Detroit Parents' Guide to Schools Released

The newly formed Community Education Commission announced the release of its Detroit Parents’ Guide to Schools for the 2018-2019 academic year.

The Detroit Parents’ Guide to Schools is a 248-page book, also available online at detroitschoolsguide.com, that includes information from all of Detroit’s 197 public and charter K-12 schools. Enrollment timelines, commonly used terms, maps and other information important to parents are detailed in the guide’s pages.

“We are working together as a city in unprecedented ways to deliver high-quality information and options to Detroit’s families,” said Community Education Commission Chair Monique Marks. “One of the Commission’s roles is to champion additional resources that help more families and students get the best education they can in Detroit.”

In keeping with its mission of sharing information about schools by providing an up-to-date and comprehensive resource for finding and learning about the educational options, the Commission began sponsoring informative guide-training workshops for Detroit parents in July at The Skillman Foundation. The purpose was to ensure that parents and students have the tools to navigate the guide so they can easily find accurate and meaningful information about any district or charter school in the city, allowing them to make the most beneficial educational decisions for their family.

The Commission also hosted a family fun day and school enrollment fair to introduce the Detroit Parents’ Guide to Schools to residents on August 2 at Wayne County Community College’s downtown Detroit campus on Fort Street. Fun activities were offered for the entire family and more than 150 of Detroit’s schools were represented.

"I grew up here in Detroit, attended and graduated from a Detroit school, so I've always been committed to my two girls attending schools here in the city," said Emerald Burk, mother of a 10th grader at the Henry Ford for the Creative Arts and a 6th grader at Detroit Edison Public School Academy. "As a parent, I appreciate finally there being one place where I can see all of the schools open in Detroit, and actually understand what my options are for my girls."

The Commission started meeting in June 2018 and has held two meetings. Commissioners, who are volunteers appointed by Mayor Mike Duggan, include representatives from district and charter school leadership and educators, the teachers’ union, parents, community and civic advocates and philanthropy. In June, the Commission launched the GOAL Line, a free bus loop that takes students to and from 10 schools and after school programming in the Northwest area. GOAL Line information is incorporated into the Detroit Parents’ Guide to Schools.

“Parents want the best for our children,” said Sherita Smith, mother of four boys and member of the Community Education Commission. “This guide is a great resource and first step in providing us accessible information to navigate all the options and make the choice that best suits our family’s educational needs.”

For more information, visit www.DetroitSchoolsGuide.com, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or hashtag #DETSchoolsGuide.

The Community Education Commission is a nonprofit formed in May 2018 to facilitate high-quality education for all Detroit schoolchildren. The Commission provides additional resources to the community to ensure access to high-quality schools, transportation, after-school programming and community information. The Commission will hold eight public meetings per year.