A Community Letter from Leaders in Detroit’s Philanthropic Community
On November 3, Detroiters will make one of the most consequential decisions facing our city, though many may not realize it when they step into the voting booth.
Five of the seven seats on the Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education are on the ballot. Thirty-one candidates are seeking four full four-year terms, while three additional candidates are competing to fill a partial term ending in 2028. When the votes are counted, Detroit will have chosen an entirely new majority of the board. Not since the creation of DPSCD in 2016 has so much of the district’s leadership been determined in a single election.
We write as leaders in Detroit’s philanthropic community. We are not here to tell anyone how to vote.
We are writing because more than 50,000 Detroit children attend DPSCD schools, and because the leadership chosen in this election will help shape the opportunities available to them for years to come. The decisions made by the next board will influence not only what happens inside classrooms, but also the future of neighborhoods, families, and a city that is still writing one of the most important chapters in its modern history.
What Is at Stake
School boards rarely attract the attention of mayoral races or presidential elections, yet their decisions touch everyday life in profound ways.
The DPSCD Board of Education helps determine how public resources are invested, how district leadership is held accountable, how families and students are heard, and whether the conditions exist for children to learn, thrive, and succeed. Its work affects academic outcomes, student supports, educator retention, school culture, and public trust in one of Detroit’s most important institutions.
The stakes are especially high at this moment.
Over the last decade, Detroit’s public schools have experienced a period of growing stability after years of upheaval. Progress has not come easily, nor has it come quickly. It has been built through sustained effort by students, families, educators, administrators, and community leaders. The board elected this fall will play a significant role in determining whether that progress continues.
Yet school board races are often decided by a relatively small number of voters, many of whom have limited information about the candidates before them. This year’s unusually large field makes informed participation even more challenging. When voters are
overwhelmed by the number of choices, important decisions can become little more than guesswork.
Detroit can do better than guess.
The children and families of DPSCD are not spectators in Detroit’s future. They are helping create it. They deserve leadership that listens carefully, governs responsibly, values public trust, and keeps student success at the center of every decision. Electing that leadership is a responsibility that belongs to all of us.
What We Are Asking of Every Detroiter
Make a plan to vote. Vote on November 3, vote early, or vote by absentee ballot. Then help someone else make a plan. Democracy is strongest when participation is shared.
Learn about the candidates. CitizenDetroit’s candidate video series, along with voter guides from Chalkbeat Detroit and BridgeDetroit, can help voters understand the experience, priorities, and perspectives of those seeking office. Take time to review the field and encourage others to do the same.
Bring this conversation into your circles. Talk about the election at your congregation, block club, neighborhood association, workplace, community organization, dinner table, or group chat. Reach out personally to friends, family members, and neighbors who may otherwise overlook the school board section of the ballot.
Stay involved after Election Day. Accountability does not end when the votes are counted. Follow board meetings. Pay attention to major decisions. Ask questions. Support thoughtful governance. The strongest school systems are built not only through elections but through sustained civic engagement.
An old proverb reminds us: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” But vision alone is not enough. It must be accompanied by participation, discernment, and a willingness to accept responsibility for the future we hope to create.
Detroit’s history is filled with people who refused to leave important decisions to someone else. They organized, voted, volunteered, spoke up, and invested in the next generation because they understood that a city’s future is ultimately measured by how well it serves its children.
This election calls for that same spirit.
The future of Detroit is not decided only in boardrooms, city halls, or state capitols. It is shaped in classrooms, school libraries, gymnasiums, cafeterias, and neighborhoods across our city every day.
On November 3, let’s show up for the students who will inherit Detroit’s future. Learn the field. Share what you know. Encourage others to vote. Then remain engaged long after the election has passed.
Our children are counting on all of us.
Help our city choose its school leadership with the care this moment demands.
- Khalilah Burt Gaston, President & Executive Director, Song Foundation
- Wendy Lewis Jackson, Managing Director – Detroit, The Kresge Foundation
- LaTrice McClendon, Detroit Director, Knight Foundation
- Yazeed Moore, Director of Michigan Programs, The W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- Angelique Power, President and CEO, The Skillman Foundation
- Nicole Sherard-Freeman, President and CEO, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan