detroit

I remember the first time I ever met Dr. Emeral Crosby. I was new in my position as a high school principal and attending the MASSP convention in Grand Rapids. There was this principal from Detroit that was going to speak during the NCA session on the new report entitled “A Nation At Risk.” I learned that Dr. Crosby had been selected by President Regan to be on the committee that drafted the report. I sat in the back row so I could sneak out, and instead got sucked in.

Dr. Crosby was an amazing presenter. Man, could he get you fired up! And, he knew his stuff!

Thousands of high school freshmen across Michigan are failing Algebra I, the first of four math courses this class of students must take and pass to fulfill what are among the toughest graduation requirements in the
nation.
The failure rate -- estimated at 20% to 30% of about 113,000 freshmen -- has some predicting a crisis by the
time these students are juniors and must take Algebra II.
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This week's national report showing Detroit had the lowest graduation rate among major cities does raise some concerns about the performance of Michigan's largest city and other urban school districts, but it is also subject to the argument that it is not, currently, valid to compare dropout and graduation rates state to state.

Two exemplary Michigan middle-grades schools have been identified as “Schools to Watch” as part of a recognition program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform. The following schools are part of a group of 47 schools across the country receiving this distinction:
• Belding Middle School—Belding
• Ludington Magnet School—Detroit

For more details, download attached press release.