Central High ushers students into DPS dialogue By Eric T. Campbell Michigan Citizen

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1 1 The Michigan Citizen, 1055 Trumbull, Detroit, MI (313) Monday, MAY 10, NEWS INDEX Front Page Diaspora Detroit State & Nation Opinions & Views The Citi Fresh Ideas Sports Joining the Ancestors Faith and Community Small Business Special Features Editorial SUBSCRIBE NOW To The Michigan Citizen Newspa MichiganCitizen.com! Subscribe to The MichiganCitiz ADVERTISE About Us Place A Classified Ad Advertising Information Contact Us Terms of Use Privacy Statement Retail Locations USEFUL LINKS News Links Social Security Driving Directions YOUR LISTINGS Submit Your Event Central High ushers students into DPS dialogue By Eric T. Campbell Michigan Citizen DETROIT The student body at Central High School participated in a day-long program devoted to alternative Students Jarren and Mark appear in 'Our School' education on April 28. Facilitators from grassroots organizations presented a film screening, dialogue on public education and over 20 workshops Event organizers say that, in order for the Detroit Public Schools to flourish, the primary stakeholders themselves must be involved in the restructuring effort. It was Central High School Principal Steven McGhee s decision to take a full school day and allow the Central student body an unconventional look at their education. Alternative education for me is general education, McGhee told the Michigan Citizen. You have to think outside the box and make education relevant; the children themselves need to be privy to what s going on around them. McGhee was the principal at Mackenzie High School when it was closed by the district in While recognizing that certain conditions in the district have made restructuring necessary, McGhee says that student involvement is paramount to that process being successful. McGhee also sees student participation as the key to keeping students in the district. Central High is not currently on Robert Bobb s school closure list it may,

2 2 In Your Community Classifieds Submit Wedding Announcement Submit Birth Announcement GUEST BOOK Guest Book US Us however, be a destination for students affected by closures at other schools in the neighborhood. If you don t have the population to keep the doors open, then you have to make business decisions, says McGhee, who this year received the Coleman A. Young Foundation s educator of the year award. Our School documentary The wide ranging day of alternative education program included a screening of the documentary, Our School and a mediated discussion on the film with the filmmaker, Oren Goldenberg. When the first Detroit Public School closings were announced in 2005, Detroit filmmaker Oren Goldenberg set out to document the controversy from inside the schools themselves. It seemed like a drive toward privatization of another public sector, Goldenberg told the Michigan Citizen. The kids were hungry to speak about it, specifically in the schools that were being closed. They had the best perspective of what s going on. Our School, the resulting full-length feature documentary, provides much needed balance to the DPS story. Views which have largely been diminished during the DPS restructuring are fully unveiled in Our School. Goldenberg s narrative is sustained by the students of Mackenzie High, Southeastern High and the Catherine Ferguson Academy for Young Mothers. Goldenberg says Central High s alternative day of education was the perfect venue to screen his film and encourage dialogue on the relevant issues. I wanted to make sure that it was a viable film for the community that it came from, Goldenberg says. It would have been disappointing to make this film and have it be irrelevant to the students featured in it. Goldenberg started screening the film publically at the Burton Theater on May 8. Alternative workshops Goldenberg was also instrumental in organizing workshops covering subjects including poetry, electronics, stop motion animation, arboriculture, politics, economics and environmental justice. The film screening was preceded by a presentation by the Detroit Summer Live Arts Media Project (LAMP)and hip hop artist Invincible. LAMP members later led a workshop entitled, Using Hip Hop to Create Change in Detroit. In a Central High classroom on the second floor, activist and bookstore owner Yusef Shakur facilitated a discussion entitled, Memoirs of Detroit. Shakur and Central High English instructor Mr. Diuguid, encouraged students to talk about what education means to them and to find ways to establish tracks of success. Students, including upperclassmen Shanel Chambers and Dion Dawson,

3 3 revealed career goals and educational ambitions. Chambers said she wanted to receive an associate s degree from Wayne County Community College and enter the police academy. In another classroom, music producer Joe Black took Central students through a dialogue on the restructuring of DPS, asking them what they would do to improve schools if they were Robert Bobb. Student Devin Burton responded, by saying that, If I was Bobb, I would make sure schools stayed open later so there s more learning time. Eleventh grade student Angela Briadoe, an aspiring nursing student, suggested that more class time and extracurricular activities would increase college attendance rates. Joe Black s workshop concluded with a live recording session. The music production included student performances providing vocals and lyrics on the topic of the day education. What we were ultimately thinking is, what does this issue mean to you, says Goldenberg. The strength of Detroit schools is going come from innovation within the community not pointing fingers. Submit your opinion on this story Name: Opinion: (5,000 characters) Publish My Opinion Security Code

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