Pershing High School

Last updated
Pershing High School
Address
Pershing High School
18875 Ryan Road

Detroit
,
Wayne
,
MI
48234

United States
Information
TypePublic
MottoStudents Rise. We All Rise.
OpenedSeptember 3, 1930
StatusOpen
School districtDetroit Public Schools Community District
NCES District ID2601103
SuperintendentNikolai Vitti
NCES School ID260110304813
PrincipalBryant Tipton
Teaching staff25 (FTE) (2019-2020)
Grades9-12
Enrollment372 (2019-2020)
Student to teacher ratio14.88%
LanguageEnglish
Color(s)Blue and Gold   
Athletics conferenceDetroit Public School League
MascotDoughboys
Website https://www.detroitk12.org/pershing

John J. Pershing High School is a four-year public high school in Detroit, Michigan. [1] It is in Conant Gardens [2] in proximity to the residential areas [3] and also serves Krainz Woods. [4] Pershing was governed by the Education Achievement Authority (EAA), which oversees failing schools, from 2011 until 2017, when all schools were transferred back to Detroit Public Schools Community District. [5] [6]

Contents

History

Pershing High School opened in 1930 with capacity to serve more than 2,200 students. [7] [8] It was named after General John J. Pershing, a senior officer in the United States Army during World War I, best known for his involvement in the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front. [9] [10] General Pershing's troops were called doughboys, which was adopted as the high school's mascot. [9]

In 2012, Kettering High School closed due to poor performance and some students were rezoned to Pershing. [11] [12]

Pershing had also been fraught with academic performance issues for nearly two decades; in 2011, the governor moved Pershing and four other at-risk public high schools into a separate district called the Education Achievement Authority (EAA). [13] This district was a state initiative to reinvigorate struggling schools through a partnership with Eastern Michigan University, but lacked funding, planning, and sufficient governance. [14] [15] [16]

EAA was closed in 2017 due to its low performance and the expiration of its partnership with Eastern Michigan University, and its schools were returned to the Detroit Public Schools Community District. [14] [16]

Concern over school closures continued and in 2017, discussions about which schools needed to go escalated. Closure criteria were initially based on test scores, then, after significant pushback from Detroit families, based on school capacity. [8] At this point, Pershing was only at 25% capacity and had test scores in the bottom 5% for 2014, 2015, and 2016, and so was named one of 24 schools slated to close in June 2017. [8] [17] [18] [19]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Pershing was one of several technology hubs in the district and served as a meal distribution site, provided mobile COVID-19 screenings, and provided resources for childcare and utility bills. [20]

In 2014, English teacher Tiffani Eaton-Davis attempted to break up a fight between two boys in her classroom with a broom after her attempts to reach security via walkie-talkie were unsuccessful. [21] A cell phone video of the incident was posted online and EAA fired her the next day for violating the policy against corporal punishment; they faced immediate pushback by school, district, and state officials, as well as the Pershing community. [22] EAA quickly rescinded their decision and offered her a job at any school in their district, but she declined and, in 2015, she sued. [23] [21] The lawsuit stated that she was not warned or prepared to break up violent fights every day; that one of the students in the fight had been suspended for gang-related activity and was not supposed to be on the premises; and that she was discriminated against for being a woman and for being Black, as white teachers in the same scenario were not disciplined. [21] [23] In 2016, she was awarded a settlement of $390,000. [21] [23]

Student body

Pershing is a Title I-eligible school with Black students making up 95% of its enrollment as of 2020. [24] [25] Nearly 60% of the student body is male and 87% are eligible for free lunch. [25]

Academics

Student assessments
2021–22 school
year [26]
Change vs.
prior year [26]
M-STEP 11th grade proficiency rates
(Science / Social Studies)
Advanced %≤10 / ≤10
Proficient %≤10 / ≤10
PR. Proficient %<3 / –
Not Proficient %– / –
Average test scores
SAT Total725.4
(Decrease2.svg −45.8)

In 2020, Pershing had a graduation rate of 72.15%. [27] During the 2017–2018 academic year, less than 5% of students achieved a SAT score that indicates proficiency in math or reading; the district as a whole scored more than 50% lower than the state average. [28]

Electives include ACT prep, choir, dance, Jobs for America Graduation, JROTC, music theory, Police Cadet, and robotics. [29] After-school programs include Credit Recovery, Wayne State University C2 Pipeline, and driver's ed. [29] The standard curriculum includes: English language arts 9, 10, 11, and 12; algebra I, geometry, algebra 2, and probability and statistics; biology, chemistry, forensics for science, and physical science; civics, economics, US history, world history; Spanish I and II; and health, JROTC, and physical education. [30]

Athletics

Pershing offers eight sports: baseball, softball, basketball, cheerleading, track, cross country, football, and volleyball. [31] The Doughboys are part of the Detroit Public School League, which is associated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association. [32]

Extracurriculars

Some of the activities offered at Pershing are robotics, the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP), JROTC, and STEM Club. [33]

A recording studio was created on-campus through a partnership with JDilla Music Foundation (now called the James Dewitt Yancey Foundation), an organization created in honor of Pershing alumnus J Dilla, who died from lupus-induced cardiac arrest in 2006. [34] [7]

Notable alumni

References and notes

  1. ↑ Home. Pershing High School. May 24, 2001. Retrieved on October 31, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Pershing High alums celebrate 75 years." The Detroit News . April 6, 2005. Retrieved on November 6, 2012. "What made Pershing different was that it was built in the Conant Gardens[...]"
  3. ↑ "Conant Gardens produced talent." The Detroit News . June 20, 2001. Retrieved on November 6, 2012. "The Conant Gardens neighborhood near Pershing High School never [...]. Conant Gardens is bounded by East Seven Mile, East Nevada, Ryan and Conant." - Also in "Conant Gardens' inspiring past comes alive." The Detroit News . June 28, 2001.
  4. ↑ "High School Boundaries - 2012/13 School Year." (Archive) Detroit Public Schools. Retrieved on November 1, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Welcome EAA Community". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  6. ↑ AlHajal, Khalil. "Teacher fired for using broom to break up Detroit classroom fight." MLive . May 6, 2014. Retrieved on May 8, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "About Us". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  8. 1 2 3 Einhorn, Erin (2017-05-04). "In a district full of empty classrooms and darkened hallways, can Detroit find a way to keep its schools open?". Detroit Chalkbeat. Archived from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  9. 1 2 "Pershing High School: Who We Are". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  10. ↑ "John J. Pershing". History.com. 2019-06-17. Archived from the original on 2021-04-25. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  11. ↑ Roberts, Roy S. (2012). "Detroit Public Schools" (PDF). Detroit Public Schools. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-04. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  12. ↑ Foley, Aaron (2019-01-20). "Emergency manager: Detroit Public Schools to close Kettering, City high schools". M Live . Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  13. ↑ Oosting, Jonathan (2017-03-07). "Mich. superintendent: No forced school closures in '17". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  14. 1 2 Van Buren, April (2017-06-26). "After six years, Education Achievement Authority leaves behind lackluster legacy". Michigan Radio. Archived from the original on 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  15. ↑ "Education Achievement Authority". The Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. n.d. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  16. 1 2 Lewis, Shawn D. (2016-09-04). "EAA at beginning of end with new school year". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  17. ↑ Einhorn, Erin (2017-01-20). "These 38 Michigan schools could be shut down for poor performance in June". Detroit Chalkbeat. Archived from the original on 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  18. ↑ Fournier, Holly; Gerstein, Michael (2017-04-20). "State official: Detroit district to close schools". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  19. ↑ Gerstein, Michael; Lewis, Shawn D. (2017-01-20). "24 Detroit schools risk summer shutdown". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  20. ↑ "New Detroit school district hubs to help families with technology resources". WXYZ Detroit. 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Zaniewski, Ann (2016-06-14). "Broom-wielding Detroit teacher to settle for $390K". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on 2020-03-10. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  22. ↑ Stafford, Katrease; Allen, Robert (2014-05-13). "Broom-wielding teacher gets her job back". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2020-02-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  23. 1 2 3 "Detroit Teacher Fired For Using Broom To Break Up Fight Sues District; Attorney Suggests $25 Million In Damages". 62 CBS Detroit. 2015-06-10. Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  24. ↑ "Pershing High School". USA Today. 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  25. 1 2 "Pershing High School". National Center for Education Statistics. 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  26. 1 2 "MI School Data Annual Education Report". MI School Data. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  27. ↑ Higgins, Lori; Levin, Koby (2021-02-26). "In spite of the pandemic, Michigan's 2020 high school grad rates ticked upward". Detroit Chalkbeat. Archived from the original on 2021-04-25. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  28. ↑ "Pershing High School". Public School Review. 2021. Archived from the original on 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  29. 1 2 "Programs". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  30. ↑ "Academics". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  31. ↑ "Athletics". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  32. ↑ Purcell, Jared (2019-08-22). "Pershing basketball coach hints that Doughboys may be on the way out of the Detroit PSL". M Live. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  33. ↑ "Pershing High School". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Archived from the original on 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  34. ↑ "James Dewitt Yancey Foundation". James Dewitt Yancey Foundation. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Famous Doughboys". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  36. ↑ "Ed Opalewski". Pro Football Reference. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  37. ↑ Nieto, Mike (2016-11-03). "Harry Szulborski". The Times of Northwest India. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  38. ↑ Downing, Clinton (2018-09-01). "Lola Legend: Dr. Mable John: From Morehouse Parish to Motown and Ministry". Lola Magazine. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  39. ↑ Nowlin, Bill (n.d.). "Lenny Green". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  40. 1 2 "Levi Stubbs, 72, Powerful Voice for Four Tops, Dies". The New York Times. 2008-10-18. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  41. ↑ "Stars mourn Four Tops star Stubbs". BBC. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  42. ↑ "E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame". EMU Eagles. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  43. ↑ "Legendary Grand Rapids West Catholic, GRCC football coach succumbs to prostate cancer". M Live. 2019-08-22. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  44. ↑ "Former Michigan captain George Genyk, 78, dies after cancer battle". Detroit Free Press. 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  45. ↑ "Football Reunion: Cecchini Lauds U-M Integrity". University of Michigan. 2004-06-02. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  46. ↑ "Hall of Fame: Willie Iverson". CMU Chippewas. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  47. ↑ Marsh, Dave (1999). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made (1st ed.). New York: Da Capo Press. p. 594. ISBN   978-0-306-80901-9.
  48. ↑ Nothaft, Patrick (n.d.). "enchantment". Soul Walking. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  49. ↑ Nothaft, Patrick (2021-02-18). "18 Michigan prep basketball players among 2021 McDonald's All-American Game nominees". M Live. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  50. ↑ Barr, Jeff (2009-05-08). "Lions' Larry Foote Returns to His Football Roots". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  51. ↑ "Arthur Johnson". Real GM. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  52. ↑ "Ronald Dorsey". Real GM. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  53. ↑ Couch, Graham (2019-04-04). "Andre Ricks: Perspective of a professional". M Live. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  54. 1 2 "Top 10 Detroit Pershing basketball players of the last ten years". MichiganPreps. 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  55. ↑ "Slum Village". The Masquerade. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  56. ↑ "Keith Appling through the years". The Detroit News. 2021-05-23. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  57. ↑ Langlois, Keith (2018-01-16). "Kay Felder makes the journey of a million miles from Pershing to the Pistons". Detroit Pistons. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  58. ↑ Cunningham, Pete (2019-08-22). "SJustin Tillman's 40-point, triple-double leads Detroit Pershing to 84-75 win over Ann Arbor Huron". M Live. Retrieved 2021-06-27.

42°25′56″N83°03′52″W / 42.4321°N 83.0644°W / 42.4321; -83.0644

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Gervin</span> American basketball player (born 1952)

George Gervin, nicknamed "the Iceman", is an American former professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls. Gervin averaged at least 14 points per game in all 14 of his ABA and NBA seasons, and finished with an NBA career average of 26.2 points per game. In 1996, Gervin was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and in 2021, Gervin was named as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Country Day School</span> Private school in Beverly Hills, Michigan, United States

Detroit Country Day School is a private, secular school located in three campuses in Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan, north of Detroit. The administrative offices, facility services, safety and security services, and the upper school are located in a campus in Beverly Hills, whereas the middle school (4-8), and the Lower School (PK-3) are located in two separate campuses in Bloomfield Township, near Bloomfield Hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spencer Haywood</span> American basketball player (born 1949)

Spencer Haywood is an American former professional basketball player and Olympic gold medalist. Haywood is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Daniels</span> American basketball player and coach (1944–2015)

Melvin Joe Daniels was an American professional basketball player. He played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Minnesota Muskies, Indiana Pacers, and Memphis Sounds, and in the National Basketball Association for the New York Nets. Daniels was a two-time ABA Most Valuable Player, three-time ABA Champion and a seven-time ABA All-Star. Daniels was the All-time ABA rebounding leader, and in 1997 was named a unanimous selection to the ABA All-Time Team. Daniels was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jermaine Jackson (basketball)</span> American basketball player

Jermaine Maurice Jackson Sr. is an American former professional basketball player who most recently served as head coach for SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saginaw High School</span> American public high school

Saginaw High School is located in Saginaw, Michigan, USA. The student enrollment is 593 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Simpson</span> American former basketball player (born 1949)

Ralph Derek Simpson is an American former basketball player. He played professionally in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1970 to 1980.

Conant Gardens is a historically Black neighborhood in northeast Detroit, Michigan. The neighborhood was once the most exclusive Black neighborhood in that city, and residents of Conant Gardens comprised the most highly educated Black enclave in Detroit.

Samuel C. Mumford High School is a public high school located on the near-northwest side of Detroit, Michigan. It was operated by the Detroit Public Schools, and had been operated by the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan (EAA). DPS re-assumed control of Mumford High in fall 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwestern High School (Michigan)</span> Public secondary school in Detroit, Michigan, United States

Southwestern High School was a high school in Southwest Detroit, Michigan. It is part of the Detroit Public Schools district. The school's area, Southwest Detroit, has the majority of Detroit's Latino population. The school was located in a three-story building. It closed in 2012.

Detroit Collegiate Preparatory Academy at Northwestern is a public high school in Detroit, part of Detroit Public Schools, the re-named successor to Northwestern High School. The most recent enrollment figures for Northwestern indicate a student population of approximately 2,000.

Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School is a public magnet high school located at 3200 East Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan; the building is operated by the Detroit Board of Education. King's district encompasses Downtown and Midtown Detroit; it also includes Lafayette Park, the Martin Luther King Apartments and Riverfront Condominiums. The Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects were zoned to MLK prior to their demolition. In addition it includes the three Wayne State University housing complexes that permit families with children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland Park Community High School</span> Public high school in Highland Park, Michigan, Michigan, United States

Highland Park Community High School was a public high school in Highland Park, Michigan. About 775 students attended Highland Park in about 2012. Its mascot is the polar bears, and its school colors are blue and white. It was a part of Highland Park Schools, but had been operated as a charter school by Leona Group as the Highland Park Renaissance High School from August 2012, until the end of the 2014–2015 school year, when it was scheduled to close. It was later bulldozed and is now a vacant lot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central High School (Detroit)</span>

Central High School, previously Central Collegiate Academy and originally named Central High School, is the oldest public high school in Detroit, Michigan; it is part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Redford High School was a secondary school in Detroit, Michigan. A part of Detroit Public Schools, the school opened in September 1921 and ceased operations in June 2007. Staffed and operated by the Detroit Public Schools; Redford High School served the sub-communities of Old Redford, Grandmont, Rosedale Park and Brightmoor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern High School (Detroit)</span> Public High School in Detroit, Michigan

Northern Senior High School was a public four-year high school located on the north end of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The school was a part of the Detroit Public Schools district. By the latter part of the 2000s, Northern Senior High School was cited for closure as well as several other local high schools in the Detroit School District. The Detroit International Academy is now housed in the building that was formerly known as Northern Senior High School. When Northern existed, it served a portion of New Center. It was founded in 1916.

Kettering High School was a four-year high school within the Detroit Public Schools system. The school, located in the low-income Gratiot Town/Kettering neighborhood, was around 1,200 students under capacity at its closure in 2012.

Southeastern High School of Technology and Law is a public coeducational secondary school in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is operated by the Detroit Public Schools. DPS will resume control of Southeastern High in fall 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Appling</span> American basketball player

Keith Damon Appling is a former American basketball player and convicted murderer. After going undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft, Appling appeared sporadically for the Orlando Magic before being waived in 2016. He played college basketball for Michigan State University.

Krainz Woods is a neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.