Detroit Public Schools Community District elections (2016)
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Detroit's 2016 board of education elections represented a turning point in the board's composition and power. On July 1, 2016, a state law divided Detroit Public Schools (DPS) into two districts: DPS and the Detroit Public Schools Community District. DPS was transitioned into a legal entity to pay down more than $400 million in debt. The Detroit Public Schools Community District managed day-to-day operations for public schools in conjunction with the state-appointed Detroit Financial Review Commission. Learn more about the restructuring of Detroit Public Schools and candidate views on district issues here.[1][2]
The 11-member board for Detroit Public Schools was replaced by a seven-member board when new members took office in January 2017. Seven seats on the Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education were up for general election on November 8, 2016. The winning candidates were Angelique Nicole Peterson-Mayberry, LaMar Lemmons, Georgia Lemmons, Sonya Mays, Misha Stallworth, Deborah Hunter-Harvill, and Iris Taylor.
Sixty-three candidates, nine candidates per seat, filed for election. Ten of the 11 previous members of the board filed for election. In the 2014 elections, there were 16 candidates for four seats, resulting in four candidates per seat. For comparison, Ballotpedia reported that an average of 1.89 candidates ran per seat in districts across the country in 2014 and 1.72 candidates ran per seat in 2015.
This election was one of Ballotpedia's top 10 local-level races in 2016. Click here to read the full list.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education consists of seven at-large members. The DPS board that adjourned for the final time in June 2016 consisted of seven members elected by district and four at-large members. The candidates receiving the most and second-most votes won six-year terms. Those candidates gathering the third, fourth, and fifth-most votes won four-year terms, and the candidates receiving the sixth and seventh-most votes won two-year terms.[3]
Michigan school board candidates had to file with their county elections department during the candidate filing period, which concluded on July 26, 2016. The deadline to withdraw from the election was July 29, 2016. Candidates needed to submit nominating petitions with signatures from district residents or $100 non-refundable deposits to reach the ballot. The deadline for voters to register for the election was October 11, 2016.[4]
Candidates and results
At-large
Note: An (i) indicates a member of the Detroit Board of Education that was disbanded on July 1, 2016.
Two slates, 5 for the Future and A+ Team, formed after the filing deadline but were not labeled on the ballot.
- The 5 for the Future slate included Angelique Nicole Peterson-Mayberry, Deborah Hunter-Harvill, Iris Taylor, Misha Stallworth, and Keith Linnaeus Whitney.[5]
- The A+ Team slate featured Penny Bailer, Mary Kovari, Sonya Mays, and Kevin Turman.[6]
Each voter chose up to seven candidates out of the 63 candidates on the ballot.
Results
Additional elections
- See also: Michigan elections, 2016
School board elections in Michigan shared the ballot with races for president of the United States, U.S. House seats, and state legislative seats.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Michigan school board elections in 2016:[7]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 26, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| July 29, 2016 | Deadline for candidates to withdraw from ballot |
| October 11, 2016 | Voter registration deadline for general election |
| October 28, 2016 | Pre-election campaign finance reporting deadline |
| November 8, 2016 | General election |
| December 8, 2016 | Post-election campaign finance reporting deadline |
Endorsements
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
The Detroit Free Press endorsed Leslie Andrews, Penny Bailer, Phillip Caldwell II, Ryan Charles Mack, Angelique Nicole Peterson-Mayberry, Misha Stallworth, and Kevin Turman on October 30, 2016.[8]
The Detroit News endorsed Andrews, Bailer, Brandon Brice, Mary Kovari, Mack, Sonya Mays, and Turman on October 18, 2016.[9]
The Metro Detroit AFL-CIO endorsed Keith Linnaeus Whitney, Peterson-Mayberry, Stallworth, Deborah Hunter-Harvill, Iris Taylor, Markita Meeks, and Mack.[10]
On September 28, 2016, the Detroit Regional Chamber PAC endorsed Andrews, Stallworth, Bailer, Kovari, Turman, Mays, and Taylor. The chamber issued the following explanation of its endorsements:[11]
| “ |
The election in November marks a tipping point for education in Detroit. Unlike previous boards under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager, the newly elected board will have a debt-free, clean slate with more power to make decisions necessary to ensure the district’s long-term financial and academic growth. The candidates endorsed by the Chamber PAC are good stewards of taxpayer dollars whose proven turnaround expertise and collaboration will be essential to safeguard the future of Detroit schools.[12] |
” |
Campaign finance
School board candidates in Michigan were required to file pre-election campaign finance reports with their county election offices by October 28, 2016. Post-election reports were due by December 8, 2016.[7]
In Michigan, candidates are prohibited from receiving contributions from corporations or labor organizations. Within 10 days of becoming a candidate, candidates must form a candidate committee. Following the creation of the committee, candidates have an additional 10 days to register the committee with the school district filing official by filing a statement of organization. A candidate committee that does not expect to receive or spend more than $1,000 during the election cycle is eligible to receive a reporting waiver, which allows that committee not to file pre-election, post-election, and annual campaign statements.[13]
October 28 filing
Candidates received a total of $164,533.68 and spent a total of $100,234.02 as of October 30, 2016, according to the Wayne County clerk.[14] Angelique Nicole Peterson-Mayberry led the field with $57,980.00 in contributions and $40,364.82 in expenditures for the reporting period. Her biggest donor through October 28, 2016, was the United Auto Workers Michigan V-PAC, which contributed $27,500.00 to her candidate committee. Sixteen of the 63 candidates filed campaign finance statements by October 30, 2016. The remaining candidates had not filed their reports or qualified for exemption from reporting.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tawanna Simpson | $1,200.00 | $996.38 | $203.62 |
| Ida Carol Short | $1,409.15 | $975.00 | $434.15 |
| Herman Davis | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Angelique Nicole Peterson-Mayberry | $57,980.00 | $40,346.82 | $17,633.18 |
| Kevin Turman | $5,038.99 | $3,555.84 | $1,483.15 |
| Deborah Hunter-Harvill | $3,950.00 | $4,387.83 | -$577.83 |
| John Telford | $19,000.00 | $5,341.52 | $13,658.51 |
| Markita Meeks | $100.00 | $25.00 | $75.00 |
| Mary Kovari | $14,383.54 | $16,883.54 | $4,315.86 |
| Ben Washburn | $500.00 | $0.00 | $500.00 |
| Iris Taylor | $10,725.00 | $6,311.16 | $4,413.84 |
| Sonya Mays | $20,935.00 | $15,450.49 | $0.00 |
| Charmaine Johnson | $0.00 | $1,939.68 | $0.00 |
| Phillip Caldwell II | $2,915.00 | $2,713.37 | $201.67 |
| Leslie Andrews | $16,114.00 | $0.00 | $6,500.00 |
| Penny Bailer | $10,283.00 | $1,307.39 | $8,975.61 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
Election trends
Detroit's 2016 school board elections featured more candidates per seat than the district's 2014 elections. Voters saw nine candidates per seat up for election in 2016, while the 2014 ballot featured four candidates per seat. The district's 2016 elections surpassed the 2.3 candidates per seat average for all Michigan school board elections covered by Ballotpedia. Detroit's four candidates per seat in 2014 exceeded the 2.09 candidates per seat for Michigan districts in Ballotpedia's coverage. The following table compares candidates per seat in 2014 and 2016 for school board elections covered by Ballotpedia in Michigan and the United States:
Ballotpedia survey responses
Fifteen candidates out of 63 total candidates participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. Candidates were asked about what they hope to achieve if elected to the school board. To see response to this question, click [show] on the right side of the box.
| What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ballotpedia invites candidates for this school district election to participate in its annual survey.
Click here to view or fill out the survey.
Financial issues for board candidates
On October 25, 2016, the Detroit Free Press published the results of a comprehensive review of public records for 2016 school board candidates in Detroit. This review of property, tax, and court records determined that 36 of the 63 filed candidates faced financial difficulties in their past. Twelve board candidates filed for bankruptcy, 13 candidates faced property seizure or liens due to unpaid taxes or mortgages, and 28 candidates were sued, defaulted on, or settled unpaid bills in court. Fourteen candidates fell into two of the three categories, while three candidates landed into all three categories.[15] The following table lists the Free Press findings under each category of financial difficulty. Click [show] in the Candidate box to expand the table.
Restructuring of Detroit Public Schools
Background
The following timeline tracks the history of state intervention in Detroit Public Schools. Click the arrows on the side of the graphic or a specific event on the gray bar below the graphic to advance the timeline.
Detroit Public Schools moved from management by a state appointee to local control with state input following the November 2016 school board election. In March 2009, the state of Michigan appointed an emergency manager to oversee the district's operations and resolve $305 million in lingering debt. Between 2009 and 2016, the school board oversaw academic matters, while district finances were handled by the appointed manager. The district's debt continued to grow with an estimated $467 million in debt in June 2016.[16]
Under a plan approved by the Michigan State Legislature in June 2016, a seven-member school board elected in November 2016 would possess greater authority than the previous board over finances for the Detroit Public Schools Community District. The state-appointed Detroit Financial Review Commission was empowered to approve contracts exceeding two years in length or expenses exceeding $750,000. Commission members were also required to approve termination of contracts for the superintendent and chief financial officer. The 11-member commission included five gubernatorial appointees, the state treasurer, the state budget director, the Mayor of Detroit, the president of the Detroit City Council, the district superintendent, and the school board president.[17] The restructuring package also eliminated the emergency manager's office following swearing-in for new board members in January 2017.[16]
| Explaining the decline of Detroit Public Schools | |
| Gov. Rick Snyder, "Detroit schools plan avoided a worse fate for district," June 17, 2016 |
Restructuring bill
On June 21, 2016, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed a bill authorizing the division of Detroit Public Schools into two entities effective July 1, 2016. The Michigan State Senate approved the restructuring package with a 19-18 vote, while the Michigan House of Representatives approved the plan in a 55-54 vote.[22] The restructuring plan aimed to keep Detroit Public Schools as a revenue-collecting entity while paying down the district's debts by 2025 with the help of $467 million in state funds. The second district, called the Detroit Public Schools Community District, would take over the work of operating schools using $167 million in state transition funds. The new school district would be governed by a seven-member board elected in November 2016 with finances reviewed by a state-appointed commission. Snyder issued a statement calling the restructuring "a new day for Detroit families, with DPS free from debt and strong accountability measures for all schools in the city that promises a brighter future for all of Detroit's children."[23][24]
A July 27 memo written by Ron Rose, the executive director of the Detroit Financial Review Commission, raised concerns about the breadth of the commission's oversight over the new district. In the memo, Rose said that legislation authorizing the commission "recognizes that fiscal stability consists not only (of) a broad combination of accounting and financial practices, but also policies, procedures, operating decisions, administrative and academic matters that impact financial outcomes."[25] Emergency manager Steve Rhodes asked for the memo's redaction due to concerns that broad powers would infringe on the new school board's authority. Rose declined to withdraw his memo. He told local media of his willingness to incorporate advice from district attorneys. The governor's office also issued a statement saying that the commission would have no role in academic affairs.[25]
Criticisms of restructuring
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan stated that a mayoral commission, which was removed from the bill by House Republicans, should oversee school finances rather than a state-appointed board.[23] State Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D) stated that the bill would not resolve racial disparities in public schools.[26]
The Michigan Association of School Boards issued a statement after the plan's passage quoted below:[27]
| “ | While getting DPS out from under the debt and putting that money back into the classroom is important, we are disappointed that the “solution” that was created was passed without input from the legislators representing Detroit, the citizens, or other community and educational groups invested in the future of Detroit and its children.
While we are pleased to see a return to local control starting with the school board election in November 2016, this package falls far short of setting up the district for future success. Even though the board will have the power to hire the superintendent and evaluate his/her performance, the Financial Review Commission will oversee continuing decisions about the superintendent including changes to or termination of the contract. Overall, the legislation includes numerous provisions that have not shown to increase student achievement, such as the use of noncertified teachers and increasing strike penalties. It also does not include any way to help stabilize the student population in Detroit.[12] |
” |
On July 1, 2016, members of the outgoing school board filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the implementation of the restructuring effort. The board's lawsuit claimed that legislators violated the state constitution by passing a local act without two-thirds of the vote in both chambers. Attorneys for the board members also argued that the new legislation should be invalidated because it allowed the district to hire teachers without certification.[28] On August 4, 2016, a hearing was held by Michigan Appeals Court Judge Michael Talbot to determine if the lawsuit could proceed.[29]
On August 23, 2016, six parents of students at Detroit schools filed a lawsuit seeking to block the district from hiring uncertified teachers for the new district. The lawsuit argued that the restructuring plan provision was unconstitutional. Lawyers for the parents claimed that the district would be the only school system in Michigan to allow unlicensed teachers and that the provision would create an unequal learning environment. District spokesperson Chrystal Wilson did not respond directly to the lawsuit but told local media that district administrators had stated that they would not hire uncertified instructors for city schools.[30]
On September 13, 2016, the Detroit Public Counsel filed a lawsuit in federal district court against Snyder, the Michigan State Board of Education, and state Superintendent Brian Whiston on behalf of seven Black and Latino students in Detroit schools. The lawsuit claimed that state officials had deprived the city's students of equal access to education through decades of decreased investment in public education. Public Counsel's lawsuit based its claims on the concept of a minimally acceptable education included in the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, along with due process rights under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The filing included evidence of mold and pests in schools, adverse teaching conditions, and damaged or outdated textbooks. Public Counsel requested class-action status for all students in the district as part of the lawsuit.[31][32]
About the district
- See also: Detroit Public Schools, Michigan
Detroit Public Schools is located in southeastern Michigan in Wayne County, Michigan. The county seat is Detroit. Wayne County was home to an estimated 1,759,335 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[33] The district was the largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 49,043 students.[34]
Demographics
Wayne County underperformed in comparison to Michigan as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 21.6 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree during this period, compared to 29.3 percent of all state residents. The median household income in the county was $41,421, compared to $53,482 for the state. The poverty rate in Wayne County was 24.1 percent, compared to 14.8 percent statewide.[33]
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Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
See also
| Detroit Public Schools | Michigan | School Boards |
|---|---|---|
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External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Detroit Public Schools Community District
- Detroit Federation of Teachers
- Detroit, Michigan
- Wayne County, Michigan
- Michigan Department of Education
Footnotes
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "July 26 deadline to file to run for Detroit school board," June 30, 2016
- ↑ Wayne County, Michigan, "Archived Election Information: 2016," accessed April 12, 2021
- ↑ The Detroit Free Press, "72 people seek seven Detroit school board seats," July 26, 2016
- ↑ Wayne County Clerk, "Elections Division-Voter and Candidate Information," accessed August 1, 2016
- ↑ Misha Lianne Stallworth, "Slate," archived October 20, 2016
- ↑ The Detroit News, "Jacques: Is this the dream team for DPS board?" September 8, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Michigan Bureau of Elections, "2016 and 2017 Campaign Finance Filing Schedule," January 12, 2016
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Endorsements: Detroit school board needs fresh ideas," October 30, 2016
- ↑ The Detroit News, "Editorial: Our endorsements for Detroit school board," October 18, 2016
- ↑ Metro Detroit AFL-CIO, "2016 Political Endorsements," archived January 21, 2016
- ↑ Detroit Regional Chamber, "Detroit Regional Chamber’s Political Action Committee Releases Endorsements For Detroit School Board," September 28, 2016
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Genesee County, "Filing Requirements under Michigan's Campaign Finance Act," February 7, 2014
- ↑ Wayne County Clerk, "Wayne County Campaign Finance Information System," accessed October 30, 2016
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Detroit school board candidates: Many foreclosures, bankruptcies, lawsuits," October 24, 2016
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 MLive.com, "For Detroit's new school board, state still wields the power," August 2, 2016
- ↑ Michigan Department of Treasury, "About the Detroit Financial Review Commission (FRC)," accessed April 12, 2021
- ↑ The New York Times, "Detroit Is Now a Charity Case for Carmakers," September 22, 2013
- ↑ The New York Times, "Razing the City to Save the City," June 20, 2010
- ↑ TIME, "Inside Detroit’s Radical Experiment to Save Its Public Schools," September 6, 2016
- ↑ USA Today, "Detroit becomes largest U.S. city to enter bankruptcy," December 3, 2013
- ↑ WXYZ, "Michigan Legislature OKs $617M bailout for Detroit schools," June 8, 2016
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Detroit Free Press, "Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signs $617M Detroit schools bailout," June 21, 2016
- ↑ Governor Rick Snyder, "Gov. Rick Snyder signs bill package strengthening educational opportunities for Detroit's children, returning control to locally elected board," June 21, 2016
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Detroit Free Press, "How much control will new Detroit school district really have?" August 26, 2016
- ↑ Michigan Radio, "Officials pledge "seamless" transition to new Detroit school district, but many still nervous," June 23, 2016
- ↑ Michigan Association of School Boards, "MASB Executive Director Don Wotruba issued the following statement on the passage of Detroit Public Schools legislation," accessed April 12, 2021
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Board to file suit to stop Detroit Public Schools split," June 30, 2016
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Lawsuit seeking to block DPS changes gets hearing," August 4, 2016
- ↑ The Detroit News, "Detroit parents ask court to bar uncertified teachers," August 24, 2016
- ↑ The Detroit News, "Suit: Detroit schoolchildren denied right to literacy," September 13, 2016
- ↑ Business Insider, "An 8th grader had to teach a math class for a month because Detroit schools were so understaffed, lawsuit alleges," September 16, 2016
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 United States Census Bureau, "Quickfacts: Wayne County, Michigan," accessed August 1, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Department of State, "Previous Election Information," accessed February 3, 2014
