Good evening.

I've asked for this time tonight to talk to you about an issue that is critical to the future of Detroit - the Detroit Public Schools.

The schools have been the subject of heated controversy in recent years. Unfortunately, much of that controversy has not been focused on the most important question before us - what is best for our children. The word "reform," in our discussion of education has too often focused on politics, rather than children.

For more than a year, hundreds of people from all corners of our city have joined with me in a bold and historic effort to Redefine Reform in Detroit. Our goal -- to determine how best to educate all of our children in the City of Detroit and how to ensure each child receives the education he or she deserves.

These dedicated citizens include students, parents, teachers, union leaders, school administrators, community activists, business leaders, and politicians. Together we have been doing the heavy lifting, having tough discussions, and working toward solutions to benefit all of our children.

My involvement in the process marks the first time in Detroit history that a Mayor has stepped forward to attempt to shape the debate on education in our city. Detroit Public Schools have been a separate entity with no connection to the Mayor's office. But I have become involved in this because I have a passion for children, a passion for education, and a passion for this City. My administration has been working to build a better Detroit for all of our children through our Kids, Cops, Clean program. The schools are the foundation of our City. This City cannot succeed if our public schools are failing.

Seven weeks ago many of you watched a spirited town hall meeting on education, which I called to help further our discussion on Redefining Reform. At that meeting I pledged to hear all sides on all issues, to report back to you on what Detroiters believe is best for all of our children, and to formulate policy based on those recommendations.

Tonight I bring you that report.

It is painfully honest in its assessment of how we are failing too many children today, and how we risk jeopardizing the futures of those yet unborn. But this report also comes with the promise of a new day - a new model for education in Detroit that is as bold and decisive as the year-long process that forged it.

To understand how our student population plunged from nearly 300,000 to 150,000 today... to understand how half of our schools are failing minimum levels of achievement ... and to understand how almost half of adults in Detroit are functionally illiterate - we must know our history.

The Detroit Public School system once was the envy of parents in Michigan and mayors and governors across the country. In the late 1920s and early 1930s - at a time when Detroit was driving America's industrial boom - our classrooms were bursting with nearly a quarter million students. Yet the City and the schools, in partnership with an active business community, met the challenge. So effective was the partnership that in 1927, the New Republic Magazine proclaimed "Detroit's school system is one of the finest in the world."

In the 1950s, the 50-year exodus began - and it's had a staggering effect on the schools. As families left, property values dropped, and the tax base that provided a bulk of school funding began to evaporate. Add to that crippling recessions, labor unrest among teachers, and decisions made along the way to forgo investment in school infrastructure - and you begin to understand how we lost our way.

As turmoil in the schools boiled over, it was compounded by seismic shifts in our society. The fight for civil rights led to very necessary, and often ugly, battles over desegregation. Racism permeated education at every level with funding and governance decisions often based on the color of a child's skin.

Increasingly, children's problems at home spilled into already decaying classrooms. Schoolwork suffered as teachers and principals became de facto parents and police. How do you teach children to read when they haven't eaten breakfast or aren't wearing shoes? This was the daily struggle in New York, Boston, Chicago, and dozens of other urban districts. It was as bad, if not worse, in Detroit.

Against this backdrop, the first serious attempt at school reform in Detroit came in 1971 when the Governor and Legislature agreed to changes in governance proposed by then State Senator Coleman A. Young. Based on the belief that the district was too big to fix, it was divided into eight regions, each with its own school board and own set of administrators.

But decentralization proved a disaster. The bloated administration that resulted from creating eight separate districts sucked untold millions from classrooms. Teachers went on strike. Governance and accountability were incomprehensible. At the end of the day, children paid the price. Achievement suffered, test scores dropped, and buildings fell apart when maintenance was deferred.

In 1981 the citizens of Detroit said "enough" - and voted to reform the schools by putting the district back together with an 11-member board in charge of everything. Things certainly did change. Who knew they could get any worse?

The new board was hobbled by a massive debt that climbed to $160 million - and two more strikes by teachers. Further crippling our schools were the very people elected to lead it. Board members played games with the school budget and staffing, and jockeyed to run for higher office rather than focusing on our children. Once again, at the end of the day, test scores dropped and buildings fell apart. Children paid the price.

A chance at serious reform came again in the early 1990s when citizens voted for a new team of school board members known as the HOPE team. Under that leadership, the district created a new type of experimental school -- empowered schools. And it introduced African-centered education. Individual schools were allowed to develop their own educational plan and parents were allowed to choose or not choose an empowered school.

Education experts and politicians can debate the merits of this movement and this era in our education history. But few have my perspective. In 1993, I graduated from college and returned to teach in the same Detroit Public School system from which I graduated, and was given the opportunity to realize my dreams.

At 8:30 every morning I closed the door to my classroom at Marcus Garvey Academy - an empowered, and African-centered school - and I worked with 32 young students, full of curiosity and an eagerness to learn. Some came from solid homes. Others struggled just to get to school. But every single one of those children wanted to learn. They just needed to be shown the way.

Teaching for me, as it is for so many dedicated Detroit teachers, was a calling. My job didn't end when the bell rang at 3-30. I started a Boy Scout troop. I developed after-school tutoring programs. I was a basketball coach. I took kids camping. I got involved. The students responded. They saw their own potential and the power of knowledge. And they confirmed my belief that our children can compete with children anywhere - if they have the opportunity.

While my fellow teachers and I made an impact at Marcus Garvey, much of the school district continued its steady deterioration around us. Teachers went on strike, again. There was a mass internal revolt against empowerment, choice, and accountability. Bond money voters had approved to fix schools that badly needed repair sat unused. Board members were voted in and out. Superintendents were hired and fired. Test scores dropped and buildings fell apart.

Once again, children paid the price. Our schools made national headlines when they ran out of toilet paper. Students had to attend classes for which there were no textbooks.

Through it all, the exodus from Detroit continued. Parents unable to effect change in the schools at the ballot box, voted with their feet and left town. Since the 1970s, we have been losing 4,000 students each year. At least that many are still fleeing our classrooms today.

A frustrated Detroit Free Press captured the crisis in a 1997 editorial that implored, "Detroit Board of Education members need to get a grip... Their energies are being diverted from the most essential job they have right now: ensuring that rapid and substantive reform takes place."

But as we know far too well, the Board did not heed the call. And in 1999 the State of Michigan pulled an unthinkable - and terrible - power play on the citizens of Detroit.

I was in the State Legislature at the time of the takeover - and I fought vehemently, along with the rest of the Detroit delegation, against the move. Taking our right to vote was wrong. But in Lansing we did not have enough votes to stop it. The Legislature and then Governor Engler created an appointed school board.

To understand how our right to vote could be taken away, it's important to understand the Constitution of the State of Michigan. Under the state constitution, all school districts are creatures of the state. The Legislature and Governor alone have the power to establish the rules under which school districts operate. Also, most of the funding for public schools comes from the state. In essence, Lansing sets the rules and structure for the schools in every city and town.

I explain this because we have before us today a chance to take back our schools and restore the right to vote. But we must work with the Legislature and the Governor to make it happen. We cannot act on our own.

The challenge before us is determining what we want the Legislature to do and what the Legislature will agree to do.

The current law would have citizens of Detroit vote one year from now on whether to keep the appointed board system we have today - or go back to the old way, a school board system that is 90-some years old, and proven to be ineffective.

Throughout this year-long process of Redefining Reform, I heard a clear message from Detroiters - both choices - keeping the current appointed board or going back to the old board structure - are bad. Detroiters want their right to vote. But they do not want to go back to the old board and the old system. They do not want to go back to a situation where the board micromanaged every decision made, where every school board election meant a change in district leadership and where the superintendent had to count votes on the board every morning to determine if he still had a job.

It is important to recognize that under the leadership of Dr. Kenneth Burnley we have seen real progress in our schools. In fact, the nationally respected Council of Great City Schools said recently that, "reform of public education in Detroit is in full swing... and... the City and its school district are heading in the right direction."

Make no mistake - things are far from perfect. But we have seen major progress in reading achievement and MEAP scores. To conquer the many challenges ahead, all of us - every citizen - must be engaged. And we cannot walk together unless we right the injustice of 1999, and restore the right to vote. That will not happen if we keep the current system.

Conversely, a return to the old board system runs the very high risk of undoing the progress that's been made, condemning ourselves to repeat the mistakes of the past, and forcing future generations to pay the price. That cannot happen, either.

That means we must have a new approach. Months ago I told the leadership in Lansing that we must create a model of school governance that puts our children first, continues the reforms currently underway, and restores the right to vote.

One year ago, as a first step in the process of Redefining Reform, I convened an informal education cabinet to advise me on school issues. They were a tremendous resource as I named new members to the Detroit School Board, members who represent many parts of our community and who are all residents of Detroit.

For the past year I have also talked regularly with students, parents, teachers, union leaders, and Dr. Burnley. Members of my staff opened their own lines of communication. What was working? Where were schools failing? How could City departments, and the Mayor, help?

The questions have also been coming from across the country as we work to bring major retailers and other businesses to Detroit. Without fail, the first question I am asked is, "How are your schools?" Companies need to know they will have a solid base of educated employees. In meetings about economic development, I am quizzed on standardized test scores and dropout rates. And without fail, the comeback is, "What are you, the Mayor, doing to fix it?"

This is a question the mayors of New York, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland and other cities with troubled schools can answer clearly because they took control of their districts - and are able to effect immediate change. My answer to a business that may be choosing between Detroit and one of those cities simply cannot compete.

It is in these situations that I'm reminded of President Kennedy's belief that, "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind," he said, "is our fundamental resource."

Thanks to the unwavering commitment of companies like General Motors, DTE Energy, Compuware, EDS, and other businesses large and small, Detroit is already a hub city in the global economy and the information age. But our progress in becoming a technology leader and building a new Detroit for the 21st century can be no swifter than the progress of our schools. Students who attend the Detroit Public Schools must develop the skills necessary to work at these companies or start businesses of their own. We can pour billions of dollars into new buildings, infrastructure, and reshaping the skyline. But if our schools continue to fail, so, too, will our City.

At the same time, improving student test scores and lowering the dropout rate only will not get the job done. We need a fundamental, citywide shift in how we educate our children. Decades ago, the definition of workplace competition in Detroit was how many people lined up for a job at the stamping or manufacturing plant. That was the heart of our economy, and our schools prepared our students well.

But today, a kid from the Eastside is competing for college and jobs with kids from East Asia. The new global economy demands ever-increasing skills in science, math, and technology - along with an ability to write, and speak another language. Regardless of where you live in the world, this is the price of admission for our children as they enter the information age.

I said many of these things two months ago when I took the next step in Redefining Reform and convened five work groups to explore what it would take to transform our schools. I directed that each group include a cross-section of Detroit and represent voices on all sides of all issues. I asked them to search in the City - and in cities across the country - for solutions in five areas: academic achievement, parental involvement, business and community partnerships, charter schools, and governance. I assigned a topic to each group and asked them for a report.

Five distinguished Detroiters agreed to assemble and lead the study groups. Wayne State University President Irvin Reid led the study of academic achievement. New Detroit President Shirley Stancato, guardian of a Detroit Public School student, led the study of community and corporate involvement. Attorney Larry Patrick led the study of charter schools. School board member and DPS parent Geneva Williams led the study of parental involvement. And school board president Bill Brooks led the look at governance. They were able to enlist more than 200 people into the work groups.

At the same time, I began gathering my own unfiltered look at the schools with a series of surprise visits to public schools across the City. I sat in offices, dropped into classrooms, and walked hallways, talking with principals, teachers, and students. Members of my staff made their own visits to other schools.

The conversations I had were in confidence. I promised never to reveal who said what. In exchange, I received a brutally honest look at the obstacles before us. I heard from a student repeatedly pushed ahead to the next grade just to get him out of school. I heard from a committed young high school algebra teacher who discovered many of his students don't know the multiplication tables by the time they reached his class. I heard from a principal who can barely keep order in the halls because teachers are no longer required to help monitor the halls in high schools. I saw a high school where the entire ninth grade class has been effectively quarantined on one floor. It is the school's hope that these students can be saved with a new education program.

I found administrators, teachers and students utterly frustrated at what had been a revolving door at the top of Detroit Public Schools. Each new superintendent or CEO brought new ideas, but they never stayed long enough for anything to take root. The loudest plea I heard echo in the schools was one word: stability.

While I found problems, I also found hope. I talked with countless teachers and principals who often work against all odds with an unwavering commitment to the children. I walked through bright, brand new school buildings where the halls are electric with energy to learn. I saw computer labs packed with youngsters far better at navigating the Internet than I will ever be. I saw classrooms where the walls were papered with the latest geo-political headlines and students were debating Detroit's place in the world. I saw the fruits of partnerships schools have formed with local businesses - and I even launched one of my own, teaming the Mayor's Office with Clear Channel Radio and WXYZ/Channel 7 to help rebuild the communications department at Northwestern High School.

Two weeks ago, the effort to Redefine Reform culminated in a summit meeting at Wayne State University where each of the five work groups presented its findings on how to transform our schools.

To ensure honest and open discussion, only those who joined in the work groups were allowed inside. Some of the solutions were practical and immediate while others looked far into the future. Certainly, a few ideas were impossible. But what I heard that night was historic in its scope and reach - and much of it forms the foundation of the great future that I believe is ahead for the Detroit Public Schools, our City, and - most importantly - all of our children.

In academic achievement, the work group laid out a clear plan to shape the next generation of engineers, designers, and scientists with a laser focus in the public schools on math and science. This includes all students being required to master the first level of algebra by the 8th grade - and all high school students being required to spend at least two or three years learning science and working in a lab.

To prepare our children to compete globally, the group outlined a plan that challenges how many view language education. We must strengthen programs for English as a second language for those in the Hispanic and Arab communities, but we must also work to bridge the divide in another way. A second language should be mandatory for all students, with classes from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The group also detailed plans to strengthen our children through after-school programs like Mayor's Time, and a system-wide physical education program. And for those nearing graduation, they called for more advanced placement classes to better prepare students for college entrance exams, and post-secondary education.

In parental involvement, we all know it takes a village to raise a child - and the work group came back with a plan to make that happen in Detroit. We must reach out to everyone who is a caregiver: mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. And if a child doesn't have an involved parent, the community needs to step up. The work group outlined a citywide campaign, a Call to Action for community involvement that would show people how to make a difference, and prepare our children each day for the classroom. A Community Network would then be established to ensure the commitment.

In the area of partnerships, every school must be working with a local business, a local community group, and a local church. Already the business community is stepping up with leaders like Paul Hillegonds and Dick Blouse and the members of Detroit Renaissance and the Detroit Regional Chamber, as well as Bill Ross and the Booker T. Washington Business Association. And we've seen great outreach from groups like New Detroit and Rosedale Park Baptist Church, a church that raised 1-point-5 million dollars to build a community center and gymnasium that will be used by Vetal Elementary and Middle School. These are our role models. But we need to reach out further. As a first step, we must establish a Partnership Clearinghouse to coordinate efforts and get schools the specific help they need.

In the area of charter schools, we must first be committed to rebuilding and strengthening the traditional public school system. Only then should additional charter schools be allowed to open in Detroit. Charter schools can be a way to maximize private support and investment dollars in our City. Who wouldn't want a GM/Ford/Daimler Chrysler Institute of Technology, a school that could employ the latest technology to train the next generation of automotive engineers. These types of charter schools are possible, but only if they are chartered locally - and only if they are in true partnership with the public school system. The Legislature has pushed the charter debate into next year. We will be ready when it happens.

What is before us tonight is the question of governance. How do we put our children first and continue the meaningful changes underway? How do we create a system of true accountability? How do we foster radical change in the schools to prepare future generations to be leaders in the new economy? How do we restore the right to vote, without resurrecting the politics and organizational chaos that plagued the schools under the old board structure?

Many of these same questions have faced the mayors of cities I mentioned earlier - New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland. In each case, a system of governance was developed that worked best for that city. Some abolished the school board. Others made it a blend of appointed and elected members. No two systems are alike, but the one constant is that the mayor is ultimately responsible for the schools.

The time has come for a new education model in Detroit.

To heal the wound that was opened in our City when the right to vote was taken away, I will ask the Legislature to restore the right to vote for our school board. Specifically, I will ask them to create a nine-member board, to be elected from nine districts. The members would serve four-year terms.

To ensure the focus of board members remains on the children - and not their next run at political office - I will ask that the law prohibit members from running for office while they are on the board and for one year after leaving the board.

But restoring the right to vote does not mean going back to the old way of doing business in our schools. We will not have a board micromanaging the day-to-day administration of the system. We will not have a board that changes the school administration depending on the political winds of the day.

The responsibilities of the school board will be this: monitor student performance, review annual financial audits and the annual budget, and provide to the Mayor an annual evaluation of the CEO's performance.

The School CEO will be appointed by the Mayor and will report to the Mayor. Responsibilities of the CEO will not change. The CEO will retain his current authority to manage the day-to-day operations of the Detroit Public Schools.

This will provide a clear and straightforward line of accountability for the CEO and the performance of the Detroit Public Schools to the people of the City of Detroit. In turn, Detroit, I am accountable to you.

This new system will ensure the reforms now underway will continue. It's our best chance at providing the stability the schools so desperately need.

We cannot accept failure. We cannot turn back the clock. We cannot repeat history and expect the outcome to be different.

Detroit, I ask you for your support and your partnership. The children of our City need us now more than ever. At the start of this administration we opened our arms in a spirit of partnership, and amazing things happened. Because we partnered, nearly 50,000 citizens joined together for Angels Night, and forever drove the devil out of Detroit. Because we partnered, nearly 60,000 people swept through our City for Motor City Makeover. Today, trash no longer blows through our streets - and the grass is cut in our parks. Because we partnered for Mayor's Time, over 60,000 children now participate in after-school activities. Today - we must set aside the conflict and the chaos of the past - and stand together in our greatest partnership yet... a partnership for all of our children... a partnership that ensures Detroit is the city God intended it to be.

Only together can we make immediate, lasting change and restore our public school system to the jewel it once was. There is no room for excuses. There is no time to play political games. Nothing is more important than our children.

Finally, to everyone watching tonight - especially those of you who think this does not involve you - I have one simple request. Tomorrow, regardless of where you live, I ask that you do something to help a child learn.

Dr. King once said to make a difference, "You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." If you have children or grandchildren, nieces or nephews, turn off the TV and read to them or help them with their homework. If you do not have kids, pick up the phone or stop by your local school and find out how you can get involved in tutoring or mentoring a child. If you own a business, or you are pastor of a church, call your local school and ask how you can help.

We each hold the power to change a child forever. Just imagine what can happen if we all get involved.

Thank you for your time. Good night, and God bless you.