Education In The US: Detroit Parents Make Extreme Sacrifices To Take Their Kids To Better Schools

Detroit parents could attest that education in the US is rife with problems as thousands of them are making extreme sacrifices in exchange of giving their kids quality education. Some of them have to endure long hours of travel almost every day just to take their kids to better schools away from their neighborhood.

Low Scores Point To Low-Performing Schools

Data of the Michigan Department of Education shows that public school students in the city have some of the lowest test scores in the U.S. There are only 10 schools in Detroit that have sufficiently scored to rank above average on the 2013-2014 Top-to-Bottom school rankings of the state.

This means that the city is surrounded with low-performing schools. This has prompted Detroit parents to make extreme sacrifices to give their kids access to better schools that are miles away from their homes.

The Atlantic reports that some Detroit parents have to wake up before dawn to start preparing for the long hours of travel to their kids' schools. In addition, they needed to make extreme sacrifices such as neglecting their work and personal obligations to take their kids to better schools.

Exhausting Travels

"It would be a blessing if you could get a quality education in your own community where you don't have to get up extra early and travel," Myesha Williams, a mom-of-eight from Detroit's west side, said. Williams has to wake up early and drive 3 hours during school days to take her three sons to three different schools situated at Detroit's opposite ends.

Moreover, Detroit parents who do not own a car needed to make more extreme sacrifices. Monique Johnson, a mother from Brightmoor, has to travel 5-6 hours and ride up to eight buses during school days, along with her son Shownn.  She said that the long hours of travel often exhaust his son who is enrolled at the University Prep Science & Math Middle School.

From 2000 to 2015, there were 195 public schools in Detroit that closed. In the same period of time, over 100 new public and charter public schools were opened. However, most of them are situated at distant locations from the city.