Although I was unable to attend Monday’s class and hear the last group facilitate their lesson plan, I decided to reflect on the readings the group assigned. To be honest, my knowledge of Detroit’s education system is limited to what I have heard on the radio or read in the news, so it would have been beneficial to see how the group delivered the information and facilitated discussion.
Both readings painted a pretty dire picture of the state of education in the city–the worst math scores in 40 years, some of the nation’s lowest graduation rates, outdated class curriculums, 200 teacher vacancies, schools closing down. Although the list of problems are complex and layered, I think it’s important when taking in information of any kind to consider what is occurring outside of the system to further exacerbate the issue. I think it’s easy for media outlets to report problems singularly, but as we know from our studies, problems do not occur in a enclosed vacuum. For instance, when emergency managers took over DPS an obvious power structure was at play. From the sound of it, the decisions made by Finance Manager Robert Bobb were more politically motived, borne out of self-interest, than out of any real concern for the students. I believe this is also a lesson in identifying the values and motives of all parties involved in the system.
Although I didn’t have a chance to formally say good bye to the class, it has been a privilege to learn alongside such a well-rounded group. I appreciate the genuine dialogue and vulnerable of all my peers this semester. I can honestly say this has been one of the most enjoyable classes at the university thus far.
JD Musings 