Dear Detroit;
This week's battles have been mounting over the past year or more, but here is a brief report from the front. On Wednesday, a group of Chicano Boricua alumni, along with several other activists attended a meeting at Wayne State with the president, Alan Gilmore. The purpose of the meeting, where most press were denied entrance, was to address a rumor- soon to be codified into policy-- that WSU, our contested alma mater, would begin to "weight" scores of Detroit Public Schools graduates in the following manner: a 2.75 would be treated as a 2.5 and 21 ACT score would be treated as 21. Students from affluent districts' scores would be weighted in the opposite direction: 2.5 would be treated as 2.75 and 21 is treated as 21 on ACT. In other words, the two students whose scores are the same would not be given access. Privelege is protected and the student who gets a 21 on an ACT from Detroit would be kept out, despite her good grade point average and test score.
In the meantime, Detroit Public Schools, under direction from the State, is creating two separate and highly unequal districts. In fact, the EAA, the statewide district that has only Detroit in it, is called "the failing district." That means that the state's lowest 5% scoring schools go into this private district, with no public oversight, just public money.
Neighborhoods who have lost their schools may have only the failing schools or a charter in it. Now that the legislature gave a huge Christmas bonus to charter companies. No caps on numbers in a particular geographic area and there is no need to show a good track record.
The legislation flew through the house and the senate in Michigan. Now all they have to do is divide up the spoils. The good news is this: there is never honor among thieves and if we organize good people with good intentions, we can defeat this madness.
If you have a child in Detroit, you do not have to put her/him in a "Failing School."
Stay tuned!
FYI: The Wayne State Board of Governors has not passed this separate and unequal admissions policy yet. We will keep you informed and please stand ready to fight for education for Detroit on all fronts! Take a little piece of the battle up; no one can do all of it. But all of us can do some of it.
In love and struggle,
Elena Herrada.
Detroit Public Schools District 2 representative
