Charter school operators interested in turning around schools in Detroit attended a bidders’ conference to get more information about the application process.
As many as 45 Detroit schools could be taken over by charter operators over the next two years. Ahmed Saber is with Education Management Networks, which operates three charter schools in Detroit:
"There is a lot of uncertainty about the plan, and of course because of the speed that it came about, and trying to get it done soon. But maybe that’s what’s needed in a climate that’s bogged down in a climate with all the politics and all the red tape."
Detroit Public Schools hopes the charter plan will avoid having to shut dozens of schools, and help put the troubled school system in the black.
District officials say they’re looking for high-quality operators that have a proven track record – including 90 percent graduation rates and 75 percent proficiency on state math and reading tests.
For more information about the plan, called Renaissance 2012, click here
To see Michigan Radio's comprehensive reporting project looking at what school reform lessons Detroit might learn from New Orleans', click here.
