Historical Overview of School Social Work Service

School Social Work Service evolved from the Visiting Teacher Program which originated in New York in the 1920's. Frances Range, a Visiting Teacher in Rochester, New York, was selected by Frank Cody, School Superintendent, to come to Detroit and work under the auspices of the Teachers College to demonstrate how visiting teachers provided service. The Commonwealth Fund was established in New York City and provided scholarships for those teachers interested in additional study of social work. Sara Kerr was the first Detroit teacher selected as a Commonwealth Fund recipient; she studied in New York for a year.

In 1927, Sara Kerr became the first Visiting Teacher for the Detroit Public Schools. The focus of the Visiting Teacher Program was to provide service to delinquent boys. The superintendent of schools identified those students as the primary candidates most in need of intervention. Ruth Shields, a substitute teacher in the school system, became the second recipient of the Commonwealth Fund Scholarship and the second Visiting Teacher. Sara Kerr and Ruth Shields were both supervised by Frances Range until her resignation in 1929. Subsequent to the resignation of Frances Range, Alice B. Metzner, Supervisor of Special Education supervised the two visiting teachers.

The State Visiting Teacher Program

The State Visiting Teacher Program was initiated in Michigan in 1944 via a special session of the State Legislature. There had been a growing recognition by school leaders and professionals in the community on the benefits of visiting teacher services in early identification and intervention with children. The Visiting Teacher Program had become a vital part of the schools’ mental health program. Upon enactment of the law, an appropriation of $185,000 was authorized for the Visiting Teacher Program in Michigan. The law provided special state aid for one half, (up to $1500 per year) of visiting teachers’ salaries. Detroit Public Schools, participating in this program and Act 38 of Public Acts 1944, established the Detroit Visiting Teacher Program. Sara Kerr was the first Supervisor of Visiting Teachers.

The Visiting Teacher Program impacted cases involving:

Personality difficulties, withdrawn and unhappy behavior
Failure to achieve in school commensurate with ability
Behavioral difficulties
Adverse home conditions

By 1944, the Visiting Teacher Program had grown to approximately twenty visiting teachers. During the 1944-45 school year, thirty-two visiting teachers were employed in Detroit, along with two clerical assistants. Each visiting teacher assigned to an elementary division had a group of schools. These teachers were selected from the regular teaching staff based mainly on the recommendations of their school principals.

All visiting teachers had to be approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction before employment by the Board of Education. Approval was recommended to the Department of Public Instruction by the training institutions approved for the educational preparation of visiting teachers (mainly Wayne State University and the University of Michigan). In addition, Sara Kerr and Ruth Shields provided in-service training after school hours. Minimum qualifications were set up at two levels: full approval and temporary approval.

During the late 1940’s the focus of service shifted from delinquent boys to students who were experiencing school adjustment problems. All city schools received service, with emphasis on young students in elementary schools. Students at the junior and high school levels received minimum service. The visiting teachers provided services to the schools four days a week; one day was permitted for record keeping.

State aid was paid on the basis of one visiting teacher for every 2,500 students in the public schools. The state believed that about two percent of the school population would require assistance from the Visiting Teacher Program. Consequently, the active case load per visiting teacher averaged between forty and seventy students per month.

During the 1950’s the Visiting Teacher Program continued to exist under the auspices of the Department of Evaluative Services. Sara Kerr continued her responsibilities as supervisor. The program grew in size from thirty-four to forty-one Visiting Teachers; the number of psychological consultants also increased, from four to five. The program, as a whole, had a total staff of fifty-nine.

The program continued to grow with significant changes occurring in the 1950’s. The title of supervisor was changed to director, with Sara Kerr becoming the first Director in 1964. Upon Sara Kerr’s retirement in 1965, Ruth Shields served as Director until her retirement in 1968. In February 1968, Public Act 343, now know as P.A. 258, mandated services to private schools. This mandate required a redeployment of staff to service an additiona1 100,000 children in the private sector.

In 1966, a statewide change from Visiting Teacher Program to Department of School Social Work Service was implemented. There was no longer a requirement for a School Social Workers to be a certified teacher. However, School Social Workers were required to have a Master’s Degree in Social Work. The state reimbursed three-fourths of the salary. School Social Work Service became autonomous from Evaluative Services in 1968. School Social Workers reported to the Associate Superintendent of the Office of Child Accounting and Adjustment (subsequently known as the Office of Pupil Personnel Services).

During the 1960’s the emergence and implementation of different treatment modalities were instituted in School Social Work Service. While staff continued the traditional casework method of providing school social work services to children and their families, other treatment methods, such as group work and community organization evolved. A major staff effort was put into prevention services. Approximately seventy-one School Social Workers were responsible for providing services to a public school population of 300,000 students and a private school population of more than 100,000 students.

In the 1970’s the Detroit Public Schools became decentralized and was divided into nine regions; each region had a Department Head for School Social Work Service. The Director, Milton Weiner, who had been appointed in 1969, was directly accountable to the Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Pupil Personnel Services. Under decentralization, the director was no longer responsible for supervising or evaluating the department heads. The School Social Work Department Heads were directly accountable to the Region Superintendents. The director provided consultation to the department heads, held regular meetings, and scheduled planning and programming for staff. Service to children of all ages continued, but a great deal of emphasis was placed on early identification and intervention.

The early 1980’s were a challenge for School Social Work Service. Loss of federal and state funds contributed to a considerable loss of staff in 1981. Student enrollment decreased to approximately 200,000, yet the types of students referred for school social work service required more intensive services. In February 1981, the special education process through Public Act 451 was implemented in the Detroit Public School System. Students suspected of a handicap were referred for evaluation to determine eligibility for special education programs and/or services. School Social Workers were designated by Michigan Administrative Rules/Guidelines as one of the primary evaluators for students suspected of being eligible as Emotionally Impaired. With this designation School Social Workers assumed the dual responsibilities of evaluator and mental health therapist for Detroit Public Schools students. In 1987, new Michigan Special Education Laws took effect, including Autism as a disability. School Social Workers are mandated evaluators for Autism Spectrum Disorder, as it is currently known.

The Department continued to provide vital services to the school system in spite of difficult times. The Department was without a Director from January 1981 to September 1983, when Mrs. Mildred Ellis was appointed. Mrs. Ellis served as Director of School Social Work Service until her retirement in 1987. Significant changes began to occur as a result of her outstanding leadership, and the changes were expanded by her Assistant Director, Mrs. Harriet Kirk, who later became the Director.

School Social Work Service has grown since the early 1920’s, when there were only two School Social Workers. In 1996, School Social Work Service had an Assistant Director, nine Supervisors, and more then 200 School Social Workers. In 1999 the Department of School Social Work Service became known as the Office of School Social Work Service. By 2006 the Office of School Social Work Service had increased to 259 School Social Workers; however, the administrative staff had been reduced to a director and five supervisors.

The problems of the 90’s: crime, child abuse, drugs, violence, unemployment, family dysfunction, and related social problems served to accentuate the critical role of the School Social Workers as we moved into the 21st century. Crisis and emergency intervention have placed increasing demands on School Social Workers as the school system responds to student and staff needs.

Currently, under the leadership of Director Arezell Brown, the following school concerns continue to be addressed by the Office of School Social Work Service: violence, sexual abuse/assault, rape, suicide, early intervention and prevention, parent education, drop-out prevention, homelessness, substance abuse, autism, and other social/emotional problems that interfere with learning. The focus of the Office of School Social Work Service is to serve students and families and adhere to federal and state mandates, while complying with the laws and legislation of IDEA, 504, Title I, McKinney-Vento (Homeless Assistance Act) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

The Office of School Social Work Service is proud of the important role it assumes in assisting students. We recognize that the service provided by School Social Workers contributes significantly to the students’ readiness for learning, and enables him/her to take advantage of the educational opportunities offered by Detroit Public Schools.