Detroit Free Press: Only a full-scale team effort can cure high school dropout rate

BY MICHAEL F. TENBUSCH • May 4, 2008

For the past 40 years, public high schools in urban America have been easy to understand.

To paraphrase Jack Nicholson, "Just think of any other business, and then take away accountability and reason."

The failure of urban high schools has taken a huge toll here in Michigan and in Detroit. One study revealed that there are 73 high schools in Michigan that have graduated less than 60% of their freshmen class for three straight years.

Twenty-two are in Detroit, 12 are in its suburbs, and another 40 are spread around the state. High school dropouts are eight times more likely than high school graduates to end up in jail, and 75% of all prison inmates are dropouts. Clearly, our failure to build high schools that work has forced us to build prisons.

It doesn't need to be this way.

Thanks in part to No Child Left Behind, in part to hundreds of millions of dollars invested by the Gates Foundation, and in large part to the pioneering spirit of those who rightly view this as the civil rights issue of our time, high-performing high schools have popped up in high-poverty areas of America in the last five years -- graduating 80% or more of their freshman classes, in stark contrast to the schools they replaced that had graduation rates ranging from 20%-40%.

We know what works. According to Mass Insight, which analyzed successful strategies in districts like Boston and New York that turned student achievement around, principals must be given control over the people, budget and programs in their buildings -- and in turn they must be held accountable for ensuring that their students meet high but realistic expectations.
Schools have been run on the "Friends, Family and Neighborhood Plan" for too long, and this arbitrary hiring and contracting process has led to an entrenched view of the inviolability of seniority rights. Both must change.

This is not to say unions are the problem. Instead, unions must be invited to the table at every turn, and they must embrace their role as agents of social change. In New York, the teachers union played a leadership role in creating the conditions necessary for success, and high school graduation rates across the city shot up 10% in just three years.

Schools must also partner with an educational intermediary -- that is, a nonprofit organization with a proven record of improving student achievement.

Finally, this work cannot be done one school at a time. Clusters of schools must work together in a collaborative and competitive manner to lift up best practices until excellence becomes the norm.

The end result is smaller, more personalized schools and classes with a safer and more effective environment for teachers and students.

Thus, the question is not how to turn schools around, but whether we have the will. Gov. Jennifer Granholm, in proposing legislation for the Schools of the 21st Century Fund, has answered the call. Dr. Connie Calloway, Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools, demonstrates daily that she is in her position to lead that turnaround. She talks candidly and consistently about the dismal student achievement rates in Detroit's general admissions high schools, and she is putting the people and resources in place to launch and execute a comprehensive turnaround plan.

The unions must play a leading role in that plan, and Virginia Cantrell, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, has the vision and fortitude to do this. Her members must support her, and research consistently shows teachers overwhelmingly have more job satisfaction working in high-performing schools than in the dysfunctional ones.

There is too much to gain, and too much to lose, to tinker around the edges any longer. We must get this done. We can get it done.

MICHAEL F. TENBUSCH is vice president for education preparedness at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan and a former board member of the Detroit Public Schools. Write to him in care of the Free Press Editorial Page, 615 W. Lafayette, Detroit, MI 48226 or at oped@freepress.com.

We've got your back

I was just downstairs talking with a woman who was referred to 2-1-1 On the Go! by a case manager at COTS. She is a 60 year old woman from Detroit who tried to make a go of it in Baton Rouge, Louisiana last year, only to end up homeless from lack of available work. She returned to Detroit in March and was almost instantly homeless. She has been back in town for only three weeks, but already had many stories to tell me about walking from Highland Park to Hart Plaza and back in a day, just to get help. To give her story a bit more credibility, it should be noted that she walked here from COTS this morning to meet with me at 9:00 AM in 40 degrees, wind and rain. She didn't need to walk here (because we would've come to her), but the case manager didn't know that, so off she went on her 60 year old legs to take another chance on getting some help.

We talked for about half an hour, during which time she eventually teared-up and said this, "I've been waiting so long just to hear those words... for someone to say, 'We know you're trying, and we've got your back.'"

This is the kind of experience that lets me know I'm blessed to be doing this work. I just wanted to share this encouragement with you all: that the seemingly mundane, tedious tasks we sometimes must do to create and maintain a program do have meaningful, personal impact on real people. I'm glad to be a part of this team.

Nicholas Monterosso
2-1-1 on the Go

A few lessons from Marketing and Brand Experience

Welcome to my piece of the Marketing and Brand Experience!

Rodd Monts

Communication Manager
Marketing and Brand Experience Team (MBE)

Okay, this is another Rodd Monts*. However, we are related.

Marketing Lesson No. 1 "Everyone loves babies and puppies"

The nickname has nothing to do with my skills as a DJ.

I assure you.

I suspect that ...

... as in MBE Vice President Kelly Major Green, so annointed me because I am responsible for producing media projects, including radio, television and other videos, along with campaign materials. I also oversee production of a variety of printed projects for the organization, write editorials, speeches, correspondence and generate other copy as needed. All of this is intended to help communicate our mission and our impact on community, while increasing awareness of our work, and of the "B" in MBE.

Marketing Lesson No. 2 - "A brand is to a company as a reputation is to an individual."

I help make sure we're maintaining brand compliance and communicating the proper messaging. This includes, for instance, making sure our Agenda for Change is prominent in what we communicate, and that we are promoting our work and the results we produce in Educational Preparedness, Finanacial Stability and Basic Needs, consistently.

I'm also tasked with creatively and effectively communicating ways in which we improve communities and individual lives in measureable and lasting ways. Getting these projects done requires working with Bruce Unwin, our creative director, on concepts and design.

Marketing Lesson No. 3 - "The client is always right."

We work with internal clients -- vice presidents, program managers and specialists from departments involved with various intitiatives -- as well as with volunteers involved in their work, to develop content for our collateral pieces and other projects as needed. Not just during campaign season, but throughout the year. The scope of the work is increasingly becoming broader which is reflecitve of what we do each day.

And while I do help produce a considerable amount of material for public consumption, my responsiblities include supporting the organization in other ways as well -- wherever MBE needs to be a part of the mix. Hmm, maybe that nickname makes more sense than I initally thought.

In any case, given the monumental transition in which this organization is currently engaged through the Agenda for Change, and the results we aim to achieve, this is an exciting time to be in this position because I have a major role in telling the story.

If you ever have questions about the work you can find me on the sixth floor.

*Note: I also used this blog to share photos of the little one with all of you who have asked. Call it multi-tasking

Volunteering for the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

Since working as a volunteer for Super Bowl XL, I periodically have had opportunities to volunteer for other events in the Detroit area. I recently had the wonderful opportunity to work as a volunteer for the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (MSHOF) for their recent annual induction ceremony. The MSHOF has been honoring former professional and amateur athletes, coaches and members of the media since 1954.



This year’s inductees included Steve Yzerman from the Detroit Red Wings, Desmond Howard and Glen Rice from the University of Michigan, Ray Scott, a former player and coach of the Detroit Pistons and broadcaster Frank Beckman from WJR radio.

One of the best highlights of the ceremony was the presentation of the MSHOF’s Tony Filippis Courage award to Cheryl Angelelli. She is paralyzed from the chest down as the result of a diving accident during swimming practice when she was fourteen. Now competing as a Paralympic swimmer, she is a double world gold medalist and is preparing to compete in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.

The MSHOF is presently looking for a permanent home in the Detroit area to be able to display permanent exhibits honoring athletic achievements of professional and amateur athletics at all levels in Michigan. Plaques honoring those who have been inducted are currently being displayed on walls in Cobo Cener.

Bob Jacobs
Accounting Specialist
Finance Department
United Way For Southeastern Michigan

Kira Putt Campaign Associate

Almost 2 years ago I started my journey as a Campaign Associate for Resource Development. I spend my days helping to raise dollars through workplace campaigns in Schools and Municipalities. 60% of the time you will find me on the road meeting with my Employee Campaign Coordinators. They are the real hard and supportive workers. They really help me bring the United Way message to their staff.

I have also had the oppurtunity in the last 2 years to work closely with our Volunteer Center to help form partnerships with different Schools and Municipalitites by engaging them and their students through volunteer oppurtunities. One program that I am very proud of is our engagement with Alternative Spring Break. Last year I was able to spend a weeek in Lake Charles, LA as a Team Leader to help with Rita ReBuilding. It was truly a wonderful experience. This year we are proud that Detroit will be the first pilot for an Urban program with Alternative Spring Break. Detroit will be invaded by 50 participants from all over the country to work on several voluteer projects in Metro Detroit. That has really kept me busy the last couple of months. It hasn't happened yet but already the community and internal support have been amazing.

I have learned so much working for United Way for Southeastern MI that you would be reading a very long blog. The most important element that is that I have found my place in the non-profit world. I really am proud of the work we do and that makes my job easier at the end of the day.

Playing with words

Chances are, you see my work every time you interact with United Way. Whether it’s reading our e-newsletter, checking out a page on the Web site, or flipping through our annual report, you’re (hopefully!) benefiting from my work. I say “hopefully” because it is my goal as one of the writers in United Way’s Marketing department to make sure anything that leaves our building in print or electronic format helps you better understand what United Way is all about. So if after skimming a brochure or e-newsletter story, you have a clearer understanding of what United Way is doing and a renewed interest in getting involved with us, then I’ve accomplished my mission.

I’ve always been a writer; as a kid I was penning short stories instead of doing my math homework. So it’s only natural that I would turn my love for words and storytelling into a career. And while sometimes the writing process can be tedious – incessant bouts of writer’s block come to mind – the payoff from seeing my words developed into something that helps others understand United Way makes it all worth it.

But playing with words isn’t the only thing I do all day. Everything I write has to look good so you’re enticed to read it. To make sure that happens, I collaborate with our graphic designer, who turns the things I write into little pieces of business art -- or at least that’s what I like to think! This collaborative part of my job is one of the perks. There are so many great people that work at United Way and I get to interact with them each day!

Aside from being one of United Way’s resident writers, my days are also filled with serving as a liaison to our Community Capital Resources, 2-1-1, and Public Policy teams. I field their marketing requests and communicate to other members of the marketing team what is needed. In addition, I help each group develop and implement broader strategies to increase awareness and participation in their work.

When you can’t find me writing, collaborating, or procrastinating (it’s an integral part of the writing process!), you may also see me running around with a camera. Somehow during my three years at UWSEM, I’ve inherited the photography responsibilities, so when we have an event or need photos of an activity, I’m your girl.

United Way has given me a lot of experience and was a great place to start my career. There’s tough days and there’s amazing days and each of them teach a new lesson in my personal or professional life. I consider myself lucky to be able to work in such an inviting, flexible and friendly environment each day.

Megan Bracket
Copywriter

The Finance in my blood.

At the United Way, as in most non-profits, the place where fund raising meets programming is in the finance department. Never would I dare to say that finance is the heart and soul of an organization, because realistically, most finance departments are a bi-product of another service or product. However, like the veins that carry blood though the human body, finance departments are an important part of any organization.

Within UWSEM’s finance team there are a brave few who spend their days auditing the many dollars our community raises. The Audit Team works closely with the Pledge Processing Team who captures donor information, and more importantly, donor designations. Collectively, the two teams ensure that every donor dollar is accurately captured. Our teams’ dedication to accuracy keeps contributors invested in our community year after year.

Also, Finance Team Members are strategically placed in initiatives and cross-functional teams lending their expertise and helping to advance our Agenda for Change. Finance members are involved in such initiatives as Operation ABC and The Alliance for Economic Inclusion. They work closely with countless partners and volunteers to maximize the return on investment of donor dollars.

When diving below the surface level, it becomes exciting to see how UWSEM’s Finance Team works toward our mission. Understanding how the team collaborates with many others to advance the community’s Agenda for Change makes me passionate about what I do on a daily basis. It keeps me dreaming of the endless possibilities - not the obstacles. I believe Henry Ford said it best when he said, “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”

The Finance Department may not be the most glamorous department. However, like veins to the human body, the department works as a team to help change our community in measurable and lasting ways.

Rebeca Torres,
Finance Department
United Way for Southeastern Michigan

Public Policy

Under the circumstances... I feel a need to write this Blog in an "informal" style. Unfortunately, too many professional politicians, lawyers, and others have made the understanding of politics and public policy too confusing and complex for most people when, in reality, it's all very simple.

Let us first review the definition of "Public Policy":
1. the fundamental policy on which laws rest, especially policy not yet enunciated in specific rules.
2. the principle that injury to the public good or public order constitutes a basis for setting aside, or denying effect to, acts or transactions.

So, why then, are numerous acts, laws and resolutions that affect so many residents introduced, discussed and passed that are disliked by so many residents? And, when thinking of the comments that are said by many of those residents referring to the actions of legislators, it seems that there is a misunderstanding of the role and status of elected officials. Thus, there becomes a need to help people to remember that other human beings are not elected to "govern" us; they are elected to "represent" us.

As a Public Policy Associate, I recognize the need to remind my audience of this prior to most of the presentations I may make to them. Otherwise, if I did not, as I encourage the members of the audience to contact the elected officials of their districts and express their concerns and/or positions, there would become a silence and a look of hopelessness throughout the room. People have come to believe that they are at the mercy of their elected officials. Many seem to have forgotten (or, were never taught) that it was the desire of the majority of the constituency that caused representative to vote to change laws that gave all adults equal voting rights and fair wages for labors rendered regardless of race or gender - thus, the Equal Rights Amendment and Child Labor Laws.

As a Public Policy Associate, I deliver messages to elected officials from those whom they represent who are too busy doing other duties to earn wages to support themselves and their families. I relate to the elected officials that as more and more of their constituents are becoming less and less able to manage their income-to-expense ratio that they are asking for passages of the Calling for 2-1-1 Act and the Savings for Working Families Act.

As a Public Policy Associate, I try to remind constituents and legislators that it is not the duty of elected officials to "speak for the people"... they are chosen to speak "on behalf of the people." It's an ongoing task that starts all over again with the start of every New Year. And, I love public relations and I love challenges so... I must REALLY love my work as a Public Policy Associate.

Become a UWSEM advocate!

Ronald Stewart,
Public Policy Associate
United Way for Southeastern Michigan

A Resourceful Gal

As the 2-1-1 Resource Associate I do a lot of investigating. We receive an enormous amount of feedback from our callers and our call specialists about the services and programs that we provide referrals to. We have repeat callers who offer up information about the last agency they contacted, and we follow up with 5% of our callers to see how their referrals worked out. Tried calling and the phone number is disconnected? Tell Maria. Heard the building burned down? Tell Maria. Program hours have changed? Tell Maria! Considering that we have more than 7,000 programs available, it’s a lot of information to keep a handle on. Our goal at 2-1-1 is to have 100% of our callers receive a valuable and useful referral on their very first phone call. This means that the accuracy of our information is paramount, and by extension so are my investigations into those discrepancies.

Another element of my work involves rounding up new resources for our database. Sure, we have more than 7,000 programs available now, but we always want to expand. You never know what type of request a caller might have – a recent one involving a renegade rooster comes to mind! We want to be prepared for any request that comes over that phone. In addition to contributing to and fostering the growth of our resources in all areas, I also hope to improve the variety of resources available for members of the military and their families.

The best part of my job is that I learn about new ways to help members of our community every day – and that local agencies come up with new ways to help every day! A former high school teacher recently emailed me to see if I knew of any way that she could get assistance with caring for her 93 year old father in law. It was nice to be able to write her back with a laundry list of phone numbers to call, knowing that she would get the help she needed.

Right now, at the beginning of tax season, we in 2-1-1 are working to educate our callers about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and let them know that they may qualify to have their taxes prepared for FREE at one of the many area Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites. We want our community to keep as much of its hard-earned money as possible! For more information about EITC, possibly having your taxes prepared for free, where to get help for your grandfather, or how to deal with a troublesome rooster, you can call us at 2-1-1, 24/7. We’re always here to help.

A Treasure Trove for Data Geeks Everywhere!

Bottled water consumption exceeded that of coffee for the first time in 2005, as the average American drank 25.4 gallons of water compared to 24.2 gallons of coffee. Ten years earlier the numbers were 11.6 and 20.2 gallons respectively. Remember, these are just averages, as I can attest since my coffee to water ratio is drastically skewed in the other direction. Alcohol consumption (driven primarily by beer drinkers) exceeds that of coffee and trails bottled water by less than half a gallon.

While our national body mass index keeps rising along with the number of weight loss books, programs, pills and television shows, it appears, to some degree, that the nation is getting the message about healthier eating and exercise. The last 10 years has brought a 25% increase in per capita chicken consumption (60.4 pounds) and a 2 percent decrease in that of beef (62.4 pounds). Pork, the other white meat, has not fared as well as chicken, or even beef, falling by 4 percent (46.5 pounds). Whole milk consumption has declined by 20 percent, while we are eating 40 percent more yogurt. We are eating 17 percent less frozen dairy products – still 24 pounds a year – but we can’t seem to get enough of cheese, especially mozzarella! Overall cheese consumption has grown by 17 percent in the last 10 years to 31.4 pounds per person, with mozzarella accounting for 10.2 pounds. Now I know why there is a pizza shop on almost every corner.

Few of us were smoking cigarettes in 2005 than ten years earlier – 20.8 vs. 24.6 percent. Males out smoked females by five percentage points – 23.4 vs. 18.3 percent. Michigan exceeded the national average with 22.1 percent of our residents smoking, in spite of our high tobacco tax. While cigarette smoking is down, I am not sure what effect the proliferation of cigar bars is having. Finally, self-reporting (which, as all of us know, can be somewhat biased) indicates that just under half the adult population is getting the recommended amount of daily exercise, with men outdoing women 49.9 to 47 percent.

You are probably tired of numbers by now, but you may, at least, be curious as to their source. Well, the data geek in me is thrilled to announce that the latest version of the Statistical Abstract of the United States was released last week. While not as “edge of your seat” exciting as the Farmers’ Almanac, the Abstract contains almost 1,400 data tables arranged in 30 sections, covering just about any topic you might want.

While you can certainly purchase the Abstract from the federal government, the most convenient way to browse is to go to the Census Bureau’s website where you will find the entire volume online. Please take a look and let me know some of your favorite statistics.

Kurt Metzger
Research Director
United Way for Southeastern Michigan Community Investment and Partnerships

Black Mirrors: The Arcade Fire

They've been nominated for countless upon countless awards, including Grammy's, Juno's, and, BRITs. MTV2 heralded their debut album, Funeral, as the Greatest Album of 2005. Time Magazine honored them on the front cover of their magazine. The Arcade Fire have conquered mainstream and indie music circles around the globe with their captivating music and insightful lyrics.

Currently, the bands new album, Neon Bible, reached #1 in Canada and Ireland...and #2 in the US, UK, and Portugal. The first single of Bible is a darkly orchestrated masterpiece called Black Mirror.

Click the music player to hear The Arcade Fire sing about Black Mirrors.

BLACK MIRROR
I walked down to the ocean,
After waking from the nightmare,
No moon, no pale reflection:
Black Mirror.

Shot by a security camera,
You can’t watch your own image,
And also look yourself in the eye:
Black Mirror.

I know a time is coming,
All words will lose their meaning,
Please show me something that isn’t mine,
(but mine is the only kind that I relate to).

Le miroir casse {this broken mirror},
Le miroir casts mon reflet partout {this mirror casts my reflections everywhere}:
Black Mirror.

Black Mirror knows no reflection,
It knows not pride or vanity,
It cares not about your dreams,
It cares not for your pyramid schemes.

Their names are never spoken,
The curse is never broken,
The curse is never broken...

Un, duex, trois, du miroir noir {one, two, three, the black mirror}:
Black Mirror!

Mirror, mirror on the wall...
Show me where them bombs will fall!
Mirror, mirror on the wall...
Show me where them bombs will fall!

Black Mirror.

TO READ THE REST OF THE BLACK MIRROR DIARIES CLICK HERE

Black Mirrors: Sharks, Prince, Salt & Everything Else You've Come To Fear The Most

I’d the oddest dream last night. I was off the beaches of Fiji, dogpaddling the Pacific Ocean...when suddenly I started being chased by a troupe of singing Hammerhead sharks. It was rather disturbing. The sharks were all singing various Prince songs. A few were crooning When Doves Cry. Another belted out Let’s Go Crazy. There was even one that had committed to memory I Would Die 4 You. The weird thing was, in my dream, I didn’t think twice about why these sharks were hunting me down...or how they’d taught themselves to speak, let alone sing. No, all I could think of was, “Seriously, how do all these sharks know so many different Prince songs?!?”

Note to self: No more cheese before bed. Or Purple Rain.

While I’m relieved that singing fish are utter falsehoods...the parts concerning Fiji, the Pacific, dogpaddling, and me are utterly true. In December of ’05, I vacationed off the coast of Nadi, where I’d the luxury of swimming in an ocean for the very first time. Alas, there were no sharks involved...but I blogged about the experience nonetheless. As I read my entry for the first time in over a year, I can’t help but think of Black Mirrors:

Today, I met up with my uncle and his wife. I spent the entire afternoon with them loafing on the beach and swimming in the sea. The sea! God, I’ve never tasted saltwater before! How unfamiliar! The entire experience has caught me completely off guard.

When you least expect it, the circle of life has an amazing sense of throwing new arches your way. As conscious beings, we spend a tremendous part of our brief and limited existence arrogantly assuming we’ve seen and done it all. Using a string of singular, recurring daily rituals, we end up persuading ourselves that life is nothing more than mere routine:

• Wake up at 7:52am
• Drop kids off at school
• Commute to job
• Work eight hours
• Drive home
• Eat dinner
• 6:00pm news
• Put the kids to bed
• Watch Law & Order
• Read a couple chapters from a NY Times bestseller
• Fall asleep
• REPEAT

It’s from this mindset we make-believe that all future events in our lives, no matter how fresh and new, end up being repackaged versions of our past. You might fall in love with some fantastic new girl…but it’s not like you haven’t fallen in love before. You might graduate with your MBA…but it’s not like you haven't graduated before (high school, kindergarten, etc). Even the swank of brand new creations end up being boiled down re-inventions. The never-before-seen 2008 Ford Explorer is really just another Ford Explorer. Coke w/Lime is really just Coke...with lime. We’ve been there and done that. We’ve experienced all that life can offer.

Then one day you paddle out into the Pacific, taste some salt, and re-realize how naked and alone you truly are. It’s thrilling and humbling and dreadful...and all at once. Overwhelming, for sure. I guess it’s times like these that make air worth breathing. If there weren’t a sense of uniqueness or individuality to our experiences, what would motivate us to keep pushing forward in the first place?

As you can tell, this topic exceedingly vexes me. I’m constantly petrified that if I stay in one place for too long, it'll end up being the death of me. It’s why I changed my major three times in college. It’s why I can’t hold down a steady relationship or career for longer than a year. It’s why in the past eight years, I’ve lived in seven different cities…at fourteen different addresses…with thirty-nine different roommates. It’s why I’m always walking away.

What if there comes a moment in my life where every experience is so familiar that it all ends up being one deeply tiresome routine?

The truth is I shouldn’t be fretting over such thin-skinned uncertainties. And not because the questions are intensely heavy or depressive...but rather because the questions solely serve as a clever way of stating, What if I’ve been there and done that…and then I get bored? It plays off a primal assumption that I’ll actually get to a point in my life where I’ve done everything. And who am I to be worrying about that? I’m two weeks shy of twenty-seven years and savoring saltwater for the very first time.

The way I live, consume, and play, I’ve maybe thirty years left in me. Unless I hit the Mega Millions jackpot, I can pretty much guarantee that two-thirds of that time will be consumed by work and sleep. A good portion of that remainder – my so called “free time” – will in all likelihood be spent playing Nintendo, listening to Belle & Sebastian CDs, reading comic books, watching Mad About You reruns, and being an all-around sarcastic wiseass.

Been there, done that? If anything, I should be concentrating on being nowhere and doing nothing.

Mentors are leaders who teach teens to lead

When I was young – oh how I wished – that I had a mentor who would have helped me to gain direction in my life, to increase my self-confidence, and to develop my leadership skills. After all, my dad wasn’t around much in the early years and my mother suffered from mental illness. The mental illness sometimes hindered her ability to effectively take care of us kids.

I was fortunate to have passed through childhood, having pretty much made the right decisions. I will say that one of my sisters wasn’t so fortunate.

There are presently more than 4,000 kids and teens in Michigan who need mentors. There is a special need for men to serve as mentors, and an extra special need for men of color to do so.

Because of the need that I had as a child, I decided that I would be a mentor. I found out about Art of Leadership Foundation through United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s online volunteer matching system, Volunteer Solutions.

Art of Leadership coaches children from 6th grade through 12th grade on developing qualities of leadership, such as having integrity, taking responsibility and giving back to others. In essence, ALF inspires vision and leadership in young people, giving them the skills to succeed in their lives and to be leaders in the community.

I began in January coaching six Detroit high school students who have, for the most part, been with the program since they were in 6th grade. These are not at-risk kids. They are instead kids who are motivated to succeed. But they need our help.

Art of Leadership’s Jazmine McBride and myself recently met with our team of teens who are in the middle of putting together a talent show. At this meeting, the teens took responsibility for securing the location of where the talent show will take place and for finding the show’s performers.

Jeff Baytarian and Jazmine McBride coaching teens during a

Saturday morning session through Art of Leadership Foundation.

After our individual team meetings, all of the teams of students got together to practice their impromptu public speaking skills. I facilitated this session with about 30 teens. I have seen many of them move from not knowing what to say before a group, to becoming confident in their speaking skills.

Jeff Baytarian instructs one of the teams on impromptu speaking.

After the public speaking session, Jazmine facilitated a session adapted from an exercise shown on Oprah. This session helped the teens to open up. Everyone responded to the phrase, “If you really knew me, then you would know that ______.” Many of the students let down their guard during the exercise.

We had a great meeting. I certainly got as much out of it as did the teens. I will end with the “ask.” Please consider being a mentor.

Jeff Baytarian
Campaign Manager
Resource Development

Black Mirrors: If We Met in a Former Life, Maybe He Was Straight Then

Love is never as easy as it appears...

Anna David contributes a humorous yet poignant New York Times article, concerning the most awkward of Black Mirrors: Counterfeit Love.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO ARTICLE

Black Mirrors: Press One For The Biggest Headache In The Whole Wide World

I love bad t-shirts. I love everything about them. Their tackiness. Their inelegance. Their lack of utter poise and charm. Say what you’ll say...but for me, a bad t-shirt equals a good time.

Over the years, a favorite hobby of mine has been buying bad t-shirts and gifting them to various friends and family members. Nothing says I Love You like a scoop neck that declares: I’m With Stupid!

The key to giving away bad t-shirts is all in your follow through. I can’t emphasize this enough: ALWAYS FOLLOW THROUGH. The next time you award your best friend a bad t-shirt, make sure you follow up in two to three weeks with a well-timed, guilt-induced phone call. Watch how I do it:

Hey, why aren’t you wearing that Milli Vanilli shirt I bought you? Don’t you like it? Seriously, it took me weeks to find that shirt for you! Why don’t you just wear it to the Tigers game tonight? Oh, you will? Thanks, that means a lot to me.

Attention? Oh, trust me, you’ll get ALL the attention tonight.

There’s only one other man born to this planet who enjoys bad t-shirts as much as myself...and that man is Kenny. Oh how, I wish you could all meet Kenny! I just love that kid! I love him to death. In fact, might just love Kenny almost as much as I love bad t-shirts. Almost.

Kenny has a lengthy and intimate history with bad t-shirts. One night, a group of Kenny’s pals – a sharp trio of educated and droll bachelors – fancied themselves up for a proper Boys Night Out. The evening was to begin at Post Bar...and continue on till all of Metro-Detroit was painted a suave and urbane shade of red.

Kenny showed up to the club wearing this monstrosity:

I guess the party had not arrived...because the bouncers at Post were so repelled by Kenny's shirt that they barred him from entering their club.

Kenny had a birthday party a few weeks ago at uber-chic club, Cinq. Before heading over to his shindig, I found myself surfing the web, desperately attempting to find Kenny the perfect bad t-shirt. Here were my top three finds:

1. 2.

3.
Note the last one, which is remarkably poor in taste and humor. To imagine that someone actually came up with this t-shirt idea...and then envisioned the shirt so witty that it needed to mass produced for public consumption...well, it just screams buy me and make Kenny look like the biggest fool in the room.

I’m not a huge fan of Cinq. Cinq is one of those nightclubs where you stand in line for half an hour...just so you can crowd up against aging hipsters and pay absorbent amounts of money for mediocre cocktails. My patience doesn’t fair well with social establishments like Cinq...but it was Kenny’s day to shine...so I slugged my way into line. That’s what you do for your friends on their birthdays, right?

Waiting in line, I’d the luxury of standing behind a couple undeniably gorgeous Spanish-speaking ladies and three fraternity brothers. Here is a full recount of their one-sided conversation.

JOSH: Hey, them girls are smokin’ hot!
BRIAN: Whatcha ya think they're speakin’? Spanish?
JEFF: Hit on 'em in Spanish, Josh!
JOSH: Ladies, you're muy bonita! MUY BONITA!
BRIAN: They're not listening, Josh.
JOSH: That's 'cause they probably can't speak American.
BRIAN: I just don’t understand why they come over here and don't speak American. We’re in America, right?
JOSH: Amen!
BRIAN: You know, I called up my cable company the other day and they asked me to press one for English!?! Why should I press one for English? I live here! I shouldn't be pressing nothing! I bet them girls don’t have to push one when they’re in Mexico...or Spain...or wherever the hell they’re from.
JOSH: I wish they’d all just go home. All of 'em. Then they could speak whatever language they wanted wherever.
JEFF: Josh, will you shut up!
JOSH: Oh, you shut up. You believe it too.
JEFF: That doesn't make a difference! We’re in public. We don’t talk about that stuff when we're in...
BRIAN: I don’t care anymore. All these foreigners need to get on their boats and go home.
(JEFF turns to me)
JEFF: You're one of them Indjuns, right? I guess this is pretty awkward for ya right now, eh?

Maybe I won’t buy Kenny that t-shirt after all.

Black Mirrors: The Last Word Is Imagine

In my last blog entry, I received a comment asking me why I'm scared of Thirty. The remark got me to thinking...why AM I so scared? Is Thirty even that big of a deal?

On more than one occasion, these questions have cropped up in my weary head...and at first glance I'm inclined to believe that I'm just terrified of growing old. But that's just an At-First-Glance. I know myself better than that...and I know that aging is no monkey on my back. I've no difficulties with thirty-one...or thirty-six...or fifty-four…or sixty-eight. There's only one year that frightens me...and that's Thirty.

But why? Why does Thirty loom over my head? Bigger than that, why does Thirty terrorize all my friends lives too? It's just a silly number, right?

Somewhere down the line, Thirty became the new Forty. Somewhere, it became my generation's midlife crisis. I'm only twenty-eight but I can already feel self-actualization knocking at my door. And while I'm way too young to be flirting with women half my age...and way too broke to be hanging out in Porche dealerships...it doesn't negate it eminent domain. Thirty is coming for me...and it's coming sooner than later.

Thirty is the first true milestone of adulthood. As the story is told, we spend a good majority of out teenage years desperately seeking out a self-identity. Once we've found one, we plan away our twenties, listing goals for our identities to aspire towards.

For the most part, our goals are similar in intent. We want:

• A loving spouse
• A successful career
• A lot of money
• A fancy house
• A couple kids

Of course, we've no clue how we're going to actually achieve any of above...but for some reason that tiny detail really doesn't faze us. We naively assume that as long as we make it through our twenties, everything will fall into place. So that's what we do. We patiently wade through entry-level positions, bad apartments, and part-time lovers until...well, until we finally reach Thirty.

Because Thirty's when everything turns perfect and we all end up living happily ever after!

Or so that's what the black mirrors lead us to believe.

Like it or not, Thirty is when we reassess our lives. All our plans, our dreams, our ambitions...we comb over them with careful inspection, realizing where we're at…and more significantly, where we're not. Like it or not, Thirty is when we reassess our lists and start breathing in our failures.

And our list of goals? The bullet points that seemed so attainable if we just stayed the course? Well...now that list reads like a thousand nagging moms, all pestering in unison:

• Have you settled down with a nice proper woman and made her your wife? You haven't? What of nuptials? Have you set a date yet? Hold up, do you even have a ring?!? Please tell me you've proposed! Wait...what do you mean, you're not dating right now!
• How's work treating ya? Are you thriving in your career? Do you like all your bosses and coworkers? Are they everything you'd imagined? Oh, and are you making a difference? Because we all know it's foolish to simply work for a paycheck!
• What about finances? Have you made your first hundred thousand dollars yet? No? But I thought you had a ten-year plan! Well, how're your 401k and Roths fairing? Social Security isn't going to be around forever, you know...
• Do you own a house? A house that isn't falling apart? You understand that rent is just another way to waste your hard-earned money, right?
• What of kids? Have you provided your mother a grandchild? She did carry you in her womb for nine whole months. The least you can do is give her what she wants. Don't you love your mom?
• Are you truly happy with your life?

These tricky black mirrors! I wish someone would've sat me down at twenty-two and explained how life wasn't going to be like how I envisioned it in my head. Most likely a couple people did. I was probably just too busy dreaming up fantasies to actually let their advice sink in.

This is the providence of mankind. We never candidly look at what the world entails. Instead, we rifle through a medley of attractive black mirrors, optioning the model that best depicts what we wish life to look like. In short, we pick our best-case scenario.

The bottom line is nobody gets their best-case scenario. We might all strive for perfection, but none of us get there. Right now, I'm running through my cell phone, counting up my friends. My Verizon says I've 153 friends...and after careful scrutiny I'd say only two of them would say YES to all the above bullet/goal questions. Out of 153, only two would say their lives are exactly how they planed them to be a decade ago.

And for those two perfect lives...well, they're just a couple more cases of At-First-Glance. I know those two as well as I know myself...and I know for a fact they're both lying. One guy isn't sure he ever loved his wife...and the other wishes she'd never started a career in advertising. They might proclaim their lives faultless, but in the end it's just another set of black, black mirrors.

All these vile black mirrors. We like to make believe there's a simple, pretty, and concrete way to existing...but in reality our destinies are farther away from us than we could ever imagine.

Black Mirrors: No Reflection, No Pride, No Vanity

My friend, Jim turned Thirty.  Yessir, the good ol’ dreaded Thirty!  Chuckle if you will...but you gotta feel sorry for the poor sap.  Thirty isn’t as graceful as it used to be.

As I type this, Jim’s in a bit of a denial.  At quick glance, one would assume Jim to be embracing his age quite admirably.  Jim’s happy.  He’s smiling.  There’s actually this weird new bounce in his step.  When asked of his age, Jim goes as far as to implicitly state “I ain't scared of my life.  There’s nothing big about turning Thirty.  It’s just like being twenty-nine or twenty-eight...or even twenty-seven!” 

Alas, if this were only true.  I know my friend quite well – well enough to know that he’s exactly like the rest of us.  Jim’s built this intricate set of black mirrors around his insecurities, each mirror dazzling his audience with this ridiculously vain and proud reflection.  In Jim's black mirror, he plays the lead role...and if anything, Jim's playing it strong and comfortably content.

And while I’m sure you’ll catch Strong and Comfortable Jim when he’s shopping for groceries or as he’s bouncing off to work, I can literally guarantee you won’t see Strong and Comfortable Jim after he’s downed three Vodka Tonics at the bar.  Somehow, when Jim feels truly strong and comfortable enough to express his genuine feelings, all the black mirrors fade away, taking a proverbial back seat to the Real Jim.

And what’s Real Jim like, you ask?  Real Jim is a simple and beautiful mess, one that’s dominated by the likes of confusion, reluctance, and disheartenment.  Real Jim isn’t ready to landmark the first marker point of his adult life.  He sure isn’t prepared to contrast the last twenty years of his youthful idealism with the upcoming twenty years of his adult pragmatism.  Real Jim isn’t twenty-nine or twenty-eight.  Real Jim isn’t even twenty-seven.  Real Jim is Thirty.

I’ve never been Thirty and nor do I want to be.  I’ve seen what turning Thirty has done to my friends...and I want no part of it.  Trust me, I’ve enough neuroses manhandling my life as it is.  I don’t need the perils of Thirty rampaging their way through my daily routine.  Just count me out. In fact, when my turn comes, just throw thirty-one candles on my cake and we’ll act as if Thirty never existed.  I’ll pretend like it never happened.

Because pretending is so obviously the best way to address the issue at hand.

Black Mirrors: An Introduction

What is a Black Mirror?

This is what wikipedia has to say about the matter:

A Claude glass (or Black Mirror) is a small mirror, slightly convex in shape, with its surface tinted a dark colour. Carried in the hand, black mirrors were used by artists, travelers and connoisseurs of landscape painting.

Black Mirrors have the effect of abstracting the subject reflected in it from its surroundings, reducing and simplifying the colour and tonal range of scenes and scenery in an effort to give them a painterly quality. Black Mirrors were widely used by artists in England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as a frame for drawing sketches of picturesque landscapes. The user would turn his back on the scene to observe the framed view through the tinted mirror. This process added the picturesque aesthetic of a subtle gradation of tones.

Black Mirrors were widely used by tourists and amateur artists, who quickly became the targets of satire. Hugh Sykes Davies observed of their facing away from the object they wished to paint, commenting: "It is very typical of their attitude to Nature that such a position should be desirable".

Imagine it. There was a point in our history where thousands of painters faced AWAY from the inspiration that they were painting. Dissatisfied with life’s true colors, they employed a shoddy piece of technology that magically made their surroundings appear prettier than they truly were.

A hundred years have passed since that heyday....but sometimes I wonder...does Southeast Michigan have its own black mirrors? As a region, do we own a set of concrete and complex issues that we collectively turn our backs towards...or over-simplify in an attempt to fit them into pretty little boxes?

Let’s start talking. Let’s open a dialogue. I’ll speak straight from the heart if you do the same. Positive or negative. Hopeful or despondent. Relaxed or frustrated. I don’t care what your past experiences are with this region. I just want to hear your opinions. And your stories.

What's our biggest black mirror?

2-1-1 provides hope

I often talk with employees of major companies about how United Way 2-1-1 provides referrals for services available to those with a variety of needs, and how it provides a resource for volunteer opportunities.

I seldom know if my talks are informational for the listener. Is someone in their family having trouble paying the heat bill? I don’t know. Maybe they want to volunteer. Most of the time I will never know.

Last week, I was busy balancing the dollars that were reported for our most recent United Way campaign. My cell phone rings. I knew that a representative of a company was calling me because I give out my cell phone number to make it easier to reach me. On the other end of the line is instead an employee of a major corporation who is having financial problems.

There isn’t anything that I have to do that is more important than connecting this person to 2-1-1. After all, this is our work. This is what we do…help people in need. So I immediately walked my cell phone down two flights of stairs and handed it to a trained 2-1-1 operator.

I’m keeping the details of the call confidential. I can tell you that this person was at one time doing well. But due to circumstances beyond her control, she now felt despair due to financial problems.

Twenty minutes later, after talking to the 2-1-1 operator, she had hope again. I felt good to have played a small role in this feeling of hope, and in connecting her to the services that she needed.

Jeff Baytarian
Campaign Manager
Resource Development

Emerging Leaders - Part Three

My last two entries have been building the stage for this- creating an Emerging Leaders Society in Metro Detroit- through the United Way.

Picture this: a group of thousands who care about what happens in the region, coming together, networking, volunteering, and developing their business skills together through mentoring with today’s CEOs. Through their involvement, they begin to take a “hands-on” approach to the opportunities of the region. They get direct, immediate, positive reinforcement from their investment of time and dollars. They learn business strategy and leadership skills, get board training, and volunteer at sites that resonate with their own causes.

An Emerging Leaders Society that makes people feel connected to the community and each other, and see that not only is change possible, but that they are actively involved in creating that change, could drastically change the future of the region.

We, as the United Way, would help those who will be the next generation of business and community leaders to become successful. We educate them to the needs of the region and empower them with the skills they need to impact society. If we want the area to move, then we need to provide the “movers and shakers” with the means to “move and shake.” Again, the Twin Cities have over 12,000 active members in their Emerging Leaders Society. Apparently this idea resonates with more people than just me!

The Community has already stated that they want the region to work together to move this ship forward. What a great way for the United Way to answer their call, positioning itself as a true community convener- and helping those who want to take action determine the course of Detroit. I’m pretty sure that the brain drain would reverse- a community that empowers its people to lead is an enticing, and exciting, place to live.

Julie Updyke
Campaign Associate
Resource Development

See Also

• Emerging Leaders - Part One
• Emerging Leaders - Part Two

What Does Community Feel Like?

As I was coming back from Au Bon Pain today, I ran into a friend of mine that lives in the Lofts @ Merchants Row. While we were talking, a friend of mine that works at Compuware saw us and joined the conversation. Then as I was walking away from my friends I saw another friend who works as a chef in Greektown.

I walked back into UWSEM with a huge smile on my face. Partly because I had gotten three unexpected hugs in the middle of the day, but also because it's a perfect example of what community is all about.

These people all work different hours in different kinds of jobs and live in different places, yet we all met on a corner in Detroit and took a minute to say something that put a smile on each other's faces.

Sometimes we look long and hard for a perfect sounding definition for something when all you have to do is walk out the door to find it.

This is what community feels like.

Jeanette Pierce
Detroiter By Birth...and By Choice

Emerging Leaders - Part Two

Last week, I attended a workshop facilitated by one of the top ten most dynamic women I’ve ever met, in my second favorite city ever- D.C. Her name is Jacinda Adams and she works for the Twin Cities United Way. Her “thing” is mobilizing emerging leaders in the community to make a tangible difference in the community. Her message resonated with me- down to the very makeup of my being.

Young people in today’s society are motivated, action-oriented, and like to see the results of their work… and like to see those results immediately. When you can find a way to engage this group, mighty big things happen. What I understand though, is that it is more than just about engaging them- it’s about truly achieving a “buy-in” and having leaders take ownership over the community and its development. The Twin Cities gets that- you should see what their 12,000 Emerging Leaders have accomplished in just the last year alone. Think- 6 million dollars and Volunteer-run “Extreme Makeovers” of area agencies that rival ABC’s Ty Pennington!

In my last entry, I mentioned how all Detroit needs is a forum that connects emerging leaders to the region and each other. Now, I know that some of this is already taking place- I see Model D as a great information network that is sharing with the region the growth and development that is happening. Detroit Synergy is more grassroots- mobilizing the involved and motivated, and Inside Detroit is physically showing people the uniqueness and goodness of the area. These groups are awesome, and necessary, but I think we can go even farther… we need something bigger- something that connects people even more- with not only the area around them, but with each other as well. I think the perfect forum is an Emerging Leaders Society through the United Way.

Picture this: a group of thousands who care about what happens in the region, coming together, networking, volunteering, and developing their business skills together through mentoring with today’s CEOs. Through their involvement, they begin to take a “hands-on” approach to the opportunities of the region. They get direct, immediate positive reinforcement from their investment of time and dollars. They learn business strategy and leadership skills, get board training, and volunteer at sites that resonate with their own causes. An Emerging Leaders Society that makes people feel connected to the community and each other, and see that not only is change possible, but that they are actively involved in creating that change, could drastically change the future of the region.

We, as the United Way, would help those who will be the next generation of business and community leaders to become successful. We educate them to the needs of the region and empower them with the skills they need to impact society. If we want the area to move, then we need to provide the “movers and shakers” with the means to “move and shake.” Again, the Twin Cities have over 12,000 active members in their Emerging Leaders Society. Apparently this idea resonates with more people than just me!

The Community has already stated that they want the region to work together to move this ship forward. What a great way for the United Way to answer their call, positioning itself as a true community convener- and helping those who want to take action determine the course of Detroit. I’m pretty sure that the brain drain would reverse- a community that empowers its people to lead is an enticing place to live.

Julie Updyke
Campaign Associate
Resource Development

See Also
Emerging Leaders - Part One

Emerging Leaders - Part One

I moved here in June. I’ve bopped around a bit, living in New England, Ohio, Philadelphia (my favorite city!), and Louisiana over the last 5 years.

I love the awareness I have of different regions- each has such a different persona. What makes Philly and D.C. my favorites is the energy of each place- you can feel it in the air! You walk through the city and there is such hustling and bustling- you get energized just being there. The funny thing is, they have the same problems that we have here in Detroit- failing public education systems, a widening poverty gap, and the need for community action.

However, there is a dramatic difference between those cities and Detroit. I think a part of it is that the lack of public transportation makes it easier to be isolated, but its more than that. I don’t know if I ca