Charters 101: Creating a New Educational Love Fest by Akindele Akinyemi

Unfortunately, some people like to work my nerves with foolishness. Parents are crying for more educational options and when someone like myself defends the position of families we still hear ignorance and fear.

The entire education debate is coming into full swing here in Detroit and the rest of Michigan. In Detroit alone there is a fierce debate ongoing over the expansion of charter schools. We STILL have people spreading ignorance on charters so let's take a class on Charter 101.

Charter 101

Charter schools are publicly funded elementary or secondary schools in the U.S. that have been freed from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter.

In Michigan three kinds are allowed: 1) Public School Academies (PSAs) chartered under Part 6A of the revised school code, 2) Urban High School Academies (UHSAs) chartered under part 6C of the revised school code to operate within Detroit, and 3) Strict Discipline Academies (SDAs) chartered under Public Act 23 of 1999 to serve suspended, expelled or incarcerated young people.

Charter schools may include grades K-12 or any combination of those grades. They may not charge tuition, and must serve anyone who applies to attend; that is they may not screen out students based on race, religion, sex, or test scores. Students are selected randomly for admission if the number of students applying exceeds the school's enrollment capacity. Charter teachers must be certified and highly qualified; charter students are assessed annually as part of the Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP). Charter schools cannot be religiously affiliated.

Any parent, group or entity may apply for a public school academy charter, which are governed by publicly appointed boards. A PSA is funded through the State School Aid Act. A PSA receives funding through the per-pupil base foundation. By law, this amount may not exceed the per-pupil base foundation received by the local school district where the PSA is geographically located.

Now why I am bringing all of this up? Read the comments below:

This brother (Akindele) is well intentioned. But, he is misguided. You should take some time to check out the rest of his blogs/websites. His dominant issue, educational choice, is ripping our school district apart. It is because of Akindele, John Engler and others of their ilk that DPS will no longer be a Class A school district. By siphoning off thousands of our students, and millions of our dollars, these "educational choices" have sent an already struggling district prematurely spiraling towards a financial disaster.

This comment came from the President of the Michigan Young Democrats Khari Wheeler who urged some of the grassroots activists to stop with the so-called "Akindele Love Fest." He is trying to make this education debate a Democrat vs Republican thing when I am concerned about the gross immorality that has taken root in Detroit Public Schools, charter schools and even in the home. All of us should be outraged at the repeated failures of public education in general regardless of our party affiliation.

First, no one is ripping Detroit Public Schools apart. I will demonstrate 31 ways how DPS is destroying itself without the aid of schools of choice.

1. Associated Press DETROIT (June 6, 2008) - An elementary school on Detroit's east side is under attack by teenagers in the area, police said. A bullet went through the back window of the principal of Gabriel Richard Elementary School while she pulled out of the parking lot earlier this week.

Police said they are not sure if the principal was targeted or a victim of a random shooting.

In recent weeks, teenagers have entered and the school and the playground and attacked elementary school children as young as 5 years old.

"High school kids are coming into the school to jump on the children, and those incidents are not being reported," said concerned parent Andrea Tellis.

Parents and teachers said they are disturbed because the violence has been escalating as time goes by.

"They need more Detroit police around here everyday," said neighbor Valerie Williams.
Assistant Vice Principal Ivan Branson confirmed the problem; however, he downplayed the parents' concerns and said it's a safe school.

2. The Detroit School District as a whole did not make AYP this year at all. From elementary to high school.

3. On May 16, 2008 it was reported that Detroit Public Schools faced a $45 million deficit. Later, the deficit has reached $65 million deficit. The reality is DPS is $600 million in the red.

4. The DPS student population was 157,003 for the 2002-2003 school year, and has fallen to 106,485 for the 2007-2008 school year. This number is going to drop under 100,000 for the first time since 1918 to pave the way for more charter schools.

5. Detroit Public Schools will close 95 schools by 2009. Where are the children going to go?

6. The plan to secure and close 67 schools has been called "botched" and incomplete after $3 million spent on the task, with nearly half of the schools not having been cleaned out, and a football field of materials being warehoused. The process has been plagued by vandalism and theft. Redford High School on the city's west side has broken windows.

7. The district sought labor union concessions of $105 million, and the Detroit Federation of Teachers expects 300-500 teachers to retire or resign this summer. Additionally, principals and assistant principals will not receive the second half of their raises expected this year. Who will lead DPS in the fall?

8. There have been numerous incidents, including a food fight with over 300 students causing 52 students to be expelled, and a diabetic student unable to eat all day, after DPS recently laid off a large number of cafeteria workers.

9. Brenda Scott Middle School Principal Beverly Butler forbade students from purchasing milk or juice with their home made lunches, and required that all lunches not include sweets and chips as a disciplinary measure.

10. 450 more teachers were laid off, a championship chess team with a budget in previous years of $120,000 was defunded, and teachers without Spanish language skills were moved to bilingual schools to replace laid off teachers.

11. In 2006, The Detroit News condemned teacher's complaints regarding closing schools, saying that the teachers themselves know there is a problem with DPS, and that teachers are more likely than the general public to send their kids to private schools. So why do they have a problem with more charter schools opening?

12. An analysis of the financial crisis by the Michigan Citizen blamed the takeover board and former CEO Kennith Burnley for the cuts, pointing out that the district's deficit of $19 million per year can largely be attributed to debt payments of $19 million per year incurred from a $210 million loan from the state made by that board. At a meeting, teachers accused the board of inflating capacity figures and allowing the district to violate per classroom student limits.

13. A Detroit Free Press report showed that the district spent $1.3 million on conferences, catering, hotels, and related items. The district indicated that grants paid for much of that. This compares to a district budged of $1.3 billion.

14. DFT president Virginia Cantrell criticized the plan to close 52 schools, calling for a systematic, data driven approach, and saying that it would encourage more families to leave DPS. She later suggested that Governor Granholm take over DPS.

15. In March 2007, a revised facilities plan calls for 39 schools to close this year, with 4 possible schools closing next year, and 10 schools that may close. It also reorganizes some schools and creates 23 themed schools. It has not yet been approved by the facilities committee or the DPS board. Who sits on the DPS board that are running for State Representative? Terry Catchings in District 5, Jimmy Womack in District 7 (who is backed by Mayor Kilpatrick and Sen. Buzz Thomas and Rep. Virgil Smith) and Annie Carter in District 11.

16. August, 2007, the Michigan Department of Education fined Detroit Public Schools $6 million for operating an illegal alternative schools program.

17. DPS has closed its alternative schools program for the 2007-2008 school year.

18. October 23 2007, at a meeting of the Detroit School Board at Western High School, Essie Taylor, President of Stewart Learning Academy, expressed concerns, saying "We don’t have security. I know things take time, but we don’t have the time." She also stated "We have a sixth grade boys’ class with over 60 students. These children are not coming first." She also stated that the district made only 2 of 12 promised repairs. . Deborah Fisher of DPS blamed a lack of text books in Detroit Public Schools on the transfer of 22,000 students, and the failure of each individual school to request additional textbooks in a timely manner.

19. December 6 2007, the Detroit Free Press reported that books and records were left to rot in closed Detroit Public Schools buildings. The 33 buildings are not being maintained.

20. December 19 2007, columnist Daniel Howes of the Detroit News bluntly wrote, "In making the rounds this week of the city's dailies, the schools chief painted a picture of financial mismanagement that is stunning in its ineptitude, corruption and possible criminality. It's sickening, this mess that essentially says the education of 105,000 Detroit students is less important to bureaucrats than gaming an inefficient system awash in taxpayer dollars and crying for more.", in response to an apparent visit by Detroit Public Schools Superintendent Connie Calloway. nt>

21. DPS contractor Aramark Facilities Management was blamed for failing to properly secure schools closed on April 4 2007, incorrectly cited as having been paid a $15 million oversight fee for the work. The Aramark contract was for computer work and counting assets, and was for $498,644. The Michigan Citizen reported: "Including the Aramark contract, the $3.15 million Vacant Properties Security, Inc. contract for cement window coverings, and a $2.1 million contract with the MPS Group for “re-alignment cartage services,” only $5.8 million of the $18 million that the district estimated it would take to close the schools has surfaced."

22. Schools were flooded and textbooks destroyed before being boarded up for an additional $3.2 million in December 2007. Parents have been complaining about a lack of textbooks in the remaining schools. City High School and other closed schools were vandalized, with damages "at least in the millions.

23. 103 of Detroit Public School's 225 schools did not meet the goals in the Federal No Child Left Behind Act, up from 63 last year.

24. 70,000 students are eligible for free tutoring under the No Child Left Behind Act, but only 10% of them participate. Many observers blame the Detroit Public Schools for failing to adequately publicize the availability of tutoring by the November 19 deadline, and not using radio adds or other media, for financial reasons.

25. As part of a nationwide study, John Hopkins University labeled the following DPS schools as "dropout factories" because less than 60% of incoming freshmen made it to their senior year.

26. In December, 2007, the Detroit Free Press reported that the Department of Education for the State of Michigan warned the Detroit Public Schools that it would be forced to fine DPS for failing to provide private tutoring for children in failing schools, and for failing to allow those students to transfer to a different school.

27. In a December 24, 2007 Detroit News editorial, Reverend Edgar Vann of Second Ebenezer Church on the North End of Detroit called on DPS to stop school gang violence as a necessary prerequisite to improving student performance, saying "we have violence that causes some schools at times to be virtually out of control. This is not conducive for learning."

28. On March 29, 2006, students at Mackenzie High in Detroit staged a walkout to protest the lack of textbooks and toilet paper. 32 were arrested, with 8 charged for disorderly conduct, and 1 for inciting to riot. Students complained that they had only one textbook per 3 students, an administrator had an expensive plasma television, amid allegations of a missing $3,000, and leaking roofs which damaged 45 new computers in storage.

29. On August 31, 2007, Detroit Public Schools announced that they have opened a Detroit Police mini-station in Henry Ford High School. However, this effort for safety failed when Detroit Police clashed with students from Henry Ford High School that spilled over to Kentucky Fried Chicken on Evergreen and 7 Mile Road on the Northwest side of the city.

30. Only 24% of DPS students graduate from high school ON TIME.

31. The city had collected $259 million through the millage between 2002 and the fall of 2005, without renewed voter approval.

After reading this why would you put your children in a system that was never designed to work. It is based on a factory model not a technology model.

Mr. Wheeler continues his tirade:

"Has anyone stopped to ask Mr. A what happens to the children that will be invariably left in the DPS once the charter schools have reduced the district to a shadow of its former self? What happens to all of the Highly Qualified Teachers and high standards for qualification? What happens to all of the learning disabled children who the charter schools conveniently don't address because it doesn't fit their bottom line. What happens to the coordination of standards? What happens to JROTC?"

Let's take a look at what is going on in charters:

A. Charter public schools in Detroit exceed the local district on 24 of 27 tests - up from 20 last year.

B. Statewide, charter public schools exceeded the average scores of their host districts on 23 of 27 tests — compared to 19 last year.

C. Detroit Edison Public School Academy is the only Detroit school to receive a Michigan Department of Education 2006-07 Blue Ribbon for outstanding improvement strategies and delivering quality education.

D. During the past two years, the Skillman Foundation has recognized excellence among the city’s charters by awarding 14 Good Schools grants to them.

E. Nine Detroit charter schools — and 18 in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties — are “beating the odds,” using a state standard that requires at least 50% of students to qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch and at least 60% proficiency in math and English language arts on the MEAP. The Detroit charters are MLK Jr. Educational Center, Winans Academy of Performing Arts, YMCA Service Learning Academy, DEPSA, Plymouth Educational Center, Detroit Merit Charter Academy, University Preparatory Academy, Warrendale Charter Academy and Old Redford Academy.

F. University Preparatory Academy in Detroit sends 90% of its graduates to college.

G. In Detroit, 71% of charters made AYP last year, vs. 54% of traditional schools.

H. Charters can have a positive impact on a community’s well-being by providing educational options that attract and retain families and their associated tax base.

I. Detroit charter public schools hire teachers in Detroit, invest in city buildings, and help improve the tax base in Detroit.

J. With the passing of Proposal A, Michigan law allows parents to decide what public school is best for their children. Choices include the local district, a district nearby or a charter public school district…parents choose and funding follows.

K. In Detroit, 95% of charter teachers are certified or permitted, compared to 83% in the traditional district. Across the state 95% of charter school teachers are certified compared to 91% of non-charter teachers that are certified.

L. Charters DO provide special education services. It’s the law. About 9% of charter students have special needs; some schools have rates topping 30%. (This debunks Mr. Wheeler's position on how charters do not service special education students).

M. Significantly, charter school special education students out-performed their peers in their host districts by a dramatic 6-15 percentage points on the 2006-07 MEAP tests.

N. Fine and performing arts — For example, students who attend the Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts receive the equivalent of nearly $225,000 in performing arts lessons by the time they graduate.

O. Tutoring — For example, DEPSA has a new student development center, engages middle schoolers in tutoring kindergartners, offers in-school assistance, before- and after-school academic programs and a voluntary Saturday program that draws 200+ students weekly.

P. Old Redford Academy offers sports programs and requires its high school students to maintain a rare 2.5 GPA in order to participate.

Q. Community High School in Detroit won its district baseball title last year — after going a year without a team because coaches told students they had to improve their grades before playing.

R. The number of charter schools "beating the odds" climbed from 25 last year to 40 this year. These primarily urban schools meet a state formula requiring at least 60% proficiency in math and English language arts, with at least half of the students qualifying for free- or reduced-price lunch.

S. When the Detroit Chapter of the Black Alliance for Educational Options and MAPSA conducted a survey on the top issues facing parents and students in schools SAFTETY was #1 NOT academics. Most parents feel that Detroit Public Schools have become a battleground for death instead of academic acheivement.

T. The Advanced Technological Academy in Dearborn, MI bought the old Davenport University in Dearborn for their high school program. Advanced Technology Academy is the only school in the nation to fully implement the Ford PAS program as the cornerstone of its high school curriculum. This high tech facility will help us assure that every student leaves high school with the career pathway skills needed to succeed in college and the work place.

U. University Prep Academy is building a brand new 7-12 grade campus at the Detroit Science Center. The only group to oppose this was Detroit Federation of Teachers.

V. Strong multiculturalism exists in charter schools. For example, consider Hamtramck's 350-student Frontier International Academy, a charter school serving grades 6-12. About 1/3 of its students are Arabic; 1/3 are Bengali; another 15% are from Bosnia, Croatia and Poland; and the final 15% are African-American. Frontier features Arabic taught in all grades. Strict discipline policies, character education and uniforms demonstrate order and safety. English-as-a-second-language (ESL) instruction is a staple.

W. Nearly 60 percent of Michigan charter public schools work with a small service provider serving five or fewer schools, or with no service provider.

X. Michigan was one of 10 to receive a federal grant in 2007 to help create new charter schools and increase school choices for families. Michigan will receive nearly $22 million over the next three years -- the fourth largest amount.

Y. African American charter students outperformed their host district peers in both math and English language arts on the 2006-07 and also exceeded the state average by 1 point in math and nearly 1.5 points in English language arts.

Z. Michigan charters receive an average $2,289 per student less than their traditional host district schools in total revenue, according to the Michigan Department of Education 2007 charter school report. At that rate, charters save taxpayers more than $200 million a year.

To earn a charter — or operating contract — a potential public school academy must gain the approval of an authorizer, which itself has been authorized for this purpose by state law. In Michigan, authorizers include public universities, community colleges, K-12 school districts and intermediate school districts. In exchange for greater freedom from all of the regulatory burdens facing conventional public schools, authorized public school academies generally agree to meet stricter performance standards. Since charter public schools operate at public expense and are in the business of caring for children, it is reasonable to argue that they should go through a formal approval process before opening their doors. Thus, the first line of defense against particularly poor potential public school academies is that they must meet the standards of the authorizers. This process cannot be unduly restrictive, however, as innovative schools need the opportunity to enter the market.

The second and most important check on charter public school quality is parental choice. For parental choice to operate as a quality control mechanism over public school academies, we must assume two things. First, we must operate under the assumption that parents tend to know what is best for their children. Next, we must ensure that parents have information about the performance and attributes of the available schools. By helping to ensure the proper public reporting of charter and conventional public school characteristics, the MDE can play a role in supporting informed parental choices.

Parental choice operates as a quality control mechanism against public school academies of inferior quality because such institutions will ultimately go out of business if they are not providing quality educational programs. Supplied with information about school performance, the same parents, who had chosen a given charter public school as an alternative to the conventional public school, will no longer send their children to a low-quality school. Without students, inferior public school academies will fail, but it is this freedom for public school academies to fail which is precisely what drives them to perform and to respond to parental input.

Some state Board of Education members have stated that we cannot trust the authorizers to monitor everything about public school academies; fortunately, we don’t have to. According to the Center for Education Reform, 25 unsuccessful charters have closed in Michigan since 1993, when the movement began here. Whether it is because of the oversight of the authorizers or because of schools’ inability to meet parental standards, quality controls over public school academies appear to be operating with relative success.

What I find strange is the fact that all of these people who are against charter schools in Detroit received the benefit of an excellent education themselves. In fact, Mr. Wheeler attended Renaissance High School in Detroit while many of us went to other schools such as Mumford and Central High Schools. You have to take an entrance examination to get into Renaissance. Show me one charter high school where you have to take a test? It's illegal in Michigan for any charter high school to adminster entrance examinations. Therefore, a charter high school success is based on leadership, accountability, integrity and trust of both students and parents. The curriculum and discipile must be strong in order for that school to work.

Charters can implement JROTC or military-style schools.

Now let's go deeper than what Mr. Wheeler has accused me of (which is fine).

The other reason why charter schools are needed in Detroit because charter schools are making an impact on community economic development. Community-based organizations are starting their own schools, and charter schools are expanding their services, growing into comprehensive community organizations. As neighborhood schools improve, fewer urban families are moving to the suburbs in search of quality public education. Charter schools are purchasing or leasing and renovating vacant and dilapidated properties.

The impact of charter schools on community economic development is visible in three major ways. CBOs view charter schools as a means to expand their current services and provide one-stop shopping for their target population. Second, as neighborhood schools improve, fewer young, urban, middle-income parents are fleeing cities in search of quality education. As a result, classrooms become more diverse and the economic base remains steady. Finally, because charter schools are not provided with a building, they are purchasing or leasing vacant, dilapidated properties, and renovating them into spectacular new schools and even community centers.

Now, Mr. Wheeer did not even mention to the public how the absence of competition is why a government monopoly on education is failing our children. Due to compulsory attendance, DPS schools rarely need to worry about attracting students, operating efficiently, or being accountable to the public. As long as taxes are being paid, school bureaucracies can count on a constant cash flow. With little accountability, it is no wonder that a significant portion of the budget government school districts spend has little to do with teaching students and a lot to do with bureaucratic administration.

Education markets can only lead to quality educational opportunities when there is both choice and competition. In order for there to be choice, parents must have quality alternatives available. For competition to be legitimate, excessive barriers to entry into the market cannot interfere with supply.

Opening up competition for private and other schools will help remedy this problem. All schools will be forced to become more attractive to students, more cost-efficient, and more accountable if they are to remain competitive. If a school fails to accomplish these goals, students will leave that school and attend competing institutions that provide a better education. This creates the incentive for a school to offer innovative services, quality facilities, and excellent academics, for if it does not, its competitor a few blocks away will certainly land more students. The market has ways of ensuring superior products are rewarded and inferior products weeded out. A competitive marketplace for education would be no different.

DPS enrollment is expected to drop to about 98,300 students when classes resume in the fall. That is down from 167,000 students in 1999-2000. The number of teachers during that time span has fallen from 8,600 to 6,300. About 800 teachers could be included in any staff reductions.

Mr. Wheeler also failed to mention how Michigan businesses and institutions of higher learning spend more than $600 million per year to make up for the lack of basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills among high school graduates and employees. Assuming that other states had comparable experiences, the national cost due to the lack of basic skills is conservatively estimated to be $16.6 billion each year.

Mr. Wheeler fails to mention how Detroit Public schools are the most segregated school system in Southeast Michigan. The current system—whereby government assigns students to schools based on the neighborhoods in which they live—already has created a stratified school environment. Government schools are stratified by race and income because students are assigned to schools according to where they live. School choice removes or reduces the importance of geographic and political boundaries, thereby encouraging greater social, racial, and economic integration of students.

Every poll that has been taken on the issue of charter schools locally and regionally over 85% of young families support educational choices. Yet, Mr. Wheeler takes the direct opposite position of this.

What is embarassing to see is a young brother such as Mr. Wheeler fall for many lies in a leadership position. For example, he said this.

"What happens to all of the Highly Qualified Teachers and high standards for qualification?"

The "anti-teacher" argument against school choice seems to assume that the government school system is nothing more than a big jobs program with education ranking second in importance. School choice makes the education of children the top priority by allowing parents to choose the best school for their children. There is nothing inherently "anti-teacher" about choice: Many government school teachers themselves choose to place their children in private schools. As long as demand for education exists, there will always be jobs for teachers.

Government schooling in the United States has become increasingly expensive to taxpayers. In the 1969-70 school year, every man, woman, and child in the United States contributed $850 (in 1996-97 dollars) to support government schools. By the 1996-97 school year, expenditures grew to $1,181 per citizen, or more than $313 billion per year. Some put the expenditures on education at a much higher level. According to research by Merill Lynch, a global investment firm, the United States annually spends $740 billion on education, or nearly 10 percent of the nation's gross domestic product. That amount is more than the nation spends on defense and Social Security combined.

According to Janet Detloff, the former chair of the Math and Sciences Division at Wayne County Community College:

The Detroit Public Schools are terrible. Most of the students who come to us not only lack math and English skills, but they lack basic academic skills. They have no idea what is expected of them at the college level. They don't know how to take notes. They don't read the assigned material. And many of them don't even come to class. How did they get through high school without these skills? Many of them were promoted for social reasons—they were getting too old; they had repeated the grade three times; they would otherwise fail-out. So they graduate without the skills they need to succeed, not only in academics, but in the workplace. Local employers often find the same problems with their employees that we are addressing here—truancy, lack of attention to detail, inability to complete tasks. I remember one student who called me complaining that she had received an 'F' in a course even though she had attended every day. She didn't understand that she actually had to master the basic course material. That was foreign to her.

On a personal note I can relate to this. I, too have attended Wayne County Commuinity College at the Downtown Detroit campus and saw first hand what Ms. Detloff is talking about. I had students in my English class that could not read, write or comprehend information. So, I cannot understand why Mr. Wheeler would try to target my position on education when he himself have blinders on.

The following report is what the Detroit Public Schools's budget for 2006-2007.

Source: Michigan Department of Education

Description	Detroit City School District 2006-7	Per Pupil	Statewide Total 2005-6	Per Pupil
Average Daily Attendance: As Defined by State Law	105,590.61	1.00	1,574,023.09	1.00
Revenue: Local Property Tax	197,160,174.69	1,867.21	5,103,408,554.25	3,242.27
Revenue: Non-Local Property Tax	0.00	0.00	8,402,770.51	5.34
Revenue: Other Local Government Units- Property Tax	0.00	0.00	1,583,432.60	1.01
Revenue: Other Local Government Units- Non-Property Tax	0.00	0.00	8,417,155.37	5.35
Revenue: Tuition From Individuals	1,079,098.94	10.22	32,581,288.91	20.70
Revenue: Tuition From Other LEAs Within the State	0.00	0.00	48,915,073.06	31.08
Revenue: Transportation Fees From Individuals	0.00	0.00	10,435,017.65	6.63
Revenue: Transportation Fees From Other LEAs Within the State	0.00	0.00	72,470,365.57	46.04
Revenue: Earnings on Investments	15,085,754.56	142.87	249,397,404.83	158.45
Revenue: Food Service (excluding federal reimbursements)	6,510,291.35	61.66	233,864,393.33	148.58
Revenue: District Activities	0.00	0.00	62,070,212.26	39.43
Revenue: Other Revenue from Local Sources	16,004,969.84	151.58	435,838,540.06	276.89
Revenue: Textbook Revenue	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Revenue: Summer School Revenue	0.00	0.00	2,133,522.73	1.36
Revenue: Local Sources of Revenue Subtotal	235,840,289.38	2,233.53	6,148,132,292.50	3,906.00
Revenue: Revenue From Intermediate Sources	0.00	0.00	10,806,223.99	6.87
Revenue: Revenue From State Sources	918,069,419.36	8,694.58	11,259,665,575.26	7,153.43
Revenue: Grants-in-Aid Direct From the Federal Government	11,203,300.00	106.10	53,403,142.50	33.93
Revenue: Grants-in-Aid From the Federal Government Through the State	254,713,656.40	2,412.27	1,386,959,727.43	881.16
Revenue: Grants-in-Aid From the Federal Government Through Other Intermediate Agencies	3,669,681.00	34.75	77,749,777.14	49.40
Revenue: Other Revenue From Federal Sources	2,209,560.00	20.93	42,405,522.38	26.94
Revenue: Federal Sources of Revenue Subtotal	271,796,197.40	2,574.05	1,560,518,169.45	991.42
Revenue: Other Sources of Revenue	0.00	0.00	2,868,270,253.94	1,822.25
Revenue: Total Revenue From All Sources	1,425,705,906.14	13,502.15	18,979,122,261.20	12,057.72
Expenditures: Instruction: Salaries	477,592,430.44	4,523.04	5,968,872,406.36	3,792.11
Expenditures: Instruction: Employee Benefits	208,869,191.15	1,978.10	2,744,178,730.27	1,743.42
Expenditures: Instruction: Purchased Services	35,182,437.96	333.20	426,490,836.00	270.96
Expenditures: Instruction: Tuition Payments Outside the State, and to Private Schools	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Instruction: Tuition and Voucher Payments to Other LEAs and Charter Schools Within the State	0.00	0.00	23,303,682.84	14.81
Expenditures: Instruction: Supplies	43,034,051.01	407.55	280,225,934.55	178.03
Expenditures: Instruction: Property	2,602,724.81	24.65	52,011,471.66	33.04
Expenditures: Instruction: Other	102,261.42	0.97	23,178,534.64	14.73
Expenditures: Instruction: Subtotal	764,780,371.98	7,242.86	9,442,946,441.82	5,999.24
Expenditures: Instruction: Special Exhibit Items: Salaries Paid to Teachers in Regular Education Programs	278,092,139.00	2,633.67	4,136,847,803.65	2,628.20
Expenditures: Instruction: Special Exhibit Items: Salaries Paid to Special Education Teachers	87,104,512.14	824.92	774,870,653.31	492.29
Expenditures: Instruction: Special Exhibit Items: Salaries Paid to Vocational Education Teachers	15,073,197.16	142.75	133,593,062.19	84.87
Expenditures: Instruction: Special Exhibit Items: Salaries Paid to Teachers in Other Programs for Pre-K-12 and Un-graded[1]	47,933,500.19	453.95	214,664,467.41	136.38
Expenditures: Instruction: Textbook Expenditures For Classroom Instruction	15,549,704.65	147.26	70,878,391.55	45.03
Expenditures: Support Services: Students: Salaries	66,875,362.99	633.34	784,407,055.24	498.35
Expenditures: Support Services: Students: Employee Benefits	28,991,248.08	274.56	340,186,835.22	216.13
Expenditures: Support Services: Students: Purchased Services	4,817,588.60	45.62	70,624,987.18	44.87
Expenditures: Support Services: Students: Supplies	1,042,176.03	9.87	12,376,610.93	7.86
Expenditures: Support Services: Students: Property	23,531.37	0.22	1,660,179.91	1.05
Expenditures: Support Services: Students: Other	27,480.05	0.26	2,633,820.92	1.67
Expenditures: Support Services: Students: Subtotal	101,753,855.75	963.66	1,210,229,309.49	768.88
Expenditures: Support Services: Instruction: Salaries	36,022,273.43	341.15	435,620,681.99	276.76
Expenditures: Support Services: Instruction: Employee Benefits	14,013,128.70	132.71	189,800,252.55	120.58
Expenditures: Support Services: Instruction: Purchased Services	9,351,035.00	88.56	141,262,369.20	89.75
Expenditures: Support Services: Instruction: Supplies	8,542,939.00	80.91	55,811,966.28	35.46
Expenditures: Support Services: Instruction: Property	551,291.00	5.22	11,481,462.88	7.29
Expenditures: Support Services: Instruction: Other	1,007,118.23	9.54	4,902,621.97	3.11
Expenditures: Support Services: Instruction: Subtotal	68,936,494.36	652.86	827,397,891.99	525.66
Expenditures: Support Services: General Administration: Salaries	3,802,003.18	36.01	130,861,727.00	83.14
Expenditures: Support Services: General Administration: Employee Benefits	1,497,729.31	14.18	58,643,175.16	37.26
Expenditures; Support Services: General Administration: Purchased Services	3,725,267.35	35.28	134,535,622.19	85.47
Expenditures: Support Services: General Administration: Supplies	158,073.17	1.50	6,590,024.25	4.19
Expenditures: Support Services: General Administration: Property	74,937.89	0.71	1,873,855.34	1.19
Expenditures: Support Services: General Administration: Other	59,333.40	0.56	11,194,537.51	7.11
Expenditures: Support Services: General Administration: Subtotal	9,242,406.41	87.53	341,825,086.11	217.17
Expenditures: Support Services: School Administration: Salaries	64,287,368.95	608.83	616,862,512.68	391.90
Expenditures: Support Services: School Administration: Employee Benefits	28,128,934.70	266.40	278,220,975.99	176.76
Expenditures: Support Services: School Administration: Purchased Services	4,832,505.12	45.77	87,294,065.14	55.46
Expenditures: Support Services: School Administration: Supplies	404,425.50	3.83	14,271,225.22	9.07
Expenditures: Support Services: School Administration: Property	37,709.06	0.36	2,426,902.35	1.54
Expenditures: Support Services: School Administration: Other	0.00	0.00	3,632,438.94	2.31
Expenditures: Support Services: School Administration: Subtotal	97,653,234.27	924.83	1,000,281,217.97	635.49
Expenditures: Support Services: Operations and Maintenance: Salaries	73,606,052.95	697.09	580,979,518.23	369.10
Expenditures: Support Services: Operations and Maintenance: Employee Benefits	40,044,954.03	379.25	317,005,256.28	201.40
Expenditures: Support Services: Operations and Maintenance: Purchased Services	31,865,530.51	301.78	435,760,333.63	276.84
Expenditures: Support Services: Operations and Maintenance: Supplies	37,104,303.15	351.40	476,158,462.14	302.51
Expenditures: Support Services: Operations and Maintenance: Property	1,446,540.98	13.70	43,026,738.11	27.34
Expenditures: Support Services: Operations and Maintenance: Other	180,672.42	1.71	4,485,135.38	2.85
Expenditures: Support Services: Operations and Maintenance: Subtotal	182,801,513.06	1,731.22	1,814,388,705.66	1,152.71
Expenditures: Support Services: Student Transportation: Salaries	15,746,724.90	149.13	321,440,326.05	204.22
Expenditures: Support Services: Student Transportation: Employee Benefits	11,761,167.96	111.38	177,589,531.08	112.83
Expenditures: Support Services: Student Transportation: Purchased Services	24,722,695.51	234.14	150,643,055.20	95.71
Expenditures: Support Services: Student Transportation: Supplies	2,333,845.02	22.10	87,017,062.11	55.28
Expenditures: Support Services: Student Transportation: Property	171,205.40	1.62	60,421,592.46	38.39
Expenditures: Support Services: Student Transportation: Other	0.00	0.00	1,738,767.80	1.10
Expenditures: Support Services: Student Transportation: Subtotal	54,564,433.39	516.75	738,428,742.24	469.13
Expenditures: Support Services: Other Support Services: Salaries	16,737,333.21	158.51	312,797,298.23	198.72
Expenditures: Support Services: Other Support Services: Employee Benefits	12,897,795.54	122.15	152,762,300.07	97.05
Expenditures: Support Services: Other Support Services: Purchased Services	45,389,145.22	429.86	201,610,511.08	128.09
Expenditures: Support Services: Other Support Services: Supplies	1,041,760.00	9.87	24,346,874.97	15.47
Expenditures: Support Services: Other Support Services: Property	70,905.44	0.67	37,955,253.07	24.11
Expenditures: Support Services: Other Support Services: Other	7,775,121.48	73.63	94,675,695.22	60.15
Expenditures: Support Services: Other Support Services: Subtotal	83,841,155.45	794.02	786,192,679.57	499.48
Expenditures: Support Services: Total by Object: Salaries	277,077,119.61	2,624.06	3,182,969,119.42	2,022.19
Expenditures: Support Services: Total By Object: Employee Benefits	137,334,958.32	1,300.63	1,514,208,326.35	962.00
Expenditures: Support Services: Total By Object: Purchased Services	124,703,767.31	1,181.01	1,221,730,943.62	776.18
Expenditures: Support Services: Total By Object: Supplies	50,627,521.87	479.47	676,572,225.90	429.84
Expenditures: Support Services: Total By Object: Property	2,376,121.14	22.50	158,845,984.12	100.92
Expenditures: Support Services: Total By Object: Other	9,049,725.58	85.71	123,263,017.74	78.31
Expenditures: Support Services: Total By Object: Subtotal All Support Services	598,793,092.69	5,670.87	6,718,743,633.03	4,268.52
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Food Services Operations: Salaries	10,764,617.58	101.95	144,803,257.43	92.00
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Food Services Operations: Employee Benefits	6,227,329.50	58.98	67,201,600.06	42.69
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Food Services Operations: Purchased Services	21,406,090.58	202.73	93,786,769.82	59.58
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Food Services Operations: Supplies	2,234,248.72	21.16	214,195,914.92	136.08
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Food Services Operations: Property	131,119.93	1.24	8,776,812.94	5.58
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Food Services Operations: Other	0.00	0.00	4,382,865.74	2.78
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Food Services Operations: Subtotal	40,632,286.38	384.81	524,370,407.97	333.14
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Enterprise Operations: Salaries	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Enterprise Operations: Employee Benefits	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Enterprise Operations: Purchased Services	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Enterprise Operations: Supplies	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Enterprise Operations: Property	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Enterprise Operations: Other	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Non-Instructional Services: Enterprise Operations: Subtotal	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Program Support: Textbooks for Public School Children: NOT including Property	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Program Support: Textbooks for Public School Children: Including Property	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Program Support: Transportation for Public School Children: NOT Including Property	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Program Support: Transportation for Public School Students: Including Property	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Program Support: Employee Benefits for Public School Employees: NOT Including Property	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Program Support: Employee Benefits for Public School Employees: Including Property	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Program Support: Direct Program Support for Private School Students	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Program Support: Direct Program Support for Public School Students: NOT Including Property	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Program Support: Direct Program Support for Public School Students: Including Property	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Program Support: Direct Support Subtotal	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Current Total Expenditures	1,404,205,751.05	13,298.54	16,686,060,482.82	10,600.90
Expenditures: Facilities Acquisition and Construction Services: Non-Property Expenditures (Construction)	0.00	0.00	145,912,325.47	92.70
Expenditures: Facilities Acquisition and Construction Services: Property Expenditures	25,875,352.99	245.05	1,427,689,091.08	907.03
Expenditures: Facilities Acquisition and Construction Services: Equipment	2,449,242.61	23.20	197,775,271.17	125.65
Expenditures: Community Services: NOT Including Property	8,388,182.81	79.44	265,706,730.82	168.81
Expenditures: Community Services: Including Property	22,080.82	0.21	1,840,356.74	1.17
Expenditures: Direct cost Programs: Non-Public School Programs	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct cost Programs: Adult Education	12,438,577.11	117.80	86,049,944.28	54.67
Expenditures: Direct cost Programs: Community College	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Cost Programs: Other	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Expenditures: Direct Cost Programs: Property	0.00	0.00	373,112.89	0.24
Expenditures: Direct Cost Programs: Direct Cost Programs Subtotal	12,438,577.11	117.80	86,049,944.28	54.67
Expenditures: Property	33,522,526.76	317.48	1,847,312,100.60	1,173.62
Expenditures: Total Expenditures For Education	1,458,555,037.73	13,813.25	19,031,041,583.99	12,090.70
Expenditures: Other Uses: Debt Services: Interest	78,146,946.23	740.09	848,168,592.94	538.85
Expenditures: Other Uses: Redemption of Principal	58,059,846.69	549.86	1,034,510,289.78	657.24
Expenditures: Other Uses: Other Uses Subtotal	136,206,792.92	1,289.95	1,882,678,882.72	1,196.09
Exclusions From Current Expenditures For State Per Pupil Expenditure: Title 1 Expenditures	135,065,163.56	1,279.14	359,577,105.33	228.44
Exclusions From Current Expenditures For State Per Pupil Expenditure: Title 1 Carryover Expenditures	42,948,660.44	406.75	47,257,945.65	30.02
Exclusions From Current Expenditures For State Per Pupil Expenditure: Funds, Part A,Title V, Amended NCLB Act of 2001[1]	1,378,283.00	13.05	4,857,786.14	3.09
Exclusions From Current Expenditures For State Per Pupil Expenditure: Title V, Part A Carryover Expenditures	76,386.00	0.72	1,669,574.74	1.06
Average Daily Attendance: As Defined by NCES	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00

If Detroit Public Schools are spending a whopping $764,780,371.98 on instruction in the district how come our children are not graduating on time? How come our schools are failing in the district? In fact, DPS spends $1,404,205,751.05 (or $1.4 billion) on running the district? Charters are clearly NOT the problem but mismanagement of money is the problem.

Detroit Public Schools receive $7,557.00 per pupil from the Department of Education. But DPS needs more money to run the district. A school system that operates off of $1.4 billion dollars does not need anymore money. Again, charter schools are NOT the issue here. Too many people have been lied and deceived. This is why we need a Covenant for Detroit TODAY.

Let's go deeper into the lies that Mr. Wheeler is telling you about charter schools. Let's take a look at the June 2008 state aid report that Detroit Public Schools received.

STATE OF MICHIGAN 2007-2008 State Aid Financial Status Report Payment Dated: 06/20/2008

SUMMARY OF REGULAR PAYMENTS

10/22/2007 $78,546,469.35
11/15/2007 $5,930,443.30
11/20/2007 $80,038,066.85
12/20/2007 $0.00
01/22/2008 $0.00
02/20/2008 $0.00
03/20/2008 $73,109,621.16
04/21/2008 $73,225,780.93
05/15/2008 $0.00
05/20/2008 $72,480,225.44
06/20/2008 $75,603,256.76


There's more...

CURRENT YEAR ALLOWANCES Current Amt
22a PROP A OBLIGATION $45,395,985.73
51c SPEC ED HEADLEE OBLIGATION $7,973,534.43
26a RENAISSANCE ZONE $473,298.35
22b DISCRETIONARY PAYMENT $12,605,324.70
29 DECLINING ENROLLMENT $661,844.02
31A AT RISK $ $5,020,603.60
31d SCHOOL LUNCH $163,754.30
32d MICH SCHOOL READINESS $1,443,310.20
41 BILINGUAL EDUCATION $648,571.96
61a.1 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION $127,136.42
64 HEALTH/SCIENCE MIDDLE COLLEGE $36,360.00
61a.2 VOC. ED. ADMINISTRATION $1,090.80
99.1 MATH AND SCIENCE $10,078.81
99c MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH $0.00
107.1 ADULT EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS $429,928.04

Total spent: $74,990,821.36

This is money speant JUST IN JUNE alone in DPS. If we look at how much charter schools receive per pupil we will see they only receive $7,475.00 and operate far less than any Detroit Public School. So how can charters be of ANY threat if DPS generates $1.4 billion annually? The only threat that Mr. Wheeler fails to mention is the threat of competiton.

To sum it all up The Covenant for Detroit is all about progress. Proponents of the Covenant are not interested in beating a dead horse with old and outdated ideas. The core reason why DPS has failed its students is because they still use a factory model form of schooling instead of a technology based model. Clearly, I just showed you how much money DPS has so what is the excuse?

The Covenant for Detroit is all about movement. We do not care if you vote Democrat or Republican or Independent we need to reestablish morality in our communities. It's sad that we have young men breaking into foreclosed houses only to conduct sexual origies with each other and go back to their girlfirends and wives. Immorality is out of control in our communities and politicians are getting greedier with their sick lifestyles. We must bring back core principles in order to restore order in our homes and schools.

Mr. Wheeler should not waste time trying to debate me on an issue such as charters vs DPS. DPS authorizes charters schools in the district so this is a baseless argument. Instead, I am concerend about moving our children into competiting globally to help them understand the importance of a 21st century workforce. Michigan has an unemployment rate of 8.5% and while 80,000 jobs exist currently in the state too many of us are not prepared to work because of the lack of basic skills. Parents should not be forced to send their children to failing public schools because they could not get into Renaissance or Cass Tech. That is not fair. We should, as a team and community, promote more educational choices for our children to give them a safe environment.

Let's not work against each other but work towards a goal of educating our children the correct way. I urge those who want to see change to join in the Covenant for Detroit.