Detroit's School Failure By Design! Why Urban Schools Are Failing And How To Fix Them!

by Roosevelt Williams

Overview

This book explains how Detroit earned its reputation as the worst public school system in the country. It is the story of one man's attempt to teach his students traditional history in a Detroit classroom, and the District's determination to stop him. Along the way, he was selected by the principal for "special assistance" because of the number of failing grades in his classes. Detroit officials disapproved of his students reading the textbook, preparing outlines as a study tool, his lecturing to students, and his insistence that his students work to pass his classes. That teacher, Roosevelt Williams, the author wrote the book so that the public can understand that urban schools are failing because of the decisions and policies of the school's administrators.

Using the administrative hearing transcripts, the teacher/author exposes the official's thinking and the tragic consequences on the Detroit students. The Michigan Teacher Tenure Commission, charged with protecting tenured teachers, endorsed the dismissal decision, stating the Detroit Board: "sought to advance the learning process beyond the level of memorization and rote learning prevalent in appellant's classroom to capture the attention of the students, to engage them in the learning process and to develop higher level thinking skills by the students."

Finally, the author points out a number of shortcomings to help the schools live up to their public responsibilities to the students and community.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940033073313
Publisher:	Roosevelt Williams
Publication date:	02/16/2012
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	514 KB

About the Author

Roosevelt Williams was born in Harlem Florida, an African American enclave outside of Clewiston, in 1944. He is one of ten children born to Harlie and Ruth Williams.. He graduated from Florida A & M University with honors in 1966 and obtained an MBA from Michigan State University in 1986.

Beginning in 1967 he was a manager and executive with New York Telephone, Michigan Bell and AT&T for 21 years, with most success coming in the area of managerial supervision, and organizational planning and effectiveness. He founded his own company in 1989 that provided information system applications development, installation and support; computer skills classroom training; and offered management skills training and consulting for educators.

He began working as a substitute teacher in Detroit Public Schools in 1995, and as a certificated teacher in 1996. After being rated as a satisfactory teacher for five years, Mr. Williams was notified that his performance was deficient in October 2001 and notified that he was still deficient in April 2002 and subsequently fired.

He appealed his dismissal to the Michigan Teacher Tenure Commission. He represented himself during the hearings because the union failed to offer support. His dismissal was sustained by the commission. He subsequently appealed to the Michigan Court of Appeals, who ruled that his appeal was without merit, and would not be heard.

This book is Mr. Williams appeal to the public, an attempt to expose how the system is failing Detroit students by design, and proposes how the situation may be remedied.

Mr. Williams is a lifelong Christian who was ordained as a minister of the Gospel in 1996, and served as pastor of Christian Fellowship Non-Denominational Church from 1996 through 2004. He served as pastor of Greater Olivet Baptist Church from 2005 until he retired at the end of 2010. Reverend Williams viewed his battles with the Detroit Schools as a matter of righteousness, and says he felt compelled by his faith to fight the good fight. Bringing his case before the public is the latest step in that fight.