WASHINGTON -- The Obama campaign has released a new ad in several battleground states that rebuts attacks against the president for his much-maligned statement that the private sector is "doing fine."

The spot begins by balancing the president's recognition that more needs to be done to help the economy recover with a positive message about his platform for the future. It ends with a definitive swipe against presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

"Mitt Romney and his billionaire allies can spend millions to distort the president's words," the ad says. "But they are not interested in rebuilding the middle class, he is."

In the background is a graphic showing the president at the podium for that press conference where he spoke the phrase, with the words "doing fine" below.

The ad is a response spot to the attacks the president has come under for uttering that remark. The campaign did not blast it out to the national press, though a campaign official did confirm on background that it was airing in the following states: Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, Virginia, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Florida.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/25/obama-campaign-doing-fine_n_1623809.html?utm_hp_ref=black-voices

DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit firefighters were kept busy by a suspected arsonist Monday morning as crews had to tackle 16 fires on the city’s east side. One firefighter was hurt.

Several of the fires were reported in a half-mile square area overnight in the area of Chene and Mack. That’s where WWJ’s Marie Osborne reports a house, a commercial building and a church sustained damage. It took quite some time for the firefighters to put down the flames.

Even though the fires may have been in abandoned buildings, there are people attached to the dwellings. At the corner of Chene and Pier stands a church heavily damaged by the fire. The Rev. Gary Humphrey was married at the church and has many memories there:

“We were closed down, getting ready to try to redevelop the land,” Humphrey said. “We were gonna redevelop everything and open back up.”

Fighting back tears as he spoke, he said they wanted to open the dwelling back up as the church it once was. It stood there since 1955.

Fires were also reported in neighborhoods near Mt. Elliott, Chene, Ferry, Gratiot, Mack and East Warren.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/06/25/firefighters-battling-multiple-fires-on-detroits-east-side/

Bobby Ferguson's fate is now in the hands of 11 people -- not the usual 12.

On day five of deliberations in the bid-rigging trial, U.S. District Judge David Lawson today dismissed a female juror because the woman has prepaid vacation plans and was promised at the start of trial six weeks ago that her travel would not be interrupted by the case. It was presumed at the time that the trial would have wrapped up by now.

The 11 jurors were dismissed about 4:30 p.m. and were ordered to return on Tuesday to continue deliberations, which ended with some progress today. The panel said it had reached a unanimous verdict on some of the charges, but is deadlocked on others.

Deliberations have been interrupted several times. On day three, one juror got sick and had to be replaced by an alternate, causing deliberations to start from scratch. Then there was a funeral one juror had to attend. Then came the vacation plans.

The three defendants -- Ferguson, Michael Woodhouse and Calvin Hall -- all agreed today to let deliberations continue with just 11 jurors. The prosecution also agreed to go forward with the 11 jurors.

The three men are charged with rigging bids to help Fergusons' company win a nearly $12-million contract for a low income housing project. Ferguson also faces money laundering, illegal dumping and weapons charges.

All three face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

http://www.freep.com/article/20120622/NEWS01/120622036/Bobby-Ferguson-jury-likely-split-on-some-charges-unanimous-on-others?odyssey=nav%7Chead

MIAMI — The decision is final: LeBron James made the right call coming to Miami.

Finally an NBA champion, it's all worth it now.

James had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, and got the kind of help that was worth leaving home for, leading the Heat in a 121-106 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night to win the NBA Finals in five games.

Best player in the game, best team in the league.

James has found it all since taking his talents to South Beach.

"It means everything," James said moments after the win. "I made a difficult decision to leave Cleveland but I understood what my future was about ... I knew we had a bright future (in Miami). This is a dream come true for me. This is definitely when it pays off."

He left the game along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for good with 3:01 remaining for a round of hugs and the start for a celebration he's been waiting for since arriving in the NBA out of high school as the No. 1 pick of the 2003 draft.

James hopped up and down in the final minutes, shared a long hug with opponent Kevin Durant, and watched the confetti rain down from the rafters.

The Heat took control in the second quarter, briefly lost it and blew it open again in the third behind their role players, James content to pass to wide-open 3-point shooters while the Thunder focused all their attention on him.

Bosh and Wade, the other members of the Big Three who sat alongside James as he promised titles at his Miami welcoming party two summers ago, both had strong games. Bosh, who broke down in tears as the Heat left their own court after losing Game 6 last year, finished with 24 points and Wade scored 20. The Heat also got a huge boost from Mike Miller, who made seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points.

The disappointment of losing to Dallas in six games last year vanished in a blowout of the demoralized Thunder, who got 32 points and 11 rebounds from Durant.

That made it easier for James, the most heavily scrutinized player in the league since his departure from Cleveland, when he announced he was "taking his talents to South Beach" on a TV special called "The Decision" that was criticized everywhere from talk shows and water coolers straight to the commissioner's office. James has said he wishes he handled things differently, but few who watched the Cavaliers fail to assemble championship talent around him could have argued with his desire to depart.

He found in Miami a team where he never had to do it alone – though he reminded everyone during his sensational postseason run that he still could when necessary. He got support whenever he needed it in this series, from Shane Battier's 17 points in Game 2 to Mario Chalmers' 25 in Game 4.

In the clincher it was Miller, banged-up from so many recent injuries that he practically limps from the bench to scorer's table when he checks in. He made his fourth 3-pointer of the half right before James' fast-break basket capped a 15-2 run that extended Miami's lead to 53-36 with 4:42 remaining in the first half. James had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists at halftime, with the Heat ahead 59-49.

Durant added 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who made a remarkably early trip to the NBA Finals just three years after starting 3-29. With Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden all 23 or younger, the Thunder have the pieces in place for a lengthy stay atop the Western Conference.

But their inexperience showed in this series, a few questionable decisions, possessions and outright mistakes costing them in their franchise's first playoff appearance since Seattle lost to Chicago in 1996. Westbrook scored 19 but shot only 4 of 20, unable to come up with anything close to his 43-point outing in Game 4, and Harden finished a miserable series with 19.

Nothing they done could have stopped James, anyway.

Appearing fully over the cramps that forced him to sit out the end of Game 4, he was back to his dominant self, a combination of strength and speed that is practically unmatched in the game – and rarely seen in the history of it.

Wade skipped to each side of the court before the opening tip with arms up to pump up the fans, then James showed them nothing wrong with his legs, throwing down an emphatic fast-break dunk to open the scoring. He made consecutive baskets while being fouled, showing no expression after the second, as if he'd hardly even known he was hit. Drawing so much attention from the Thunder, he started finding his wide-open shooters, and the Heat built a nine-point lead before going to the second up 31-26.

Oklahoma City got back within five early in the third before consecutive 3-pointers by Chalmers and Battier triggered a 27-7 burst that made it 88-63 on another 3-pointer by Miller. James didn't even score in the run until it was almost over, hitting a pair of free throws after he was flagrantly fouled by Derek Fisher while powering toward the basket.

Gone was the tentative player who was mocked for shrinking on the big stage last year, too willing to defer to others who didn't possess half his talents. This time, he was at peace off the court and on attack on it, vowing to have no regrets and playing in such a way they wouldn't be necessary.

James promised multiple titles at his welcoming party, and the Heat have three pieces to build around. Pat Riley will have to fill some holes on the roster, but will likely find some players eager to come to Miami for the good weather and great chance to win.

Miller was one of them last year, and though injuries have ruined his effectiveness, his shooting turned this into the only blowout of the series after Miami had outscored Oklahoma City by just 389-384 over the first four games.

Notes: Miami became the third team to sweep the middle three games at home in the 2-3-2 format. The Detroit Pistons took all three from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 before the Heat did it against Dallas in 2006. ... Coach Erik Spoelstra tied Riley for the Heat franchise record with his 34th postseason win. He is 34-22, while Riley was just 34-36. ... The four-game losing streak that Oklahoma City finished the season with was its longest of the season. The Thunder had dropped three straight games to Memphis, Miami and Indiana from April 2-6.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/21/miami-heat-win-2012-nba-title-lebron-james_n_1616646.html

DETROIT (WWJ) - Hundreds of thousands of spectators will line the shores of the Detroit River to enjoy the Target Fireworks display, set for Monday, June 25 at 10:06 p.m.

The Target Fireworks, which feature more than 10,000 pyrotechnic effects, are launched from three barges in the Detroit River and can be seen for miles.

Get all the important details, including best places to watch and where to park, in this convenient guide.

Viewing Areas
The following locations have been identified as the best viewing sites:

Hart Plaza

• Entry to Hart Plaza will close once it has reached desired capacity.

• No tents allowed.

• No alcohol, pets, or contraband (weapons, knives, etc.) will be allowed.

• Flames or fires are prohibited, and cooking is prohibited.

• Reserving an area in excess of the number of people currently in the group is prohibited.

• Coolers and backpacks will be searched.

Belle Isle

• Belle Isle will still be accessible for normal activity on June 25.

• On Sunday, June 24, the ordinance that limits access to Belle Isle after 10 p.m. will be enforced. No overnight parking or camping will be allowed on June 24.

• Access to Belle Isle begins at 6 a.m. on June 25 until desired capacity is reached. At that time, parking will be allowed on Sunset around to the Strand. No parking will be allowed around the Scott Fountain.

• Parking on the Casino paddock is $10 per car and $20 per recreational vehicle.

• Beginning the evening of Sunday, June 24 until Monday, June 25 at 6 a.m., these streets will be closed: From the Message Board on Sunset, down Fountain Dr., around the Fountain and out the Strand, Casino Way to Sunset, and Picnic Way to the Strand.

• 10’ x 10’ canopies with no sides are allowed. Canopies larger than 10’ x 10’ are not allowed.

• Grilling must only take place in designated areas.

Detroit RiverWalk

• East of Orleans – No vehicular traffic will be allowed, only pedestrians.

• RiverWalk, from Orleans west to Third (Joe Louis Arena), will be closed at 1 p.m.

• Reserving an area in excess of the number of people currently in the group is prohibited.

• No alcohol, pets or contraband will be allowed.

• Coolers and backpacks will be searched.

• Flames or fires are prohibited.

• No tents allowed.

Street and Freeway Closures
The Detroit Police Department reserves the right to request closure of the freeways and surfaces streets earlier or later, depending on the volume of vehicle traffic.

The following traffic changes will go into effect at approximately 6 p.m.:

• No northbound or southbound traffic will be admitted onto Woodward Avenue between Fisher Freeway and Congress except for emergency vehicles, D-DOT and SMART bus coaches.

• Jefferson Avenue will be closed to eastbound and westbound traffic between the Chrysler Freeway (I-375) and Griswold, except for emergency vehicles. All other eastbound vehicles will be routed north onto the Chrysler service drive.

• West Jefferson from Cobo Center westbound will be closed. Parking will be prohibited on West Jefferson, on Civic Center Drive and on Atwater to St. Aubin.

• Outbound traffic will be routed on West Jefferson from the Joe Louis Arena garage to Rosa Parks Boulevard; traffic will then proceed north on Rosa Parks to the freeways.

• Traffic on Gratiot Avenue between I-375 and Randolph will be routed one way northbound only.

• Traffic on Brush between Lafayette and Madison will be routed northeast onto Gratiot or east onto Madison.

• Monroe Street, between Randolph and Woodward Avenue, will be barricaded and closed. Traffic on Monroe between Randolph and I-375 will be routed to travel eastbound only.

• Third Street at West Jefferson will be closed to the public and restricted for emergency vehicle use.

• Fort Street traffic between Cabacier and Rosa Parks Boulevard will be restricted to residents of the Riverfront Towers Apartments/Condominiums.

• Eastbound traffic on Fort Street will be allowed to turn right onto Griswold and proceed to the Lodge Freeway.

• Traffic on Trumbull Avenue between W. Fort and Fisher Freeway will be routed to travel northbound only.

• Traffic on Larned and Congress will be allowed to flow in respective directions, with no southbound turns except vehicles en route to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel via Randolph.

• Michigan Avenue traffic will be westbound only.

• All traffic proceeding south on Griswold will be directed to the Lodge Freeway, via Congress.

• Eastbound Lafayette traffic will turn right at Griswold and proceed to westbound Congress to northbound Lodge freeway.

• St. Antoine traffic flow will be one way northbound from Atwater after the fireworks display.

• Woodbridge, Franklin, and Atwater between St. Antoine and Rivard will be one way, eastbound throughout the evening.

• Rivard will be one way northbound from Atwater to Lafayette after the fireworks display.

• E. Grand Blvd. will be used for outbound traffic from Belle Isle. Belle Isle traffic will proceed northbound on East Grand Boulevard and eastbound on East Jefferson.

• No parking on West Jefferson between 23rd and St. Anne.

• All the main streets – Michigan, Grand River, Gratiot, E. Grand Blvd. and W. Grand Blvd. – will remain open to allow motorists access to freeways. Woodward will remain open north of the Fisher Freeway service drive.

• Beginning at 4 p.m., surface streets south of Jefferson between Rivard and Chene will be closed to all vehicles but open to pedestrians only. These areas will be swept by the Detroit Police Department, and all vehicles present will be towed.

• Beginning at 6 p.m., freeways will begin to close.

• There will be no vehicular traffic south of Jefferson from Third to Jos. Campau.

Municipal Parking
Motorists are advised to observe parking restrictions. Parking violators will be ticketed, and in some instances, vehicles may be towed.

Motorists will be ticketed for improper parking (vehicles within 20 feet from crosswalk, within 15 feet from an intersection, within 30 feet of a stop sign or traffic control device, and within 15 feet of a fire hydrant) and for parking in designated zones – such as handicap zones (without proper credentials), fire lane, no parking zones or no standing zones.

The Municipal Parking Department also will not enforce parking meters.

Parking Facilities and Lots

To accommodate parking for individuals attending the Fireworks, MPD will offer a $5 rate at the following city-owned garages and lots

• Ford Underground Garage
30 E. Jefferson
6 a.m. - 1 a.m.

• Joe Louis Arena Garage
900 W. Jefferson
8 a.m. - 1 a.m.

• Millennium Garage
432 W. Congress
6 a.m. - 1 a.m.

• Premier Garage
1206-08 Woodward Ave.
24 hours

• Cadillac/Farmer Lot
1025 Farmer
6 a.m. - 1 a.m.

Fireworks viewing from any parking facility and tailgating are prohibited. For more information, call 313-221-2500 or visit www.detroitmi.gov/parking.

Transportation
Detroit People Mover

The Detroit People Mover will operate from 6:30 a.m. until midnight on June 25.

Due to the early closures of the Cobo, Millender and Renaissance centers, trains will bypass these facilities on June 25 beginning at 3 p.m. There will be no public access to these People Mover stations. All other People Mover stations will remain open and receive train service until midnight.

The fare is 75 cents per ride, and children ages five and under ride free. For more information, call 313-224-2160 or visit www.thepeoplemover.com.

DDOT

The Detroit Department of Transportation will add extra bus service to several routes on June 25, starting at 6 p.m. To see the complete list, click here. (.pdf format)

Towing
Towed vehicles within the downtown area will be held at 2121 W. Fort near Rosa Parks. Vehicles towed on Belle Isle will remain on the island. Tow lots close at 1 a.m. The fee for towing is $75.

Curfew Enforcement
The city will actively enforce a citywide curfew requiring that all minors age 17 and under be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (with identification). Minors will be allowed to travel to and from work or organized sports.

The curfew is in effect from 6 p.m. on June 25 until 6 a.m. on June 26. Minors in violation of the curfew will be issued a ticket. The parent or guardian also may receive a parental responsibility violation ticket.

Lost Children
Parents can find lost children in the following locations:

• Downtown/Hart Plaza – Hart Plaza in Lower Level Office
313-628-1150

• Belle Isle – Harbormaster on Inselruhe and Riverbank
313-628-2061 or 313-628-2062

• Southwest Area – Roosevelt Park at the Southwestern Police District
4700 W. Fort Street – 313-596-5300

Homeland Security
Residents must take steps to ensure their family is prepared for a possible emergency. Important items to have ready include:

• A battery-powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, medicines, non-perishable food, and first-aid supplies.

For more information on family preparedness, visit www.ready.gov.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/06/22/guide-to-2012-detroit-fireworks/

DETROIT -- A judge accused of misconduct in a dispute over the estate of Rosa Parks says he won't step aside from the case.

Wayne County Probate Judge Freddie Burton Jr. says an attorney who wants him disqualified has offered nothing but "insulting" and "malicious" allegations. His response was filed last week.

Steven G. Cohen has accused Burton of conspiring with two lawyers to put the estate of the civil rights pioneer in debt. Parks left almost all her estate to the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute, which Cohen represents. When Parks' nieces and nephews challenged the estate, the judge appointed two lawyers as fiduciaries.

The Michigan Supreme Court reversed some of Burton's decisions in December, including the appointments of fiduciaries.

Cohen wants the chief judge of Probate Court to disqualify Burton.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/21/detroit-judge-accused-of-misconduct-rosa-parks-estate-case_n_1616108.html?ir=Detroit&;ref=topbar

It would be nice to think that the election of Barack Obama swept the U.S. into a new, miraculous post-racial era. But at the moment of his historic victory, the Great Recession was busy proving that that definitely wasn't the case.

By 2010, the weak economy had disproportionately devastated the finances of black and Hispanic households -- so much so that the median household net worth for whites was 22 times as high as it was for blacks.

That's according to newly released Census data cited at CNNMoney, where it's also noted that by 2010 the median household net worth for whites was 15 times higher than that of Hispanics.

There's been a trickle of figures from the 2010 Census in recent days, much of it confirming what we more or less already knew: the recession was bad for people's bank accounts; more cash-strapped families are doubling up in the same house.

Similarly, the news about the growing racial wealth gap isn't exactly news. Whites and minorities weren't exactly on even footing even before the recession. In 2005, median household wealth for whites was 12 times that of blacks and eight times that of Hispanics, according to CNNMoney. But the downturn has certainly made the disparity a lot more pronounced.

In part, that's because the housing crisis hit minority homeowners hardest of all, with blacks and Latinos almost twice as likely to have been affected by foreclosure as whites.

Blacks and Hispanics have also been experiencing the jobs crisis differently. Unemployment rose for both groups during the recession more rapidly than it did for whites. And after the worst of the recession was over, and the national unemployment rate began to fall, the black unemployment rate continued to climb.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/21/wealth-gap-by-race_n_1615565.html?ref=detroit&;ir=Detroit&utm_hp_ref=detroit

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson was the keynote speaker at the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 8th annual public policy breakfast.

During the course of his comments, Patterson said Oakland County got to where it is now — with a AAA bond rating, a nice surplus and jobs on the rise — through changes to the benefits packages.

“We’ve had 20-some adjustments that really have put us in good shape,” he said. “In 1984, we discontinued longevity pay. What that meant is if you were with the county more than 10 years, you got 10 percent. Well, we discontinued doing that. That was a handcuff in the old days.”

He said the county has subsequently saved $55 million in payments.

“In 2006, we discontinued the traditional defined benefit and went to our DCP plan, defined contribution,” he said. “On that one, we saved $400 million. If you take all of the adjustments we’ve saved to benefits and so forth, the total we’ve saved is $650 million. That’s why the county is in such good financial shape. We started a long time ago.”

Patterson reiterated his mantra: “thoughtful management vs. crisis management,” and said this is the result of decades of thoughtful management.

“Now the benefits have come home to roost,” he said.

Patterson added that Oakland is the only county in the United States to have paid off its legacy costs.

“You hear so much about legacy costs or promises made for retired health care,” he said. “We’re done. We paid it off a couple of years ago.”

He called it a win/win/win all around.

As to the future of Oakland County, Patterson said that the county once had all its proverbial eggs in the automotive basket, and that he couldn’t get out of that basket fast enough.

He said county officials could see that there would be a change in the kind of jobs available for the future.

“We went out there and did our research, and we found 10 sectors for employment in the future, and those sectors, of course, are the ones we now call the emergent sectors,” he said. “Every month, my staff gives me a report on how we’re doing in bringing in business in these 10 sectors.”

The sectors are advanced electronics, advanced materials and nanotechnology, aerospace, alternative energy, communication and IT, defense and homeland security — which Patterson said is one of the Top 10 growth sectors — film and digital media, insurance, Medical Main Street, and robotics.

He noted that since the inception of this program in 2004, the county has brought in 205 companies within those sectors. Those companies have invested $1.8 billion and created 26,000 jobs, and have paid $46 million to the federal state and local units of government. Of that, Oakland County got $4.3 million.

“So it’s paying for itself,” Patterson said.

“Diversification is the future of Oakland County,” Patterson stated. “We’re going into the high-tech sector. You might call it the knowledge-based economy. That’s where I’m gambling that I think this country’s going to go.”

He believes a knowledge-based economy will result in sustainable, high-paying jobs in the future.

Patterson also said it will take about 25 years before the county gets to the diversification he thinks is necessary. At that point, the county will likely be recession resistant.

He said he has got 109 people in the county’s Economic Development Department “laser focused” on emerging sectors.

He also said the budget dominates in this climate, and that the Budget Task Force works on it every week.

“But we still can walk and chew gum,” he said, adding that the Center for Digital Government has recognized Oakland as the most digitally progressive county in the country.

“For two years in a row, we’ve been ranked No. 1 out of 3,000 counties,” he said. “So we’re doing other things besides the budget.”

He pointed out that the county has had time to develop quality of life issues. One of them is Arts, Beats and Eats, which started in 1999.

“It’s now a major festival, ranked in the Top 10 in the country as far as attraction,” he said.

Another program is Count Your Steps, another major attraction.

“I asked my friends in the corporate sector to help buy pedometers for every third and fourth grader in Oakland County,” Patterson said. “We walk for a whole month.”

He said the kids have walked a combined 17 billion steps.

The Brooksie Way, named for Patterson’s late son, Brooks Stuart Patterson, who died in a 2007 snowmobile accident, is a half marathon Patterson initiated as a physical fitness initiative.

He said it grows every year and that profits are put into a fund called the Brooksie Way Mini.

“Any organization in Oakland County that has as its mission, its purpose for that group, to improve the health of its membership or improve the health of the community, we’ll help fund their costs,” he said.

During a subsequent question and answer session, Patterson spoke of the county’s efforts to attract foreign investment. He said Automation Alley, the technology and business association established in the 1990s, takes two or three trade missions a year.

He also noted that the county does a lot of international recruiting.

“We now have 840 foreign firms in Oakland County, creating about 140,000 to 145,000 jobs,” Patterson said.

He also pointed out that the county takes firms to foreign countries.

“They want to expand into the international market, so it’s a two way street, it’s not just imports,” he said.

L. Brooks Patterson addresses Hispanic business forum

Having a child with ex-girlfriend Halle Berry turned out to be profitable for Gabriel Aubry.

TMZ reports that a family law judge ordered Berry to pay Aubry $20,000 a month in child support.

In April Aubry filed legal documents asking a judge to force Berry to give him $15,000 to $20,000 a month for a proper home, so that the couple's 4-year-old daughter, Nahla, would keep living in the surroundings to which she has become accustomed. TMZ reported that the Canadian model also demanded a long list of other things from Berry, including money for Nahla's clothing, and funds so that he can take her home to Canada to visit his family.

The former couple, who split in February 2010, have been in and out of court for months battling over custody of Nahla, and they are due back in court again for a judge to decide whether Halle can take Nahla and move to Paris.

Berry is engaged to French actor Oliver Martinez, and she filed a request in family court for permission to move to France with Nahla, because she fears for her life.

Richard Franco was convicted of stalking Berry, but is out of jail after serving only 193 days of his initial 386 day sentence, while Robert Hoskins, a man who allegedly threatened to slit Berry's throat, escaped from a mental institution in February. With both men running free, the actress wants to get as far away as possible.

ROY ROBERTS (left), DPS emergency manager, and John Covington, Education Achievement Authority chancellor. — Monica Morgan photo

Detroit’s social and economical resurgence hangs in the balance of public education. Poorly performing schools scare off current and potential residents, which in turn shrinks the tax base, spelling hard times for the city at large.

But after years of mismanagement and financial pitfalls, a new day is dawning for Detroit Public Schools. That was the message leaders spearheading education reform in Detroit were spreading at the Michigan Chronicle’s Pancakes & Politics forum at the Detroit Athletic Club on Thursday, June 14.

The forum, titled “Education 911,” hosted two panelists who are arguably the most influential of the “Pancakes” speaker series when it comes to Detroit: Roy Roberts, DPS emergency manager, and Dr. John Covington, chancellor of Michigan’s new Education Achievement Authority (EAA).

The event concluded the annual four-part Pancakes & Politics series for 2012 with a theme of transformation.

During the lively and frank discussion, the team shared their vision for the future of public schools in Detroit, informing the over 300 attendees of their plans. The message was clear: it’s time for change. Roberts and Covington are heading up a massive turnaround for Detroit Public Schools. They’re not talking minor policy shifts, they’re geared to reset major functions in the system.

Most of the focus of the forum was on the EAA, a new public school system in Michigan with a mission to transform the lowest achieving schools into the highest. Because 38 of the 100 worst performing schools in the state were in DPS, the program is launching in Detroit. And for that kind of turnaround, schools can expect big changes.

“There’s a misunderstanding that the EAA is going to come in and close a bunch of schools. That’s not the case. It’s making these schools better,” said Covington.

“It’s a wonderful thing,” said Roberts, who Gov. Rick Snyder appointed to chair the executive committee for the organization, giving him the authority to make the decisions on which schools enter the EAA. Still, out of the 38 lowest performing schools, Roberts has only transferred 15 of these into the EAA so far, including some charter schools.

“There is no war between DPS and charter schools. The war is over. It’s law: If we have a charter school, a DPS or an EAA school that is not performing, we will take them out of here,” Roberts said.

EAA schools will be different. For instance, they will assign 95 percent of their total funding to classrooms instead of administrative posts. And there will be no grade system. Students will move up based on the classes they passed, not their age. The new independent entity is a public/private partnership between Detroit Public Schools, the State of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University.

“We meet with parents on a regular basis so they understand this is not a bad thing,” Covington said about the EAA. “We’re going to transform how we teach and deliver services.”

Another change parents will notice in the new school system is the number of required instruction hours increasing. That is to make sure students have to keep up with global learning. In some countries, students are in school seven days a week, all year long.

According to Covington, Michigan has the lowest number of required instruction hours for its students in the entire nation. He said Michigan schools require 170 days of instruction per year for students, a number he bumped up to 210 for students in EAA schools.

Between Roberts and Covington, it was clear their passion for education is strong and genuine, and the changes they are making they believe are the best for the most important stakeholders — the children.

“Kids can’t vote and kids don’t have money so I’m speaking for the kids,” said Roberts, recalling when he was a young student in a family that struggled to make ends meet. “I’m gonna keep the conversation on the kids.”

Covington remembered a time when he worked in a correctional facility and noticed the young people inside were very smart and had great potential but were, sadly, products of a failing system. Since then he said he has committed his life to bettering education to keep as many youths as possible outside of bars.

“When test scores are low, we always want to start with the kids and don’t stop to think that it might not be the kids, it’s the adults in the system,” he said.

Roberts looked back on his first year as emergency manager and said he learned a lot.

“I was foolish last year. I’m wise this year. It’s the toughest job I’ve ever had in my life,” he said. “The people you try to help the most are the ones toughest on you.”

As far as unions go, Roberts said he hopes everyone will do what’s right for the children and is optimistic that there will not be a strike. The EAA system is not yet unionized.

“Right now we’re starting the EAA without being hamstrung by collective bargaining agreements,” he said.

Looking forward, Roberts said he plans to better his communication with parents and students.

“All parents want their children to do well. We need to do a better job of customer service,” he said. “We have to forge relationships with parents and treat them in a way we believe the parents and kids are most important.”

But Roberts and Covington insist that they cannot transform schools without the support of stakeholders from all backgrounds. It’s in everyone’s best interest to have schools that provide the best education for students now and generations to come.

“This is something we can’t do by ourselves,” Covington said, calling on people to get involved in the process. “We need the general community to get actively involved.”

The sponsors who made this discussion possible include Buick, Comcast Business Class, Strategic Staffing Solutions, HAP, Honigman, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, PNC, Quicken Loans and UHY.