Education Achievement Authority

The Education Achievement Authority (EAA or Authority) was the governing body of the Education Achievement System (EAS or System), a Michigan statewide school system for failing schools. It was discontinued in 2017 and the schools were returned to the Detroit Public Schools.

Education Achievement Authority
Interlocal agreement school district overview
FormedJuly 1, 2011 (2011-007-01)
Typeboard
Minister responsible
Interlocal agreement school district executive
  • Veronica Conforme, chancellor
Parent interlocal agreement school districtEastern Michigan University
Detroit Public Schools
Child interlocal agreement school district
  • Education Achievement System
Key document
WebsiteOfficial website

The office of the State Superintendent or an Emergency Manager of a school district may transfer a failing school from its district into the System that is not under an approved redesign plan.[2]

History

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder created the authority in June 2011[1] to take over and turn around failing schools.[3]

On August 26, 2011, the EAA Executive Committee went into executive session to discuss hiring John Covington as chancellor.[1] In the summer of 2011, John Covington was appointed chancellor of the Authority school system.[2] Pursuant to a complaint, on October 28 Judge Robert Colombo ruled them in violation of Open Meetings Act for failing to have a 2/3 vote to enter the executive session of August 26.[1]

Curt Guyette of the Metro Times wrote that "The EAA has been mired in controversy since its inception. "[4]

In December 2011, Covington held meetings in the Detroit area to explain the Authority, take input about system including whether the EAA should start with more than Detroit Public Schools.[2][3]

The Authority began taking over Detroit schools in September 2012.[2][3] Covington resigned as chancellor on July 13, 2014, with an interim, Veronica Conforme, appointed the next day.[5] After the last remaining candidate dropped out on November 4, 2014, Conforme was named chancellor the next day.[6]

By 2014 many students who formerly went to EAA schools moved back to Detroit Public Schools (DPS) campuses, and the EAA campuses had significant declines in enrollment. Veronica Conforme, the EAA chancellor, announced that she will give autonomy to individual campuses in an effort to improve the academics and public image of the EAA.[4]

In December 2014 Eastern Michigan University put the EAA on notice, asking it to improve.[7]

As of 2015 the EAA did not spend a $11.5 million federal grant it received as part of the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF).[8]

In February 2016 the Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents submitted notice to withdraw from the Achievement Authority in June 2017. Following the notice Michigan Senate leaders announced they would be working to dismantle the EAA as part of a Detroit Public Schools support package.

Operations

The EAA students used Buzz, an educational software program developed by Agilix Labs that had its testing phases during the EAA instruction. The program used software made by the School Improvement Network (SINET).[9]

As of 2012, 25% of the teachers were from Teach for America.[9]

Schools

As of 2016 the following schools are controlled by the EAA:[10]

Elementary and middle schools:

  • Mary M. Bethune Elementary/Middle School
  • Burns Elementary/Middle School
  • Law Academy
  • Nolan Elementary/Middle School
  • Phoenix Elementary/Middle School
  • Brenda Scott Elementary/Middle School

High schools:

Charter schools:

  • Murphy Performance Academy
  • Stewart Performance Academy
  • Trix Performance Academy

Authority Board

as of 2011

Memberrepresentingposition
Roy Roberts Detroit Public SchoolsChair
Executive Committee 2 year
Executive Committee Chair
Sharlonda BuckmanDetroit Public Schoolsf
Mike MorrisEastern Michigan Universityexecutive committee 4 year
Mary Tender-LangEastern Michigan University
Mike DugganGovernor Snyderexecutive committee 3 year
Carol A. GossGovernor Snyder
Reverend Dr. Joseph Ralph JordanGovernor Snyder
Mark A. MurrayGovernor Snyderexecutive committee 1 year
Dr. William F. PickardGovernor Snyderexecutive committee 2 year
Shirley StancatoGovernor Snyder
Judith Kaye BerryGovernor Snyder

[11]

See also

References
  1. Chambers, Jennifer (October 29, 2011). "Judge: School panel violated Open Meetings Act". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  2. Higgins, Lori (November 18, 2011). "State district for failing schools may expand past DPS earlier than planned". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  3. Chambers, Jennifer (November 18, 2011). "Forum touts district for failing schools". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  4. Guyette, Curt. "After six years and four state-appointed managers, Detroit Public Schools’ debt has grown even deeper" (Archive). Metro Times. February 25, 2015. Retrieved on January 21, 2016.
  5. "EAA names Veronica Conforme as Interim Chancellor". WXYZ. June 17, 2014. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  6. Zaniewski, Ann (November 5, 2014). "EAA names interim chancellor Conforme as new leader". Free Press. Gannett. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  7. Guyette, Curt. "Gov. Snyder’s education district has failed its transparency test " (Archive). Metro Times. December 2, 2015. Retrieved on January 22, 2016.
  8. Zaniewski, Ann. "EAA fails to spend $11.5M grant to reward top teachers" (Archive). Detroit Free Press. June 29, 2015. Retrieved on January 21, 2016.
  9. Guyette, Curt. "The EAA Exposed: An investigative report" (Archive). Metro Times. September 24, 2014. Retrieved on January 21, 2016.
  10. "EAA Frequently Asked Questions ." Education Achievement Authority. Retrieved on January 21, 2016.
  11. Board appointed for new Education Achievement System Archived 2012-06-12 at the Wayback Machine. Education Achievement System. August 4, 2011.
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