Voters Won't Decide on DPS Control

DETROIT - Many people cheered after Detroit City Council rejected a proposal to let voters decide who should be in charge of the Detroit Public Schools. The council decided the issue won't even be allowed on the ballot.

"I'm elated. I'm overjoyed. We never should of had to come down here in the first place," said activist Malik Shabazz.

After weeks of debate and hours of public comments, the majority of the city council members were not convinced.

"Famous line from Han Solo in Star Wars comes to mind. I got a bad feeling about this," said Councilman Kenneth Cockrel, Jr.

In a 6-3 vote, members voted against the resolution that would have put a question on the November ballot that, if approved, would ultimately have given the mayor control of the Detroit Public Schools. He would have had the power to appoint a superintendent and the council would have been able to appoint an advisory board.

The current school board with member Tyrone Winfrey would have been eliminated.

"We have to now take the same energy and build a better Detroit public school system. It is not broken. There may be some cracks in it, but it's not broken," said Winfrey.

"I know this is now the time that the responsibility starts, and we have to begin the process of reforming the board," said Detroit School Board President Anthony Adams.

Mayor Dave Bing did issue a statement that says it's the students and the supporters that lose out. It's unfortunate, he says, that the council has chosen to deny voters the opportunity to decide for themselves what kind of school system and accountability best serves our children.

But it's clear the council voted with the people, who erupted with cheers when they learned their protest of the issue had paid off.

"This is a victory for self-determination, home rule, local control," Shabazz said. "How would council feel if a legislative body voted to abolish them?"

"Mayoral control would have made a dictatorship that would have made it easier to privatize, to bring in more charters and to put through unpopular measures that the people of Detroit don't support," said Donna Stern with B.A.M.N.

Some members of city council were also concerned and felt that the mayor has enough on his plate and doesn't have enough time to look after DPS, as well.

Governor Jennifer Granholm did chime in right after the decision and issued a statement that says, "I am deeply disappointed that the voters of Detroit were denied the right to take part in moving their schools forward. Today's vote by the council can not be the final word for Detroit's children, and I am prepared to work with the community and leaders and others to bring change for better schools."