DPSCD REGULAR BOARD MEETING

Detroit Public Schools Community District

Education

Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024
5:30 p.m. — 8:00 p.m. EST

View meeting details

Add to iCal

Add to Google Calendar

Remote

Check the source website for additional information

Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Detroit - MI Documenters Team

Note-taking by Stephanie Jennings

The school board will review task force recommendations on how to spend the $94 million settlement from the “literacy lawsuit.” The superintendent said the district will use some of the funds to increase support for English language learners.

View notes

Live reporting by Colleen Cirocco

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco

Hey Detroit! Today at 5:30 PM I’ll be live-tweeting the DPSCD Regular Board Meeting for #DETdocumenters @DetDocumenters
Media partners:
@BridgeDet313
@chalkbeatDET
@freep
@metrotimes
@Michigan_public
@media_outlier
@PlanetDetroit
@wdet
@wxyzdetroit

12:13 PM Feb 13, 2024 CST

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 2/50

Tonight's meeting has an in person and virtual option to attend, you can find more information here:

detroitk12.org/Page/9425#cale…

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 3/50

Here's tonight's agenda as well.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 4/50

5:30 PM - Just joined the Zoom meeting room, it hasn't started just. This screen is up for reference:

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 5/50

🚨If you find anything inaccurate in my tweets, please email documenters@outliermedia.org with the subject “Correction Request.”

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 6/50

Oops I should have actually read that title card - the Zoom meeting is only for making public comments. The meeting itself is streamed on Youtube.
The meeting has been called to order at 5:33.
Link to join the meeting can be found here:

detroitk12.org/boardmeeting

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 7/50

Going through the intro section of the meeting - the board is recognizing those who have passed away recently in the DPS community.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 8/50

Moving on to the Student Presentation section of the meeting, featuring students from the Cass Tech Color Guard and Henry Ford High School Jazz Band.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 9/50

The students on stage are singing "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
As for accessibility options for the online meeting, there is an ASL interpreter, and the slides are visible on the screen as well.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 10/50

The entire jazz band from Henry Ford High School is now performing a number.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 11/50

Huge round of applause for the Henry Ford High School jazz band.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 12/50

➡️Items 4 and 5 - Approval of Agenda and Approval of Meeting Minutes require a quorum, which has not been met yet
Chair's remarks - tomorrow is Count Day. Funding is tied to Count Day, it is a big deal.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 13/50

➡️Item 7 - Student Report
In researching reasons why literacy/English classes are a challenge they found that access to ESL programs is lacking.
Superintendent Vitti says that there is grant money available for this. Agrees more funding for ESL learners is key.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 14/50

➡️Item 8. Finance Report
Screen is hard to read - but may be easier if you zoom in.
Overall, additional state aid is in the budget. Balmer Grant was $2.7mil, state aid one time categorical grant was $15mil. Additional grants are coming available this and next month.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 15/50

The next finance sub-committee meeting is this Friday at the Fisher Building.

detroitk12.org/Page/9425#cale…

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 16/50

➡️Recognitions
East English Village Class of 2024 - for excellence in leadership for service to My Father's Business at Grace Community Church.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 17/50

➡️ 9. Superintendent Report from Dr. Vitti
1000 students more than at the end of last school year.
Re-enrollment is back to pre-pandemic level.
Avg. daily attendance is 1% higher than last year.
Loved, Challenged, Prepared initiative - more students are feeling these things.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 18/50

54% of students are continuously enrolled, higher than last year.
Literacy and math are showing growth trends in lowest 30% of students.
SAT/PSAT numbers from last meeting are not reflective of current state, when students are receiving classes and preparation.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 19/50

Percentage of students eating breakfast and lunch are back to pre-pandemic numbers.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 20/50

DPSCD is out-performing other cities in the state of MI in pandemic recovery.
At the end of the pandemic they showed less learning loss than other averages across cities and the county. Showed more improvement than these other areas. Detroit is ahead of other districts.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 21/50

Despite concentration of poverty, we are showing more improvement than suburban districts. Our goal is to be the most improved urban school district in the country, and to be the best urban school district in the country- Dr. Vitti

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 22/50

More resources will be put into IEP - evaluating students with special needs to get them on an individualized plan.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 23/50

Board feels there should be the more excitement over the news of DPSC's high performance.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 24/50

Q: What factors led to us outperforming?
A: RE: lack of media celebration. The Jennifer Crumbley verdict was released the day that they tried to release the report about the district's success, and it dominated the news.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 25/50

Cont. We maximized COVID dollars to come back in person. We came back stronger. We taught the whole day during virtual learning, screentime the whole day. The curriculum reform and intervention model for literacy were implemented as well, which contributed to success.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 26/50

Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, Need to ask local universities that 'science of reading' is part of the competency of graduating teachers.

improvingliteracy.org/brief/science-…

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 27/50

Question on the job vacancies, are there job fairs scheduled? What are we doing to send this message through our circles of influence?
A: We do a national recruitment strategy based on HBCUs and other universities to ramp up for summer hiring, we do hiring fairs in the spring.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 28/50

Q: What about partnerships with local colleges?
A: Dyslexia bill requires universities to teach the Science of Reading. We have worked with these universities, they aren't developing as many teachers as they used to - esp. teachers of color.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 29/50

We now have a quorum, back to the earlier items:
➡️ 3. Agenda approval - approved
➡️ 4. Meeting minute approval - approved

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 30/50

Superintendent's report has been received and approved.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 31/50

🚨Public comment! All commenters must sign up before the end of registration. All comments are limited to 3 minutes.
Starting with in person commenters. Looks like five people have signed up.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 32/50

A pastor, a partner with Denby High School. A team is putting together mental health awareness resources. Wants to do more to help our youth, recently went to a funeral for a young person lost to gun violence. We have to bring positivity to the youth.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 33/50

A former student, now 38 - would like to tell his story. attended 7 elementary schools (also between Texas and Germany). 2nd grade teacher encouraged him, encouraged him to get on wait list for Ludington Middle School, which he got into. Got a scholarship to U of Texas.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 34/50

Mid-west Detroit resident. Big jump in Hispanic population in his neighborhood since 2019. Big need for ESL language interpretation. Is planning to speak to the principal about programing. A former DPS student, didn't get what he needed from the district. Wants to help.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 35/50

Former student in the 1960s - some aspects haven't changed. College wasn't presented as an option. Whites still doing the same things in 2024 as in 1963, "keeping their feet on the head of our black children." Individuals volunteered to help children to read.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 36/50

Representing Detroit Peoples Community. Part of City Shot Stopper program. Partnering with schools in his area, providing mentorships to at risk students. Seeing a turnaround, reducing violence by 26%, preventing incidents.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 37/50

Moving on to the online commenters.
Please continue having the students perform, recognizing them. When will Paul Robeson/Malcolm X have an opportunity to have parents go into the building prior to the move?
Teachers not getting payment for having oversized classrooms.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 38/50

Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy - no nurse on staff, please send a nurse to our building.
Would like a board member to greet our students on Count Day.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 39/50

Response to comments:
- Process for Let's Read, you have to sign up as a volunteer and pass screening, you will be trained and connected to the school you'd like to go to, can work with students 1:1 with provided materials.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 40/50

- Will look at literacy lawsuit money to help newly arrived students who have ESL needs.
- Over class size payment, goes out on Feb 20.
- Parents can visit new building in the spring for Malcolm X academy.
- ^ This school does have a nurse, has been absent or temp. moved

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 41/50

- the school does have a nurse allocated in their budget, is what I'm hearing from Vitti, but isn't confirmed where they are, whether absent or moved to another building. Not sure what the follow up here is....

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 42/50

➡️12. Personnel Actions - administrative terminations and terminations for cause.
Motion to approve these items: approved.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 43/50

➡️13. Administrative Action Items
13.01-13.03 approved by the board

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 44/50

➡️14. Consent Agenda (Administrative Items)
These items have gone through committees.
All have been approved in one vote.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 45/50

➡️ 15. Announcements
- Nearly 3000 students are homeless, families are coming from Venezuela. Firming up with churches in SW Detroit with facilitating support.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 46/50

Announcements cont.
Detroit Library Commission has a vacancy - go to DPL website for more information, resumes accepted through 2/29.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 47/50

Check out the calendar for upcoming board and sub committee meetings:

detroitk12.org/Page/9425#cale…

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 48/50

Sherry Gay-Dagnogo: Stay involved in the redistricting map policy decisions, attend a meeting, this affects voting, is very important.

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 49/50

Motion to adjourn: passed, 7:14 PM

Colleen Cirocco @colleencirocco 50/50

Meeting adjourned at 7:14 PM. This concludes the DPSCD Regular Board Meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for 3/19/24. For more meeting coverage, check out .

documenters.org

View thread

Attachments

Agenda

By Colleen Cirocco 2/13/2024

Transcript and recording

By Noah Kincade 2/13/2024

Agency Information

Detroit Public Schools Community District

www.detroitk12.org

(313) 240-4377

See Documenters reporting

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.