This week Detroit began its targeted demolitions in its city. What is the connection to education you ask? That's what I'm trying to find out too. Because there is one.
This blurb from Model D media, which is apparently a Detroit-centric astroturf site for redevelopers, recently published this quiet little blurb:
http://www.modeldmedia.com/devnews/uli032310.aspxUrban Land Institute to unveil surplus school properties to developers on March 24
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Urban Land Institute Detroit District Council, in partnership with SEMCOG and the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, is hosting its first annual Metro Marketplace at Oakland University from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday March 24. The program is extensive, but two highlights include a keynote address from Chris Ronayne, president of University Circle, Inc. -- Cleveland's fastest growing employment center -- and an hour-and-a-half of deal making that will enable municipalities, schools and nonprofits to showcase available properties to investors and developers. Detroit Public Schools' surplus sites will be unveiled at this time in the hopes of attracting serious inquiries.
The schedule kicks off at 7:30 a.m. with registration and breakfast and Ronayne will speak at 8:30 a.m. From 9-9:40 a.m. there will be a panel discussion regarding the public sector, with participants from Wayne State University; the cities of Warren, Romulus and Detroit; the University Cultural Center Association; and SEMCOG. A private sector panel discussion will follow, with representatives from for-profit developers of various sizes. The third and final panel discussion is on finance and will include bankers, foundation representatives and land bank interests.
The event takes place at The Oakland Center in Rochester and costs $40 for ULI members and members of the public sector, $75 for non-members from the private sector; or $20 for students. More information and registration at
http://detroit.uli.org.I poked around on the site, and found another blurb:
http://www.modeldmedia.com/inthenews/nextamericancity033010.aspxFrom Next American City: Understanding Detroit, with a little help from Whitman
Most media outlets are quick to point out Detroit's weaknesses. Don't get us wrong, there is more than a few things wrong with our beloved city, but there are also a few things right. And Detroit is a lot stronger than some give it credit for. Not just in people, and the strength of its residents, but also in it's housing stock... yes, housing stock. Next American City cites some data compiled right here in Detroit about the strength of the city's houses and what that could mean in terms of growth.
Excerpt from Next American City:
Detroit is exposed, and it's not the weed-wrecked, shriveled city I expected. The city shows muscle beneath a film of high unemployment, failing industry, and vacancies. A recently published report by the Detroit Data Collaborative reveals the real condition of the city's residential areas, finding that there is more to this market than a 35 percent vacancy rate. The report, a joint effort of the Detroit Office of Foreclosure Prevention and Response, Data Driven Detroit, Community Legal Resources, Living Cities, and the Edward Ginsberg Center at the University of Michigan, found that occupied housing in Detroit is well-maintained and thriving in spite of the overwhelming percent of vacancies. 93 percent of occupied housing in Detroit is in good condition, 7 percent is in fair condition, and a mere 1 percent is in poor condition.
Living Cities sounded kind of Orwellian, so I went to the link and found some interesting things there. For one Carol Goss is on their Board of Directors.
http://www.livingcities.org/about/board/?id=21Do you remember Carol Goss? She's the CEO of the Skillman Foundation who is directly involved in the take over of the Detroit School with Robert Bobb and the rest of the merry crew of "Excellent Schools Detroit".
http://www.freep.com/article/20100311/COL33/3110406/Excellent-Schools-plan-a-chance-for-all-to-step-upPosted: March 11, 2010
Excellent Schools plan a chance for all to step up
BY STEPHEN HENDERSON
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
Carol Goss, CEO of the Skillman Foundation, deserves a heap of credit for putting this effort together, for pulling DPS emergency financial manager Robert Bobb together with charter and independent school operators like Doug Ross and Clark Durant, parent advocates such as Sharlonda Buckman and members of the non-profit community.
Goss works tirelessly behind the scenes on myriad issues, but she will need to step forward as the face that will drive this effort. In particular, Goss has to seize on the task of creating the standards and accountability commission that will do the goal setting for city schools.
This is also a challenge to Mayor Dave Bing, who until now has punted a bit on the governance question, saying he'd take control of schools if Detroiters want him to. Excellent Schools offers him a chance to jump more actively into the debate about both standards and governance.
What is Living Cities?
http://www.livingcities.org/Basically from what I can tell it is an investment firm that specializes in low-income neighborhoods. The list of their members reads like The Usual Suspects:
Members
Our Members
* AARP Foundation
* AXA Equitable
* Bank of America
* Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
* Citi Foundation
* Deutsche Bank
* Ford Foundation
* John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
* JPMorgan Chase & Co.
* Met Life, Inc.
* Morgan Stanley
* Prudential Financial, Inc.
* Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
* Surdna Foundation
* The Annie E. Casey Foundation
* The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
* The Kresge Foundation
* The McKnight Foundation
* The Rockefeller Foundation
* W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Our Affiliate Members
* Cleveland Foundation
* The Skillman Foundation
They also have a PDF on their website
http://www.livingcities.org/urbanfellows/Bart Peterson: Transforming Urban Public Education Through Education Entrepreneurship The forward is written by Ben Hecht, the CEO & President of Living Cities
It's fascinating in a horrible sort of way, especially if you are a teacher.
I'm sorry these are kind of large, but I wanted the text to be readable
![](http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae35/mpkartist/lc1.jpg)
![](http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae35/mpkartist/lc6.jpg)
The text is a clear attack on teachers and unions and a call for privatization. This is already kind of long, so I'll let this sink in for now.