  Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 5 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 64.25.200.14 |
I'll be graduating from CMU in a couple of years as an elementary school teacher, and I'm thinking of moving to Detroit after graduation. I've read a lot in the news and on this forum, both good and bad, about the Detroit's schools, but everything you read about deals with the high schools. Does anyone have idea what the elementary schools are like in Detroit? What are some good ones? What schools need work? I appreciate any info you guys can give. | ||
Belleislerunner Member Username: Belleislerunner Post Number: 236 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 198.204.133.208 |
This site allows you to compare elementary schools based on academic strength, teacher/student ratio, economic status and ethnicity for DPS schools. Should help you out w/ some objective data. http://www.greatschools.net/cg i-bin/cs_compare/mi/?level=e&a rea=d&district=346&sortby=name &tab=acad | ||
Ltorivia485 Member Username: Ltorivia485 Post Number: 2433 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 199.74.87.51 |
Chrysler and Bates are your best bets. <--- Chrysler Alum | ||
Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 6 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 141.209.33.142 |
Wow, that link was really helpful Belleislerunner, thanks! | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 813 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 152.163.100.8 |
Also, get to know you connections through the education department at CMU. They will be able to give you inside info on a lot of things. Professors know a lot of people, and can help guide you into good teaching situations. The website into on greatschools.net is only half the info, you want to know about administration in and outs, etc. | ||
Morena Member Username: Morena Post Number: 396 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 216.45.2.138 |
What are they teaching you at CMU? Don't you believe that all kids are good? Don't you already believe that all kids can achieve at high levels? Don't you also know that there's always room for improvement? What are our schools like? They're filled with black children and they're overloaded. There are many students without dad's and many are eligible for free and reduced lunch, which means that many are poor. Why don't you ask yourself questions like, will I adjust my teaching strategies to meet the needs of my students? Will I commit to staying after school, without getting paid, in order to further my students with homework? Will I make my school environment better for kids and colleagues by maintaining a positive attitude? Will I make the commitment, no matter how hard things get, to stick it out in Detroit? Tough? You bet. | ||
Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 7 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 141.209.33.142 |
Thanks Bob, the staff here is really helpful from a professional point of view. I was kind of hoping someone could give me info from maybe a parent's point of view too. | ||
Gary Member Username: Gary Post Number: 125 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 66.73.238.5 |
Stay away from charter schools at all costs. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 815 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 152.163.100.8 |
Charters are not the best teaching situation, because they are usually run by a corporation who is trying to make a profit. They pay the teachers less than public schools, skimp on benefits, and are prone to very high turnover of teachers, due to the fact that most want out of there at the first chance. Also if you look at their test scores, most are in much worse shape than most DPS schools, and will start having state enforced sanctions very soon. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 284 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 69.242.223.42 |
All the state sanctions for education will accomplish little unless the kids and their parents wise-up first and actually get down and do something constructive. Again, it's been the sow's ear/silk purse caper over and over for some three or four decades already, especially in DPS and some inner 'burbs. | ||
Belleislerunner Member Username: Belleislerunner Post Number: 239 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 198.204.133.208 |
Most of us as employees are evaluated based on our performance. We have goals, deadlines, sales targets, quotas. Education reform will only work once the teachers are held financially accountable for their students. Perhaps if teacher's salaries were based on student's test scores, teachers would have more of a motivation to teach than merely babysit. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1252 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.238.170.31 |
Stay away from Vetal school! Just so you know, a lot of the elementary positions are already filled and it appears that a lot of potential openings will be filled with teachers moving around due to the full implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act and the inevitable layoffs that will happen due to the loss of students. Don't get your heart set on Detroit, but if you do find an opening, go for it. | ||
Motorcitymayor2026 Member Username: Motorcitymayor2026 Post Number: 588 Registered: 10-2005 Posted From: 24.231.189.137 |
and u can also still move to the city and work in the burbs  | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 425 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 68.2.191.57 |
all students would get perfect grades. LOL | ||
Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 8 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 141.209.34.191 |
Thanks for all the advice guys, especially in regards to charter schools. We do hear a lot about them here, along with school of choice and other alternatives, but I didn't realize they were underperforming in Detroit so badly. Morena, in regards to your post I didn't mean anything about the children. I come from a teaching family, and have actually been tutoring in the summer since I was 15. Rest assured that I do know that every child has vast potential, and I will do whatever I have to to adjust to the individual students. As far as the race of the students in the school, I don't care. It's whats in their heads that's important, not whats on the face. EVERYONE is unique. My post was more asking about how the schools were set up, what problems some have and what are good points, which everyone on this post has been very helpful with. Thanks guys! | ||
Zulu_warrior Member Username: Zulu_warrior Post Number: 2638 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 205.188.116.137 |
Zulu's vote is The Foreign Language Immersion Cultural Studies school (K-8 next year...) Bates and Chrysler are close seconds | ||
Morena Member Username: Morena Post Number: 397 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 216.45.2.138 |
Andyguard: With everything being posted here, I strongly recommend you pick the worst academically performing Detroit elementary school and make the commitment to go there and make a difference! Based on what you say about yourself, the most underserved and poor performing school children would benefit tremendously by having you help them. | ||
Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 12 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 141.209.29.116 |
Morena I agree. I know talking to a lot of people in classes here they are going into teaching because they want to make a difference. We're an idealistic group I guess. It's important for every student to get the best chance they can. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1263 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.238.170.39 |
On the flip side, many of the worst performing schools are performing so poorly due to inept administrators (I didn't say all administrators). So your efforts as a teacher may be wasted if the person in charge of you is thwarting your every move with incompetence. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 817 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 205.188.116.137 |
Yes, Bvos is correct, there are a lot of inept administrators out there, and they are the reason why there are bad teachers left in schools. Lack of parent support can also hurt a school, but there is never one single reason a school is failing. It is usually a combination of factors. Don't look for the problem of poor administrators to be fixed anytime soon. There is a huge shortage of them, so a lot of times, there is not a qualified administrator to take the place of the inept one. People do not want to deal with all the crap an administrator has to deal with. | ||
Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 13 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 64.25.200.14 |
When you guys say administrators do you mean principals or higher up, within the school system itself? Or maybe both? Thanks again for sharing guys. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1271 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.238.170.39 |
yes and yes. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 818 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 64.12.116.204 |
Yes and yes. |
