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Posted on Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 4:50 p.m.

Appointments to governing board of Eastern Michigan, Detroit Public Schools partnership include Meijer CEO

By Kyle Feldscher

The governing authority of the new partnership between Eastern Michigan University and Detroit Public Schools to revamp failing schools will include the heads of Meijer Inc. and the Detroit Medical Center, along with two EMU trustees.

The new Education Achievement System will restructure Detroit Public Schools and other school districts with failing schools by placing persistently low-achieving buildings under the authority of the 11-member board.

EMU will help create “laboratory or university schools” at the site of any school that has been taken over by the EAS. EMU faculty and staff have been directed to assist the new system, but debate remains on whether they will cooperate.

There are about 200 failing schools throughout the state and about 100 of those are in Michigan.

The members of the new authority board are:

  • Jim Stapleton, an EMU regent and president and CEO of B&R Consultants
  • Mike Morris, an EMU regent appointed by Snyder in February who is also chairman and chief executive office of American Electric Power.
  • Roy Roberts, emergency manager of Detroit Public Schools
  • Sharlonda Buckman, executive director of Detroit’s Parent Network, who was appointed by DPS.
  • Mike Duggan, president and CEO of the Detroit Medical Center and was appointed to the board by Snyder.
  • Carol Goss, president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation, a private foundation that works with schools and neighborhoods in metro Detroit and was appointed by Snyder.
  • Rev. Joseph Ralph Jordan, pastor of Corinthian Baptist Church in Hamtramck and was appointed by Snyder.
  • Mark Murray, president and CEO of Meijer, Inc and was appointed by Snyder
  • William Pickard, chairman and CEO of VITEC, a manufacturer and supplier of fuel delivery systems to the automobile industry and was appointed by Snyder
  • Shirley Stancato, president and CEO of New Detroit, Inc., a leadership coalition devoted to race relations and was appointed by Snyder.
  • Judith Kaye Berry, associate vice president of strategic initiatives in the office of the vice president at Lansing Community College and was appointed by Snyder.

A chancellor for the authority has yet to be appointed.

Roy Wilbanks, chairman of the EMU Board of Regents, said the university will be well represented by Stapleton and Morris.

“Eastern Michigan University is committed to this initiative and to the delivery of our expertise in support of improved learning environments and student achievement,” Wilbanks said. “We are proud to partner in this innovative and creative partnership, and to be part of the solution for Michigan students and their families. The university and the Detroit Public Schools will be well served by the appointments of Mike Morris and Jim Stapleton.”

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Comments

Ralph

Sat, Aug 6, 2011 : 12:42 a.m.

Hey Rick! Are you reading this? See this on Mr. Stapleton :<a href="http://www.michigancitizen.com/dps-ceo-hides-fraud-secret-p1037-1.htmton" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigancitizen.com/dps-ceo-hides-fraud-secret-p1037-1.htmton</a>:

Ralph

Sat, Aug 6, 2011 : 12:48 a.m.

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