The people of Detroit have spoken:
Burnley must go
On November 2, the people of Detroit voted down Proposal E overwhelmingly despite the backing of Mayor Kilpatrick, the Chamber of Commerce and a two million dollar ad campaign. The voters of Detroit sent the political leadership of the city and of the state a clear message rejecting the current appointed school board and its policies and rejecting any role for the Mayor in running our public schools. The youth of Detroit and the new civil rights movement they have built played a leading role in this fight for the future of public education in the city.
The unequivocal rejection of Proposal E by the people of Detroit was a demand for full democratic control of the Detroit Public Schools by the people of the city. It was a demand for accountability and an end to the devastation being imposed on our public school system by CEO Kenneth Burnley and the take-over board. The November vote said, not Burnley, not the Mayor, not the Governor and not the legislature, but the people of Detroit must control our schools.
In response to this vote, Governor Granholm set up a Transition Team including many forces opposed to Proposal E, and announced in December that all school closings and layoffs would be put on hold. The basic job of this Transition team is to restore the control of the people of Detroit over Detroit's public schools.
Burnley has made clear his intention to destroy the public school system of Detroit by shutting down close to half of the schools. Burnley must be shown the door. Even contemplating renewing his contract after the people have overwhelmingly delivered a vote of no confidence in him and his policies is a scandal that will not be tolerated by the people of Detroit.
The state takeover of Detroit's public schools has been a disaster - a disaster rejected by the people of Detroit. The legislature and the office of the Governor are responsible for this disaster. They caused it - they have a moral and political responsibility to make it possible for the people of Detroit to undo the damage. Detroit must be reimbursed for the many millions of dollars squandered under the state takeover and full democratic control must be put back in the hands of the people of Detroit. The new civil rights movement must wage a fight for the resources necessary to reverse the damage done by the takeover and years of deprivation imposed on our city's schools. The people who control the money will always cry broke when resources are needed for our schools. We need people in leadership of the schools who will stop pretending to believe them and begin fighting in earnest for the equal, quality education the youth of Detroit deserve.
The vote on November 2 was a massive vote of no confidence in CEO Kenneth Burnley and his policy of reducing our public school system to rubble. The students have spoken. The teachers have spoken. The parents and community members have spoken. Democracy must be restored. Accountability must be restored. Burnley's policy of destroying our public school system must be rejected.
- George B. Washington, Attorney, Transition Team member
- Helen Moore, Transition Team member
- Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration & Immigrant Rights, And Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN)
- Keep the Vote/No Takeover Coalition
- Civil Rights Action Now (Detroit Teachers)
