10 DPSCD and Charter Schools Join Northwest Detroit GOAL Line Pilot, Connecting Detroit children to better Transportation and After School Enrichment

Charter school operators, Detroit Public Schools Community District leaders, teachers, parents and city leaders have come together in an unprecedented partnership to improve education opportunity for children and families in Detroit.

The GOAL Line (which stands for Get on and Learn) is a pilot bus loop in NW Detroit that will allow families that live in neighborhoods surrounding the bus route access to 10 quality public or charter schools in their neighborhood, including:

DPSCD Schools
- Vernor Elementary School
- Coleman A. Young Elementary School
- John R. King Academic and Performing Arts Academy
- Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School (FLICS)
- Bagley Elementary School of Journalism and Technology
- Schulze Academy for Technology and Arts
Charter Schools
- MacDowell Preparatory Academy
- Cornerstone Lincoln-King Academy
- Detroit Achievement Academy
- University YES Academy

How the GOAL Line works

The GOAL Line will pick up students at the participating school closest to their home and transport them to the participating school of their choice. When school is over, students will have the option to take a bus back to the school closest to their home or to an after-school program at the Northwest Activities Center. That program will provide families with much needed after-school care and programming.After-school care will be available until 6 PM and will include swimming, tutoring and other enrichment activities.Transportation back to any school on the loop will be provided in the evenings following the afterschool programs.

Text Updates for Parents

Children who sign up for the GOAL Line will receive a swipe card they scan as they get on and off the bus.Each time a child swipes their card, parents may receive an instant text message, informing them that their child has safely boarded or exited the bus. Each bus will have an additional adult aid on board. The bus loop will be free for families and funded by the City of Detroit, the Skillman Foundation, Detroit Children’s Fund and the individual schools.

How to Sign Up

Participating students must be enrolled and attend one of the 10 GOAL schools. Detroit parents can learn about the participating schools and how to enroll by visiting www.goaldetroit.org or call (313) 224-1222 for more information. You can also contact a participating school directly to enroll. The GOAL Line will be operated by the Community Education Commission (CEC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose core mission is to break down barriers that prevent families and children from accessing quality schools in Detroit. Specifically, the CEC will work to:

Break down transportation barriers that prevent families and children from accessing Detroit schools;
Build safe, high quality after-school programs for Detroit children;
Provide parents and families with information about schools in Detroit;
Facilitate requests from philanthropic organizations to support education in Detroit.

The CEC’s Board of Directors consists of between 9 and 11 members, appointed by the Mayor of Detroit, who are focused on improving opportunities and outcomes for Detroit children.Per the CEC’s bylaws, the board will include:

One representative from DPSCD administration;
One DPSCD teacher;
One charter-school operator;
One charter-school teacher;
One representative from labor unions representing Detroit teachers; and
At least one parent of a school-aged Detroit child

The CEC’s initial directors are:

Monique Marks, Franklin Wright Settlements, Chair
Dr. Nikolai Vitti, DPSCD Superintendent
Tonya Allen, Skillman Foundation
Marsha A. Lewis, DPSCD Teacher
Ralph Bland, Charter Operator
Rachel Ignagni, Charter Teacher
Nate Walker, American Federation of Teachers
Teferi Brent, Detroit 300 and Goodwill Industries
Sherita Smith, Grandmont-Rosedale Community Development
Vanessa Kessler, Michigan Department of Education
Matthew Simoncini, Former President & CEO of Lear Corporation

“The CEC’s goal is to ensure every Detroit family has access to a quality Detroit school,” Monique Marks, CEC Chair, said. “Our board looks forward to getting to work and creating opportunities for our kids.”