The Detroit Board of Education voted to withdraw from its Education Achievement Authority contract with Eastern Michigan University Nov. 13.
The contract, announced by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in June 2011, aimed to restructure Detroit Public Schools by allowing for Roy Roberts, the district’s emergency manager, and two appointed EMU members to help the schools under an 11-member authority.
Detroit Board President LaMar Lemmons said children were at the heart of the board’s decision when the Detroit Board of Education voted to no longer receive help from the EAA.
“Everything is for the benefit of the children,” Lemmons said in a statement.
According to The Detroit News, Lemmons plans to return the 15 EEA schools in Detroit to DPS control in time for the 2013-14 school year.
However, board attorney George Washington said in a statement that the EAA still holds the right to remain in control of Detroit Public Schools because the decision made by Roberts still stands.
Snyder’s spokeswoman Sara Wurfel feels that the EAA is beneficial to the children.
“The bottom line is that the EAA is focused on moving forward with providing each child with an education that all children need and deserve,” Wurfel said in a statement.
Steve Wasko, spokesman for Roy Roberts, said the school board does not have the authority to terminate the contract since election results are not certified and still need up to 30 days to be completed.
Cherissa Stitt, a senior in EMU’s biology program, said it was not wise of Detroit to vote to withdraw from the contract.
“Detroit needs to be restructured and it could benefit from new people in power because right now the city is too corrupt,” Stitt said.
Lynn Howard, a senior double majoring in communications and philosophy, also said Detroit could use the help.
“Detroit cannot do everything on its own,” he said.
He said he feels Detroit is being too “American.”
“Detroit prefers to put up a front that it is fine without any help, when it is not because the city doesn’t want to admit that it needs the help,” he said.
LaReisha Bouie, a sophomore studying biology at EMU, thinks Detroit is being unrealistic in choosing to not want any more help from the EAA contract with EMU.
“I went to one of the public schools in Detroit and I know the city needs outside help because the books that were provided to students were from the 80s,” Bouie said. “I feel that if Detroit could do it on its own than it would have made it happen by now.”
EMU was the only one of Michigan’s 15 public universities to be involved in the EAA partnership with Detroit.
For more info regarding EMU’s involvement with Detroit Public Schools, go to www.emich.edu/eaa.
