During this economic downturn, Michigan's leaders must do more to balance budgets than slash services that support Michigan's quality of life.A House bill introduced by state Rep. Fred Miller, D-Mt. Clemens, is a good start. It would create a temporary, nonpartisan commission, composed of 15 members, to review current school district boundaries.This School District Modernization Advisory Commission would recommend consolidations of school districts that save significant tax dollars without hurting education.To be sure, government consolidations don't guarantee savings, but the state ought to pursue them wherever they can improve service and reduce costs. Across the state, nearly 2,000 cities, townships, villages and counties still too often compete instead of cooperate.
According to the Michigan Department of Education, the average composite ACT score in 2009 for students in Detroit Public Schools (the largest in the state) was 15.6. In contrast, students of the four largest school districts within one city of Detroit--Utica Community Schools, Livonia Public Schools, Warren Consolidated Schools, and Rochester Community Schools--averaged composite scores of 20.3.
Detroit Public Schools is, arguably, the worst school district in the nation; it has a $150 million deficit, graduation rates that are below 30%, schools that are falling apart, and several other significant problems. Because it would be the commission's goal to avoid "hurting education" Detroit Public Schools would most likely be split up and consolidated with several districts throughout Metro Detroit. But who would pay DPS's $150 million deficit? Who would have to attempt to guide at least 70% of their students--who are the victims of terrible instruction--on the path to graduation? Would teachers from one of the worst school districts in the nation begin teaching in the suburbs? The fact is that if schools were to be consolidated Detroit Public Schools would be first in line, and its multitude of problems would become the problems of other districts.
The consolidation of schools, specifically Detroit Public Schools, would negatively affect Southeast Michigan's economy in several ways.
- Real Estate sales would decrease in consolidated suburban districts; schools are an important factor in a family's decision to purchase a house, and consolidated suburban school districts would inherit the bad reputation of Detroit Public Schools.
- People would move out of consolidated districts and students would stop attending consolidated schools. It is already happening in Detroit--attendance in Detroit Public Schools has decreased by over 60,000 students since 2002. Thus consolidated schools would lose tax dollars, and eventually the government would have to either increase taxes or live up to the standards of DPS and accumulate millions of dollars in debt.
- The graduation rates and test scores of consolidated schools would decrease and, in turn, the quality of education in suburban schools would decrease, ultimately limiting the collegiate possibilities for suburban students.
Essentially, the consolidation of schools in Michigan would be an efficiency vs. equity trade-off with catastrophic results. I base my response on several factors. First, I live two miles east of Detroit, and I know people who both attend and teach in the district. There are so many economic, social, and political issues with Detroit Public Schools that it would be unfair for the government to ask responsible districts to consolidate. One may argue that Detroit would not be consolidated because it would "hurt education," but even if it wasn't initially consolidated the people of Detroit would, rightfully so, exclaim that they need the most help. However, the government should not help Detroit Public Schools at the expense of suburban school districts and their taxpayers.
As a product of the Detroit Public school system, this issue is important to me so maybe there is a bias in how I look at it. However,DPS's financial crisis is a matter that all of Michigan should care about and one that people should be willing to face trade-offs on. By consolidating DPS with suburban schools it will achieve a more equal distribution of academic well being. This will make it so that education is fair or equitable across all of Michigan. Yes, this matter will not be easy and there will be a financial cost but I think the benefit of a better education for DPS students will be worth it in the long run.
ReplyDeleteThe reconsolidation of the Detroit Public Schools sounds like a quick fix to a deep rooted problem. Breaking up the Detroit Public Schools and intergrating them with nieghboring school districts would not solve the budjet, teacher quality, or drop out rate problems. It would just spread them out. There would still be poorly qualified teachers and budjet dept. I do not think this plan gets at the heart of the issue. It could be a way to break up the problem so that it could be easier to deal with. If that's the case then the government needs a good follow up plan.
ReplyDeleteA
I think that the argument against consolidation is putting economics ahead of education, which is a huge mistake. If Detroit Public Schools are indeed doing poorly, and nearby suburbs are doing much better, than consolidation not only sounds like a good idea but a necessary one. Instead of focusing on the negative--believing that consolidation would hurt education in the suburbs--it must be considered that it can help the students of Detroit. Even if consolidation does not take place, than the government should do more to ensure that Detroit schools are given the attention and resources they need for the students to succeed.
ReplyDeleteDetroit students absolutely NEED help, but I think it would be irresponsible to risk subjecting other districts and their students to DPS's problems. "In the long run" it might be worth it, but we're in the middle of a recession. Most people don't even know if they'll have their job next week, or in extreme cases of they'll be able to buy food tomorrow. Long run prosperity is nice, but in seeking long run prosperity in this situation we would risk short run disaster. Michigan's economy is too delicate to take that type of risk right now.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as putting economics before education being wrong... How do educational institutions pay for wages, buildings, supplies, transportation, etc.? As far as public education is concerned, economics is an issue and it is imperative to the success of a public school district.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding the potential risk to other districts if DPS is to be consolodated, I feel it is more of a risk not to. DPS' problems may leak into other schools if the students are moved. However, what if instead these students are actually more influenced by their new schools and given their new opportunity flourish. To simply write off kids who havent had the opportunity to live in a well maintained and staffed school system because you are worried about your own reputation seems a little selfish. Violence, drug use, bad test score, bad school attendence, and etc may all rise in the schools these kids are transferred to, but what if they don't? You make the assumption that these students cannot change and break the repetitive cycle they are living in.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the consolidation of Detroit Publics Schools is the right thing to do right now. This would save a great amount of tax dollars without hurting education. If in 2009, high schools in Detroit had an average ACT score of 15.6, then maybe moving kids from DPS into suburban schools may improve their learning, as they have better reputations. The fact is, this will save money. I live in Huntington Woods, Michigan. There is a city by the name of Southfield that is about 5 minutes away from where I live. Recently, new came about that Southfield Lathrup would shut down, and it would consolidate with Southfield High. This, I believe is a good decision on the city's part because it cuts the city's cost of having to pay for the up-keep of two schools that are 5 minutes away from each other. This saves money and doesn't hurt education, as students that went to Southfield Lathrup don't have to travel that much farther to get to Southfield High, if at all. This is the same case for the Detroit Public School system. Maybe when the recession is over and the debt begins to lift, some Detroit schools can reopen, but for now, the families with kids living in Detroit need to understand that sending their kids into the suburbs for school is a short-term sacrifice, for a long term gain. That gain being the debt of the school system to halt, and Detroit slowly but surely beginning to come back alive. (E,A)
ReplyDelete