There's good news and bad news about enrollment in Detroit Public Schools.
Jennifer Chambers of the Detroit News reports that after decades of enrollment declines, the system is experiencing an uptick in enrollment in high school.
The News reports that the system has 1,844 more than last fall, an increase of 14 percent in grades 9-12. The uptick is happening in 9 of the district's 19 high schools.
Now, the downside.
The News reports:
Keith Johnson, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, said he saw class sizes in the upper 40s and 50s at East English last week, with some teachers using media centers or the school auditorium for lessons.
“When you have 45-50 students in the class, it doesn’t create an optimum atmosphere for teaching. You can’t have it bursting at the seams and expect learning,” he said. “Many of our students rely on public transportation. The whole concept of neighborhood high school has been diminished.”
