Detroit’s School Board Shakeup: New Members Set to Shape the Future

Detroit's School Board Shakeup: New Members Set to Shape the Future
Detroit's School Board Shakeup: New Members Set to Shape the Future Credit | AP

United States: The superintendent of Detroit’s public school district may soon encounter a surge of criticism as new school board members prepare to assume their roles in January.

In the latest General Election, incumbent board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo emerged as the top candidate, securing a second term according to preliminary results. With all precincts reporting, Gay-Dagnogo, a former state legislator and educator within the district, received 57,399 votes—approximately 13% of the total. Monique Bryant, a parent and nonprofit leader, garnered 9.5% of the votes, placing her in second, while Ida Simmons Short, a college instructor and former Detroit Public Schools board member, followed with 9.1%.

Meanwhile, incumbent board members Sonya Mays and Misha Stallworth chose not to join Gay-Dagnogo in seeking re-election. Each of the three newly elected board members has voiced concerns regarding Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s management of Michigan’s largest school district. In Chalkbeat’s voter guide published in September, Simmons Short assessed Vitti’s performance, assigning a middling score of 3 out of 5, noting his need for improvement in areas such as chronic absenteeism, literacy, and special education. She observed that the special education department within DPSCD remains out of compliance, indicating a failure to fulfill obligations specified within students’ individualized education programs (IEPs), as per outliermedia.org.

“Non-compliance in special education signifies our students are not receiving the essential support they need. Addressing these deficiencies must be a priority,” Simmons Short stated on Wednesday.

Gay-Dagnogo, who also rated Vitti a 3 out of 5, emphasized the need for a stronger focus on special education as well. She advocates for prompt IEP provision and guarantees that students’ needs and accommodations are met effectively.

“Our current approach is exacerbating illiteracy rates, further feeding into the school-to-prison pipeline,” she remarked. “Moreover, with the current presidential administration contemplating the dismantling of the Department of Education, I am apprehensive about the potential repercussions, particularly given the existing underfunding of special education at the federal level.”

Bryant, by contrast, issued Vitti a lower score of 2, attributing her assessment to stagnant progress in test scores and enrollment. Despite some recent gains in test scores, they remain significantly below state benchmarks. Enrollment has yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels, although recent district reports have offered promising updates.

Under Vitti’s leadership, attendance and academic achievement have seen some advances, yet the hurdles remain substantial. For example, students’ state test performance lags considerably behind state averages, with nearly 66% of district students classified as chronically absent last year, each having missed 18 or more days.

Since his hiring in 2017, Vitti has largely enjoyed support from the board, which extended his contract through 2028 earlier this year—potentially making him one of the district’s longest-tenured superintendents. In a July interview with Chalkbeat, Vitti asserted that sustaining and accelerating the district’s progress hinges greatly on the support of the school board and its election outcomes.

Collaborative Goals as a Board

Gay-Dagnogo’s campaign drew robust backing, including substantial financial contributions and notable endorsements. Her state-level political action committee reported raising over $65,000—the second-highest among all candidates. She also invested $6,000 in her own campaign and received endorsements from the Detroit Free Press, the Chronicle, and the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO, as reported by outliermedia.org.

Conversely, Bryant’s campaign gathered over $4,000 in contributions, with nearly half provided by Bryant herself. When asked for comment, the newly elected board member was unavailable on Wednesday.

For Gay-Dagnogo, this board term represents a continuation of a 30-year legacy, including her tenure in the Michigan House of Representatives and as a Detroit science teacher. She expressed enthusiasm about working with Bryant and Simmons Short, noting her experience attending educational forums with Bryant and assisting in her campaign efforts. Gay-Dagnogo has also met with Simmons Short, appreciating her historical insights into the district.

“I have a solid rapport with both Ida and Monique,” she said. “It feels as though we are prepared to step forward and keep making progress.”

Gay-Dagnogo emphasized that in her second term, she aims to address district climate and culture, advance the facility master plan, and see through the district’s literacy lawsuit initiatives.

“As a board member, I want to ensure we achieve tangible results in reading proficiency, improve transparency and financial accountability, and increase investments in Detroit-based enterprises,” she stated.

Simmons Short, an English instructor at Wayne County Community College District, rejoined the board following her campaigns in 2016 and 2022. She was motivated by concerns over chronic absenteeism and the district’s low literacy rates, which she perceives as obstacles to critical thinking, according to outliermedia.org.

Future Visions

During her tenure, Gay-Dagnogo has underscored financial transparency, advocating for Detroit tax dollars to stay within the city through vendor partnerships prioritizing Black-owned companies. She proposed leveraging Detroit’s local businesses as technology and book vendors and fostering partnerships between larger corporations and smaller, underutilized vendors. Citing an example, she recalled a program by Sun Valley Foods that hired Detroit graduates and supported their college ambitions.

“When a Detroit-based company offers job opportunities that benefit both students and their families, we see a mutual benefit—one that encourages community investment, supports our families, and directly benefits our students,” she explained. “It’s a reciprocal dynamic that sustains community involvement and growth.”

Gay-Dagnogo envisions partnerships with youth organizations like The Horatio Williams Foundation and The 180 Program, both of which dedicate efforts to academic and life success for young people.

With DPSCD preparing to launch its literacy tutoring program, Gay-Dagnogo sees potential in involving local churches. Reflecting on her time as a state representative, she mentioned appropriating $1.5 million for Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) to establish literacy initiatives within church communities, as per outliermedia.org.

“Here lies another chance where resources can extend beyond the district itself,” she remarked.

Upon returning to the board, Simmons Short listed her key priorities as improving special education services, enhancing literacy rates, and addressing chronic absenteeism. She underscored that resolving absenteeism requires family involvement, not just a focus on individual students.

“Chronic absenteeism is a family issue; we cannot address the student in isolation,” she emphasized. “We must adopt a more comprehensive approach.”

In contrast, Bryant had previously expressed intentions to champion financial accountability, expand board engagement with schools and families, and advocate curriculum enhancements to bolster district enrollment. Her initial attempt to secure a board position occurred in 2022.