Is an emergency financial manager an attack on voting rights?

That is exactly what some Detroiters believe.

Just one day after Mayor Dave Bing stated an EFM is all but a done deal, protesters took to the streets to call on the Justice Department to intervene.

City residents rallied in front of 211 W. Fort Street, where the offices of federal prosecutors are housed, carrying signs that read 'Fighting for Democracy.' Local area leaders helped organize the march.

Protestors are against an emergency financial manager in Detroit. They are calling on federal officials to help them fight an action they believe threatens democracy. Several marchers who were a part of the slow moving caravan on I-75 were ticketed by state police for driving under the speed limit.

Detroiters against a state takeover seek to draw attention to legislation, and even in small numbers, want to show lawmakers that residents can affect change.

The fight is not nearly over for EFM opponents who plan to rally on Friday, Mar. 8 outside the Detroit Athletic Club where Governor Rick Snyder is expected to speak.

Is this the beginning of a major uproar in the city? 

Follow Britney Spear on Twitter @MissBritneySp

(Photo credit: Nolan Middle School teacher Sara Gleason talking with student Trumia Smith.)

Reading scores show 27 percent of students and mathematics scores show 22 percent of students who have already achieved one or more year’s growth

The Education Achievement Authority of Michigan (EAA) today announced gains in student academic growth since the start of school. The preliminary results of tests administered in late January and early February show that in reading, more than 27 percent of EAA students in grades 2 through 9 have achieved one year’s growth or more and in mathematics 22 percent have already achieved one or more year’s growth. Preliminary data also shows that in reading, 48 percent of EAA students are on track to closing their achievement gap by August and in math 43 percent are on the same trajectory.

The most significant growth is in high school mathematic scores grades 9 and 10, where 40 percent of students have already achieved one or more years growth and an additional 16 percent are on track to achieve one or more year's growth by the final assessment in late June.

The most significant growth in reading scores is in middle school grades 6 through 8, where 35 percent have already achieved one or more years growth and an additional 18 percent are on track to achieve one or more year's growth by the final assessment.

"These gains provide reassurance that our students are moving in the right direction and that student-centered learning is achieving the growth these students need to be competitive," said J. Wm. Covington, Chancellor, EAA. “This is also a reflection of the diligent efforts implemented by our teachers and staff to ensure students have the tools needed to experience growth.

“The growth these students are achieving is clear proof that Detroit students can achieve and can compete with students anywhere if they are provided with an educational setting that meets them where they are and works with them individually to strengthen their performance. That is what EAA does.”

The definition of a year's growth in this context is based on national norms. A national sample has statistically determined the amount of growth by standards and skills that a student must master.

"By ensuring that students are achieving more than one year's growth, we increase the likelihood of closing the achievement gaps and increasing proficiency," said Mary Esselman, Chief Officer, Equity and Accountablilty, EAA.

"A year's growth is similar to the number of skills a student will learn in one school year in a traditional school setting," Esselman said. "By the last assesment we administer in late June, it is our goal to experience one or more year's growth for a majority of our students in order to close the achievement gap and see the needle move in proficiency for the 2013 MEAP test.”

Students in the 15 EAA schools were administered a Performance Series test at the begining of the school year to identify the instructional level of each student. Students were then placed in instructional levels starting at their level of achievement and provided individualized learning plans, thus meeting students where they are. Under the student-centered learning model, teachers work with each student at his or her level to build on their skill level.

The EAA utilizes the Performance Series test from Scantron, a computer adaptive test that lets districts quickly identify the proficiency level of each student, across a range of subjects that meet state and national standards and aligns with common core competencies. This type of test ensures accurate student placement; analysis of instructional needs, including any instructional adjustments needed and measurement of student gains across reporting periods.

In late January and early February, a second assesment was administered to students and the preliminary results are on pace with national growth targets. A complete report will be available in March covering all subject areas.

"Baseline data taken from MEAP scores provided in the fall 2012 for the 15 EAA schools show minimal proficiency levels," Covington said. "On average only 2 percent of students across all of our grade levels were proficient in math, with no students proficient in grade 6. And in reading, an average of 18 percent of students were proficient across all grade levels tested."

"What we learned is that while students were identified on a certain grade level coming into the EAA, most were not proficient at that grade level. These assessments helped identify their proper levels of proficiency."

The EAA was created to operate the lowest performing 5 percent of schools in Michigan not achieving satisfactory results on a redesign plan or that are under emergency manager. The EAA has a portfolio of schools to provide a new, stable set of public schools that create the conditions, supports, tools and resources under which teachers can help students make significant academic gains.

"We are turning schools into creative, innovative learning environments that provide students a good education. The EAA offers struggling students the opportunity to catch up to their peers around the state and receive the better education they need to get them college, career and workforce ready," Covington said.

Students are taught using a model of student-centered learning based upon instructional levels. The EAA has six high schools, Central, Denby, Henry Ford, Mumford, Pershing and Southeastern and nine elementary/middle schools, Bethune, Brenda Scott, Burns, Law Academy, Murphy, Nolan, Phoenix Academy, Stewart and Trix.

About the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan

The Education Achievement Authority of Michigan is a new statewide system of schools that will operate the lowest performing 5 percent of schools in Michigan not achieving satisfactory results on a redesign plan or that are under an emergency manager. It is designed to provide a new, stable, financially responsible set of public schools that create the conditions, supports, tools and resources under which teachers can help students make significant academic gains. It began operating its initial schools in the 2012-2013 school year. 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- The state's chief witness in the Trayvon Martin murder case lied under oath, prosecutors say.

The young woman who says she was on the phone with Martin when he encountered George Zimmerman lied about her whereabouts at another time, the prosecution told a judge Tuesday.

The woman, whose name has not been released, had told prosecutors that she was in the hospital on the day of Martin's funeral. The defense then sought her medical records.

Letters to Zimmerman show split opinions on Trayvon Martin shooting

In court on Tuesday, the state said the woman, known as Civilian Witness 8, was not in the hospital, so there are no such records to be turned over.

'Stand your ground' one year later

Prosecutors did not immediately respond to a question Wednesday from CNN about the witness's credibility and how this may affect the case.

Questions have long surrounded the woman. Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump first played an audio recording of the woman a year ago at a news conference. The recording seemed to have very poor quality.

Police said that as of that point they had not interviewed her.

Trayvon Martin's parents ready to let jury decide fate of son's killer

Crump said the witness was 16 years old. But prosecutors have since said she was already 18 -- legally an adult -- on the night of the killing, February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida.

Martin, 17, was walking to the house of his father's fiancee after a trip to a nearby convenience store.

Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, has acknowledged shooting Martin.

Crump has accused Zimmerman of killing Martin "in cold blood."

Zimmerman says he acted in self-defense.

The obesity rate in the United States is, on a whole, staying steady, according to a new Gallup-Healthways report. The report shows that the obesity rate was 26.2 percent in 2012, which is about the same as the 26.1 percent rate in 2011. State obesity rates have also largely remained unchanged, with only three states experiencing an increase in obesity -- New Jersey, North Carolina and Georgia -- and one state actually experiencing a decrease in obesity -- Delaware. Of all the states, Colorado had the lowest obesity rate at 18.7 percent. Meanwhile, West Virginia had the highest obesity rate at 33.5 percent.

Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/obese-states-blood-pressure-diabetes_n_2821174.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit&ir=Detroit

After Michigan Gov. Rick. Snyder declared that Detroit has a financial emergency, Mayor Dave Bing said Wednesday he would not stand in the way of Snyder's ensuing appointment of an emergency financial manager. "The fighting must stop now," said Bing. "We need to end the drama and the infighting and understand whether we like it or not, an emergency financial manager is coming to Detroit."

Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/detroit-emergency-manager-appeal-dave-bing_n_2822271.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit

Trinosophes, a new art gallery and performance space in Eastern Market, has been hosting monthly events for the past few months, but they are now ready for their full-time debut with a grand opening set for this Saturday, March 9. Musician and event producer Joel Peterson and MOCAD Deputy Director Rebecca Mazzei have partnered on this project, which includes an integrated café, gallery and performance space. Peterson had previously been booking shows through the Bohemian National Home, and it had been his intent to find a new space since 2008.
 

Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/05/trinosophes-detroit-cafe-gallery-venue-detroit_n_2811072.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit

Michigan pundits may be scrambling to name the state's possible picks for an emergency financial manager in Detroit, but that speculation has done little to quell the ongoing campaign for the city's next mayor.

Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/05/detroit-mayor-race-candidates-2013_n_2811658.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit

After officially announcing his run for Detroit mayor, Mike Duggan hit the pavements to connect with potential voters.

Not even a snowstorm could stop the candidate’s momentum last week.

Recently, Duggan spoke one-on-one with residents and students at Wayne County Community College District in Detroit. The public forum moderated by Michigan Chronicle's Senior Editor Bankole Thompson, gave participants a chance to ask their most pressing questions about Detroit’s future and how Duggan plans to get the city back on track.

When asked his motivation for entering the race, the mayor hopeful kept it short and sweet.

"I came here from my own conclusion.”

Born and raised in Detroit, Duggan described his unwavering loyalty to the city. It is one that has existed since his college days as a law student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

“My friends all wanted to go to Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta. I only wanted to be one place. I wanted to be in Detroit.”

Referencing his past positions, he noted that each one has been in close radius to the city’s center. Duggan even pointed out that his last five careers were within two miles of WCCCD’s downtown campus.

Duggan’s resume stands out even among Detroit’s most devoted. He worked as a county attorney and Deputy Wayne County Executive before managing the SMART bus system. Perhaps his most recent positions are what he’s well known for: serving as Wayne County Prosecutor and later, CEO of the Detroit Medical Center. It’s a track record that might be hard to keep up with, but Duggan candidly described how he plans to restore Detroit to its greatness.

A city desperate for answers seeks someone who can deliver undisputable results. Duggan talked specifics, drawing parallels between Detroit’s current condition and that of the DMC in 2003 before his takeover. He used the example to describe just how he intends to implement improvement.

The DMC’s history is one that most Detroiters are familiar with. What used to be three-hour emergency room waits was a main factor in driving patients away from its facilities. Under Duggan’s management, the “29 minute” program guaranteed patient care before paperwork, ultimately bringing patrons back to the city’s hospitals. So much so that doctors returned, and others began to restore belief in the medical system. As a result, the Vanguard Company made the largest investment in Detroit’s history, putting over $800 million into DMC renovations.

“When people said you need to close down the hospitals in Detroit and move them to the suburbs, we proved them wrong,” said Duggan.

Noting the transformation of the DMC, Duggan also reiterated that his team members came directly from the community. He made a convincing case for the fact that he has what it takes to change Detroit’s current state of affairs.

“The kind of mayor you need happens to match up with my background.”

When asked about the biggest challenge he anticipates facing in the election, Duggan cited the reality of racial division. He, however, expressed that he believes building a rapport with residents will overcome this would-be barrier to the mayoral seat.

"If we're going to get past the racial gap, we can't do it in 30-second TV ads. We’ve got to do it in rooms like this,” said Duggan.

The mayoral candidate has forged relationships within the community by meeting individuals and addressing their concerns with real, tangible solutions. Duggan mentioned he has held regular “house parties” with residents, visiting salons, churches and even the basements of local homes.

“The people in this city are fighters, they are extremely angry about the violence and want to be safe,” said Duggan.

When asked about Forbes’ recent rating of Detroit as the “Most Miserable City”, Duggan expressed a sentiment shared with most residents, and the need to end embarrassing narratives about the city. He however, recognized that action is what’s needed to get the job done.

“You don't turn around your image by hiring PR firms. You start when you stop embarrassing yourself, and make new accomplishments,” said Duggan.

Acknowledging Dave Bing as a friend, he nevertheless, identified what he considers the current mayor’s critical mistakes that he hopes to avoid if voted into office.

“There's an art to turning around government and management. We need a turnaround administration and it's not something that fits his strong suit.”

Duggan also protested the possibility of an emergency financial manager, asserting there’s no evidence that proves the success of such an appointment. He referenced the cities of Benton Harbor and Ecorse, pointing out that after having undergone a state takeover they continue to struggle years later. Duggan instead offered what he feels will be a more appropriate solution.

"You must face reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.”

Duggan recounted the current mayor and city council’s failure to address the deficit “honestly”. He expressed that there is a strong necessity to take action.

After answering questions from the moderator, Duggan then responded to inquiries regarding such issues are crime prevention, budget cuts, abandoned homes, and building the economy. He addressed each area, again calling attention to his previous work and the progress made during that time. Duggan also expressed how he will use that experience to respond to Detroit’s challenges if elected to office.

The prospective mayoral pick suggests three major goals he will work on in his first year that include lowering the rate of violent crimes, turning the street lights back on and getting abandoned buildings occupied. Duggan beliefs that if the above-stated can be accomplished, the community’s overall feeling will greatly change in the next few years.

Despite growing concerns about the city’s financial state, Duggan reiterated that all is not lost.

“We can do a lot more with the resources we have.”

Detroit is in major need of a turnaround. Is Mike Duggan the man to do it? More events like the forum at Wayne County Community College District will allow Duggan to engage directly with residents and potential voters.

Will a proven track record and connecting with the community be enough to sway voters in the 2013 election? 

Follow Britney Spear on Twitter @MissBritneySp

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is on the hunt for an emergency manager to turn around Detroit's financial crisis after declaring the city in a state of financial emergency last Friday. Should Snyder determine a city manager is necessary, which he is likely to do this month, his appointee will face long-term structural debt obligations estimated north of $14 billion, a short-term cash flow problem and pushback from Detroit City Council, the mayor's office and citizen groups who object to the law allowing emergency managers to assert control.

Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/04/mitt-romney-detroit-emergency-manager_n_2806302.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit