| Detroit Schools battle the classic struggles of a major | | | | further from their homes. Even if these Detroit |
| city: high teacher turnover, high dropout rates, low | | | | Schools are allowed to keep their doors open, they |
| test scores, and on-going violence. For some of | | | | face an uphill battle. Detroit Schools are trying to |
| Detroit Schools, however, all these problems may | | | | stomp out the culture of violence that has given |
| soon disappear. 34 Detroit Schools are slated to close | | | | them such a bad name. Unfortunately, that isn't |
| by fall of 2007. Problems such as deteriorating | | | | proving easy. Recently two 17-year-old boys were |
| buildings, failing test scores, and shifting populations | | | | killed outside Henry Ford High School in an incident |
| compelled board members of Detroit Schools to | | | | attributed to a gang clash. The two boys are |
| recommend the closing of such facilities. Apparently, | | | | students in Detroit Schools. Both used to attend |
| some of the students like school a bit more than | | | | Ford, and one is currently at Mackensie High. One boy |
| they had let on. Several hundred students from | | | | was shot in the face and the other received a |
| Northern High School and Murray Wright High School | | | | superficial wound. Where are the answers? Voters in |
| arranged protests and rallied the Detroit Schools at | | | | Detroit Schools apparently believe that money is not |
| the District Office. Another organized protest at | | | | the answer. Frustrated board member have seen |
| Northern ended in 2 arrests, and several students | | | | bond after bond voted down for items like roof |
| being pepper-sprayed or detained. But it worked. The | | | | repairs, better technology and athletic fields. Many |
| Boards Human Resources Committee turned over a | | | | blame the overall economy for the refusal of voters |
| recommendation to take both schools off the list | | | | to dish out more funding Detroit Schools. Detroit |
| along with Mackensie High School and Higgins | | | | Schools have turned to polling companies to help |
| Elementary School. Parents of Higgins Elementary | | | | them assess how much in funding they can ask for, |
| students kept their children out of school last week | | | | and what segment of the population to target for it. |
| to protest the closing. Now everyone waits. The | | | | Yet critical items like boilers and crumbling buildings |
| Board of Education will vote whether to take those | | | | get left out in the cold if the equation is not exact. |
| schools off the list permanently, or let the ax fall. | | | | Detroit Schools are likely to see many more closings |
| School closings cause controversy because the | | | | in the future is administrators and voters can't come |
| schools effected tend to be in poorer areas. Detroit | | | | to some consensus. |
| Schools face the decision of whether to pour more | | | | Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, |
| money into these old buildings and failing schools, or | | | | providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and |
| to force children into other schools that might be | | | | private K-12 schools. |