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By Chris Christoff, Lansing Bureau MACKINAC ISLAND - Robert Bobb, Detroit schools emergency financial manager, said the 76,000 student Detroit district can only support 26,000 students unless it makes deep cuts in operating and long-term costs such as retirement and health care for employees. He told the Detroit Regional Chamber's policy conference that he'll soon unveil a plan to reorganize Detroit public schools after it's approved by Gov. Jennifer Granholml, who appointed him to oversee the district's finances. Bobb said he will release a financial report to show the depth of the district's financial problems and the remedies needed. "That's what we have to show the community," Bobb said during a panel discussion on the state of Michigan education. "At the end of the day, we're going to give a long term deficit elimination plan." Panelist Art Van Elslander, founder of Art Van Furniture, said schools are failing and attempts at reforms are "Band-Aids." He said he wants to hire 100 salesman for his 32 stores around the state, but can't find qualified applicants, and he blamed a substandard education system. "The quality if not there, they lack in math, interpersonal skills, listening ability," Van Elslander said. "Some things are cultural, some things are learned. The people coming out of schools today simply lack the skills necessary." Bobb was skeptical, and said those jobs should be readily filled if an employer is looking for college-ready high school graduates. Better prepared pre-schoolers, tougher standards and even mayoral control of the city's schools were ideas discussed. Also on the panel were state superintendent of public education Michael Flanagan; Doug Ross, founder of the University Preparatory Academy in Detroit, and Carol Goss, president of The Skillman Foundation. Flanagan said new reforms enacted by the state will help attack the problem. That includes state takeover of the 200 worst performing schools around the state. It's all about student achievement. Once we get past the denial, we all agree we've all created this together," Flanagan said. He said Michigan's education institutions are resistant to major changes. He said the state overall must overcome a mentality - spawned by a low-skill manufacturing heritage - that one doesn't need a college education to be financially well off. The Skillman Foundation is part off a coalition called Excellent Schools Detroit that promotes reforms to reach a 90% graduation rate by 2020, with 90% of those grads going on to college. Skillman president Gross said one proposal is to give Detroit's mayor authority over the city's school system. That would put accountability in one place, she said. The coalition of public, private schools and non-profit organization also promotes a commission to grade and report on schools, and restructuring schools that fail academic standards. Ross, of the University Preparatory Academy, said successful urban schools have high standards and serve as an extended family to students, assuring "they have an adult who does care about them." He added, "Parental support a huge asset, but if they don't have that, there should be another way." Bobb said lack of parental involvement is a crisis of its own in Detroit schools. He said too many students have functionally illiterate parents, suffer lead poisoning that affects learning ability, and must cope with violent neighborhoods. "That's where we should invest money, in public health, mental health, employment, crime," Bobb said. |
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