LETTERS DELIVERED TO UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS 

Students Across Michigan Demand University Presidents to Cease Opening and Closing Schools in Detroit Until New Legislation Passes in Lansing

On Friday, October 23, 2015 students at Grand Valley State University, Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan University, and the University of Michigan delivered letters to their presidents, Kim Schatzel of EMU, Thomas J. Haas of GVSU, George E. Ross of CMU, and Mark Schlissel of University of Michigan, encouraging them to support the Recommendations of the Coalition for the Future of Detroit’s Schoolchildren to make Detroit charter school authorizers accountable and to return power to Detroit parents and students. Other University Presidents throughout the state were mailed the same letters.

Students at universities across Michigan are banding together to demand that their university presidents put an end to the unchecked opening and closing of Detroit charter schools. Currently, many universities are opening and closing charter schools in Detroit at their own will and without community voice. This results in more failing schools and it complicates the education process for parents.  “It's such a shame that our future generations are being limited in this way. Knowing this [is] reason enough for our university presidents and other authorizers of Detroit schools to consider change,” Elizabeth Jenkins, President of the Student Social Work Association at CMU. Students across the state have an impetus to act and help influence the system. Emily Hoepner, from EMU’s Students for an Ethical and Participatory Education explains, “Education leads to opportunities and learning leads to empowerment. Without either of these things, it is hard to make it in this world. To take that away from kids is to commit a crime against them. When these charter schools run without the proper funding, resources, and genuine care and devotion for the students, the people running them are committing this crime.”

The University of Michigan , Wayne State, and MSU, although not authorizers, play a significant role in influencing university authorizers across the state. Eriana Dekalita-Mull of the Student Social Work Association at CMU said, after delivering the letter, "I think it's a great cause for us to get involved in because we were unaware of how big of a part we [CMU] played in the decision making of Detroit schools.”

In the letters, student organizers demanded that:

1. The Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers enact a policy by December 1st which limits the current authorizers from opening and closing schools in Detroit until the creation of the Detroit Education Commission.
2. The University President urge the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers (specifically Executive Director, Jared Burkhart, and President, Cindy Schumacher) to support the Coalition’s Recommendations, and lobby in favor of the recommendations.
3. The University President meet with the student representatives before November 4th.
4. The University President make a concerted effort to influence other University Presidents to support the Coalition’s Recommendations.
5. The University President make a public statement that he/she supports the Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren’s Recommendations.

Students have given the University Presidents a deadline of November 4th to respond to their demands. Students from across the state will be present at the President’s Board Meeting in Lansing on November 4th as well.

Considering Governor Snyder’s recent proposal to address education in Detroit, university students across the state are taking action to hold their institutions accountable for their contribution to the chaos in the Detroit school system. The university presidents and their authorizing boards have the power to curb the authorizing actions across Detroit.

• Currently, nine universities are opening and closing charter schools in Detroit without any coordination with each other or the community. Those institutions are: Oakland State University, Eastern Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Central Michigan University, Lake Superior State University, Ferris State University, Saginaw Valley University, Bay Mills Community College, and Northern Michigan University.

• In many cases, Detroit students cannot gain acceptance into the universities that authorize their poorly performing charter schools. Many of the students are unable to obtain the minimum ACT score required to get into universities. Sara Farago, of the Student Social Work association at CMU exclaims that there is “a problem with the education they (the authorized schools) are giving them.”

• Approximately 70% of charter schools in Detroit are for-profit.

This state-wide university student organizing network began with the help of students from: Grand Valley State University’s chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops, Eastern Michigan Students for an Ethical and Participatory Education and LEAD Fellows, Central Michigan University Student Social Work Association, University of Michigan United Students Against Sweatshops, and Fight for $15. These students have consulted with Detroit stakeholders and community members. Students interested in this state-wide university student organizing network can contact Celeste Goedert at cgoedert@umich.edu to get involved.

Abbie Spica, of GVSU’s USAS chapter, delivers the letter to the office of President Thomas Haas

Students from EMU’s Students for an Ethical and Participatory Education deliver their letter to their Interim President, Kim Schatzel 

 Delivering a letter to the office of the President of the University of Michigan