Detroit Public Schools

AFT Local 231: Detroit Federation of Teachers Records

dgolodner — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:06:08 -0400

This collection has union newspapers, correspondence, reports, convention material, proceedings, minutes, flyers, brochures and other materials related to the growth of the DFT. Issues in these papers are Bradly v. Milliken, class size, desegregation, collective bargaining, strikes and salaries

William Beckham Jr. Papers

drice — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 14:03:12 -0400

William J. Beckham (1940-2000) was originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. He was educated at the Detroit Institute of Technology (1959-1960), Wayne State University (1960-1962), American University (1962-1964), and the University of Maryland (1965-1966). During these years he took courses in political science. Beckham went on to pursue a career in politics at both the local and national level. In 1964, Beckham worked on Senator Phillip Hart’s campaign and then joined his staff from 1965-1973. Later in his career he would serve as Deputy Mayor to Coleman A. Young, Assistant Secretary of Treasury, and then Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation under President Jimmy Carter. In the private sector, Beckham was Vice President of Unisys Corporation, COO of Envirotest Systems Corp., and President of New Detroit (1995-1999). Towards the end of his life, he became heavily involved in Detroit Public School system reform, leaving New Detroit in 1999 to become President of the Skillman Foundation. Beckham died suddenly in 2000 on the way home from a family vacation.

The Beckham Papers include clippings and programs from meetings, conferences, and award ceremonies that span the length of his career, but focus mainly on his time in the U.S. Department of Transportation and his efforts to reform the Detroit Public School system. During his time in the Department of Transportation, Beckham frequently spoke publicly and at conferences, and the collection includes some of the speeches and remarks he gave during the year 1980. Also included are photographs from his service at the national and local level.

Robert E. DeMascio Papers

srafferty — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 09:04:46 -0500

Robert E. DeMascio, a Detroit lawyer, was appointed to the U.S. District Court Eastern Michigan District in 1971. He served as a U.S. District Judge from this time, until his death in 1999. During his tenure as a Judge he worked with bankruptcy law, including serving multiple committees relating to bankruptcy legislation and the Judicial Conference's Committee on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System. Notably, Judge DeMascio was assigned the Bradley v. Milliken case on school desegregation in Detroit Public Schools. DeMascio worked on this case from 1975 until 1980, creating court ordered improvements to the school system. He also established the Monitoring Commission, to audit the implementation of court ordered changes to the schools.

Detroit Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors Records

aorchard — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 09:30:22 -0400

The Detroit Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors was formed in 1966 and received sole collective bargaining rights with the Detroit Board of Education in 1967. The union had between 1,300 and 1,400 members at its creation, and it continues to represent administrators and supervisors in Detroit Public Schools in regards to salaries and working conditions.

In the early 1980s, the administrators were working without a contract for a brief time and they conducted a sick-out, where principals and assistant principals used their sick days in order to protest labor without contract. Their main concerns wages and job security.

The Detroit Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors Records contains correspondence, newsletters, and newspaper clippings about the sick-out, as well as documents explaining their ultimate collective bargaining goals. Additionally, this collection contains some newspaper clippings related to controversial administrative transfers and a case of an inappropriate relationship between two administrators and former students. Finally, this collection holds some materials from related organizations such as the American Federation of School Administrators and information about the NAACP Overground Railroad March in 1983.

Cornelius Golightly Papers

aorchard — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 09:45:42 -0500

Dr. Cornelius Golightly was an Associate Dean and professor at Wayne State University's Philosophy Department. Golightly's papers document his time at several institutions, his work in the philosophy field, as well as his involvement with several school boards, including Milwaukee and Detroit. This collection primarily contains draft manuscripts, classroom notes and instructions, correspondence, brochures, and acknowledgements. Additional materials include three folders of photographs and one college patch.

Merle Henrickson Papers

drice — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:22:40 -0400

Merle Henrickson served as president of United Public Workers Local 275 of Detroit in the late 1940's. From the 1940s through the 1980s, he was involved
with the neighborhood and community councils of Detroit, particularly the Brightmoor
District Council. He was a major figure in the citizen movement to improve public
schools in Detroit and as such, he was deeply involved in school desegregation in the 1970s. His wife, Wilma worked for 15 years in Detroit Public Schools and was active in the same city and community associations as her husband. She was a prolific writer, her works including Detroit Perspectives, a compendium of Detroit history that she edited.

Part 1 of Henrickson's papers include material on the United Public Workers, United Office and Professional Workers, Michigan CIO Council, CIO Political Action Committee, and the Greater Detroit and Wayne County Industrial Union councils.

Parts 2 and 3 reflect both Merle and Wilma's work and activities in Detroit schools and communities.

InsideOut Literary Arts Project Records

kschmeling — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 15:28:25 -0400

This collection documents the history and activities of the InsideOut Literary Arts Project based in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1995 by Dr. Terry Blackhawk, its mission was to place professional poets and fiction writers in Detroit Schools to encourage imaginative writing and to promote self-esteem and confidence in students. In addition to administrative files of the organization, the collection also includes literary magazines featuring student poetry, photographs, audio recordings and video.

Kathleen Straus Papers

aorchard — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 15:28:10 -0500

Kathleen Straus is an activist for Michigan education and civil rights. She has been involved in the League of Women Voters, Keep Improving Detroit Schools (KIDS), PRO-Detroit, and the Michigan Association of School Boards. Additionally, Straus co-founded the Michigan Tax Information Council and she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000 for her work in civil rights and education.

Because of Straus’s participation in civil rights and education, this collection contains information on the movement for cross-border busing between Detroit and its surrounding cities, which was proposed by the City of Detroit. Governor Milliken blocked the desegregation plan and the case was then brought to the Supreme Court by the NAACP on behalf of the students affected by the distinct segregation of metropolitan Detroit schools. In1974, however, the Supreme Court ruled against desegregation busing in a 5-4 vote.

Additionally, this collection consists of information about Michigan’s tax proposals in the 1970s and 1980s and their potential effect on schools, as well as pamphlets, correspondence, and memos about the proposals. This collection also holds some information about the finances of Detroit Public Schools, land use, and community-based organizations involved in education activism. Finally, this collection contains meeting minutes, correspondence, newsletters, and memos related to the Michigan Women’s Studies Association.

Olga Madar Papers

abarker — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:56:04 -0400

A member of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 50, Olga Madar served as director of recreation programs, social services and women’s activities, and as director of the International Union’s Recreational Department. Ms. Madar was the first woman to hold a position on the UAW International Executive Board, and the first woman to serve as UAW International Vice-President. Ms. Madar’s papers reflect her career with the UAW and her commitment to advocacy for women, minorities and senior citizens.

Annetta Miller Papers

pneirink — Mon, 09 May 2022 14:41:17 -0400

Annetta Miller was a Registered Nurse, peace activist, and three-term member of the Michigan State Board of Education. Her experiences serving in the United States Army Nurse Corps during World War II drove her to join the peace movement during the Vietnam War. A Democrat representing Michigan's 18th congressional district, much of Miller's first two terms on the Board of Education dealt with desegregation of the Detroit Public Schools following the finding in Bradley v. Milliken by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan that the district was guilty of de jure segregation, Judge Stephen J. Roth's order that they desegregate via an inter-district busing plan, and subsequent decisions including the United State Supreme Court overturning Roth's decision in Milliken v. Bradley. Miller opposed the allocation of public funds to private and religious schools, and supported the separation of church and state in public education. The Annetta Miller Papers document the activities of the Board of Education during Miller's 24-year tenure through administrative documentation and supplementary resources on education, as well as Miller's involvement with the peace movement and other political organizing. Of particular interest are materials related to Bradley v. Milliken, desegregation, and busing plans; taxpayer financing of private education and reallocation to public schools; and Miller's son's participation in the 1965 Selective Service Office Sit-In in Ann Arbor.

Fay O'Hare Papers

srafferty — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 09:20:44 -0500

Fay O'Hare was a Detroit attorney who was heavily involved in Detroit education from the late 1960s through the 1980s. Her involvement included work with the High School Study Commission, Coalition for Peaceful Integration, Detroit Education Task Force, and Coleman Young's Mayor-elect Task Force. In addition to this, she worked on the Monitoring Commission, established to audit the court ordered changes and improvements to Detroit Public Schools as a result of the Bradley v Milliken case. These papers contain meeting agendas, notes, reference materials and publications relevant O'Hare's work, as well as a small amount of material on women's issues and equality.

Sachs Waldman: Detroit Federation of Teachers Records

dgolodner — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 12:05:16 -0400

The law firm Sachs Waldman, Professional Corporation started in
October 13, 1922 by Nicholas J. Rothe, considered by many as the first
union labor lawyer in Michigan grew to represent the best interest of
unions and workers. In 1951 Theodore Sachs joined the firm and was
considered one of the best appellate attorneys in the country, under his
leadership the firm grew in clientele and personnel. In 1965, the law
firm began to specialize in public sector labor and began to represent
those unions that had just gained the right to bargain collectively,
notably with the Detroit Federation of Teachers and the Detroit
Fire Fighters Association. The Detroit Federation of Teachers was
founded in February 24, 1931 and remained a small but determined
organization that fought basic bread and butter issues for teachers in
Detroit. In 1964, the DFT became sole bargaining agent for Detroit
classroom teachers and by 1965 the DFT secured a comprehensive
contract. The DFT has remained the sole bargaining agent for Detroit
teachers since then and expanded their bargaining power to incorporate
various education reform issues. These records document the various
stages of collective bargaining for teachers in the 1970s-1990s in
Detroit that mirrors those issues faced by other teacher unions in large
cities.

Wayne State University College of Education, Dean’s Office: Detroit Public Schools Monitoring Commission on Desegregation Records

drice — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 10:42:33 -0400

The Detroit Public Schools Monitoring Commission on Desegregation was created by the City of Detroit to comply with the ruling of Milliken v. Bradley, which dealt with desegregation busing. This United States Supreme Court ruling settled the issue of de jure vs. de facto segregation and effectively confirmed that segregation was allowed if it was not an explicit policy of the school district. As a result, the commission's charge was to oversee the busing plan across multiple school districts in the city of Detroit. Wayne State University College of Education faculty served on the commission.

The records of the Monitoring Commission detail commission activities as well as those of the various subcommittees within, including student codes, executive committee reports, and profiles of Detroit Area Schools.

Detroit Board of Education Proceedings

cwesterman — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 10:29:15 -0500

This series consists of bound volumes of the proceedings of the Detroit Board of Education.

Bradley v Milliken Desegregation Collections

srafferty — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 12:50:19 -0500

This fall we have processed two new collections that add to the history of desegregation efforts in Detroit schools. These collections highlight the disparate perspectives represented in archives, where pieces of evidence can be assessed together to gain a deeper understanding of events in the past.

Attempts to desegregate Detroit Public Schools, particularly the court case Bradley v Milliken during the 1970s and 1980s, were very controversial endeavors. read more »

Education NOW: The role of New Detroit Inc. and public engagement in reshaping Detroit's public schools

Public Relations Team — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 14:26:08 -0500

How might the relationship and flow of information between parents and the Detroit Board of Education affect the quality and locality of a child’s education? How were the parents of children involved in the inter-district busing debate of the early 1970s informed on the judicial and legal changes factoring into their children’s education? read more »

Central High School 1900 Yearbook

cwesterman — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:10:46 -0400

"June 1900," the 1900 yearbook of the Detroit Central High School. Part of the Harriette and Helen Bishop Papers.

Central High School 1970 Yearbook

cwesterman — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:59:05 -0400

"Centralite '70," the 1970 yearbook of Central High School of Detroit, Michigan.

Central High School 1992 Yearbook

cwesterman — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:28:49 -0400

"Centralite," the 1992 yearbook of Central High School of Detroit, Michigan.

Decentralization Districts

mcourtney — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 14:43:39 -0500

Diagram from “The 8 Regions of Decentralization …. Some Answers,” published by New Detroit, an organization focused on addressing racial inequality formed in Detroit in 1967. Image shows 8 areas of the city meant to give power to local needs in schools.

(6719) College of Education, Student teachers, Roosevelt Elementary School, 1935

eclemens — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:41:49 -0500

Student teachers from Wayne University's College of Education direct an art class at Roosevelt Elementary School, Detroit, Michigan.

(27055) Detroit Public Schools, Flag Day Celebration, 1967

eclemens — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 12:20:09 -0500

Mayor Jerome Cavanagh speaks to students at White Elementary School during the Flag Day celebrations.

(28056) Demonstrations, Reform, Detroit Public Schools, 1999

eclemens — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:20:29 -0500

Mrs. Bowene is carried out of Murray Wright High School by security guards during a Detroit School Board Reform Meeting.

(28274) Ethnic Communities, Latin American, Schools, Children, Detroit, 1992

eclemens — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:24:47 -0400

Students of Webster Elementary in Southwestern Detroit play games during recess.

(28275) Ethnic Communities, Latin American, Schools, Children, Detroit, 1981

eclemens — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:27:15 -0400

Students of Webster Elementary in Southwestern Detroit pose for a photograph.

Photograph was taken as part of a story that spoke to the conditions in Detroit Public Schools that have large populations of Latin Americans.

(31277) John Elliot

jhelpap — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 12:54:48 -0500

Detroit Federation of Teachers president John Elliot

(31280) Mary Ellen Riordan and John Elliot

jhelpap — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 13:09:17 -0500

Detroit Federation of Teachers president Mary Ellen Riordan speaks at a DFT meeting, John Elliot is to her left.

(31281) John Elliot at a Detroit Federation of Teachers Rally

jhelpap — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 13:13:11 -0500

John Elliot stands with other picketers at a Detroit Federation of Teachers Rally in Detroit, MI

(31282) John Elliot Speaks at Cobo Hall

jhelpap — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 13:16:58 -0500

Detroit Federation of Teachers president John Elliot stands at the podium for a conference at Cobo Hall

(37293) U.S. District Court Monitoring Commission assessment schematic

srafferty — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 11:40:43 -0500

A flowchart created by the U.S. District Court Monitoring Commission to determine the process of assessing Detroit schools delivery of court-ordered programs

(37295) U.S. District Court Monitoring Commission outline

srafferty — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 11:49:18 -0500

Judge DeMascio's notes written on a folder outlining the Monitoring Commission, including the people who would serve and in what capacity.

(38426) Dr. Cornelius Golightly

mcourtney — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 09:28:10 -0400

Portrait of Dr. Cornelius Golightly, Wayne State faculty member

[Podcast] Schools and the Rise of Mass Incarceration in a Post-Brown World

teller — Thu, 22 May 2025 08:35:39 -0400

Dr. Matt Kautz explores how evolving school disciplinary practices, changes in crime reporting, and political pressure in the decades following school desegregation led to the rise of student suspensions, expulsions, dropouts, and the school-to-prison pipeline in Detroit and other cities. read more »