Checkmate
How Power and Greed Destroyed the Detroit Public Schools
Alex Graham
Copyright 2018 Alex Graham
All rights reserved
First Edition
Page Publishing, Inc
New York, NY
First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc 2018
ISBN 978-1-64214-943-2 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-64214-944-9 (Digital)
Printed in the United States of America
Table of Contents
Legend
King/Queen: Head/ruler of the State
Rook: enforcer for the Ruler
Pawn: sacrificial lamb and head of the city
Bishop: right hand of the ruler
Knights: protectors of the head of state and head of the city
Reign: the term of each head of state
EFM or EM: Emergency Manager
EM Rook: Emergency Manager, enforcer of the Ruler, has omnificent power
Unleveling the Playing Field
Once upon a time in a land called Lansing lived a king who ruled over a state called Michigan. This was no ordinary king. He was powerful and responsible for making decisions that affected many people in another land called Detroit. Detroit, a majority African-American city, was to be a showplace of the urban renaissance, destined to be one of the great comeback stories of that time. Detroits pawn was viewed as a star back then, recognized across other lands as a rock-hard leader who pulled off an urban revitalization that seemed proof of the wisdom of the administrations empowerment-zone strategy.
But somewhere along the way, Detroit got unempowered.
Now the king of the great land of Michigan was willing to yield more power to the pawn if he agreed to oversee the public school system. The pawn of Detroit concurred. Thats where plot for the takeover began.
The year is now 1999, and the Senate, under the control of the Lansing ruler, voted 30-7 to approve legislation that would give the pawn of Detroit full control of the public school district that educated over 170,000 students. This new law of the land would be disguised as the School Reform Bill . Under this bill, the pawn of Detroit could remove the elected school board without fear of reprisal. The pawn moved swiftly, and the elected school board was dismissed.
This act would later be known as the Night of the Long Knives . Within days, all of the elected board had to vacate their offices and turn in their keys to the pawn. According to a knight from Lansing, There has not been an issue that has been this controversial and this disruptive to the social fabric of Detroit since 1967 when the people rioted and destroyed large sections of the city.
The new handpicked board emerged under the reign of the Lansing and Detroit rulers. Without any approved policies, the new board had one missionserve the needs of the king. The new board was comprised of a New Detroiter, an advisor, an automobile maker, a college president, a director, a manufacturer, and a superintendent (known as The Veto).
This made the rulers of Lansing and Detroit very happy, but something was missing. It was common knowledge that the public school district had a surplus of $93 million and $1.5 billion in bond money (where only $400 million had been spent). Somehow, the two rulers had to find a way to get control of that money. The two rulers put their heads together and decided on two appointees that could ensure full domination: a treasurer, and a CEO who would later be known as the Rook. These positions were the most powerful of all the positions. Why? The treasurer controlled the surplus. The Rook would have complete autonomy.
The majority African-American school district had its troubles before the takeover. Central office management of the district was known for poor customer service, too many students who were not graduating, and test scores that were below state standards. Many classrooms did not have books or supplies, low paid substitute teachers filled many vacancies, and schools were most in need of repair. This prompted the school unions and the African-American clergymen to vote in support of the pawns position by agreeing that the old board discounted too many critical issues, the management of the finances needed to improve, and the overall administration of schools was substandard. One surprise action did occur. One clergyman abstained from voting on the takeover. This clergyman questioned whether the problems in the schools mirrored those problems happening in Detroit. He further claimed that 70 percent of students received free lunches while only 31 percent of students received the same services statewide, high crime with a murder rate six times higher than New York, and low median household income were factors to consider. The lowest of any big city in the nation. He believed that these societal problems filtered into the schools. The clergyman pointed out that many vacancies filled by substitutes followed the nationwide teacher shortage that affected this school district just as it had many others in other cities. Remember, finances were not a concern. The district had a surplus of $93 million and $1.5 billion in bond funds. This clergyman just happened to be on the old board who was evicted from their offices and positions taken by the pawn, so his concerns were ignored.
Soon after the evictions of the elected board, the pawn addressed his people in a State of the City Address. He called for the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan, named after its founder U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall in 1947, was designed to offer American financial aid to promote European recovery and reconstruction. Marshall was convinced that economic stability would provide political stability in Europe. This analogy used by the pawn was an oxymoron since the school district had a sizable surplus and a huge bond fund. The pawn explained his rationale, We must attract teachers to our... schools. We need a type of Marshall Plan that will attract 1,200 certified teachers to fill the current job vacancies. They can be substitutes close to certification, new teachers recently graduated from college, or teachers coming from other states or other local school systems. His people were told that federal funds would add approximately 100,000 teachers nationwide to lower class size. The people applauded.
What the people did not know was that the king was in control of the budget for the Department of Education. The King of Michigan would receive $50 million federal funds each year for a five-year program to reduce class sizes in districts where 80 percent of the students were from low-income families. The King received the funds, but the districts would control the funds. What the people also did not know was that Detroits share would never be disclosed.
Disclosure was not in the Kings plan. A new game: Accountability would be proposed. This game worked in another land and could be successful in Detroit if the pawn was as determined as another pawn to improve his school district.
