Page C-8 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE •


September 1-7, 2010


An Open Letter to Parents of Detroit Public Schools Students Dear parents,


Last summer when DPS launched its new “I’m In” enrollment campaign, I asked you to put your faith in us that we were go- ing to build a better DPS for your children.


The award-winning campaign created a sense of hope – a movement – that better days were ahead. Thanks, in part, to the campaign and the trust you placed in us, we exceeded our enrollment target, bringing in 830 students more than the district’s budgeted goal and generating about $6.2 million in funding for our schools.


This year, we are focused on delivering on our promises and showing tangible results. Among the successes this year:


• DPS met federal Adequate Yearly Progress standards for the first time since 2006


• More students tested as proficient or higher on the MEAP standardized test


• About 1,200 additional students graduated this year be- cause of our free Summer School and Extended-Day pro- grams, which expanded the opportunities for credit recovery


That positive momentum will continue this fall, when Detroit Public Schools starts the new school year with a robust five- year academic plan that raises the level of academic rigor and puts us on the path toward a 98 percent graduation rate. We have put a laser-like focus on creating centers of excellence at every school, for every student, every day throughout the school year.


Among the most important changes you will see this fall are:


Expanded time for reading and mathematics under a common core curriculum


Instructional time in reading and math will be expanded to 120 minutes daily in every kindergarten through eighth-grade class. For most students, that will mean a dramatic increase in expo- sure to these two core subjects.


Pre-algebra for 7th graders


All students will receive new text books and supplemental ma- terials. Seventh-grade teachers will receive professional devel- opment to support the curriculum change and to prepare them to use research-based techniques in the classroom.


A tutor for every pre-kindergartner through the Volunteer Reading Corps


More than 5,500 volunteers, representing 130 municipalities, have pledged at least one hour a week for the next three years to tutor DPS students in reading. Volunteers are screened be- fore being assigned to schools.


Additional language courses available


Students at more DPS schools will have access to foreign lan- guage courses.


Sincerely


Robert C. Bobb Emergency Financial Manager,


Detroit Public Schools


Advanced Placement courses available at every high school


Students at every DPS high school will have access to Ad- vanced Placement courses, which allows high school students to earn college credits.


More opportunities for student apprenticeships, internships, shadowing and mentorships Students will have greater access to programs that will give them college credits and/or work experience.


Millions of dollars in school building improvements The DPS School Construction Program will build seven new schools and eleven more will receive extensive renovations or additions, and district-wide technology upgrades will be made. All 18 schools are scheduled for completion by September 2012 to comply with federal guidelines.


New safety and security systems in every school A $41.7 million new public safety plan will significantly increase the level of detail in security monitoring throughout schools. The centerpiece of the plan is a new alarm and digital camera system. The systems include video surveillance, monitoring systems for the district’s police and a notification system tied to each school’s P.A., phone, bell and clock systems.


As a sign of progress, the DPS Open Enrollment campaign, which began in early July, focused on the needs of current DPS parents. The nine open enrollment centers provided school selection services for thousands of DPS families, but also by early August had served parents of some 425 students enroll- ing from charter and suburban districts even though the district had not targeted them for the initial phase.


Last year we created a movement and built a sense of hope for better days and a better education in every classroom. This year, we will show parents how we have transformed their hope into reality. We are delivering on our promises. If you re-enroll your children, we will welcome them to a new, transformed DPS.


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