Detroit Public Schools has initiated a strategic planning process through which it is engaging its stakeholders to assess its strengths and weaknesses and to assist in designing a plan that will improve academic performance, increase market share and ensure a stabilized annual budget.

“I strongly believe that if you always do things the way they’ve always been done, you will never get a different result. We must, and are, committed to rethinking the way we do things at DPS,” said Emergency Financial Manager Roy S. Roberts. “We cannot continue to plan to fail by simply accepting a cycle of historically large annual losses in enrollment followed by massive school closures.”

Some 450 employees, parents, students, community members, local and state policy makers, education leaders, partners, clergy and business leaders have attended sessions over the past 10 days. These included a DPS Strategic Planning Opening Session on Saturday morning, March 9 at Renaissance High School that featured opening remarks from Detroit Board of Education President Lamar Lemmons and Roberts, and presentations on financial, demographic and facilities trends, current initiatives and successes.

Six extended Focus Groups have also been held in the Detroit School of Arts Recital Hall from March 11 – 18 with students, teachers, principals, parents and community members, giving their feedback on key issues critical to the district’s future. Attendees of the opening session, as well as each focus group were also asked to provide a written answer to the question, “How would you change Detroit’s public school system to ensure that it addresses the educational needs of our children in the global economy?”

A 25-member Task Force overseeing the process is made up of district administrative leadership and members of the Detroit Board of Education. DPS is working with Boulder, CO-based Western Demographics, with experience in 150+ U.S. school districts, to facilitate this process.

Detroit Public Schools plans to announce short-, intermediate- and long-term strategies developed from the process, as well as program and school changes impacting the Fall 2013 school year on April 10, with an Open Enrollment period for district families running through April 30 and an all-schools Open House on Saturday, April 27.

A webcast of the March 9 opening session may be viewed at: DPS Strategic Planning Opening Session. The presentation made at that event is available at: DPS Strategic Planning Presentation

Detroit Public Schools on Tuesday, December 4, held its second annual 100 Top Suppliers Conference, focusing on a theme of “Championing Change for Children.”

The meeting was the second annual presentation to suppliers by DPS’ Procurement & Logistics Office, as well as members of the district’s executive leadership team including: Emergency Financial Manager Roy Roberts, Chief Financial Officer William Aldridge, Superintendent of Academics Karen Ridgeway and Chief Innovation Officer Doug Ross on the district’s goals and objectives with a focus on supplier excellence  and fiscal responsibility.

“The Procurement & Logistics Office was redesigned last year to focus on quality service, collaboration and cost – not just contracts,” said Emergency Financial Manager Roy S. Roberts. “That was a huge change and, in turn, we have seen huge results in only one year.”

“We value the support of our Top Suppliers during this transformational time in the district,” said Dr. Tracy Joshua, Chief Procurement and Logistics Officer. “This event is designed to recognize our Top Suppliers who have not only brought new ideas and innovations to the table, but who have also helped reduce our costs and partnered with us to ensure success for all of our students.”

The following are the second annual Top Supplier Recognition Awards:

Executive Choice Award: PNC Bank

Reason for Selection: Grow Up Great partnership. Made possible by the PNC Foundation, Grow Up Great is a 10-year, $100 million initiative to improve early childhood education. The PNC Foundation pledged $2.1 million in May 2010 to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, the Detroit Science Center and the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Together, they have established new programs in science and the arts for pre-school children in Detroit Public Schools.

Executive Choice Award: Lear Corporation

Reason for Selection: One hundred East English Village Preparatory Academy high school students travel four days each week to neighboring J. E. Clark Preparatory Academy under an innovative paid tutoring program aimed at raising student achievement and supporting successful transitions to high school. The three-year, $1.5 million project, was jointly developed by the schools’ principals, district academic leadership, Lear Corporation and community partners and is being funded by Lear Corporation. The program will annually involve several hundred children on both sides of the tutoring equation. The partnership additionally provides computer resources at Clark, mentoring by Lear executives to the schools’ principals and support for neighborhood efforts to improve the physical environment around the schools.

Operational Excellence: FedBid

Reason for Selection: In June of 2012, FedBid entered into a pilot agreement with DPS to provide reverse auction competitive bidding services. FedBid has worked diligently with the Procurement & Logistics team to offer exceptional service and a quality bid system. The company has invested time in DPS by offering training for all Procurement & Logistics staff and by providing an on-site representative to ensure sourcing expertise and cost savings success at no cost to DPS. The persistence of the process improvement paid off. The FedBid process has resulted in a savings of over $271,000 for items placed directly on FedBid and has been a key driver in the District saving $4.4 million in the sourcing process to date.

Innovation & Technology: Compuware

Reason for Selection: Compuware has provided IT services during urgent needs, both during an on-the-spot need or urgent deadlines that require more resources than the district has available. During the rollout of student Netbooks this fall, Compuware provided 15 people at no charge to DPS to provide timely implementation. Whenever there is a need to quickly respond within DPS’ data center, Compuware provides services above and beyond to ensure needs are met, without additional cost. There are no issues of restricted services or lag in response time. Compuware has also provided internships for many DPS students.

For many years, Compuware has partnered with Marcus Garvey Academy by providing resources for the school, such as mentoring and providing supplies. In 2010, Compuware formally adopted Marcus Garvey through the DPS B.O.L.D. program. The company has provided resources to help the school achieve its goals such as:

• Creating a year-round speaker series to address important student issues such as anti-bullying, what to expect in high school, why technology is cool and the importance of college.
• Providing a supply of uniforms for students who are unable to purchase them on their own.
• Partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit to provide mentors for middle school students.
• Providing tutors for the DPS Reading Corps program that teaches pre-K through third-grade students to read.
• Partnering with Madonna University to provide field trips for Garvey students to visit the university.
• Partnering with Junior Achievement to provide a field trip for Garvey eighth-grade students to visit Finance Park in spring 2013.
•  Hosting a culmination event at Compuware headquarters in May 2012 for all 200 of Marcus Garvey’s middle school students. Guests included Rhonda Walker, Detroit Lions player Don Carey, and mascots Ronald McDonald, Roary and Paws.

This year, Compuware is starting a pilot program at Garvey to provide tutoring for the eighth grade class to help enhance their test-taking skills. This tutoring program is an effort to help the students prepare – and successfully pass – the entry test applications required to enter Cass Tech High School, Renaissance High School and Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School.

In addition to programs at Marcus Garvey Academy, Compuware supports many educational and recreational programs for Detroit Public Schools such as City Year Detroit, Detroit Public School Athletics Program, Mosaic Youth Theatre and Think Detroit PAL. Last year, Compuware partnered with Greektown Casino-Hotel and other downtown companies to help collect over 3,000 books for the district through the “Turning the Page on Illiteracy” book drive.

Partnership & Building Relationships: Delta Dental

Reason for Selection: Delta Dental has had a partnership with DPS for over 20 years and has worked to provide the best overall dental service for the district. Through redesigned dental benefits, and without compromising service, Delta Dental has helped the district to achieve a cost savings of over $400,000 for 2012 and an overall cost avoidance of $1.9 million in 2012. Through continued process improvements and overall internal efficiencies, Delta Dental has improved the overall customer service experience. The organization has also supported low income students with the Blessings in a Backpack program which provides weekend food to less fortunate students in the district.

Unsung Hero: The Midnight Golf Program

Reason for Selection: The Midnight Golf Program (MGP) is a 30-week empowerment and mentoring experience that in addition to learning to play golf, teaches life skills, including financial literacy, college preparation, and community activism.  It is a program that makes a positive impact in the lives of the participants through its core values of empowerment, quality, respect and caring. MGP has taken a special interest in DPS’ homeless children, providing gifts at Christmas and helping fund dresses and tuxedo rental for senior proms. MGP has also made arrangements for DPS students to receive extra credit for volunteering at P&L during winter breaks.

Supplier Excellence Award (Performance Driven): FedBid

Reason for Selection: Showing its true commitment to the district, FedBid has invested in the district by providing training and support for the Procurement and Logistics team in order to ensure cost savings success. FedBid provides an on-site account representative every week without cost to the district, and the overall team is available at any time for assistance. Through FedBid’s continued support, the district has benefited with cost savings in a short timeframe.  FedBid has worked to show true results.

Academic Excellence: Cambium Learning

Reason for Selection: Cambium Learning has been providing DPS with a service contract for Intervention Programs for Students with Disabilities, K-8 Reading and Math programs since March 2012.

• Students in Grades 1-5 have all experienced benchmark improvement in word-per-minute connection text since the inception of this program.
• Students in K-8 participating in the VMath component have shown gains in module growth.
• Performance metrics are now in place contractually with Cambium to ensure growth is cultivated and maintained in order to execute any further contract extensions.
• Cambium has worked proactively with DPS to ensure transition for its changing building footprints.
• Cambium provides dedicated staff to each site, as well as the flexibility to provide Executive Level intervention, at a moment’s notice.

At contract renewal, Cambium provided DPS with a 9.4% cost savings. Current metrics show significant improvement in these academic intervention programs.

Student Excellence: CareerStaff Unlimited, Inc.

Reason for Selection: CareerStaff Unlimited, Inc. has had a 20-year relationship with Detroit Public Schools and has developed extensive knowledge of DPS students with physical and learning challenges and their special medical and emotional needs. CareerStaff has qualified special education personnel who have serviced DPS students with special needs. For the 2011/2012 school year, the company placed 92 nurses and therapists throughout the district.  CareerStaff helped the district achieve a cost savings of $149,810.

• Percentage of cost savings:  5.0%
• Community Service: Provides Early Intervention Therapists that service future students from birth to age 5 in their homes and Head Start Programs to enhance the child’s development in the areas of language, cognition, fine/gross motor skills, social/emotional functioning, self-help, hearing and vision.
• Quality: CareerStaff currently provides an on-site nursing coordinator who works at the east side bus terminal at no cost to the district. She supervises all in-school and transportation nurses to ensure coverage and continuity.

Student Excellence: The Children’s Center

Reason for Selection: The Children’s Center is a child and family service agency that has partnered with Detroit Public Schools for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant-funded program.  The center provides administration and direction to manage community-based organizations that deliver youth development, enrichment, family services, programmatic, instructional and after-school activities.

• 96% student participation in Academic Enrichment activities which exceeds the state-wide comparison of 76%.
• High ratings overall on the qualifications of staff.
• High ratings on providing a safe environment for students.
• Teachers who have confirmed improvement in their students’ behavior exceeds the state-wide comparison of 74%, with an average of 91% from all five DPS school sites serviced.
• Teachers who have confirmed improvement in their students’ homework and classroom participation exceeds the state-wide comparison of 71%, with an average of 90% from all five DPS sites serviced.

The Children’s Center has exhibited dedication and commitment to serving Detroit Public Schools students and parents for many years. They are steadfast in their efforts to support student learning by ensuring the program utilizes high quality suppliers. They provide support and training to suppliers to make sure quality services are being offered to students. In addition, in spite of budget reductions and the district’s extended payment terms, The Children’s Center ensures suppliers are paid in a timely manner.

Partnership and Building Relationships: Statewide Disaster Restoration

Reason for Selection: Statewide Disaster Restoration has consistently responded to the district’s needs in regard to major disruptions and emergency repairs. Not only are they responsive, they provide innovative solutions when problems occur. Our Operation and Facilities customers rate Statewide as one of the best when it comes to partnership and going beyond the call of duty in emergency situations.

Qualified teachers have until Nov. 30 to request a review of their 2012 evaluation scores

DETROIT, (October 23, 2012) – Detroit Public Schools announced that teachers who have been laid-off as a result of their 2012 performance evaluations can request a review of their scores. Requests for review will be accepted at www.detroitk12.org through Nov. 30, 2012.

Earlier this year, DPS became the first school district in the state of Michigan to implement an objective teacher performance evaluation as part of the selection and recall process affecting every DPS classroom for the start of the 2012-13 school year.

DPS’ performance evaluation tool took into consideration a number of variables, including classroom observations, and discipline and attendance, as well as relevant accomplishments and professional contributions to make up each teacher’s overall composite score of up to 100 points.

A new state law precludes public school districts from placing teachers in classrooms solely on the basis of seniority. At DPS, teachers (all of whom had been laid-off at the end of the 2011-2012 academic year) sought interviews with school principals who, for the first time, were given the opportunity to select the educators who would be at the front of classrooms in their school buildings for the coming year. Teacher recalls were based, in large part, on a teacher’s performance evaluation.

“Our number one priority is ensuring that each child in Detroit Public Schools receives the best education possible,” said Roy S. Roberts, DPS Emergency Financial Manager. “In order for that to happen, the most qualified teacher must be placed at the front of every classroom. Our implementation of teacher performance evaluations is critical to our efforts to ensure this quality education is received by all.”

The Michigan law defined four levels of effectiveness (highly effective, effective, minimally effective and ineffective) based on the evaluation’s 100 point scale, and mandated that if a school district chose to place a minimally effective or ineffective teacher in a classroom, the district would be required to send a letter to all parents/guardians of the children attending the school informing them of and explaining the decision.

On Friday, Oct. 19, 2012, DPS mailed letters to all teachers who were evaluated in 2012 outlining their scores and effectiveness rating. The review process is available only to those teachers who believe they were not recalled from lay-off due to an error in their evaluation.

“It is certain that no process is infallible. However, I want everyone to understand that DPS was acting in the best interest of its 50,000 students when we implemented our teacher performance evaluations,” said Roberts. “The state of Michigan gave us this incredible opportunity and we did not believe we could wait a moment longer to ensure our students get the education they so rightly deserve.”

To begin the review process, teachers must complete and submit the online form located on the Resources page of the district’s website, detroitk12.org. The district expects to have final resolution on all complaints filed no later than January 2013.

Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Roy Roberts has appointed Diane Jones to the position of CIO (Chief Information Officer) & Chief Strategic Officer (CSO).

Jones has been the Chief Information Officer for Detroit Public Schools since August 2010 and recently gained the added duties of Chief Strategic Officer in July 2012.

As the CIO, Jones is responsible for balancing risk and value by properly integrating people, process, policy and technology to ensure performance.

Jones’ added responsibilities as the CSO call for her to evaluate operations and strategies that are distinct parts of the business ( such as a focusing on leading the department in the present), and looking to the future to frame strategies that allow for continuous adjustment to fast-changing conditions.

Prior to Jones’ appointment to the CIO position, she served as interim CIO for one year, bringing more than 20 years of experience in Strategic, Tactical and Development Planning, Business Management Systems, IT Governance and Business Process Improvement with high-profile companies including Compuware Corporation, Ford Motor Company and Wayne State University.

During her tenure as CIO, Jones has led a transformation of the Information and Technology Division, positioning it to achieve greater operating efficiency, effectiveness and customer service across the district.

In the past two years, Jones has successfully led initiatives including:

• A more than $7.5 million savings to the district resulting from vendor management and process improvements within the IT Division.
• A high-speed wireless internet strategy that gives access to every school, making DPS one of the nation’s largest PreK-12 districts to achieve full wireless capabilities.
• The implementation of a new and more robust district email system.
• The infusion of millions of dollars of technology into DPS classrooms as she developed processes and the deployment of more than 4,000 teacher stations and 40,000 Netbooks.

“Diane’s efforts have broadened the use of technology across the district while empowering students and teachers to increase their learning and instruction capacity,” Roberts said. “She will continue to leverage her process re-engineering, organizational capabilities and advancements in technology tools to frame strategic requirements of the schools and business departments.”

In her new role, Jones cited her three main objectives in using technology to strengthen the district which include: Partnering with the Academics Department to introduce more digital tools that align with the educational needs of students; providing executive leadership and vision for the strategic development and management of information, resources and technology to support district-wide goals; and providing training for employees to understand and effectively utilize the technology in their schools and in the central offices.

Use of national online marketplace tool FedBid reduced costs by up to 53%. DPS saved nearly $104,000 on a single classroom handbook purchase

Michigan Chronicle Coverage

Detroit Public Schools in June became the first U.S. school district to use a national online marketplace tool for public sector commodity buys and has since generated over $800,000 in savings during the mission-critical back-to-school period during which essential supplies are procured and delivered to 100 schools in time for the first day of teaching and learning.

DPS saved nearly $104,000 on a single classroom handbook buy, $15,000 on school supplies and $14,000 on pipefitting accessories. The district reduced costs by up to 53% on a number of academic and operational purchases while increasing overall competition as well as utilization of small, disadvantaged and minority businesses.

The savings were recorded after new DPS Chief Procurement and Logistics Officer Dr. Tracy Joshua implemented DPS’ first strategic sourcing program. The FY2013 adopted Detroit Public Schools budget calls for $5 million to be shaved from the cost of procuring goods and services, and Joshua expects the use of FedBid will result in $3 million of that savings goal this year.

Overall, savings were obtained in purchases ranging from school furniture to A/V equipment, from books, dictionaries and clothing to enrollment marketing materials, and training aids.

Under the FedBid system, each “buy” stays open in the marketplace for approximately three days, during which the company’s support service team offers customer support while sourcing and building competition from a pool of qualified suppliers.

In one case study, due to FedBid’s “reverse auction model,” the buyer’s suggested source needed to re-bid to stay competitive, which led to 28% further savings from the original pre-FedBid quote the supplier provided for school supplies. According to Southeastern Louisiana University Professor of Management David Wyld, in a reverse auction, a single buyer makes potential suppliers aware of their intent to buy a specified good or service, and during the course of the actual reverse auction event, the suppliers bid against one another to secure the buyer’s business, driving the price to be paid for the item downward.

DPS’ Joshua states that the new system enables Detroit Public Schools to include additional quality suppliers in its supply base that can deliver overall value including best service and price.

“This is an absolute must for Detroit Public Schools,” Joshua commented. “It is our responsibility to provide excellence in education for all the children that we serve, which means we must be good financial stewards. FedBid gives us a tool to very effectively drive competition like never before.”

The FedBid tool requires no investment by DPS.  Instead, it provides tremendous benefits for the suppliers who participate by expanding their business reach.  Detroit Public Schools is leading the way with innovative business processes and DPS will be used as a model for other school districts as well as other public and private sector organizations.

The first Detroit Public Schools Annual Top Supplier meeting was held December 15 at the Renaissance Center in Detroit with a focus on academic excellence, fiscal responsiveness and fiscal responsibility, process discipline, strategic sourcing and operational excellence. The meeting was the first presentation to suppliers on the complete realignment of formerly, contract-centered-Contracting & Procurement function to a new Procurement & Logistics Office strategically focused on quality, service, collaboration and cost.

In addition, the first ever Top Supplier Recognition Awards recognized several suppliers in five categories. (See list below.)

Speakers included Emergency Manager Roy S. Roberts, Superintendent of Academics Karen Ridgeway, CFO William Aldridge, and Chief Procurement and Logistics Officer Tracy Joshua.
Mr. Roberts indicated that those in attendance were identified as the Top 100 suppliers for DPS. “That means you are family and we have expectations for our family members. We are redesigning our District and focusing on suppliers delivering exceptional goods and services for our students. Going forward, we will measure supplier performance.”

In addition to presentations by members of the executive leadership team, suppliers were asked to participate in breakout sessions that facilitated small group discussions and allowed suppliers to ask questions. The Chief Procurement and Logistics Officer asked for suppliers in attendance to show their commitment to DPS by signing “I’m In and I’m Committed.”

“I’ve been a supplier to DPS for 20 plus years and I have never seen anything like this,” exclaimed one of the recipients.

The first ever Top Supplier Recognition Awards:

Academic Excellence: Renaissance Learning
Student Excellence (Grants – External Provider, SES, Title 1, SIG): Detroit Parent Network, Project SEED, and Wayne County Neighborhood Legal Services
Partnership and Building Relationships: Office Depot
Innovation and Technology: Hewlett Packard
Unsung Hero: ABC Student Transportation

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Roy Roberts, Emergency Manager of Detroit Public Schools, is one of three speakers for Michigan State University’s December commencement ceremonies.

Roberts will speak today, Saturday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. Earning an honorary doctorate of business, he will address undergraduates from the colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Communication Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Natural Science and Nursing, as well as Lyman Briggs College.

Ceremonies were to be held Friday, Dec. 9, and Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center, One Birch Road.

Detroit media legend Mitch Albom, author of the best-selling memoir “Tuesdays with Morrie,” will speak at 10 a.m. Dec. 10 and will receive an honorary doctorate of humanities. He will address undergraduates from the colleges of Arts and Letters, Eli Broad Business, Education, Music and Social Science, as well as James Madison College and the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities.

And Emilio Moran, an anthropology professor from Indiana University, was slated to speak at the advanced- degree ceremony 7 p.m. Dec. 9. He was to earn an honorary doctorate of science.

Also at the advanced-degree ceremony, David Arnold, president of The Asia Foundation, was to receive an honorary doctorate of humanities, and Margaret Ann Riecker, president of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, was to receive an honorary doctorate of humanities.

“These individuals have made a difference in their fields, in our state and around the world,” said MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon. “Making a difference for good is the Spartan way, so I’m proud to welcome our speakers and honorary degree recipients to campus as our graduates prepare for the next journey in their lives.”

Biographies of commencement speakers and honorary degree recipients follow.

Roy Roberts
Former General Motors Corp. executive Roy Roberts was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder in May to serve as Detroit Public Schools emergency manager.

Roberts climbed his way to the top at GM, having worked in several plant positions. Most recently, Roberts was managing director of Reliant Equity Investors.

Roberts is active in the Detroit community, holding leading roles in several social and civic groups. He has headed organizations affiliated with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and is a trustee emeritus at Western Michigan University, from which he is an alumnus. Roberts also sits on the boards of the Boy Scouts of America and the United Negro College Fund.

Named Executive of the Year by Black Enterprise and African Americans on Wheels magazines, Roberts received the American Success Award by former president George Bush.

Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom is an internationally renowned best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster and philanthropist.

His books have sold more than 28 million copies worldwide, have been published in 41 countries and in 42 languages and have been made into Emmy Award-winning television movies.

Albom has founded multiple charities in and around Detroit, and he also has operated an orphanage in Haiti. He is the recipient of dozens of national and international awards, including the Associated Press Sports Editors’ Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement.

One of Detroit’s best-known media figures, Albom established his roots in the Motor City in 1985, when he started a career as a sports columnist at the Detroit Free Press.

Emilio Moran
Emilio Moran is Distinguished Professor and the James H. Rudy Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University. He’s also director of the university’s Anthropological Center for Training and Research on Global Environmental Change.

The author of 10 books and more than 150 journal articles, Moran has been engaged in land use and land cover change research for years. His work is supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, and NASA.

Moran has been elected a fellow of several scholarly societies, among them the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Linnean Society of London. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2010.

David Arnold
MSU alumnus David Arnold became the sixth president of The Asia Foundation on Jan. 1. Established in 1954, The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just and open Asia-Pacific region.

An international development veteran, Arnold served seven years as president of the American University in Cairo, where he oversaw the construction of a new $400 million campus and the launch of the university’s first doctoral program.

Previously, Arnold served for six years as executive vice president of the Institute of International Education, the world’s largest educational exchange organization. Between 1984 and 1997, he worked for the Ford Foundation, serving as its first program officer in the field of governance and then for six years as the organization’s representative in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Arnold began his public service career in 1975 as program budget analyst with the Michigan Department of Labor. And from there, he moved to Washington, D.C., to join the National Governors Association.

Margaret Ann Riecker
Widely recognized for her philanthropic and civic engagement efforts, Margaret Ann Riecker heads one of Michigan’s largest foundations, The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. It was established in 1936 in memory of her grandfather, who started The Dow Chemical Co. in Midland.

Since its inception, the foundation has granted nearly $500 million to Michigan programs and projects.

Riecker also serves as chair of The Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation, named for her parents. Both foundations have committed $1 million each to MSU’s Secchia Center.

A strong supporter of higher education, Riecker is a trustee emeritus of Central Michigan University and Carleton College and sits on president advisory councils for Alma College and the University of Michigan. She also serves as a board member for U of M’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Center for the Education of Women.

An advocate for philanthropy, Riecker is a founding member of Council of Michigan Foundations.

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Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

Demolition of the former Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School has begun, with excavators on site today, tearing down the administration and science lab wings in the first phase of demolition. It will take about four weeks to raze the 230,000-square-foot school that was built in 1963.

One of the largest projects in the Detroit Public Schools’ $500.5 million bond construction program voters approved in 2009, the MLK project includes razing the 48-year-old building facing Lafayette Street. The auditorium of the former school will remain in use. The new school, complete with a new athletic complex and cyber café, will connect to the auditorium that is receiving upgrades that include interior finishes and systems.  

The new $46.4 million facility will face Larned and McDougall streets with the focal point being the glass façade of the MLK Center which will house the cafeteria and a small amphitheater for student assemblies. More than 1,000-square-feet of 4ft. by 8ft. Vision glass panels have been installed to the commons area to capture the largest amount of natural light and make the LEED Gold-certified building more energy efficient. 

Jenkins/Granger, a 49% Detroit-headquartered firm, is the design builder for the MLK project. TMP Architecture is the architect.

Construction of the new MLK school began in Summer 2010 and will be open for students in September.

Detroit voters approved Proposal S in Nov. 2009 which enabled the district to access $500.5 million for school capital improvement projects. DPS received the sixth largest allocation in the nation.

The improvement program also includes technology upgrades and security initiatives being funded with Proposal S dollars. To comply with federal guidelines, all bond dollars must be spent within three years and all projects must be completed by Sept. 2012.

Since work began just over a year ago in one of the city’s largest construction projects that will build and renovate 18 Detroit Public Schools facilities, nearly 500,000 hours have been logged by workers employed by Detroit-headquartered companies at 14 active job sites. Four school projects are 100 percent complete where students spent their last weeks of this school year in modernized classrooms, gymnasiums and theater rooms.

By the start of school in the fall, nine more schools will open for the city’s schoolchildren, and demolition of the nearly 90-year-old Cass Technical High School will be complete, for a combined total of $325 million in construction-related spending funded by $500.5 million Proposal S dollars voters approved in 2009.

A new $21.8 million PreK to 8 School is being built on the Mackenzie campus
Detroit—Alumni, faculty, parents and students of the former Mackenzie High School joined Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts today at a community picnic celebration for the last groundbreaking in the district’s $500.5 million capital improvement program for a $21.8 million PreK to 8 school that is being built on the campus.

The Mackenize community on the city’s west side is celebrating the start of construction that has begun on the new $21.8 million facility that is being built adjacent to the closed high school at the corner of Wyoming and Chicago streets.

“DPS’ entire $500.5 million project is built around community, and to honor that, we wanted to commemorate our final groundbreaking with Mackenzie alumni on the day of their annual picnic to honor the long history and traditions of Mackenzie and create a link to the future school being built here for generations of children to come,” said Emergency Manager Roy Roberts.

“We have engaged the community throughout the bond construction program from Day One beginning with the design and consistently with community meetings and updates and through our Oversight Committee. We will continue to do that because we know it’s going to take the support of the entire community to transform Detroit Public Schools. Let’s work together to build the best futures possible for our children.”

The new school will include elementary and middle school wings connected by a two-story “student arcade” that will function as a dining court, student center and school square. The new facility will also have a large open media center shared by all grades. Bright, sustainable classrooms will line colorful corridors centered around an academic commons area and teacher work centers.

Students from Parker and Barton schools will feed into the new school.

The building design is focusing on student safety and will be environmentally-responsible through the adherence to national standards set by CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The minimum goal is set at a Silver LEED Certification.

Crews have started pouring the foundation, erecting steel, and mobilizing masons to begin placement of load-bearing block walls. The school is scheduled to open in fall 2012.

Detroit voters approved Proposal S in Nov. 2009 which enabled the district to access $500.5 million for school capital improvement projects. DPS received the sixth largest allocation in the nation.

The improvement program also includes technology upgrades and security initiatives being funded with Proposal S dollars. To comply with federal guidelines, all bond dollars must be spent within three years and all projects must be completed by September 2012.

Since work began just over a year ago in one of the city’s largest construction projects that will build and renovate 18 Detroit Public Schools facilities, nearly 500,000 hours have been logged by workers employed by Detroit-headquartered companies at 14 active job sites. Four school projects are 100 percent complete with students spending their last weeks of this school year in modernized classrooms, gymnasiums and theater rooms.

By the start of school in the fall, nine more schools will open for the city’s schoolchildren and demolition of the nearly 90-year-old Cass Technical High School will be complete, for a combined total of $325 million in construction-related spending funded by $500.5 million Proposal S dollars voters approved in 2009.

Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy S. Roberts has named an interim Superintendent for Academics and Chief Human Resources Officer as part of a district transition to create a system of high-performing schools.

Karen P. Ridgeway, who serves as Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Research, Evaluation, Assessment and Accountability, will serve as the interim Superintendent for Academics. Gwendolyn A. de Jongh, who is the district’s Chief Labor Relations Officer, also will serve as the Chief Human Resources Officer. 

“Today, we are naming two highly capable, very experienced current staff members to serve as our interim Chief Academic Officer and director of Human Resources and to lead a transition process as we work to transform Detroit Public Schools into a more efficient and high-performing system of excellent schools,” said Roberts.

Ridgeway has been continuously employed by the Detroit Public Schools for the past 30 years.  She has been with the Office of Research, Evaluation, Assessment and Accountability from September 1998 to the present.

Ridgeway is a product of the Detroit Public Schools completing her matriculation as a member of the first full graduating class of Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School.  She has served as a teacher for special education students, acting special education department head, special instructor – Wayne County Youth Home, school-wide test coordinator, Program Associate, Director of Assessment and Executive Director for the Office of Research, Evaluation, Assessment and Accountability for the Detroit Public Schools.  Ridgeway holds a B.S., M.Ed., and Ed.S., from Wayne State University.

She has oversight of Pupil Population Management, Student Information Systems, Student Records and Transcripts and the District Archivist and has served the District as an executive level Cabinet member since July 2005.

Ridgeway is married and a lifelong resident of the City of Detroit.

As the Chief Labor Relations Officer, de Jongh facilitates and negotiates with the district’s various bargaining units and served as Chief Negotiator in labor negotiations with the Detroit Federation of Teachers in 2009 resulting in savings.  De Jongh and her labor team negotiated and settled collective bargaining agreements with AFSCME, IUOE-Engineers, and the clerical and paraprofessional unions resulting in cumulative wage concessions for the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year. 

De Jongh has more than 20 years of employment and labor law experience, including serving as Vice President and Benefits Counsel for Comerica, Incorporated; a Senior Attorney with Kmart Management Corporation (Employment Law group) and Assistant Corporation Counsel with the City of Detroit Law Department-Labor and Employment section.

During the last twelve years, in her various capacities, de Jongh has provided advice and counsel to management and Human Resources regarding compliance with existing employment laws including FMLA, FLSA, ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, employment discrimination under Title VII, employee discipline and discharge,  and a host of other duties, including providing counsel to internal business clients on a variety of healthcare and retirement matters, including employee benefits such as LTD and STD benefits, pension and 401(k) benefits, severance pay plan, cafeteria plan, benefit appeals, beneficiary disputes,  plan administrative expenses,  401(k) loan procedures, hardship withdrawals, COBRA disputes, disclosure to plan participants, domestic partner eligibility for benefits under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ERISA, and LM-10 requirements under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA). 

De Jongh is a Cass Technical High School and Michigan State University graduate and is licensed to practice law in Michigan and Illinois.  De Jongh is married and has a six year old son who is a proud student at Chrysler Elementary.

Barbara Byrd-Bennett, who has served as Chief Academic and Accountability Auditor since 2009, will end her service to Detroit Public Schools at the end of June. Ines de Jesus, Associate Superintendent for Human Resources at Detroit Public Schools, who has worked for the district for more than 30 years, is retiring.

DPS Emergency Manager Roy S. Roberts on Wednesday announced that Detroit Public Schools’ six-week Summer School Academy 2011 will serve approximately 35,840 students as part of the district’s mission to raise academic achievement among struggling students, in conjunction with a more rigorous curriculum under the district’s five-year Academic Plan that was implemented in the fall.

There is no cost to Title I eligible District students or their families for Summer Academy 2011. Elementary and Middle students will receive a letter from their school principal if they are eligible, while High School students will be notified by their guidance counselors.

The Academy includes special programming for incoming and transitioning pre-kindergartners; a 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Summer Program for students with a focus on academic enrichment opportunities for children; a Virtual Summer School component; programming to increase their time-on-task and accelerate learning, including academic tutoring in literacy and math; a K-12 Summer Bilingual High-Need Program; a Special Education Extended School Year Program and much more.

“It’s well established that students who do not read at grade level by grade three have trouble mastering other critical subjects, such as mathematics, science and social studies,” said Roberts. “And when students lack reading skills, they are at greater risk later of being placed in special education classes and are more at risk of eventually dropping out of school. To give students the necessary skills they need to become proficient – and to assist students who have fallen behind – we have created an extremely robust Summer School Academy 2011.”

“And though this program will be called a Summer Academy, it effectively marks the beginning of the 2011-12 school year for many of our students who need a continuation of learning opportunities to help them achieve the high standards demanded under our rigorous curriculum,” Roberts said.

The program will employ 2,035 teachers, and 510 support staff, including counselors, aides, clerical staff, as well as administrators.

The Summer Academy 2011, which generally lasts from Tuesday, June 21, 2011 to Friday, July 29, 2011 provides time for each member of the school community – students, teachers, supervisors and parents – to continue to study with a focus on literacy. Extra time and intensive, quality instruction will be available for students preparing to take the next administration of MEAP assessments as well as allowing struggling high school students the opportunity to catch up with their peers so that they are on track for graduation and prepared for post secondary options.

Summer Academy 2011 also requires a teacher professional development component for all teachers, including special training for new teachers.

Detroit Public Schools enrolled 38,717 students in Summer Academy 2010, a 22 percent increase over enrollment in the 2009 summer program. Combined, the DPS Summer Academy and DPS Extended Day Program gave nearly 1,200 students who were behind the opportunity to recover credits so they could graduate without having to complete another year of school.

Both programs had previously been offered for a fee, but the district last year tapped unused federal Title I funds to offer the programs for free and to a wider range of students than ever before. Some 776 students graduated in June because of the Extended Day Program.

About Summer Academy 2011

The curricula for grades K-6 will be literacy and mathematics. For grades 7-8, the focus will be on project-based instruction in Pre-Algebra concepts, while literacy will be taught through novel-based instruction. At the high school level, students will be able to make up core academic courses in which they were not successful. For special education students and English Language Learners, instructional opportunities will be offered for students who must take the MEAP assessments.

Student eligibility

Elementary Level: (students currently in grades PreK – 6)

All students in grades preK through six who did not meet the minimum performance criteria on the Battelle Assessment, DIBELS and/or the grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 MEAP Assessments will be expected to attend the Summer Literacy Academy. For students in grades K – 3 who are in the red zone on the Middle of Year DIBELS assessment the summer school program is mandatory. For students in grades 3 – 6 who scored at the Partially Proficient or Not Proficient levels in either reading or mathematics on the MEAP the summer school program is mandatory.

Middle School Level: (students currently in grades 7 and 8)

For students in grades 7 and 8 who scored at the Partially Proficient or Not Proficient levels on the MEAP assessment in either reading or mathematics, the summer program is mandatory.

High School: (students currently enrolled in grades 9-12)

Students in grades 9 – 12 will be offered opportunities to make up core academic courses in which they were not successful.

English Language Learners and Special Education Students:

All instructional opportunities will be made available for second language learners and students with special learning needs who must also take the MEAP assessments. These opportunities will be made available in inclusive settings.

Extended Year for Identified Special Education Students:

Information on the Extended Year program for identified Special Education students will be forthcoming.

Special Programs at Summer Academy 2011

BELL and CATAPULT Summer Initiatives: BELL and Catapult will operate the summer program in approximately 30 of our summer school sites. These programs set high expectations for scholars and include elements that are proven to increase their time-on-task and accelerate learning, including academic tutoring in literacy and math; mentorship from young teachers and college students; experiential learning through cultural activities, community service; parental involvement; and ongoing training and professional development for staff.

Summer Migrant Program: Detroit Public Schools provides a K-12 Summer Migrant Program for migrant students to participate in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies classes in a small class sized setting. A student is identified as migrant if his/her family has moved within the previous 36 months to obtain temporary or seasonal work in agriculture or fishing. Parents must sign a certificate of eligibility to be able to participate in the program. Priority for service includes children not participating in any other supplemental program and/or who require English Language support. Home based instruction provides academic tutoring for public and private non-public pre-school children and those children not able to participate in the district’s summer school program.

Summer High Needs Bilingual Program: Detroit Public Schools provides a K-12 Summer Bilingual High-Need Program for bilingual students to participate in content area instruction with an emphasis on literacy development in a small class sized setting. Children in this program are most in need of English Language support and would not qualify for participation in other district programs because they are new to this country or have not yet been tested on the state assessments (MEAP/MME). Bilingual staff is selected who have the skills and certification to boost English language skills while providing content instruction so that children are learning while they are learning English.

21st Century: Detroit Public Schools provides a 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Summer Program for students with a focus on academic enrichment opportunities for children. The program will be site theme-based this summer. Academic enrichment activities are hands-on and designed to help students meet local and state academic standards in subjects such as reading and math.

Destination Virtual Summer School: Instructions will be distributed to schools in early June.

Special Education Extended School Year Program: This special education program will be conducted for 4 days a week for a full day from July 5-August 17.

Prekindergarten Summer School Opportunities: Detroit Public Schools, Foundations for Early Learners offer two Summer School programs for prekindergarten children. In order to assure all young learners get off to a good start with a solid foundation, two programs address both incoming and current prekindergarten children. Both summer programs are for six weeks and are half-day.

DPS Summer School Program for Incoming Prekindergarten Children

This summer school program is targeted to serve children who are getting ready for prekindergarten. The curriculum will cover an introduction of letters, numbers, language development and small and large motor skill experiences. Topics include: Now I Know My ABC’s and We Count!

DPS Summer School Program for Transitioning Prekindergarten Children

This summer school program is targeted to serve children who are transitioning into kindergarten. The curriculum will cover two concepts. ‘Growing and Changing’ engages children in activities that reveal how time changes the world around them—and how it changes them. ‘Ready for Kindergarten’ engages children in activities that revisit and review all of the things they have learned in Pre-K. These concepts will also strengthen oral language and vocabulary development, phonological awareness, comprehension, letter recognition, and number sense.

Both Incoming and Transitioning programs provide children with meaningful learning opportunities that combine academic rigor and extracurricular events/activities, designed to develop the whole child.

New Teachers: The Office of Professional Development and the DFT will collaborate on the designing of professional development for new teachers hired for the 2011-2012 school year.  During the Summer Academy 2011, new teachers hired before or during the first three weeks of summer school will observe the experienced teacher’s organizational and classroom management techniques, assist the teacher with small groups, familiarize themselves with strategies for most effectively communicating with students and gain an overall idea of the expectations of and for teachers in the Detroit Public School District.  Guided questioning and observation forms will be reviewed with both the experienced teachers and the new teachers before the experience takes place so that everyone is aware of the expectations and goals of the program.

Sites

Students are expected to attend at their home school if that school has been identified as a Summer Academy 2011 site. Students who attend those schools that are undergoing massive renovation over the summer may register at an alternate site or attend with their school at the identified swing site. Sites will be posted on the district website.

Transportation

The District transportation policy will be followed.

Food Service

Students will be provided a breakfast and lunch.

Student registration

Summer Academy 2011 will focus on preparing students to do well on MEAP assessments, to be promoted or to graduate. Summer Academy 2011 is mandatory for students in grades K – 3 who have been assessed in the red zone on DIBELS assessments and for students in grades 3 – 8 who have scored at the Partially Proficient or Not Proficient levels on the MEAP assessment in either Reading or Mathematics. Senior high school students who need to make up core content credits are eligible to attend summer school.

Parents or Guardians of students in PreK – 8 will be notified if their student is required to attend Summer Academy 2011. Upon notification, the parent or guardian is asked to complete the application and submit it to the school. Parents or Guardians of students not mandated to attend, but who would like their student to attend Summer Academy 2011 may pick up an application at the school.

High School registration is conducted through the school sites and guidance counselors following the registration information distributed by the Office of Research, Evaluation and Assessment.

DPS students may register at any DPS school.

Title I eligible students at the district’s contract schools are eligible. Out-of-district students who want to attend the program must pay $250 per section. They must come to the district’s Welcome Center to register.

Calendar of daily activities

There will be several components to the instructional program for students that will vary depending on the grade level. The instructional program will begin for students on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 and end on Friday, July 29, 2011. The various programs include:

Elementary – Grades PreK – 6

Students will receive instruction in literacy for two hours each day and mathematics for two hours each day.

7:45 – 8:00 Arrival and breakfast

8:00 – 10:00 Literacy Instruction following structured curriculum

10:00 – 12:00 Mathematics Instruction following structured curriculum

12:00 – 12:20 Lunch

12:20 Student Dismissal

PreK will follow the same reporting and ending times, but their day will be broken into small time-frames for activities that are more appropriate for students of this age.

Middle – Grades 7 – 8

Students will receive instruction in literacy for two hours each day and mathematics for two hours each day.

7:45 – 8:00 Arrival and breakfast

8:00 – 10:00 Literacy Instruction following structured curriculum

10:00 – 12:00 Mathematics Instruction following structured curriculum

12:00 – 12:20 Lunch

12:20 Student Dismissal

High School – Grades 9 – 12

7:30 – 8:00 Arrival and breakfast

8: 00 – 10:05 First period

10:05 – 12:10 Second period

12:10 – 12:30 Lunch

12:35 – 2:35 Third period

2:35 Student dismissal

Special Education Program

Elementary Special Education students whose IEP indicates that they are expected to take the MEAP assessment and attend classes in an inclusive environment are encouraged to register for summer school. Paraprofessionals will be assigned to inclusion classes. Students will be assigned according to home school enrollment or the nearest school to their home school if the home school is not a summer school site. Transportation will be recommended as a part of the student’s assignment. Students will use the same materials and textbooks as regular education students, with modifications. The Division of Special Education will supply the necessary materials for modifications and adaptations. The Division of Special Education will provide information regarding a program at specific sites for students who cannot participate in an inclusive environment.

Attendance

Attendance is a critical factor in student achievement. PreK- 8 attendance will be taken daily and reported no later than 10:00 a.m. each morning. High School attendance should be scanned no later than 2:00 p.m. each day. Due to the accelerated nature of the Summer Academy 2011 programs, students may not miss more than 3 days. Students will be dropped from the program after 3 absences. Exceptions may be granted by the Summer Academy Site Supervisor for reasons of documented illness, family emergency or family bereavement.

Student assessments

The Q4 Benchmark Assessment will be used as the pre-test for all students.  The post-test used to evaluate the growth of the student over the 6 week period will be an end-of-the Summer Benchmark Assessment and will be administered the last week of the summer program to all students except graduating seniors.  Students attending Summer Academy 2011 who have been recommended for retention will be reevaluated at the end of the summer program using both teacher input and pre- and post-test results.  Teachers will make recommendations to the student’s home principal regarding promotion or retention.  The final decision for promotion based on summer school achievement will be made by the principal.

DPS Emergency Manager Roy S. Roberts will be using the social media site Twitter as an additional tool to keep parents and the DPS community informed of news and developments in the district. Follow Mr. Roberts at www.Twitter.com/DPSRoyRoberts

Detroit Public Schools, through the Michigan Finance Authority, priced a $231,000,000 short term cash flow financing today, Thursday, March 3.

The issue was sold in two series, the first, Series 2011 A-1, will be issued in the amount of $120,000,000 at an interest rate of 6.45%, maturing February 20, 2012. The second series, Series 2011 A-2, in the amount of $111,000,000 was sold at a rate of 6.65%, and matures March 20, 2012. The issues pledge a portion of the District’s future State Aid revenues for the repayment of the notes.

“While the rates were higher than we secured on our 2010 notes, we are pleased this sale allows us to make payroll and meet our obligations,” said Robert Bobb, Emergency Financial Manager.

The financing rate was higher than the interest rate the District paid on its cash flow financings issued in 2010. The higher interest rates were the result of a number of factors including the general volatility of the municipal market, concerns over the ending of the District’s covenant not to file for bankruptcy which will end with Bobb’s term as Emergency Financial Manager, recent discussions and plans outlining the drastic cuts that will need to be made in order to eliminate the District’s legacy deficit, and the resulting impact that could have on the District’s future enrollment.

One other main concern cited from potential investors was the potential of the early redemption of the 2005 debt payments which will occur if the District is unable to get the required bankruptcy insulation legislation in place by December 31, 2011, and its impact on the investors. The interest rates on the District’s cash flow borrowings over the past 18 months have ranged from 3.875% to 9.50%.

The proceeds of the sale will be used to fund the operational cost of the District until August 2011.

Detroit Public Schools announced today that PROACT Search LLC, a Wilmette, IL-based executive search firm, will conduct an executive search in order to provide the DPS Search Committee with candidates that meet identified attributes deemed necessary to fill five key executive positions with the District.

The Executive Positions to be filled are Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Budget Director, and Director of Special Education.
Detroit Board of Education President Anthony Adams Esq. said, “This action is significant in continuing the progress moving forward to seat new leadership for Detroit Public Schools at this key time and in identifying an excellent pool of candidates to present to the Search Committee made up of community members, Board members and educators.”

Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Robert C. Bobb stated, “This is a firm with experience in hundreds of executive searches for large urban school districts, and its substantial presence in front of well-qualified urban educators will serve Detroit well in securing the most qualified pool of candidates possible.”
Terms of the contract will be released after they are finalized.

A group of highly-qualified Detroit Public Schools teachers are creating the vision for a new school that will be operated by teachers and focus on excellent teaching at the site of the former Barbara Jordan School this fall.

The new teacher-led school, located at 3901 Margareta, will have extended hours and a robust curriculum, including arts, clubs, sports, robotics and dance. Foreign languages will be offered to the youngest students in the PreK-8 school, and character development will be woven throughout the curriculum.

Because research has shown having an effective teacher improves student learning, this school will place a heavy emphasis on excellent teaching and high standards in every classroom. The school will not have a principal but will instead be operated by the teaching staff, who will meet routinely to assess and build programming based on the needs of children they see every day in their classrooms.

The teachers will be assisted by an executive administrator, who will be in charge of required reporting, such as budgetary documents and enrollment, allowing teachers to focus on the curriculum. The school also will strive to be staffed by teachers who have achieved National Board Certification, a tough certification process where teachers have met rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment, and peer review. The certification process can take up to three years to complete.

“Where teachers lead, students succeed. That’s the motto,” said DPS teacher Kimberly Kyff, Michigan’s Teacher of the Year for 2007 and one of the teachers planning the school.

“When the entire building is based around high teaching standards, student achievement will improve,” said Kyff, who also has achieved the rigorous certification. “In a congressionally mandated study, National Board Certification was recently recognized by the National Research Council as having a positive impact on student achievement. Increasing student achievement is the heart of all we do.”

Detroit Public Schools has more Nationally-Board-Certified Teachers than any other district in the state of Michigan. DPS teachers traveled to Milwaukee and Chicago to talk to experts on best practices and to view a teacher-led school. They came away with a concept that will put the needs of each student first.

“This school will be focused totally on the educational needs of every child,” said Ann Crowley, a 22-year DPS teacher who is working on the vision for the school. “Children will not fail. Once you are in this school, you’re in.”

In the first year of operation, the teacher-led concept will be fully in place for grades PreK-4 and will build each year through grade 8. The school will house students through grade 8 this fall, and the students in the upper grades will begin a transition into the program. Valued programs now in place at Barbara Jordan, such as the school-wide recycle program and other successful programs, will remain.

“As part of our academic plan, we understand that a range of programmatic options are necessary to suit our students,” said Robert Bobb, the district’s Emergency Financial Manager. “We expect that this teacher-led school will allow the teaching staff to cut through the bureaucratic layers that can delay necessary programmatic changes from reaching the classroom and children quickly. Instead, this school will strive to have a lightning-speed response to the meet the needs of children.”

Other concepts to be included will be team-teaching and grade looping. Under the grade-looping concept, teachers will stay with their students for more than one grade in order to build relationships with students. As part of the team-teaching concept, teachers will work in large and small groups to evaluate students, assess their needs and alter teaching accordingly.

Teachers involved in the program development also intend to build strong relationships with the neighboring community and will bring multiple partnerships to the school, including a connection to a local college or university.

“We are wholly supportive of this program and will do everything in our power to assist the teachers in building a successful school because we know that teachers know better than anyone what their students need to succeed,” said Barbara Byrd-Bennett, Chief Academic and Accountability Auditor. “And this school and the professionals working there will be held to the same high standards and achievement goals that we have set for all schools.”

For their students to be admitted, parents or guardians must sign a Parent Contract to ensure they support the concept of the program.

“The teacher-led school presents a unique and unprecedented opportunity to DFT and DPS,” said Keith Johnson, President of the Detroit Federation of Teachers. “This school will allow teachers to take ownership and direct responsibility for the educational destiny of the children to be served through implementation strategies for the curriculum, selection of staff, budget management, supplemental educational support and tutoring programs, and student/staff accountability.

“As a community-based school, there is also the opportunity for parents and community members to enlist their services and expertise to insure the school is an academic success,” Johnson said. “We are grateful for the challenge and the opportunity to make DPS the standard by which other urban school districts can be measured.”

Detroit- Seventy-five Detroit Public Schools students, who have been hired this summer as apprentices in a nine-week program, start work this week on six construction sites where they will combine classroom instruction with on-site job experience in construction trades. Student workers are paid $250 per week with a $900 incentive bonus once they complete the program as part of the district’s $500.5 million capital improvement project funded by Proposal S bond dollars.

The nine-week DPS Summer Apprenticeship Program began last week with an orientation and safety course. Students start training on construction sites this week through August 27.

Apprentices will be taught important job skills that will provide them with more opportunities for a career in skilled trades, design and construction management. Under the supervision of Detroit-headquartered contractors, current DPS high school students and recent graduates will be trained in carpentry, masonry, plumbing and electrical skilled trades. They will also learn how to identify equipment, use hand tools, take measurements, determine wire size, and read blueprints.

Student workers will rotate between the job sites, the architects’ studio and management offices, and classroom instruction at the Philip Randolph Career and Technical Center during a 40-hour week Mondays through Fridays.

“This is a remarkable opportunity for our students to gain practical experience as they choose between college and a career to work,” said Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb.

The summer program was open district-wide to 75 currently enrolled or recently graduated DPS students between the ages of 16 and 21 years old. Applicants also had to pass an interview evaluation and maintain a 2.5 grade point average to be accepted in the program. Student workers are paid $250 per week and will be given an additional $900 bonus after a final examination in August as an incentive to complete the program.

“I’m learning a lot of new things and doing things that I never thought I would,” said 17-year-old Desmond Galloway, a student at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School. “I will take all the things I have learned from this program and use them in my everyday life.”

The DPS Summer Apprenticeship Program is complying with child labor regulations established by the United States Department of Labor and youth employment standards set by the Michigan Legislature for workers under age 18.

Detroit voters approved the Proposal S Bond Referendum last November which enabled the district to access $500.5 million in federal dollars for school capital improvement projects. DPS received the 6th largest allocation in the nation.

The DPS School Construction Project will build a total of seven new schools from the ground up. Eleven more will receive extensive renovations or additions. All 18 schools are scheduled for completion by September 2012 to comply with federal guidelines.

The three-year improvement project also includes district-wide technology upgrades and security initiatives being funded with the Proposal S dollars. Federal regulations stipulate the bond dollars must be spent within three years.

For more on the DPS School Construction Project go to www.dpsschoolconstruction.org.

Contact:
Steven Wasko at 313-873-4542
Kisha Verdusco at 313-873-8401
steven.wasko@detroitk12.org
kisha.verdusco@detroitk12.org

Detroit Public Schools parents will be given the opportunity to enroll their children in almost any DPS school they choose – regardless of geographical boundary — under the Open Enrollment Initiative that begins Tuesday July 6.

DPS is already an open enrollment district, but this formal initiative is unprecedented and will be parents’ only window of opportunity to change their children’s school assignments.

“The Open Enrollment Initiative is critical because it will help create an orderly academic environment from Day One when the new school year begins this fall,” said Karen Ridgeway, executive director of the Detroit Public Schools Office of Research, Evaluation, Assessment and Accountability. “We will be able to generate student schedules sooner so valuable instructional time won’t be wasted.”

Letters containing information and a questionnaire are being sent to all district parents today and a marketing campaign aimed at getting all students re-enrolled will be launched on Tuesday, ahead of an August general campaign to boost enrollment. Parents are expected to fill out one questionnaire for each child and will be allowed to select first, second and third choice schools.

The Open Enrollment Initiative does not apply to examination high schools or application schools, which have separate enrollment processes, but it will allow parents to select the school they think best suits their child’s needs. To help guide the decision, a new edition of the Detroit Public Schools Guide 2010-2011 will be available at enrollment service centers.

There will be three enrollment periods, with priority dates given to students whose schools are closing. Those students will be assigned to a school based on their address, but they may choose another school. The enrollment periods are as follows:

Students whose schools are closing: July 6-16
Students whose schools are not closing: July 16-23
Students who need special education services: July 6-Aug. 31

Enrollment will take place Mondays through Fridays at nine service centers throughout the city. They are:

DPS Welcome Center, 3031 W. Grand Blvd., (313) 873-9974, 8:30 a.m.-4:40 p.m.
Harris Building, 3700 Pulford, (313) 866-3775, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Breithaupt Career & Technical Center,9300 Hubbell, (313)-866-9550, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Central High School, 2425 Tuxedo, (313) 852-6995,7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Cody High School, Room 112, 18445 Cathedral, (313) 866-9497, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Brenda Scott School, 18400 Hoover, (313) 866-6268, 7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Duffield Elementary, 2715 Macomb, (313) 494-8350,8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Priest Elementary School, 7840 Wagner, (313) 216-5675,7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Charles Wright Academy, 19299 Berg Road, (313) 538-3024, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Students may enroll in their school of choice as long as the school has not reached capacity for their particular grade. Enrollment preference will be given to students who live within the boundary of a school, and those students will be provided transportation if they meet the district’s criteria. Students who choose to attend schools outside their boundaries will not receive transportation

As part of the initiative, all Detroit Public Schools families:

• Will receive a letter that confirms the selection for each student in the family and informs them of the school in which each child is expected to attend this fall. Students must attend the assigned school on the first day of school. Transfer requests will not be honored during the first weeks of school.
• Are expected to have all students to report to school and attend all classes the first day of school, Tuesday, September 7, 2010.
• Attendance agents will be sent to the homes of students who did not report to class the first day of school. Parents will be required to re-enroll all students who did not attend school on the first day.

Additional Resources

• Open Enrollment Guide
• 2010-2011 School Finder Guide
• Get more information on the Open Enrollment Initiative Summer 2010

Contact:
Steven Wasko at 313-873-4542 or Jennifer Mrozowski at 313-873-8401

Detroit-Detroit Public Schools parents, students, faculty and officials, joined by civic and community groups, broke ground today on the new $45.3 million Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Senior High School. Once construction is complete in 2011, the new MLK building will be a LEED gold certified, state-of-the-art facility that will emphasize a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum, house a cyber caf

Contact:
Steven Wasko at 313-873-4542
Kisha Verdusco at 313-873-8401
steven.wasko@detroitk12.org
kisha.verdusco@detroitk12.org

After an exhaustive community vetting process, which included more than 40 local community meetings and nine Town Hall meetings since the list of candidate schools for closure was announced just over two months ago, Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb has made significant changes to the district’s five-year Master Facilities Plan, a $1 billion strategy in two phases to ensure most students attend classes in new or recently renovated schools that are equipped to offer a 21st century education.

The first phase of the Master Facilities Plan, which includes a $500.5 million “Proposal S” voter-approved construction project beginning this month, will transform the district by renovating some schools, replacing others with brand new buildings and consolidating student populations to create a smarter, leaner DPS. The plan will reduce 3 million square feet of excess space and save the district $28 million over the next three years, with more savings to come as more efficient buildings are put into use. Capital improvements beyond those funded through Proposal S are subject to future voter approval through a community-led process.

Thirty-two school buildings and one support building will be closed this year, nine school buildings will be closed in the 2011-2012 school year and four school buildings will close in the 2012-2013 school year, totaling 45 school buildings closed over the three-year period. Some programs will see dramatic changes, including the expansion of Detroit International Academy, which serves girls in grades 6-12 into a K-14 school. Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men, which serves boys in grades 6-12, will also see a K-14 expansion. Seven schools will see grade reconfigurations and the Barbara Jordan program will close and the building will house the new teacher-run University District Preparatory Academy.

“To make the right decisions in the best interests of the students and families, we needed to hit the ground and go right to the heart of each affected community. The plan we have today reflects that,” said Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb. “The reality is that schools must close, but we have done our best to ensure that in every case children will benefit from our decisions.”

“This plan is focused on improving schools in every neighborhood so all DPS students can attend a safe, secure facility that promotes academic success,” Bobb said.

Additionally, more school closures could take place next year, with some likely to be schools that fall into Michigan’s Recovery Zone, which is comprised of the lowest-achieving 5 percent of schools in the state.

The closures being announced today, which will be effective this month, were based on a variety of factors, including enrollment, demographic trends of the surrounding community, cost of operation, building condition and academic performance. Also taken into account was City of Detroit development data. Students who qualify for busing will continue to receive transportation to their new schools. Summer school programs will continue as planned at campuses slated for closure.

The schools that were removed from the closure “candidates” list are: Bagley, Carstens, Communication and Media Arts High School, Detroit City Alternative High School, Detroit Day School for the Deaf, Dossin, Catherine Ferguson Academy for Young Women, Glazer, Hally Magnet, Kettering High School, Kettering West Wing, MacDowell, Mason, Sherrill and Southwestern High School and Thirkell.

Dossin will remain open after parents and staff recruited more than 90 new families who were served by a nearby charter school that is closing. The students and staff at MacDowell and
Mason made impactful presentations about the strength of their programs and the need to protect the district’s northern borders from competing entities. Glazer will remain open given development initiatives undertaken by nearby Focus: Hope, with whom DPS will partner.

Northwestern High School, which was slated to be replaced by several alternative programs, will remain open. The Northwestern building will become the site of Ben Carson Academy, a new high school focusing on the medical professions. The school, which is named for the famous neurosurgeon and DPS graduate, will partner with one or more of the nearby hospital medical campuses, beginning with a freshman class in the fall of 2011.

Southwestern High will temporarily house Earhart Middle in a wing while a new PK-8 school is built on the Earhart site. The area near the school is expected to see some development, which will make the school more viable.
Communication and Media Arts, which was initially slated for closure because the building is in poor condition, is a finalist in a national competition to win a building makeover. The School community made a strong commitment to maximum the capacity of the building by recruiting “new” students to its school and the District.

In addition, Detroit Day School for the Deaf will be expanded to serve high school students through a special inclusion program that will allow students to take core subjects at the school and other subjects at traditional high schools, through sign language interpreters. Middle school students will have an inclusion program with Edmonson, which is expanding to eighth grade. The programs will be compliant with state and federal laws.

Catherine Ferguson Academy will accept teen mothers from the Boykin Continuing Education Center, which will close. Catherine Ferguson will become a transition school, where students will be expected to move on to traditional high schools.

Kettering High will serve students from Trombly in a wing of the school, which will reduce costs and raise the enrollment of the building, while giving more students access to the newly repaired swimming pool and other amenities at Kettering.

Thirkell will accept students from the closing Jamieson Elementary, located less than a mile away.

Academically achieving programs at Bagley, Carstens, Hally and Sherrill will remain open.

In addition, the program at Malcolm X Academy, Detroit Public Schools’ first African-centered program, will move to a location within Durfee School.

The new closures will be: Barsamian, Hancock, Longfellow Annex and Detroit Transition Center East and West. The school district will work with the communities affected at those schools.
Students who currently attend Detroit Transition Center East and West, where facilities are inadequate to meet the needs of students it serves with severe mental and physical challenges, will attend classes at the Drew building, which will receive $5 million in renovations to accommodate them. The building has only one story, which will make navigation easier for physically impaired students. Drew will be moved to Parker.

Bobb stated that the district will work with the communities at two schools that serve expelled students, the Barsamian Preparatory Center and the Hancock Center, to determine potential alternatives to serve those students due to extremely high operating costs per students, as high as $41,000, that far exceeds state reimbursement at the existing schools.

Some of the closures, including Harding and Earhart Middle schools, will be temporary because new schools are being built on the same sites.

More than 30 receiving schools will receive improvements in lighting, fencing, mechanical systems, roofing and security this summer to prepare them for additional students. The district will spend approximately $19 million from Proposal S, a $500.5 million voter-approved bond measure, to improve the learning environments at schools that will be reconfigured.

On the west side of the city, Lessenger Elementary will be reconfigured as the Dixon PK-8 program and the school will receive mechanical upgrades, bathroom renovations and improved lighting. Murphy, Taft and Emerson, which have successful academic programs, will also receive capital improvements to support their grade reconfigurations and new students. On the east side, Spain, Golightly, Duffield and Kettering High School will also see improvements this summer.

The 2011-2012 school closures will be: Duke Ellington, which will become part of the Detroit School of Arts East program in the Beckham buildings. It will serve as a feeder program for DSA High School. Gompers, Maybury and Vetal will close to move into brand new buildings, while Hamilton, which has seen declining enrollment, will be closed and its boundary absorbed by Brown and Carstens.

Among the 2012-2013 closures will be Barton, O.W. Holmes, Logan and Parker, which will close that January and the students moved into brand new schools built, with Barton and Parker students attending the new Mackenzie PK-8 school to be built nearby the former Mackenzie High School and O.W. Holmes and Logan students attending the new Munger PK-8 to be built at the current Chadsey/Munger site. Crockett and Finney High schools will close later that year and move into a new building. Rutherford PK-5, which has declining enrollment, will close that year and its boundary will be absorbed by Bow PK-8 and JR King PK-8.

The Detroit Public Schools Master Facilities Plan:|
- Supports the district’s Academic Plan by expanding the number of PK-8 programs, developing PK-14 campuses that offer Dual Enrollment and College Suites and creates or expands specialized programs for Arts, Communications, Math, Science and Technology
- Reduces 3 million square feet of space and cuts operating costs by $21.3 million in 2010 and ensures lower maintenance costs when newer facilities come on line in the future
- Has the potential to invest more than $1billion throughout the city, with the goal of strengthening each neighborhood by closing outdated, underutilized schools and placing students into modernized or rebuilt structures that facilitate 21st century learning
- Will coincide with the district’s $41 million security plan that will ensure safety and security at every school

Phase I will see the investment of $500.5 million from federal stimulus bonds, starting this summer, while Phase II will require a future investment of $500 million.

• Final List of School 2010-2012 Closures/Repurposing
• Final Decision Regarding Building Closures, Repurposing of Buildings and Program Changes 2010 Through 2012
• School Closure Summaries

Contact:
Steven Wasko at 313-873-4542 or Jennifer Mrozowski at 313-873-8401

Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School Rendering

Detroit-Detroit Public Schools is launching the first three construction and renovation projects as part of the district’s $500.5 million bond program that together total $64.1 million dollars in contracts, and will mean more jobs for Detroit residents and more work for Detroit-based companies.

The DPS School Construction Project, which will build and renovate schools and includes district-wide technology upgrades and security initiatives, are part of the Detroit Public Schools’ three-year capital improvement construction project being funded with $500.5 million federal stimulus dollars following voter approval in November of Proposal S.

Up to 1,375 Detroiters will be hired for the first three school projects.

“Today is an exciting day for Detroit Public Schools, Detroit residents and the City of Detroit,” said Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb. “Thanks to voters for passing Proposal S, DPS is about to launch three major construction and renovation projects that will mean state-of-the-art learning facilities for our students that are bound to attract families and improve neighborhoods. And as we promised during our campaign, we are pleased that the bond program is aiding Detroit’s economy by awarding work to Detroit residents and Detroit companies.”

Work at the first three schools, totaling $64.1 million, is set to get underway in June. They are:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School, 3200 E. Lafayette, which will be completely rebuilt
• John R. King Academic and Performing Arts Academy, 15850 Strathmoor, which will have major renovation
• Marcus Garvey Academy, 2301 Van Dyke, which will have major renovations

Bobb announced the projects today on the Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School campus where a new school will be built.

A new $45.3 million building will replace the existing Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School with a state-of-the-art facility emphasizing a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Curriculum. The new building will have a cyber caf

Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb this week released the details of his five-year plan to ensure every Detroit school is a Center of Excellence.

The Academic Plan proposes to build a system of schools where what children learn – language arts, mathematics, science, history, geography, civics, and the arts – is consistent across the district, with expectations of achievement that are consistently high and fulfilled.

“Some people may think our plan is too ambitious, but the bottom line is that we have lagged behind for far too long. We now need rocket boosters behind us to turn around DPS.” Bobb said. “Our academic plan will make DPS schools competitive with the best schools in the city, suburbs and beyond because we will be gauging our success not against Michigan’s standards, but against more rigorous national standards.”

Chief Academic and Accountability Auditor Barbara Byrd-Bennett and her team spent several months working with Bobb on the plan, which takes some cues from previous plans that were created for the district, but never implemented. The expectations and the plan for implementation go further than previous plans.

“This plan provides very specific directions on how to get students where they need to be: In the line of graduates waiting with anticipation to receive a diploma,” Byrd-Bennett said. “When we achieve the goals we’ve set, it will be clear to everyone what students must know and be able to do to earn that diploma and what they, too, must do to support students along the way.”

By 2015, the district expects to see an increase in student achievement as measured by:

- 100% of students of students scoring advanced or proficient on reading and math in grades 3-8 on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP), high school Michigan Merit Examination (MME), and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
- All schools making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
- 99 percent or more student retention at all grades
- 98 percent daily student attendance rate
- More children who move out of special education
- 98% graduation rate
- 100% application and acceptance rate to postsecondary institutions
- Additional National Board certified teachers
- Dropout rate lowered to 3%
- DPS expects decreases in students retained at each grade, student suspensions and expulsions, and referrals and placement of students in special education.
The plan ensures curriculum consistency across the district, pre-kindergarten through grade 12, in reading and writing, mathematics, science, and social studies. The curriculum will be based on the high standards in the plan.
The district will eliminate social promotion so that students are promoted from one grade to the next only if they can do the work in the higher grade.
DPS will change from course credits to Carnegie units. (A Carnegie Unit is 120 hours of class or contact time with a teacher over the course of a year.)
The plan will:
- expand the time for reading and mathematics in pre-kindergarten to grade 8 to 120 minutes

- help reinforce skills learned in reading and other subjects through an arts program

- increase the number of languages taught; offers language courses at more schools

- design programs for special needs students to ensure that they master the most important concepts and skills and, as much as possible, teaches special needs students in classrooms with their regular education peers

- ensure that high-quality programs for students learning English respect the needs and cultures of the learners
- create programs for gifted students in grades 3-12, and offers more Advanced Placement classes for high school students

- increase student participation in apprenticeships, internships, shadowing, and mentorships that lead to future employment, and in the construction of new schools as a part of the master facilities program

- provide an orderly, safe, secure, and drug-free environment with a zero-tolerance policy and enforced codes of conduct

- help students in grades K-12 learn to handle their differences and disputes more constructively with the implementation of a conflict resolution curriculum

- ensure that school facilities are inviting; well maintained; and have the necessary supplies, materials, and resources to support quality teaching and learning

- organize schools into two levels: pre-kindergarten through grade 8, and grades 9 through 12

- offer new schools to serve the diversity and talents of our students, including magnet schools for science or business, virtual schools that students can attend online, district-sponsored charter schools, and Early College where students earn college credits in high school

- provide additional resources to schools in a Priority School District, one with both low-performing and high-achieving schools, in exchange for commitments to extend the school day and year for students

- redesign, restructure, reopen or close low-performing schools with aggressive efforts to reverse student failure

- develop a system of services, provided by the district or in cooperation with external organizations, to ensure that students and their families have access to social, guidance, and health services, including school-based health clinics, and co-curricular activities

- give students more time for learning, both after school and in the summer

- give students interested in co-curricular activities alternatives to football, basketball, and softball through participation in intramurals for sports such as swimming or golf, and citywide performing groups such as jazz ensemble or gospel choir

- identify, select, develop, and maintain a highly qualified pool of teachers and support staff at all schools, with particular attention to schools with traditionally low performance

- develop a single tool for the annual evaluation of managers, school leaders, teachers, and support staff across the organization and a process for peer assistance and review

- hold all school staff accountable for meeting school benchmarks and targets

- support and reward high-performing and significantly improving schools with bonuses.

Contact: Steven Wasko at 313-873-4542 or Jennifer Mrozowski at 313-873-8401

Detroit Public Schools has made great strides in several key financial areas since March 2, 2009, including reducing the district’s deficit from a projected $305.9 million to $219 million and addressing many of the previous problematic audit findings.

Those and other findings come from the district’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and Annual Single Audit for the year that ended June 30, 2009.

“We are focused on the district’s financial condition like a laser beam and will continue to do whatever is necessary, even if it means midyear cuts based on reductions in state aid, as we reforecast the budget,” said Robert Bobb, DPS’ Emergency Financial Manager. “We will not ever again repeat the actions and inaction that led to this budget being out of control, including seven consecutive years of deficit spending. And, we know that our financial operations are directly linked to providing strong academic programs.”

Detroit Public Schools submitted its fiscal Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and Annual Single Audit for the year that ended June 30, 2009 to the State of Michigan six days earlier than the deadline – on Tuesday, Nov. 10. All Michigan school districts must complete their annual financial audits by Nov. 15. (Since Nov. 15 falls on a Sunday, this year’s deadline is Nov. 16).

Last year, the district did not submit its CAFR and Annual Single Audit to the State until Dec. 10, 2008. In addition, DPS receives an “unqualified” or clean audit opinion from the external auditors – Rehmann Robson — for the fiscal year 2008-09 financial statements.

DPS’ Status Report on Addressing Prior Year Audit Findings

The last year’s audit reported a total of 84 findings or issues. There are two types of findings. Fifty-three (53) of the findings were related to financial reporting and thirty-one (31) were for administering and compliance of federal programs. DPS received nearly $200 million in federal grants in fiscal year 2007-08 and approximately $255 million for fiscal 2008-09. Accordingly, federal grants are critical to the success of the District.

In early March 2009, Bobb established a working group comprised of Ricardo Kisner, Chief Financial Officer; Kevin Clinton, Executive Director of Federal and State Programs; and Christopher Nelson, Chief Information Officer, to develop and implement a comprehensive corrective action plan to eliminate these deficiencies. As a result of the efforts of a number of dedicated DPS employees, the following was achieved for this year’s audit:

Financial Reporting Findings:
Resolved, 47, 89%
Partially Resolved, 4, 8%
Not Resolved, 2, 4%

Federal Program Findings:
Resolved, 17, 55%
Partially Resolved, 7, 23%
Not Resolved, 7, 23%

Total of All Findings:
Resolved, 64, 76%
Partially Resolved, 11, 13%
Not Resolved, 9, 11%
(Note: percentages are rounded)

The following are among key issues that the district has addressed and that are now being implemented:
- Correcting numerous audit findings.
- Implementing a comprehensive corrective action plan to improve internal controls and integrity of financial information.
- Restructuring the Finance Division to recruit, develop, retain, and attract competent staff at all levels.
- Establishing leadership and management development programs to prepare finance staff for new roles in the organization.
- Re-engineering all internal fiscal processes to optimize efficiencies and cost effectiveness.
- Regularly benchmarking with governmental and private sector organizations to adopt and implement best-in-class processes.
- Preparing comprehensive written policies and procedures that cover all aspects of the District’s financial operations.
- Leveraging new technologies to implement a new budgeting and forecasting system that will integrate with the District’s PeopleSoft enterprise resource planning system.
- Establishing an internal capital asset program planning unit within the Office of Budget and expanding the Office of Accounting Fixed Asset Group to better monitor and track the bond program and other assets of the District.
- Partnering with colleges and universities to establish internship programs.
- Establishing the Finance Division’s annual business plan and performance measures that links to the District’s strategic plan and academic plans.

Other areas where DPS has shown marked progress is in reducing overall audit costs and incurring an accumulated general fund deficit significantly less than originally budgeted and forecasted.

Reduction in Audit Costs

DPS spent approximately $1.9 million in professional fees for the prior year audit.

For this year, the total cost of the audit, plus outside accounting assistance, is $1.3 million – a $600,000 or 31.6% reduction. By competitively bidding the audit, providing training and support to DPS finance staff, and adhering to strict timelines and schedules, DPS was able to reduce the cost and the number of days required to complete the audit. In addition, the district received an “unqualified” or clean audit opinion from the external auditors.

Actual Accumulated Deficit Significantly Less Than Originally Anticipated

One of the key purposes of this year’s financial audit is to determine the district’s actual accumulated general fund deficit. In March 2009, Bobb authorized an independent review of DPS’ financial situation in order to forecast the accumulated deficit at June 30, 2009 if no corrective action was taken. At that time, it was estimated that the deficit would balloon to be over $305.9 million by June 30, 2009 [see page 44 of the June 30, 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report]. Bobb took immediate action to reduce personnel; conduct various internal audits to weed out fraud, waste, and abuse; cancelled unnecessary and exorbitant contracts; maximized the use of federal, state, and private grants and donations; and established a new culture of accountability.

According to the report, DPS’ June 30, 2009 financial statements as audited by Rehmann Robson reflects an accumulated general fund deficit at June 30, 2009 of $219.0 million or $86.9 million less than the original estimate of $305.9 million.

“We fully acknowledge that significant work still needs to be done to completely eliminate the deficit over the next three to four years,” Kisner said.

Additional Resource

2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Single Audit Report