The “transforming trio”—curriculum, professional development, and data-driven decision making—was the focus of a conference held in Detroit, November 4 and 5, 2005. The conference was jointly sponsored by the Council of the Great City Schools; New Detroit, Inc.; The Skillman Foundation’s Good Schools: Making the Grade Initiative; and Measured Progress, four not-for-profit organizations striving to improve teaching and learning.  

The event opened with an address by Stephen Peters, creator of the Gentlemen’s Club, a fast-growing program for at-risk and borderline public schools. Peters is the author of Inspired to Learn: Why We Must Give Children Hope, in which he shares his vision for the children in our schools. Peters is also the author of Do You Know Enough about Me to Teach Me? 

Peters stressed the need for parental involvement and support and the importance of treating every child as a unique individual. 

Ako Kambon, president of Visionary Leaders Institute, delivered the conference’s keynote address. Nationally recognized as a leader in educational consulting and cultural sensitivity training, Mr. Kambon works with more than 100 public and private school systems and non-profit institutions.  

Kambon discussed the importance of public-private partnerships. “I am a profound believer in self-help,” he said.  When it comes to community issues, “government should be a catalyst and supporter of local initiatives, but must not attempt to apply generic solutions to specific problems and situations.” Kambon also highlighted the value of policies, programs, and procedures that engage parents in their children’s education.

“Parents must be hands-on participants in the educational process—active partners with teachers and administrators,” he said. “Getting parents involved often requires special effort and carefully devised programmatic approaches. This is especially true in multi-cultural environments where there may be race, class, and communication issues to overcome.” 

The conference highlighted national and regional educators—including presenters from Boston, Detroit, and Broward County, Florida—who showcased working examples of the “Transforming Trio,” successful applications in integrating curriculum and professional development with data to yield demonstrable results in their schools. Speakers included representatives of five Good Schools recognized in 2005 as “High Performing” and “Improving.”  

The conference featured a special performance by winners of the Good Schools Rapper competition, part of the Good Schools Campaign developed to promote and engage the Detroit community around Good Schools. The three Good Schools Rap winners, selected in partnership with Detroit radio station WJLB, are all elementary school students. They wrote and choreographed their award-winning numbers and were recently awarded the “Spirit of Detroit” award by City Council President Pro Tem Kenneth Cockrel, Jr.  

The Council of the Great City Schools, a Washington-based coalition of 66 of the nation’s largest urban public school systems, is the national voice for urban education in all of the major public policy arenas. New Detroit, Inc., identifies urban problems and promotes strategies to reduce them. The Skillman Foundation is a private, philanthropic organization committed to helping children in metropolitan Detroit by improving their homes, schools, and neighborhoods.

Copyright 2005 by Measured Progress. All rights reserved.