Exactly. Not to mention the fact that the high school graduation rate in Detroit proper is around 25%. That’s it.
It’s not like this guy’s doing a great job, here. Sheesh.
It also mentions that his degree was held up for ten years because he “repeatedly failed an English proficiency exam.” It sounds like poor writing isn’t his only problem.
I assumed he failed the exam because of his poor writing skills. In any event, I was responding to someone else’s comment that he was uneducated.
I suppose you could say he was educated, although I wouldn’t be bragging about my degree or my college if it took me ten years to pass an English test. I’m assuming it’s his native tongue.
Yes, I think it is his native tongue, and it did take him 10 years to pass the test.
So, what’s the alternative? He’s uneducated? OK, I can accept that.
Hmm…
or
Yeah. I’ll take option 1 any day over option 2.
Add the corruption and embezzlement that persists throughout the Detroit school system (http://michigan-blogger.com/detroit-public-school-system-exposed/) to the incredible graduation rate of 25%, and it’s clear they need something much more than someone who “seems” reasonably intelligent and likable, and is praised for having people skills.
It will take much more than a smile and people skills good enough to get you elected to the Detroit school board to fix the education woes. Yes, real intelligence (not “seeming” intelligence) is something this city needs. They also need real passion to change things, and real desire to do something which benefits someone other than themselves at the most selfish and ego-driven level.
The fact that this man is still barely literate, despite 10 years studying to pass a proficiency test for his native language, is a problem. But the Detroit residents elect school board officials just like they elect mayors and city council members.
Hopefully this doesn’t count as a zombie thread, because there’s even more great things about Otis:
He jacked off while in one-on-one meetings with a female superintendent.
But, y’know, it’s apparently a medical condition. And a DPS board member defends him, saying
Well this is certainly an unexpected twist. Zombie or not, thanks for the update. Maybe he ought to hook up with Alvin Greene, the SC senate candidate who’s facing charges of showing porn to a coed.
How about an option 3:
The new President of the Detroit School Board has an excellent command of English grammar and syntax, and is a reasonably intelligent and likeable fellow, praised for his people skills and consensus building abilities. Should his inhibition about masturbating in front of female staffers make him ineligible for the presidency of the school board or not?
I’m going to say no. How about you?
On the one hand, it is a school board. On the other hand, apparently there’s no literacy test required, and if the people of Detroit failed to require their school board presidents be fully literate, tough titties. That’s how democracy works; if you don’t set specific eligibility requirements, you might end up electing somebody who is patently unqualified.
On… um… the third hand, I have this thought: who better to help the children of Detroit succeed despite poor educations than this guy?
ETA: Missed second page. On the fourth hand, people who jack off in meetings probably shouldn’t be school board presidents.
Detroit public schools suck :: The Detroit school board president is near illiterate.
Seems to be a high correlation. But if that’s what the residents of Detroit want…that’s what the residents of Detroit get.
[Spin]He is an enthusiastic advocate of safe sex![/Spin]
I think we should applaud his initiative in taking matters into his own hands and multitasking. He was so dedicated to education issues that he focused on them even during his personal time.
Seriously, wtf? What kind of an idiot think that this is appropriate behavior?
Well hell - if you can get away with being a school board president who cannot write a coherent sentence, why wouldn’t you be able to get away with being a school board president who bops the baloney during meetings?
Regards,
Shodan (who has sat thru a school board meeting or two without feeling the need to take matters into my own hands)
I know meetings can get boring, but damn, resorting to that is extreme. 
Well. it could be how he learned to spell.
“Cat” again. There’s probably a cat in that log.
The DPS board member (heh) quoted also defended school board president Mathis by pointing out his youth, saying he is still learning the rules of deportment and etiquette at his tender age of 56… 
Yes, as someone who was born in Detroit and lived in that area for many years, I am convinced that Detroiters are often their own worst enemy. The current shitty state of affairs is so entrenched in Detroit that a lot of people are willing to defend the status quo. A lot of people will also make any attempt to criticize poor-performing politicians or administrators in Detroit into a racism issue. A lot of people were crying that the negative backlash against the infamous Kwame was just a racist thing.
I recall seeing a profile on CNN of Geoffrey Canada and being really impressed by how he sets high standards for the kids and doesn’t make excuses for failure. That is the sort of leader that Detroit needs. I believe people will rise to the expectations set for them. If you tell kids that it’s okay that they can barely read or write, then they won’t strive for anything better.