Current Proposals Open for Voting
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Platform Plank Proposal A
Proposed by: Urban Neighborhood Initiatives Youth Advisory Board
Background:
We believe that access to adequate, nutritious food is a right. We believe that school lunch is unhealthy because of very small portions and lack of variety. Many youth report that they either do not eat enough or they do not eat at all. This impacts their ability to concentrate and succeed in the classroom.
We know that schools need better funding for lunches and that there are federal nutritional guidelines in place that restrict what schools are able to or not able to serve. After overhead costs, students are given a dollar for their lunch. This results in reliance on highly processed and heat-’n’-eat food.
The opposing view of the issue is that lunch is great because of the junk food they serve. The underlying structural causes are expenses, not having enough for hiring skilled cooks or having a fully fitted kitchen for cooking. Also, districts require food departments to pay their own overhead, including electricity, accounting and trash collection. Solutions we should fight for are having the school districts receive a larger contribution from their state and district or not have to pay for overhead.
We will work for fulfilling healthy lunches in school along with self made healthy choices.
Language to be added to 482 Platform:
"We believe that access to adequate, nutritious food is a right. We know that schools need better funding for lunches and that there are federal nutritional guidelines in place that restrict what schools are able to or not able to serve. We will work for fulfilling healthy lunches in school along with self made healthy choices."
Voting Closes: December 31, 2016
Proposed by: Urban Neighborhood Initiatives Youth Advisory Board
Background:
We believe that access to adequate, nutritious food is a right. We believe that school lunch is unhealthy because of very small portions and lack of variety. Many youth report that they either do not eat enough or they do not eat at all. This impacts their ability to concentrate and succeed in the classroom.
We know that schools need better funding for lunches and that there are federal nutritional guidelines in place that restrict what schools are able to or not able to serve. After overhead costs, students are given a dollar for their lunch. This results in reliance on highly processed and heat-’n’-eat food.
The opposing view of the issue is that lunch is great because of the junk food they serve. The underlying structural causes are expenses, not having enough for hiring skilled cooks or having a fully fitted kitchen for cooking. Also, districts require food departments to pay their own overhead, including electricity, accounting and trash collection. Solutions we should fight for are having the school districts receive a larger contribution from their state and district or not have to pay for overhead.
We will work for fulfilling healthy lunches in school along with self made healthy choices.
Language to be added to 482 Platform:
"We believe that access to adequate, nutritious food is a right. We know that schools need better funding for lunches and that there are federal nutritional guidelines in place that restrict what schools are able to or not able to serve. We will work for fulfilling healthy lunches in school along with self made healthy choices."
Voting Closes: December 31, 2016
Platform Plank Proposal B
Proposed by: Hope Village Action Team
Background:
We will work toward and advocate for parents to serve on the board of their charter schools.
We believe the growing absence of parent and community voice amongst decision-making tables has contributed to schools that are culturally disconnected, largely failing, and often a mismatch for the neighborhood families they serve. We believe we can impact this trend and turn things around when parents/students are appointed/elected to serve as School Board representatives.
We know that quality schools and positive educational experiences don't come easy and because of that, navigating school systems to ensure the best for families can not only be confusing, but intimidating. Many school systems and the Boards that "oversee" them do not plan with students and their families. Too often they plan "for them" without regard to their input and value that they bring in helping to identify solutions within their local schools. We know that the ESSA encourages schools that receive public federal funding include families as partners to help engage and involve parents and ultimately impact academic achievement.
We will fight against ANY structure, entity, viewpoint or system that opposes or does not value parent, student and community input by routinely excluding parent/student/community partnerships and not ensuring representation on their local School Board.
We will work for routinely consistent, deliberate and inclusive parental and family empowerment within the local school. As a result of this empowerment, we believe "our world" will soon reflect improved student achievement and a decrease in school suspensions and expulsions. We will work toward preparing interested parents/students to be seated as a School Board member during the next appointment cycle or upcoming school year.
Language to be added to the 482 Platform:
"We will work toward and advocate for parents to serve on the board of their charter schools. We believe the growing absence of parent and community voice amongst decision-making tables has contributed to schools that are culturally disconnected, largely failing, and often a mismatch for the neighborhood families they serve. We believe we can impact this trend and turn things around when parents/students are appointed/elected to serve as School Board representatives."
Voting Closes: December 31, 2016
Proposed by: Hope Village Action Team
Background:
We will work toward and advocate for parents to serve on the board of their charter schools.
We believe the growing absence of parent and community voice amongst decision-making tables has contributed to schools that are culturally disconnected, largely failing, and often a mismatch for the neighborhood families they serve. We believe we can impact this trend and turn things around when parents/students are appointed/elected to serve as School Board representatives.
We know that quality schools and positive educational experiences don't come easy and because of that, navigating school systems to ensure the best for families can not only be confusing, but intimidating. Many school systems and the Boards that "oversee" them do not plan with students and their families. Too often they plan "for them" without regard to their input and value that they bring in helping to identify solutions within their local schools. We know that the ESSA encourages schools that receive public federal funding include families as partners to help engage and involve parents and ultimately impact academic achievement.
We will fight against ANY structure, entity, viewpoint or system that opposes or does not value parent, student and community input by routinely excluding parent/student/community partnerships and not ensuring representation on their local School Board.
We will work for routinely consistent, deliberate and inclusive parental and family empowerment within the local school. As a result of this empowerment, we believe "our world" will soon reflect improved student achievement and a decrease in school suspensions and expulsions. We will work toward preparing interested parents/students to be seated as a School Board member during the next appointment cycle or upcoming school year.
Language to be added to the 482 Platform:
"We will work toward and advocate for parents to serve on the board of their charter schools. We believe the growing absence of parent and community voice amongst decision-making tables has contributed to schools that are culturally disconnected, largely failing, and often a mismatch for the neighborhood families they serve. We believe we can impact this trend and turn things around when parents/students are appointed/elected to serve as School Board representatives."
Voting Closes: December 31, 2016
Platform Plank Proposal C
Proposed by: Our Kids, Our Schools, Our Voice Campaign Committee
Background:
We believe that the process for closing schools requires the engagement of the school community, including parents and members of the community in which the school is located. And, we believe that school closures must be coordinated across charter and Detroit Public Schools Community District and with the City of Detroit.
We know that closing a school does not improve education. We know that the negative effects in the neighborhood can be devastating: increased disconnection between schools and the communities where the students live; hardship for families (difficulty in locating schools near home; transportation costs) and the empty buildings are a source of blight in the neighborhood. In Detroit we have witnessed the chaos created by a lack of clear criteria for school closure, insufficient and misleading communication and the “school deserts” created in many neighborhoods. There has not been a fair and transparent system that is inclusive of all the constituencies that are affected by the school closure.
We will fight against closure of schools that are based solely on low achievement in standardized tests. We will fight for parents’ and community voice in the determination of the need to close a school. We will fight for alternative ways to improve the performance of low achieving schools. We will fight against the double standards applied to charter schools and traditional public schools when determining the process to improve low performing schools. We will fight for a coordinated system that includes parents and community members in determining when schools need to be closed and the processes to bring about the closure.
Language to be added to the 482 Platform:
"We know that closing a school does not improve education. The negative effects in the neighborhood can be devastating. In Detroit we have witnessed the chaos created by a lack of clear criteria for school closure, insufficient and misleading communication and the “school deserts” created in many neighborhoods. We will fight against closure of schools based solely on low achievement in standardized tests. We will fight for a coordinated system that includes parents, students, and community members in determining when schools need to be closed and the processes to bring about the closure."
Voting Closes: December 31, 2016
Proposed by: Our Kids, Our Schools, Our Voice Campaign Committee
Background:
We believe that the process for closing schools requires the engagement of the school community, including parents and members of the community in which the school is located. And, we believe that school closures must be coordinated across charter and Detroit Public Schools Community District and with the City of Detroit.
We know that closing a school does not improve education. We know that the negative effects in the neighborhood can be devastating: increased disconnection between schools and the communities where the students live; hardship for families (difficulty in locating schools near home; transportation costs) and the empty buildings are a source of blight in the neighborhood. In Detroit we have witnessed the chaos created by a lack of clear criteria for school closure, insufficient and misleading communication and the “school deserts” created in many neighborhoods. There has not been a fair and transparent system that is inclusive of all the constituencies that are affected by the school closure.
We will fight against closure of schools that are based solely on low achievement in standardized tests. We will fight for parents’ and community voice in the determination of the need to close a school. We will fight for alternative ways to improve the performance of low achieving schools. We will fight against the double standards applied to charter schools and traditional public schools when determining the process to improve low performing schools. We will fight for a coordinated system that includes parents and community members in determining when schools need to be closed and the processes to bring about the closure.
Language to be added to the 482 Platform:
"We know that closing a school does not improve education. The negative effects in the neighborhood can be devastating. In Detroit we have witnessed the chaos created by a lack of clear criteria for school closure, insufficient and misleading communication and the “school deserts” created in many neighborhoods. We will fight against closure of schools based solely on low achievement in standardized tests. We will fight for a coordinated system that includes parents, students, and community members in determining when schools need to be closed and the processes to bring about the closure."
Voting Closes: December 31, 2016