YPSILANTI HIGH PARKING LOT TALK WITH PRINCIPAL PROVES TELLING

 As I wrote in my previous June 13th article, last week an email was forwarded to me stating that Ypsilanti High School students were going to be holding a rally called Students Rights Matters. The email also stated that after the rally students would be speaking at the YCS board meeting that evening. I was very impressed with the email and was looking forward to covering the student led protest. I thought it was great that students would be raising concerns regarding what is going at Ypsilanti High. Students were to be addressing school safety and the fact that they feel there are too many school suspensions, The students also want to see the re-implementation of restorative practices at Ypsilanti High School.

Unfortunately, the rally was cancelled. Instead of hearing students speak their minds, a handful of us middle aged folks were greeted in the parking lot by new Ypsilanti High School principal Scott Snyder. Snyder, who had much on his mind, did not hesitate in sharing his thoughts with us regarding the school. Snyder made some very interesting comments to us as we stood in a circle in the Ypsilanti High Parking lot.

Listed below are a few of the comments principal Snyder made in our chat circle Monday evening. To the best of my knowledge, this is what I recall hearing him saying, These are not direct quotes, I am paraphrasing his comments.

1. Only 2% of incoming freshman to Ypsilanti High are reading at grade level.
2. He must handle teachers calling in sick to work per their doctors stating that they could not come to work due to emotional duress related to their teaching positions. This is due to stressful teaching conditions.
3. It is not uncommon for teachers to attend seminars such as restorative practice training and then quit their teaching jobs in the district only to find teaching positions in other districts.
4. Local gangs pose challenges to an already difficult learning environment at Ypsilanti High School.

Scott Snyder is up against a lot of tough realities. These powerful and enlightening comments from Snyder are reflective of the dire predicament public schools are facing in not only Ypsilanti, but Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland and my hometown of Flint. There is much talk in America about the importance of education, but catch phrases like "stay in school" ring hollow in a state and nation that is not motivated to truly assist or help struggling public schools. Often students must go without textbooks or proper supplies leaving this burden directly on the shoulders of underpaid teachers.

Principal Scott Snyder truly is facing a mountain of challenges at his school. As I said in my previous article, there is no question that Snyder cares deeply about and is committed to students at Ypsilanti High. The issue is how do we fix our broken public education system in this state and in the country? I wish I had the answer.

Jeff Brown
Editor/Publisher
Purple Walrus Press.

New Ypsilanti High principal Scott Snyder center speaks to small group of concerned citizens in parking lot. Photo Purple Walrus Press.

YPSILANTI HIGH STUDENT LED PROTEST RALLY CANCELLED: BECOMES VENT SESSION FOR PRINCIPAL.

Last week a very intriguing email was forwarded to me. The email stated that a student led  protest rally was going to be held in the parking lot of Ypsilanti High School Monday, June 13 at 5:30 pm. The email stated that the purpose of the Students Rights Matters Rally was to address several key issues and problems at the school. I was very impressed with the well-organized email and very impressed that students were taking it upon themselves to organize a rally to address school issues that they were concerned about and taking issue with. Listed below are the key matters listed in the email students are concerned with and feel need to be addressed by the school administration.

1. Find alternatives to to suspensions.
2. Push for the implementation of restorative practices done at YCHS.
3. Bring the community together to better the schools.
4. Need of a safer school environment.
5. Need for appropriate monitoring system.

I was very eager to cover the rally. I can't remember the last time I heard about a student led high school protest rally. As someone who strongly believes in student empowerment it made me feel good that Ypsilanti High students were coordinating the rally and planned on attending the 6:30 YCS board meeting at the nearby administration building on Packard.

I arrived to an empty parking lot at Ypsilanti High where the rally was to take place at 5:30.  Minutes later adult facilitator Anell Eccleston arrived as a representative of the Student Advocacy Center. A few fellow middle aged folks like me suddenly showed up also. Anell broke the news to the handful of us that the student rally had been cancelled. He explained that students had met with the principal and had decided along with Principal Snyder that the best thing would be for students with concerns to try and work things out internally with principal Snyder. I was looking forward to hearing what the STUDENTS had to say.

Soon more older folks arrived from within the local community and surrounding communities. Where were the students? Anyway, Low and behold, Ypsilanti High's new principal Scott Snyder suddenly appeared on the scene. Principal Snyder began explaining that he had met with student rally organizers earlier in the day and that they had decided that the rally should be cancelled, and that it would be best for all concerned if issues were worked out in meetings with him in school. Principal  Snyder then began to address the group of 17 or so older folks, including myself, who had come to the rally in hopes of hearing what Ypsi High students had to say. Snyder spoke at length about the many difficult challenges and issues being faced by Ypsilanti High School and the district as a whole. It was clear that Snyder is passionate and sincere in regard to his position as Ypsilanti High principal. The problem I have is that I came to hear about what was on the mind of students, and not the principal. Obviously, Ypsilanti High students have real concerns and issues that they wanted to express at a student led rally. I think the fact that these students wanted to not only have a rally, but also state their issues at the school board meeting that night is wonderful. As passionate as principal Snyder was in the parking lot circle of grown ups, I had come to hear students air their important grievances.

A couple of students actually did step into the circle of us oldsters, thank god. One of these students was Ypsilanti student Chevaun Johnson whose name was on a email that went out announcing the proposed student rally. I spoke with Chevaun in the parking lot. She told me that Ypsilanti High School students are being punished and suspended for long periods of time and that it is difficult for theses students to catch up with school work and get back on track when they return to school. She articulately explained that when students are suspended for 10 days they cannot bring their school work home. When they finally come back to school they are way behind and have to make up class work after school which can be difficult for many students to do.

Chevaun also told me that she is concerned about bus security. She stated that there are not enough monitors and that there is an issue with fights and arguments. According to the email sent out announcing the student rally, concerned students also want to see restorative practice re-implemented at the high school.

I left the Ypsilanti High School parking lot a little disappointed Monday because I wanted to hear the perspective of Ypsilanti High School students regarding conditions at the high school. I can hear a bunch of parents talk anytime I want while sitting in a plastic chair at the local Rutherford swimming pool. I was hoping to hear the students speak their minds.

In the end, if students feel that they can discuss and solve problems they see in the school by meeting in the principals office, that's great. I only hope that principal Snyder really listens to the concerns of these students and addresses them in a satisfactory way. I also hope that Principal Snyder didn't discourage the proposed student led rally for fear of bad PR for the school and district. I guess we'll see.

Jeff Brown
Editor/Publisher
Purple Walrus Press.

Ypsilanti High principal Scott Snyder center speaking to group of obvious non-students in parking lot. Photo by PWP. 

QUESTIONS REMAIN SURROUNDING DEATH OF WIMA STUDENT IN YPSILANTI.

June 1 was a very tragic and sad day not only for Washtenaw International Middle Academy, but for the entire city of Ypsilanti. Wednesday afternoon, June 1, at around 3 pm,  a 911 call was placed to the Ypsilanti Police Dept from the Washtenaw International Middle Academy located in Ypsilanti. It was indicated in the call that a student had fallen off the roof. The police immediately arrived and discovered that the student, 14 year old Xavier Small, had died from head trauma due to the fall. This was such a sad and tragic death. I arrived at the school at around 4:20 because I had heard that the school was on lockdown due to a medical emergency. It was  so sad and shocking to learn about what had happened. The entire community was shocked to learn of the young mans death.

Since the death of the eighth grade student there have been questions on the minds of Ypsilanti residents surrounding his death. How and why was the student on the roof of the school? Also, I have been wondering if Ypsilanti Community Schools are conducting their own separate investigation into the death. I knew that the Ypsilanti Police are investigating.

Sunday evening I contacted Ypsilanti Community Schools Communication Coordinator, Yen Azzaro. In an email to Azzaro I stated that I had questions regarding how and why the student was on the school roof. I also asked her if YCS was conducting
it's own investigation. Yen promptly emailed me back Sunday night. She stated that YCS was not conducting an investigation, but that the administration will be debriefing in the near future. Yen Azzaro also told me in the email that they have no information about specifics and are awaiting investigation findings from the police.

This has been such a tragic event for the district and the entire community as a whole. Hopefully, the authorities will be able to shed more light on the tragedy soon.

Jeff Brown
Editor/Publisher
Purple Walrus Press

Washtenaw International Middle Academy. Photo Purple Walrus Press

MUHAMMAD ALI ANTI WAR STANCE WAS HEROIC

Like many others of my baby boom generation, I not only loved Muhammad Ali, I saw him as a spokesman for our generation. Yes, he was one hell of a boxer. I would say he was the greatest of all-time. But he was so much more than a boxer. Of course, Ali had an incredibly infectious, outrageous and down right lovable personality. This fact is well documented, but there is so much to the story.

I became aware of Ali in 1974 as a kid in Flint. My dad and a buddy had tickets to go see Ali's famous fight against Joe Frazier broadcast via satellite  at the IMA Sports Arena in downtown Flint. The next morning all my dad could talk about was the fight. I'd never seen him so giddy. That is where the Ali story began for me back then as an 11 year old.

As a teenager in the seventies a year or two after the official end of the Vietnam war, I  became aware of a different side of Ali: The anti war activist Ali. This became the side of Ali I was most impressed  with and interested in. Ten years or so earlier in 1967 Ali received notice that he was being drafted. This was at the height of the Vietnam war. At his scheduled induction Ali would not step forward when his name was called and refused to be drafted. He made a statement to the public saying that he was a conscientious objector and that war was against his religion. He also made a public statement saying that, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong. No Viet Cong ever called me Nigger,"  Appallingly, on June 20, 1967, Ali was was found guilty of a felony regarding his refusal to be drafted, and his boxing license was revoked.

Of all of Ali's accomplishments, his anti war stance has always impressed me the most. Ali's anti war stance and willingness to call out an often racist culture in American was and remains truly heroic. Here's to you Muhammad Ali. You are a hero.

Jeff Brown
Editor/Publisher
Purple Walrus Press.

WHAT'S UP WITH CONTAMINATED WATER STREET AND BORDER TO BORDER TRAIL IN YPSILANTI?

So this past February my children and I were thrilled to come across the new Border to Border Trail located on the Water Street property in Ypsilanti as we were traipsing around town on foot. It was a chilly winter morning but we decided to peel off Michigan Ave and explore the trail that runs along the beautiful Huron River. The trail was newly adorned with wooden over-hanging decks that brought you right over the waters edge. Nifty wooden benches were scattered here and there throughout the entirety of the trail that winds along the river through the woods. It was and is beautiful. My seven year old daughter remarked that she couldn't wait to come here in the summer when everything would be "green and pretty." I told that was an excellent idea. We even talked about having a picnic.

Well, scrap the picnic because the place is polluted with harmful toxins. Great. Now I get to break the news to my seven year old.

From what I know the situation came to light in April when residents were told to stay off the Border to Border Trail situated on the Water Street property. According to tests that were done, elevated levels of toxins were found on the site. These toxins include PCBs and Polychlorinated Biphenyls. I have no idea what Polychlorinated Biphenyls are but I certainly don't want to picnic around them.

Tuesday I went down to the entrance of the trail on Michigan Ave just to see how things were looking. Well, things didn't look so hot. Amid the large Water Street Redevelopment Ready sign near the entrance I found KEEP OUT, NO TRESPASSING and TRAIL CLOSED signs. Re development ready? I don't think so. The fact that the entrance area looked unkempted and over grown with weeds didn't help either.

What are we citizens of Ypsilanti supposed to think when we learn that contamination levels were at 10 to 40 times what state and federal regulations allow. This according to an mlive article regarding a letter from Michigan State Housing Development Authority Environmental manager, Dan Lince. Furthermore, word on the street is that the proposed Eastside Recreation Center that was supposed to be constructed on the Water Street property has backed out of the deal. I don't know for certain whether this is a fact or not, but folks I have spoken to say they have heard the Recreation Center deal is dead. Fact or fiction? I can only speculate. There is also speculation that a new developer is interested in the Water Street property.

So, what's the plan for the Water Street Border to Border Trail and when will it re open? Wednesday morning I put a call into the office of Ypsilanti city economic development director, Beth Ernat. I was hoping to receive information regarding the current status of the Border to Border Trail and to attain information regarding speculation that the Eastside Recreation Center deal is kaput, and if there is indeed another developer interested in the Water Street property. As of Thursday evening Beth Ernat has not responded to my phone call.

The bottom line is, what is really going on with the Water Street Border to Border Trail and what is going on with Water Street in general? There is a Water Street debt millage vote coming up in August and people want and deserve to know.

Jeff Brown
Editor/Publisher
Purple Walrus Press.

  Border to Border Trail Water Street property Ypsilanti, MI.  Purple Walrus Press photo.