Why Not Move To Detroit? The Hype Isn't True. (Flint: sales, condominiums)

[DetroitExodus]

I'm a black man, born and raised in Detroit. I did however spend some years-age 18 to 35 living in NY. I now am 42, and have been living back in Detroit since 2000. This qualifies me to talk about Detroit, because i've lived and traveled to many places and have seen a different purspective..unlike a lot of people from Detroit who have never lived anywhere else. Detroit is TRULY the wild west. It can literally be dangerous at any given moment. Police presence is literally almost zero in most parts of the city except the recently gentrified downtown area, which makes up only about 5% of the entire city. Practically everyone carries a gun, because the situation here requires it. Call the police (in most areas) and IF they show at all, it will be an hour and a half later. Most people here, are either from the south, or are descendants of people who are from the south. Just as i am. Black people came here in droves in the 40's for better opportunity. So yes..to put it bluntly..black folks here are very country, wether they know it or not. Along with that comes dumb and dangerous situations like people pulling their guns in broad daylight to let off a few rounds in the air, or letting there pit bulls run up and down the street unleashed for example. And speaking of dogs..homeless dogs rove the streets in packs at pre-dawn hours. My advice to ANYONE is try to never go anywhere on foot in Detroit. You ABSOLUTELY MUST have a car here to survive. There are no taxi's on every corner like NY. You have to call one, and to do so is quite expensive because everything here is so spread out. The only public transportation systems here are buses, and they take HOURS to arrive. Something that can really **** you off in the summer, and is excruciating in Detroits extreme winters. People here seem to be ignorant to the extreme. It is also an extremely polarized and segregated city and state (mich). Practically every black person i know, including members of my family all just love them some white jesus, but can't be diplomatic enough to keep their prejudices about my white girlfriend to themselves. Travel half an hour outside Detroit, and you get the same dumb stuff from white folks. If you happen to be a gangster, and want to come to Detroit to do it big, then this might be the place for you. Amongst most of my friends who sit at home and sell dope all day and night, and do various other illigal things..i was known as "the ni**a with a job. And yes, there are very few of those said jobs around. I am presently unemployed in the state with the highest unemployment rate in the country. I admit, that i have a strange affinity with the blocks, and blocks, and blocks of burned out businesses and homes..still untouched since the riots of 1967. As a musician, i am nostalgic of this once great city that produced so many superstars of yesteryear...but it is time for me to go. My last job which i held for three years before i was let go, took me 8 months to find. While i'm still on unemployment i'm going to cut and run to Arizona. I hope i can make a better life for myself there.

[Maxine3]

A job as a musician might be hard to come by in AZ.
Easier in Vegas or LA, but in any case much good luck to you.

[DetroitExodus]

I'm not a professional musician..just for enjoyment. But i have started my own cleaning company (windows, carpet, janitorial) How is black owned small business fairing in AZ?

[Maxine3]

I really don't know as I am a Michiganian.
But, I would think anywhere would be better than Michigan given the present economic situation.

[DetroitExodus]

Yeah..that's what i'm sayin...

[jojojohnson76]

Originally Posted by soyezheureux

I don't think you'll find a less safe city in the U.S. (unless perhaps St. Louis?).

Ouch! I live in St. Louis, and it is nothing like what is being said about Detroit. Unlike most of the sentiments on this thread about ANY part of Detroit, there are more safe areas of St Louis than there are dangerous...its mostly consolidated to the north side of the city (before you say "But what about East St Louis?" know that East St Louis is a city in Illinois, across the Mississippi, not a part of the city).

People roam the streets of the Central West End, Soulard, DOWNTOWN, and most of South St. Louis without worry. If you stay out of North St. Louis, you are, for the most part, in the clear in St Louis.

[Coldjensens]

[quote=soyezheureux;310597]
. . . It's a fact that wealthier areas have more money to spend on education, and therefore their schools are going to be better. . . .
If we start pumping more money into the poorer schools, and give them some time to catch up, THEN we can use test scores to determine college admission. But only when the playing field is leveled."

This is a fallacy. Bad schools that get huge sums of money pumped into them do not do significantly better. In many states the inner city schools get significantly more money than other schools. the problem is that they have to deal with significantly bigger problems. Ask teachers who teach in these schools, you will learn that the difference is the parents/family/culture and in some areas language barrier. Mostly it is parents/family/culture. If students are not pushed to succeed at home and are not helped through school by their parents, they will not do as well. If their peers look down on successful students instead of looking up to them, they will not do as well. It is not about money. What do you think money can do to change culture or turn uninterested students into good students?




"But I suspect private schools, in the wealthier suburbs, are going to have very close to 100% of their students attending college immediately after high school. Then pick ANY Detroit school. I guarantee that the percentage is going to be MUCH lower. "

What do I get on your guarantee? Look at the statistics for Detroit's better high schools (Renaissance, school of the arts, etc).

"My point is: do kids at the rich, private school TRY that much harder than the Downriver school and/or the Detroit school?"


Simply put - yes. They try harder because their families require them to try harder. Go to each type of school, ask how many students have been realistically grounded or otherwise restricted for getting a B in math. Alternately, ask students at each type of high school that you mentioned how often their parents have helped them with math homework.


Of course this entire thread is generalizations and generalizations are stupid. There are thousands of exceptions to every generalization. In most cases, there are more exceptions than there are examples that conform tot he generalization.

The top students in any district can readily compete with the top students in any other district. It is the second, third and fourth tier students where the difference is significant.

[and the]

The top students in any district can readily compete with the top students in any other district. It is the second, third and fourth tier students where the difference is significant.

There is no way that the top 20 percentile of students from the Detroit Public School system can compete with the top 20th percentile from a quality suburban school system in math, science and language skills.

"But I suspect private schools, in the wealthier suburbs, are going to have very close to 100% of their students attending college immediately after high school. Then pick ANY Detroit school. I guarantee that the percentage is going to be MUCH lower. "

U of D Jesuit. That's my "any Detroit School" pick.

[Coldjensens]

[quote=and the;2259237]There is no way that the top 20 percentile of students from the Detroit Public School system can compete with the top 20th percentile from a quality suburban school system in math, science and language skills.

Yes they can. I am not talking about a percentage of the district overall. It is not reasonable to roll in schools where two thirds of the graduates cannot even read. I am talking about the good schools in Detroit. Take the top 20% students from one of the good high schools in Detroit and compare them to the top students at any other school. Look at the numbers for Renaissance High. Pick any public school anywhere and compare them. If you think that Detroit students cannot compete, you will be surprised.

In fact you can take the entire student body at Renaissance and compare them to any school. Only Cranbrook will be substantially better (and maybe not even there).

My point is that there are excellent school options in Detroit. It is not all bad. A lot of it is bad, but people who care about what schools their children are going to attend are not going to select the bad schools.

[and the]

In fact you can take the entire student body at Renaissance and compare them to any school. Only Cranbrook will be substantially better (and maybe not even there).

Renaissance is about the ONLY public school "option" in Detroit. Even Cass is nowhere near what it used to be. I tried to post Cranbrook's numbers but couldn't find them.



ACT Results

Composite
This School1 State Average1 National Average2
Graduating class of 2008 22 19 n/a

English
This School1 State Average1 National Average2
Graduating class of 2008 23 18 n/a

Math
This School1 State Average1 National Average2
Graduating class of 2008 21 19 n/a

Reading
This School1 State Average1 National Average2
Graduating class of 2008 21 19 n/a

Science
This School1 State Average1 National Average2
Graduating class of 2008 21 19 n/a

Writing
This School1 State Average1 National Average2
Graduating class of 2008 8 6 n/a
1Source: MI Dept. of Education
2Source: ACT

About the Tests


.C.T. Scores A.C.T. 2006-2007 (211 Students)
English Mathematics Reading Science Reasoning Composite
C.C. Mean 25.6 24.7 25.2 24.3 25.1
Mich. Mean 20.7 21.3 21.8 21.7 21.5
Nat. Mean 20.7 21.0 21.5 21.0 21.2

A.C.T. 2005-2006 (183 Students)
English Mathematics Reading Science Reasoning Composite
C.C. Mean 24.9 24.6 24.5 24.2 24.7
Mich. Mean 20.7 21.2 21.8 21.7 21.5
Nat. Mean 20.6 20.8 21.4 20.9 21.1