts for the lousy state of affairs our country is in right now..

Shit can't blame that one on the DPS and coloreds and negroes..

[Dan Smith]

First of all I find your comments offensive and actually racists, your indeed hate white people. Second of all, do you really find Jack Lessenberry a racist? In his writings or otherwise? Additionally do you really think suburban schools less than DPS? Honestly is that what you believe? While I disagree with Jack...often, I respect him, and that may be because I'm white...or am I? Nice assumption Thrasher. Sorry your arguments are starting to bore me, although I would have loved to debate them till I realized today that you...you are the racist.

[Thrasher]

Dan,

Is this your best retort to my logic calling me a racist becuase I dare to question the marginal opinions of people like Jack and now you!. I do not hate people such feelings are not a part of my cultural dna.

Your post never deals with with my comments abour David Adamany and his worthless legacy during his tenure at DPS, your post never deals with my comments about his contract with Channel 56 which allowed for Channel 56 to cut and run and move to Wixom. Jack's reporting of course never did cover this contract or his sweetheart lunches with David.

I am sure the taxpayer's of Detroit would have valued knowing the CEO of DPS had such comtempt for them and his job at DPS.

Jack's failure to write about grade inflation, cheating and shallow gpa's of suburban students and the myth of suburban educational achievements is a tragic truth.

Yes I do question the merits of suburban education . Yes I do question the journalistic principles of writers like Jack and yes I have reservations about people like you who are obessed over black people like me becuase I dare to question your values and your denial and your racism...

Sue me or better yet call homeland security on me..

[Yo momma]

I think we should all just get along, and really take a look at what we're arguing about. There are bigger issues out in the world today. Just take a chill pill and relax, especially you, "Thrasher".

[Thrasher]

Whose arguing?? I only engage in reasoning and education in forums like this. I do not need a chill pill and plus I define what are important issues for me ... relax what does that have to do the "bigger issues out in the world"...

[G. Sachs]

Thrasher, since you seem to be such an expert on the matters that you frequently comment on, you shouldn't have a problem identifying who you are and giving us some more background as to how you acquired all this expertise. Jack and many other commentators use their real names and I am sure are happy to provide more background info about themselves. How about you?
It's easy (and cowardly) to criticize others from the safety of anonymity.

[Thrasher]

G.Sachs,

Excuse me I have never hid behind anything .... I am Greg Thrasher the most published social writer in this region the pass 10 years.
Please feel free to google me "I fear no man "

I am also a host of a TV show (PLANE IDEAS) and frequent writer on numerous web sites, former candidate for Birmingham School Board yada, yada, yada, as well as being on the recieving end of hate mail,stalkers, death threats and all types of cowardly white racist shit.. Please feel free to google me and if you have the courage I do take phone calls.

BTW what does th "G." stand for you hiding something...lol,lol,lol

[celebrity videos]

Seems like educational programs works great.