Fix Detroit Schools

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The system must find ways for the parents to do their job. Many parents do not know how to help and/or do not have time because of working two or three jobs.

One thing to do, probably funded by a private grant, is to develop an online program that would help students with homework. The Twin Cities was able to get $13-million from corporations, so why can't we. (This program would be similar to one that is online for a student studying for his/her GED.) It would allow the student to work on his homework online and get instant feedback to measure their comprehension and progress. It gives the parent a vehicle to see the progress on a daily basis and see how much time and effort their child is putting forth.The DPS would provide free broad band service to any household participating, hopefully funded by a grant. The student's progress and effort would be monitored and if the student was not working on their homework, the service would be removed from the household. So much for using the broadband for You Tube, MySpace, Facebook, etc.

Maybe there is a way to get the computers from the Microsoft Foundation or Karmonos or Gateway.

My vision is 
  1. Identify 400 students in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades, in one or two schools and to be part of this experiment.
  2. Have an expert develop a program that matches the lesson plans for the teachers at the above schools. At a minimum the program allows the following.
    • The teachers at the schools must be involved in providing the content to be learned
    • As the student works on the program he receives instant feedback on his response and is given the correct answer.
    • The student is given sample tests so he and his parents can review his progress.
    • The parents can review daily whether the student is making an effort
    • The teachers will also review their progress.
  3. Provide the homes with a high speed connection to the Internet which the household can use for any purpose as long as
    • The student is using the above program and making a good faith effort.
    • The parent is reviewing their child's progress on some regular basis.
This may not work, however I think it is worth a try. Below is my estimate of what it would cost to try the experiment and I believe that someone wiser and more powerful than I, his name rhymes with Ring, can find a grant to cover the cost. I am also willing to help find the grant money.

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