Highly Rated Detroit Public Schools Teachers Struggle Teaching Students

Just 5% of Michigan students are rated “proficient” in a district with 99% of teachers rated “highly effective” or “effective.”

The classification of students for Detroit public schools comes from the latest national testing referred to as the “Nation’s Report Card.” The classification of their teachers is provided to the Michigan Department of Education by The Center for Educational Performance and Information.

Read the full story

Teachers Get Raises, Bonuses From Federal COVID Relief Funds Meant to Reopen Schools Safely

This week’s Golden Horseshoe once again goes to the U.S. Department of Education for allowing school districts to use pandemic relief funds for pay raises and bonuses for teachers despite the funds being appropriated to reopen schools safely.

Schools nationwide received $190 billion through three relief packages passed. Of that total, the largest sum, $122 billion, was from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

Read the full story

Detroit Schools Superintendent Openly Admits They Teach Critical Race Theory

Despite repeated denials from media and educators that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is taught in Michigan schools, the superintendent of the largest school district in the state said admitted they teach CRT.

In a Tuesday Detroit Board of Education meeting, Detroit Public Schools Community District General Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the 50,000-student district is teaching CRT.

Read the full story

Detroit Schools to Shift to Online-Only Learning Monday After COVID-19 Positivity Rate Increases

The state’s largest school district will temporarily shift to online-only learning starting Monday through Jan. 11 because of a rising COVID-19 infection rate in Detroit.

Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) on Thursday announced the temporary suspension of all face to face in-school instruction after Friday.

Read the full story

Detroit Public Schools Released from Active State Oversight

The Detroit Financial Review Commission (FRC) on Monday voted unanimously to immediately grant a waiver that releases Detroit Public Schools (DPS) and Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) from active state oversight.

The elected DPSCD School Board and its appointed Superintendent manage the district with DPS, which solely functions to manage the district’s legacy debt.

Read the full story

110 Employees of Detroit’s Failing Public School System Make Six-Figure Salaries

More than 100 employees in the Detroit Public Schools Community District make salaries that exceed $100,000 per year, even though the district consistently ranks among the lowest performing schools. According to data obtained by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, 110 employees of the Detroit school district make six figure salaries, including at least one teacher and two police officers. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti (pictured, center) topped the list with an annual salary of $294,999 in the 2017-28 fiscal year. Coming in second was Luis Solano, the school district’s chief operating officer, who makes an annual salary of $183,750, while Deputy Superintendent Iranetta Wright brings in $182,692 annually. Chalkbeat reported in 2017 that all sixteen employees in Vitti’s inner circle are making well over $100,000 annually. As Michigan Capitol Confidential reports, the one teacher on the list, who teaches seventh and eighth grade, made a salary of $100,057 in the 2017-18 fiscal year. The outlet points out that there are numerous ways for teachers to pick up extra compensation, such as merit pay or agreeing to lead various school functions, which are included in the salary figures. They also found that this teacher, with a base pay of $84,505 annually, brought…

Read the full story