DPSCD REGULAR BOARD MEETING
Detroit Public Schools Community District
Education
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024
5:30 p.m. — 8:00 p.m. EDT
3200 E Lafayette St Detroit, MI 48207 (Directions)
View the meeting online: https://www.detroitk12.org/boardmeeting
Agendas and more can be found at DPSCD BoardDocs: https://www.boarddocs.com/mi/detroit/Board.nsf/Public
Check the source website for additional information
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Detroit - MI Documenters Team
Note-taking by
Nikida Norman Abdul-Rahim
Live reporting by
Sherrie Smith
Board members spent more than an hour in closed session before opening for public comment, then closed public comment after an hour with people still waiting to speak.
It’s September 10th, I’m live-tweeting Detroit Public Schools Community District Regular Board Meeting at 5:30pm for #DETdocumenters @DetDocumenters Media partners: @BridgeDet313 @chalkbeatDET @freep @metrotimes @Michigan_public @media_outlier @PlanetDetroit @wdet @wxyzdetroit
03:01 PM Sep 10, 2024 CDT
While you wait for today’s meeting to start, check out the thread from last month’s meeting here: https://x.com/colleencirocco/status/1823402605260714221?s=46&t=RpYzZ1EoOiisPIGmWFspMA
The agenda for today’s meeting is available online at: go.boarddocs.com/mi/detroit/Boa…
go.boarddocs.com/mi/detroit/Boa…
It’s 5:29pm and only Superintendent Vitti is seated for the meeting
It’s 5:32pm and no members of the DPSCD Board are in the meeting yet, so it has not been called to order
I’m tuning in to tonight’s meeting Live on YouTube. For info on how to attend today’s meeting check out the Detroit Public Schools Community District Board webpage page: detroitk12.org/boardmeeting
detroitk12.org/boardmeeting
There appears to be a lag between watching the meeting in a laptop and in phone on YouTube. Hopefully it will catch up.
STUDENT PRESENTATION - Northwestern High School color guard presented during the signing of the Star Spangled Banner and Lift Every Voice and Sing by the Durfee Duo
Board Member Gay-Dagnogo motioned to modify the agenda to move up Closed Session before Public Comment. Motion APPROVED
Motion to Tie-bar, or group together, items 4.01-4.04. The motion was APPROVED. And all of the tie-barred items were APPROVED
CHAIR REMARKS - Kudos to the Facilities Team under Ms. Jackson and their handling of the schools that are in temporary locations and organization. Recent visits to the district by current President and Vice President of United States
FINANCE REPORT - Revenues are trading to forecast while expenditures were slightly up due to higher summer school spending
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT - 53,044 students enrolled, highest of the last 3 years. Only 20 Cafeteria Vacancies Only 5 Special Education Vacancies
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT - Harvard study showing Detroit improvements referenced. Recognizing improvements and achievement at individual schools
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT - Achievement Recognition K-8 ELA 1. Bates Academy 2. Chrysler Elementary 3. Edmonson Montessori 4. FLICS 5. The School at Marygrove
Achievement Recognition K-8 Math 1. The School at Marygrove 2. Bates Academy 3. Chrysler Elementary 4. FLICS 5. Edmonson Montessori
Achievement Recognition K-8 Social Studies 1. Barton Elementary 2. Bates Elementary 3. Edison Elementary 4. Nichols Elementary 5. Roberto Clemente Learning Academy
Improvement Recognition K-8 Growth in Reading All schools had over 1 year of growth
Ray Hart of the Council of the Great City Schools & Scholastic Inc presented Mason Academy with a new library
Here’s more info about the new library makeover award: prnewswire.com/news-releases/…
prnewswire.com/news-releases/…
The school board is going into CLOSED SESSION. So for the attendees just waiting for them to return
One hour later and the Board had not returned from closed session. We may be in for a long night
Member Gay-Dagnogo has made a motion to move items 11 & 12 before Public Comment. The motion was APPROVED
These items were moved up on the agenda 11.01 APPROVED 11.02 APPROVED 12.01 APPROVED 12.02 APPROVED 12.03 APPROVED 12.04 APPROVED
🗣️ PUBLIC COMMENT 🗣️ Each speaker will have 3 minutes to speak
NG stated she has returned and there has been no progress with the sexual violence against her son. Kids are still able to take pictures with camera phones in school and her son’s photo has gone viral.
TG Executive Vice President for Local 345: ESE Paraprofessionals are paid very low and do not get breaks. They are changing diapers and feeding students through tubes so a 0.67 raise is nothing
Many of the registered commenters were not still present when they were called
ESE Paraprofessional started she has been a paraprofessional for 13 years in the community she grew up in and has had to work 2 jobs the entire time and has serious illness because she doesn’t get a break
CORRECTION: ESE Paraprofessional STATED that she has been a paraprofessional for 13 years in the community she grew up in and has had to work 2 jobs the entire time and has serious illness because she doesn’t get a break
Detroiters for Tax Justice came with report showing hundreds of millions of tax captures from Detroit schools and special needs students.
AB: Detroit for Tax Justice compiled a report on millages since 2014, see report info here: detroitersfortaxjustice.com/millage-tax-ca…
detroitersfortaxjustice.com/millage-tax-ca…
Parent from FLICS is very concerned. Metal detectors in elementary school would be too much. Challenged the board and parents to find funds to elementary age students. Encouraged parents to check their children’s back packs and pay attention to them.
TK: demanded a change of this school board as all they have done is rubber-stamp the plans of Superintendent Vitti, and urged everyone to vote for the “By Any Means Necessary” Slate. The speakers mic was cut and was instructed this platform could not be used to promote candidates
JT: Employee who received an email that she was being terminated and to come to the board meeting but was given no instruction on what she should do
EB: Is celebrating the new environment at Thirkell . Moving the closed session before public comment gives every board member an automatic F grade. “Priority has been buying security cameras, not A/C, or edible food”
Point of Order was called during the last commenter for “reading the resume of someone who may be running for office”
JS, paraprofessional: surrounding areas have awarded their paraprofessionals significant increases while Detroit does not. Have seen employees in other departments receive $1.50/hour and more. They are asking : increased wages, affordable health insurance, safe working conditions
AM, online commenter: students looking to add a bus route from Hamtramck to Cass Tech
AM: Thanks board for coming to the school on the first day. We have 106 schools, divided by 7 members, that’s 15 schools each to visit 1-2 schools per month. “You all gave each other $250 and you didn’t ask any of us”
LM: asking board to safely take students from Bangalatown safely to Cass Tech. Due to parents work schedules and immigration status they are unable to take their students to school and some are spending $200-$400 per month to transport one student.
DD: Cass Tech c/o 2017: Bangalatown needs a dependable bus transportation, she spent $100 per month to attend Cass Tech, approx. $4000 all of her years
2 zoom callers were in need of Bengali translation for their public comments. It didn’t seem there was much practice in using the translation service via zoom. After a few tries they got it worked out 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 to the translator!
EW: political censorship is the reason this board has to go! Is voting for Royal, Conway, and Jones
Board President informed everyone that since Public Comment has gone on for an hour, a motion would be needed to continue Public Comment. No Board member made motion, so public comment was ended with camera still waiting on zoom.
BOARD RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENT - Thirkell will recover upgrades beginning in 2026 - there are city buses that go from the Hamtramck/bangalatown to Cass so adding a yellow bus might create inequity - a clear book bag doesn’t eliminate a threat
If you feel there are errors or corrections needed to these tweets or you have questions, please contact documenters@outliermedia.org
This concludes my live-tweeting of the Detroit Public Schools Community District Regular Board Meeting for 9/10/24. For more meeting coverage, check out: detroit.documenters.org
detroit.documenters.org
Agency Information
Detroit Public Schools Community District
Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is Michigan’s largest public education system. It is governed by a locally-elected, seven-member board. The District’s mission is to provide every student with a beneficial and rightful educational experience, preparing students to be career and college ready, and qualified to compete in the global market. The District has 106 schools and educates 50,000 children.
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