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DETROIT - Drastic times
require drastic measures and if
it eaas keeping Detroit Public
chool tudents home this fall
there' a new group which is
willing to do just that.
Parents, concerned citizens,
school employees, civic leaders
and tudents have recently or­
ganized, forming Detroiters
United for Education (DUE),
ring to changes proposed
by the Detro' Board of Educa­
tio
Our first ep i to call on all
paren in the city to keep their
children at home t . fall until
·have a school budget and
p ogram in place th t i a full
quality program," aid DUE
Spo esperson odeana ur­
phy.
During last meeting
Murphy delivered a statemellt
to the Board voicing the group's
concerns.
"(We) havecome together in
this crisis time to form a new
coalition," Murphy aid. "We
believe th a comprehensive, .
quality educatio system for
our children in this city is a right,
not a privilege.
"We believe that equal
edu tional opportunity' man­
d ted by I w and is key to a
better tomorro for our
children. We are opposed to
any ction that widen the gap
of unequal education in our city
and further destroys our
schoo ."
In the tatement urphy
outlined DUE's opposition to
cutb c including ports and
arts, its upport of inner city
oycot
Detroit
ur irig
Sc ools
program hi
Cootin d rr
the practices of this school are
keeping many qualified people
from entering the field", the
atement charged.
Continuing in the same vein,
the statement agreed that "The
standard are high, we know,
but the inflexability of this
program 0 a person to be
terminated as close as a wee
from gr duation.
"Tax dollars are being
thrown 1', they said, "the
purpo e of the Job Training
Partnership Act is being mis­
u ed by this dministration.
JTP A, formally CET A, forman­
ly an Power, set up to
110 10 -income welfare
reeeeie an opportunity for
training and dvancement, the
SCR member continued.
e student represent .
also tated that this i a chance
to get off the welfare rolls, Due
to the problems with this
program, low-income and wel­
fare recipients that could be­
come tax-payers, remain
dependent on the state".
JTPA administr tor Dr.
Barbara Stewart was contacted
by the Michigan Citizen in
order to get the DPS' position
on the tudent's charges against
the chool. After agreeing to an
interview with this correspon­
dent, when the writer arrived at
the school on July 11, t the
designated time, Dr. Barbar
Stewart t ed th t she ould
not be able to answer any ques­
tio in regard to the school.
Stewart . referred the
Michigan Citizen to Evelyn
. Crane, t. Superintinderit for
Community Relations. at I be
DPS.90 ver, we were unable
to cont ct Ms. Crane before
going to press.
I .
Set
In the early 1970s, a popular
rock song said, "Give peace a
chance."
The Housing Dispute
Resolution Center is seeking
help to "Give Peace a Chance",
in our communities, with a
reward of better housing and
better neighborhoods.
The center wants volunteers
to help in settling housing dis­
putes between landlords and
tenants, either as mediators or
assistants to the mediators.
Training will be provided.
The program is located
within eighborhood Legal
Service in Room 2900 on the
29th floor of th Cadillac Tower
Building, 65 Cadillac Square,
near Woodward.
Those seeking further infer-
matio hould call (313) 962-
0466, ext. 2fJ9.
Center Coordinator John
Robertson, states that in the
p t year, the number of media­
tion cases have "skyrocketed" to
200 a month.
The reason for this high
demand, he note ,. the many
dvantages of using mediation,
rather than going through the
legal system.
Mediation, he says, is less ex­
pensive, easier to use, and is
quicker, because the courts
have such a high case 10 d.
Justice is more often served,
beca in mediatio the goal
is not to discover who is right or
wrong, innocent or guilty, but to
find a so i be pr m
accept ble to both sides.
In mediation, he notes, both
sides' win, because both sides
achieve their goals.
The community also wins, he
dds, because in many cases
solutions can be found that
preserve or increase the stock of
19W cost housing, keeping up
neighborhoods and improving
conditions in the city.
Mediation also ere tes bet­
ter relations in the community
and bo h sid are willing to live
up to agreements.
On other h nd, if either
side does not agree with the
mediator's decision, they are
free to go back to the court sys­
tem and see their legal rights
there.
Medi tion, Robertson adds,
is a growing field.
The center is an outreach
program of Wayne County
Neighborhood Legal Services.
residency requirements of top
board officials and dequate
school finance reform.
Board President Lawrence
Patrie Jr. assured DUE mem­
bers that the he and his col­
leagues would meet with them
to come up with mutually .
fying answers.
"There is' no question that
educating our children is very
important to us," Patrick said.
"We wiD pursue commo means
to achieve the common goal. "
Dolores Smith, another
DUE spo esperson said if stu­
den do not return to school,
den will not be allowed to
run rampant in the streets doing
this time. Smith said, they will
ttend schools which will be
# up in e community.
Although at first gl nee
DUE ppears to be a profes­
sional organization with impec­
cable strategic the group,
which is made up mo tly of
parents, meets regularly to plan
their next step and to maintain
grassroots cont ct.
Representative ant to
provide a comprehensive out
line to the community and be
able to explain to them what
each mill· going to be for
and r ey' h dote
for or against mill e increase,
Smith said.
The group came together at
the end of April and ince then
member have traveled to Lans- By
ing to network and have been
highly visible at Board meet-
ings.
no DO I START THE
EDIATIO P OCES r
CALL US OR DROP IN. Someone from our
staff will talk to you about your situation.
. Our telephone number is 962-0466, �t.
269. are located at 65 Cadillac Square,
Cadillac Tower 8Idg., 29th floor, Ste. 2900,
Detroit, Mt, 48226. Intake hours are
Monday through friday, 9:.30-12:.30 and
1:30-4:30. Mediation sessions can be
scheduled for this time period, a well as
for Saturdays, 9:30-12:.30