Parents pressed the Detroit Public Schools Community District board Sept. 9 about staffing shortages and student performance, as Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s evaluation and new training deadlines also came up for review.
The Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) board met Sept. 9 at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School to review enrollment, staffing and community concerns as the new school year gets underway.
Parents heard updates on student performance, superintendent evaluation and issues affecting classrooms across the city.
Superintendent’s evaluation and student performance
The board announced that Vitti received an “effective” rating for the 2024–25 school year. Trustees praised progress in graduation rates, new health hubs and high school redesign. They also pointed to areas that need more attention: student attendance, accelerated academic progress and school climate. This fall, the board plans to revise the evaluation process to measure climate and culture more directly, an issue many Detroit families have raised.
Several principals were honored for leading schools with high or improving test scores. Cass Technical and Renaissance high schools scored above the state average on the SAT, and Bates Academy was named the top-performing school in the city for literacy. Students who completed summer internships with the district’s operations team were also recognized, along with new student board ambassadors from Pershing and Cass Tech.
Enrollment and staffing updates
As of the ninth day of school, 47,955 students had attended at least one day of class, about 400 more than this time last year. Families were reminded that no child should be turned away from their neighborhood school if they bring proof of ID and address. Parents then have 30 days to submit birth certificates, immunizations and transcripts…