EM Roy Roberts Revels in Accolades During NBC Education Nation in Detroit

Opinion from Dr. Thomas Pedroni

Original Source

Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts had some fabulous news (see video below) to share on NBC’s Education Nation Detroit Summit this past Friday morning.  DPS had surpassed the Michigan state average in 14 of 18 categories measured by the state’s student proficiency test, the MEAP.  Applause and accolades followed Roberts’ pronouncement.  Chelsea Clinton divulged that she would entrust her own children to the Emergency Manager’s schools.

Courtesy of NBCNews.com - Education Nation

Notably, the jubilant mood at the summit was not dampened by any of the usual naysaying.  There were none of the niggling challenges to Roberts’ assertions.  The day’s take-home message was clear—Roberts and his staff were finally turning the corner with Detroit’s long-suffering schools.  Education Nation, take note.

Michigan Proficiency Average vs DPS
(with and without EAA) Proficiency Average,
2012 MEAP

Given all the recent bad news in Detroit, Roberts might be forgiven if his facts were a bit off the mark. It turns out, according to the Michigan Department of Education, that DPS did not outshine the state in 14 of 18 MEAP categories. The actual number was somewhat lower—zero.  DPS trailed the Michigan average in proficiency in all 18 categories.  And not just by a bit—by more than 10 percentage points in the two science categories, and by 20 or more in the other 16.  But it was a happy moment at the summit.  No one—not one panelist, not one moderator, not one preselected member of the audience—raised an eyebrow over Roberts’ innovative facts. Perhaps Roberts had merely stumbled over his own words.  Maybe he really meant to say that DPS schools were gaining ground on the Michigan averages—that yes, DPS was still behind, but was steadfastly narrowing the achievement gap in 14 of the 18 categories.

Proficiency Gap between DPS and the State
2009 vs 2012, using new MEAP cut scores

Unfortunately, that’s not the story the MEAP numbers tell either. Instead they show that the Detroit Public Schools have fallen even further behind the state average since gaining an Emergency Manager in 2009.  The picture the numbers paint is particularly bleak when the 15 schools handed to the EAA just before the fall MEAP administration are factored in.  They show that Detroit’s third through eighth graders continue to lose ground in reading and math proficiency in most categories. The hardest hit have been our youngest test takers—those who have spent most of their school years under emergency management—our third, fourth, and fifth graders.  Although Detroit students scored among the worst in the nation in 2009, Detroit’s third graders have since fallen 5.3 percentage points farther behind the state average in reading proficiency.  In math, they have fallen another 5.1 percentage points below the state average. Our fourth graders are now 2.9 percentage points farther behind the state average in reading proficiency, and 6.2 in math.  Fifth grade students have closed the achievement gap by 1 percentage point in reading (and are now only 27.5 percentage points behind their state peers), but have fallen 6.8 percentage points further behind in math. In sixth through eighth grade reading, the proficiency gaps increased by 0.6 points, 1.8 points, and 0.5 points respectively, while progress was made in math—by 0.2, 2.8, and 0.5 points respectively. We hear again and again that Detroit’s children must be prepared to compete in the 21st century global economy.  If the proficiency gap between Detroit’s children and the Michigan average is any indication, our children have only fallen further behind these past four years.  Just don’t tell Chelsea Clinton—enrollment is also down sharply, and the Emergency Manager could desperately use a few more bodies.

---

Editorial Note from Dr. Pedroni:

This column was submitted for consideration to the Detroit Free Press on Monday, March 25. The column was accepted, and slated to run online beginning Tuesday morning. However, on Tuesday afternoon I received a call from the paper’s editorial desk that more time was needed to go over the column. I had already emailed the editorial office links to the Education Nation Detroit Summit video with the times at which the pronouncements by Roberts (at 25:39) and Clinton (at 43:00) were made. I had also emailed a link to the MDE site where the relevant MEAP data is stored, and shared my Excel Worksheets on which I had done the calculations underlying the analysis. The Free Press staffer and I carefully went over on the phone all the numbers and how they were derived. She thanked me for my time and care. The column was again cleared for publication, this time for Wednesday at noon. Just before noon I received another communication from the Free Press— that if they ran a piece accusing Roberts of lying, then the paper at least needed to check with him on what he intended to say. I pointed out that the column did not accuse Roberts of lying, but merely used data to analyze his claim. Moreover I noted that I had taken painstaking care in the second half of the piece to surmise what Roberts might have meant to say, in case he had simply misspoken. Later Wednesday afternoon I received a final email, that based on Roberts’ response, there was too much that would need to be changed in the column, and that I was welcome to take it elsewhere.

Honor Our Vote

The people of Michigan demanded justice by repealing Public Act 4 on November 6 

We told Governor Snyder that it was wrong to oppress local government through the Emergency Manager Law. That includes the Emergency Financial Manager Law which proceeded and was repealed March 16, 2011 to make way for Public Act 4.

Attorney General Bill Schuette delivered an opinion August 6, 2012 on the interpretation of how the repeals would be handled. However the people's opinion is not being considered by government, a government that was NOT set to rule OVER the people, but FOR the people. We will not rest until government sets justice straight by the desired will of the people. Tyrannical government was fought over 200 years ago - a "tea party" was held by revolutionaries to protest taxation without representation.

These repealed laws no longer have standing over the people. Reference Michigan Compiled Law section 8.4:

Effect of Repeal of Repealing Statute.
Whenever a statute, or any part thereof shall be repealed by a subsequent statute, such statute, or any part thereof, so repealed, shall not be revived by the repeal of such subsequent repealing statute. 

This week the people begin moving your asserted government within our local jurisdictions OUT. We celebrate Veterans Day by honoring their fight for our rights. The rights of the people to be heard and demand justice through legislature and courts that listen to the people.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012 

On-air shows will have rallying calls to the public to join the actions coming up this week.

10:00 am Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts is served notice to quit. By noon we begin moving him out of the Fisher Building office.

Noon Rally at Fisher Building and in New Center Commons to evict Roy Roberts from Detroit Public Schools.

2:00 pm Financial Advisory Board meeting for the City of Detroit is being held one mile south at McGregor Conference Center on Wayne State University Campus, near the Law Library on Ferry Mall. We will march in solidarity from New Center to this meeting and serve notice to the FAB and others appointed through the Consent Agreement which has been protested by the people and was found in fault by Corporation Counsel.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

9:00 am Detroit City Council Public Hearing on EMA Consulting Services Contract held at Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit - EMA is evaluating and restructuring Detroit Water & Sewage Dept (DWSD) to eliminate 80% of workforce.

9:00 am Cullor Family Court Date in 36th District Court - Judge Patricia Jefferson, 421 Madison, Room 432, Detroit - Eviction defense

10:00 am Detroit City Council session of the Whole held at Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit - rally in advance at the Spirit of Detroit. {agenda | new business | supporting documents}

11:00 am Bus to Lansing leaves from Northwest Activity Center

1:00 pm The public attends HR 6004 session regarding Legitimacy of EAA School District. Session to be held in the Anderson Building, 124 North Capitol Ave, Lansing 48909.

6:00 pm Detroit School Board Meeting at Detroit Public Library Main Branch, 5201 Woodward Ave, Detroit

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012 

10:00 am Elected School Board lawsuit in 36th District Court before Judge Ronald Giles, 421 Madison, Detroit - the creation of EAA was a move to destroy the school board.

10:00 am City Council Internal Operations Standing Committee held at Coleman A Young Municipal Building, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit

1:00 pm City Council Budget Fnance and Audit Standing Committee held at Coleman A Young Municipal Building, 2 Woodward Ave, Room 1340, Detroit

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 

8:45 am Detroit Police, Fire Board with Paramount Homeowners defense in 36th Circuit Court before Judge Ronald Giles

There are MANY actions happening this week. We are suggesting the best way to keep abreast of what is happening to join the text messaging cell for Free Detroit.

Join The Text Message Cell

Compose a text message addressed to the number 23559 

The contents of the message is join @honormivote

You can get a list of commands by sending the message CMD or HELP

There is a web interface as well - you need to request a password by sending the command PASSWORD. Then visit the site at http://cel.ly with that password to access your profile and the cells you have joined through your phone. 

Denied press recording of Roy Roberts vs DPS Board

Today Roy Roberts, who was installed last year as Emergency Manager will be in court against the Detroit School Board. My request to record session was denied by 3rd Circuit Court Judge John Murphy.
I'm preparing to take notes during the hearing which will begin at 10am.