• DPSCD’s Emerson Elementary-Middle School Debate Team Captures 2025 Umoja Middle School Championship; Banner Unveiling Set for October 3

    Posted by Amy Cronkite on 10/2/2025

    DETROIT (September 22, 2025) – Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) will honor the award-winning Emerson Elementary-Middle School Debate Team at a banner unveiling ceremony on Friday, October 3, 2025, after the team captured the 2025 Umoja Debate League Middle School Championship this past June.

    The Emerson debaters—Hailey Lewis (8th), Braylen Crowell (8th), Lamar Green (8th), Gregory Grant-Slaughter (7th), and William Pittman (8th)—earned the title after months of spirited competition across Detroit. Teammate Henry Cottingham (8th) was an integral part of the season’s success but was unable to join the team’s summer travel experience.

    “Congratulations to the exceptional Emerson Elementary-Middle School Debate Team on this well-deserved championship. Your hard work, sharp thinking and commitment to excellence embody the very best of Detroit Public Schools Community District,” said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent, DPSCD.  “We are equally grateful to the families, teachers and our community partner, the Umoja Debate League, for preparing and supporting these students on their journey to victory. Keep striving, keep winning and keep rising—you are showing the entire city what is possible when talent meets opportunity.”

    Their championship victory came with a unique prize: a seven-day “Civil Rights Pilgrimage,” August 11–17, 2025, planned and sponsored by the Umoja Debate League, led by Founder and Executive Director Jerjuan Howard.

    The students and their coaches traveled through Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, Memphis, Nashville, and Cincinnati, visiting historically significant Civil Rights landmarks and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Highlights included guided tours of Civil Rights museums, conversations with individuals who lived the movement, and a walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of the historic “Bloody Sunday.” Students documented their journey daily through written reflections and personal narratives.

    “Emerson’s debate victory underscores the extraordinary talent found throughout every neighborhood school in Detroit. Emerson’s team is proof that diamonds exist in every corner of our city. Their success reminds us that all DPSCD students can achieve amazing things when given opportunity and support,” said Board Member Monique Bryant, Detroit Public Schools Community District.

    The partnership between DPSCD and the Umoja Debate League exemplifies how community organizations and schools can collaborate to expand students’ horizons and deepen their understanding of history and civic engagement.

    See below for a media invitation to the banner unveiling event.

    Media Invitation

    Members of the media are invited to cover the banner unveiling celebration:

    When: Friday, October 3, 2025 at 1 PM
    Where: Emerson Elementary-Middle School, Detroit
    Who: Emerson Debate Team members, coaches, DPSCD leadership, and Umoja Debate League Founder Jerjuan Howard.

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  • Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education Adopts Process to Fill Anticipated Board Vacancy

    Posted by Bishop Corletta Vaughn, Ph.D., Board President on 10/1/2025 6:00:00 PM
    DETROIT — October 1, 2025 — The Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) Board of Education convened a special meeting to adopt a process for filling the vacancy resulting from the foreseeable resignation of Board Member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, who was recently appointed by Detroit City Council to serve as the City of Detroit Ombudsman following a September 29, 2025 vote.
    During the meeting, the Board:
    • Adopted a new process for filling the vacant seat to allow for an expedited and streamlined appointment process.
    • Acknowledged that the appointment will extend through December 30, 2026.
    • Recommended leveraging the finalist list from the July 2025 vacancy process, noting that it has been fewer than 90 days since a thorough, transparent, and public search was conducted.
    Process Steps:
    • Within 24 hours of today’s special meeting, the Board’s third-party administrator, Allen Law Group, will contact the individual with the second highest-ranking in the July 2025 selection process.
    • The individual will have 24 hours to accept or decline the appointment.
    • If the individual accepts, a special board meeting will be convened to officially accept the second highest-ranking individual as the newly appointed DPSCD Board Member.
    • If the individual declines, the Board will reconvene at a special meeting to determine the next steps.
    Board President Corletta Vaughn shared on behalf of the Board:
    “On behalf of the Board of Education, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Board Member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo on her appointment as the City of Detroit Ombudsman. We thank her for her dedicated service to Detroit’s children and families. As a Board, we also recognize the importance of continuity and stability in governance. This new process ensures that we maintain momentum as we continue to serve our students with integrity, accountability, and unwavering commitment.”
    This approach honors the recent public process, ensures fairness and efficiency, and allows the Board to maintain continuity in its governance while upholding transparency and community trust.
    "We look forward to our newly appointed board member working to continue the mission and vision of DPSCD as we ensure all students are career, college, and workforce ready," said Bishop Vaughn. "We will continue to ROAR!"
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