Detroit Public Schools Case Study

On a large scale, the city of Detroit is encompassed by an eclectic mix of houses, people, and businesses. It is a city known for its resiliency and its ability to always rise from the ashes of adversity. Within its neighborhoods, lies a series of interconnected communities. These communities are better known as Detroit Public Schools. For the purposes of this report I will focus on three schools, Mason Elementary, WestSide Academy, and Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School, located on the city’s west side. The problem, which these schools, as well as the district have, lie in Governor Snyder’s proposed reform of the Detroit Public School system. DPS has been under state control since 2009 and teachers have faced pay cuts, higher health care

By analyzing these functions, one can gain a better understanding of the problem at hand. In a school community the function of production is fulfilled by the teachers who produce scholars. Next is distribution. The teachers distribute grades to the students, the school distributes paychecks to the teachers, and the state distributes money to the school based on performance on national tests. Third comes consumption. The students consume knowledge through books, technology, etc. One example that schools contribute to socialization, is through the formation of cliques, which may alienate some students as well as affect their learning. The function of social control is fulfilled in the fact that the school’s funding is based on performance. This falls in line with the notion that public school teachers teach the test as opposed to the course’s actually curriculum. They [the teacher’s] know that if the school does not perform well on the test that it could not only cost the school it’s funding, but that they could also potentially lose their job. In this scenario, the function of social participation is fulfilled by the teachers banning together and staging a ‘sickout.’ Students and parents alike helped to fulfill the function of mutual support. According to The Detroit News (2015), Students carried signs with messages such as, “Cure to Snyder Flu: A strike to win,” “Stop Snyder’s Plan to Destroy Detroit Public Education” and “Stop Snyder’s Plan to Destroy Detroit Public Schools.” Parent Donya Scott, whose two daughters attend Detroit School of Arts said she supported the teachers. “I think it’s pretty cool and I give them a thumb’s up,” she said. “We need DPS because this is where it all started. I don’t think