Statement Regarding Recent Social Media Content and Upcoming Online Community Meetings

DPSCD Staff and Families,

As some of you may know, there have been numerous viral posts made about the district involving the topics of district leadership, outside contracting (including custodian and maintenance), the cleanliness of schools, disparate funding and programming between exam and neighborhood schools. This content started when a potential parent rightfully criticized the district for the fact that she was interested in enrolling her child at a high school, but the voicemail was full when reaching out to the school. School and district staff followed up with the potential parent, but that exchange became additional content that has led to a handful of legitimate questions to a larger flood of mistruths and misleading information that threatens to damage the improved reputation of the district, namely through enrollment and the passage of Proposal S, which is a basic and state required local tax on businesses (not homeowners) to fund DPSCD and no longer pay legacy DPS debt. Our staff, students, and community deserve better.

Let me be clear, anyone has the right to question myself as the district’s superintendent. I have always welcomed questions, concerns, and even spirited debate. I respond to an average of 200 constituent emails, letters, and phone calls a month and answer each question raised at our 2-3 public Board-related meetings a month. I have even responded directly to emails that stem from this particular social media content. No one is hiding in the district, including myself. Several years ago, I removed myself from social media because I found it toxic. However, at this point, too many supporters of the district have asked me to publicly respond because they believe my silence is hurting the district and for that reason, I issue this clear statement and announcement of two online community meetings to set a clear factual record of our contracting processes among other topics.

This administration, including myself, is unaware of any corruption, greed, or kickbacks involving all contracting. We have a clear and intentional process of conflicts of interest disclosures, and checks and balances to prevent any individuals, including myself from enriching themselves through contracts. If it is happening, then it is outside of my knowledge and it should be reported. This is also why we have an independent Office of Inspector General (OIG) to investigate fraud and abuse. That office can be reached at bernadette.kakooza@detroitk12.org or oig.dpscd@detroitk12.org Please engage them with facts and evidence.

Everyone and anyone have the right to critique me and/or the district, but they do not have the right to spread information that is baseless to earn a profit off my back or the district’s and its staff. As such, the district does intend to respond legally to defend itself.  The district has attempted to provide factual information on social media regarding misleading content, but the manipulation of information continues.

Too many people, sadly most people, thought this district could not be rebuilt after two decades of state over. However, over the past nine years we HAVE rebuilt it. Do we still have challenges….yes! Do I and the rest of us still own the responsibility to address and solve many of those challenges….yes! Are we still grossly underfunded and unequally funded….yes! However, what cannot be denied is that we have proved that traditional public education can work again in Detroit and that we CAN improve. Over the last nine years the district has:

• Been removed from intense financial, operational, and academic oversight from the federal and state government.
• Repaid its DPS operating debt.
• Exited 35 of 50 schools from the state’s lowest performing status.
• Increased districtwide enrollment for the first time in 20 years and increased the city’s market share of Detroit’s students vs. city charter schools.
• Increased graduation rates to 83%, less than one percentage point from the state average and a 18%-point increase.
• Been recognized by the 2026 Harvard-Stanford Education Recovery Scorecard as outperforming over 90% of all school districts in the country in literacy and math proficiency improvement since the pandemic. DPSCD is also the only large Michigan school district to reduce chronic absenteeism to below pre-pandemic levels.
• Improved academic performance in every academic area of literacy, math, science, and social studies while narrowing the gap between the district and state in every area.
• Reduced an over 400 teacher vacancy crisis from fully staffed status to only two dozen or so over the last few years by dramatically improving teacher salaries. Average teacher salaries have improved from $58K to $86K, starting teacher salaries from $35K to $57K, and most veteran teacher salaries from $65K to $100K.
• Restored music and/or art in every school, including physical education.
• Provided all staff and students with access to laptops and technology in all classrooms.  
• Developed and implementing a districtwide school facility investment program totaling over $700M, which includes four new neighborhood schools, roof repairs, and HVAC upgraded to provide all but a few schools with AC. Additional investments are leading to new athletic fields for neighborhood high schools.
• Managed 10 balanced budgets, reduced audit exceptions to 0-2, and developed a rainy-day fund and fund balance.
• Expanded mental health services to all schools, placed guidance counselors at all schools, and reached the national guidance counselor recommended ratio of 1 counselor to 250 high school students.
• Expanded chess, robotics, and academic game programming districtwide; including athletics across K-8 schools and high schools.
• Introduced new schools to parents through Edmonson, Marygrove, and a Montessori program at Palmer Park.
• Developed and implemented a Parent Academy and introduced parent-home visits districtwide.
• Created student leadership programs at each high school and selects three high school students to serve on the Board dais during School Board meetings.
• Ensured all high schools offer Advanced Placement and dual enrollment programs, including neighborhood high schools. Expanded career technical education.
• Developed and implementing a high school redesign program to ensure high school neighborhood students receive more academic support and expanded career and college pathway options.  
• Managed through a water crisis and pandemic.

Those are only a few of our accomplishments! Please continue to support and defend the district’s improvements and own the challenge of the continuous improvement process. Challenge those that only seek to criticize without solutions, facts, and a vested interest in the district and city. Question those that seek attention and relevance (and money) by blaming others without being invested in owning the problem solving and leadership that accompanies change and improvement.

Please join us next week online and please share this email and meeting time and link externally to learn factual information about all of the topics that have been recent social media fodder.

August 3^rd Meeting 4PM-5PM

August 5^th Meeting 5PM-6PM

Sincerely,

Nikolai P. Vitti, EdD

Superintendent

Detroit Public Schools Community District