Interviewer:

If there was one thing you could change in DPSCD tomorrow, what would it be and why?

Duane Larry Grigsby, Jr.:

It would be communication. It would definitely be communication amongst the schools, the parents, the staff, the district. There's right now there's a lot of mis-- misunderstanding miscommunications right now, going with the students and the parents and the different events that's going on within the within the, the city. I would definitely say getting get more get more parent organizations together. More more community organizations together and definitely more volunteer organizations together. But the overall would be definitely having advisory boards on through each school so that we can communicate and bridge that gap, because there's there's a lot of gaps going right now. And those those are the that would be a start would be gathering boards among each school because there's there's not one. I've participated in one. But there-- majority of the schools don't have one. So I think that would start with bridging the gap.

Interviewer:

What role does that advisory board play?

Duane Larry Grigsby, Jr.:

Board plays where it’s supposed to be consisting of a parent, teacher, administrator, and a student. You know, that's really what it should be.

Interviewer:

Sure.

Duane Larry Grigsby, Jr.:

Which half the time it isn't. But then we discuss different things that's supposed to go on through the district as far as different activities, things of that nature. Just going to school. Because again, I'm only advisory board at Southeastern. So this is where I gave the example. I'm like, why don't we have this at every other?

Interviewer:

Sure.

Duane Larry Grigsby, Jr.:

Every other school. This is cool. You know where we can bring in, you know, nonprofit organizations, you know, to help assist in reading literacy, things of that nature. We just-- that's where we wanted to bridge that gap and just, you know, getting advisory boards and get other people's opinions definitely giving the parents more of a voice and giving them opportunity to have a voice because it will never be said that, “Well, nobody gave us an opportunity to say nothing.” Okay. Here you go. You have the opportunity here as well as you know, as well as the other parent organizations such as PTA. So, you know, we're definitely we're definitely involved, again, we're just trying bridge that gap. Also, the FACE department. DPSCD has a family orientated organization within their organization, which I also volunteer for. So, They handle all the food distributions and they handle a lot of, you know, a lot of the events that go on with them within DPS, you know, but one’s too small a number to achieve greatness. We all got to come together and work together to make it happen. So so again, I volunteer for them, but for their department as well. And you know, be nice to have more parents involved. I mean, this is what a totally boils down to. I mean, I, I personally volunteer in the schools and I, I mean, that's my challenge to all parents. That's my challenge to to all of the all the candidates. Volunteer in your kid’s school. Even if you don't have a kid, volunteer anywhere because you're going to see everything going on. And that's one one up I got on all my candidates. I know I see everything because I'm in the schools, I'm in the district, I'm volunteering. So I can see and I'm seeing what the gaps are. So I'm here to I'm here to bridge the gap. I'm not here to reinvent the wheel.

Interviewer:

Sure.

Duane Larry Grigsby, Jr.:

I'm here to just bridge the gaps and repair. Repair the system that's broke right now. It's it's not. There's a good system. It just needs work. And it needs repairs. And that's that's what we all need. That's what we need to do. And that's what I'm going to do when I come into office. I'm a builder of systems.

Interviewer:

Sure. Okay. “As a student, I wish my school had...”

Duane Larry Grigsby, Jr.:

More access more access to to resources. We didn't have back back when I was growing. I’m also a DPSCD graduate. Mackenzie. Actually, it's not there no more.

Interviewer:

Sure.

Duane Larry Grigsby, Jr.:

Little kids school now but access to resources. Right now we're dealing with absenteeism and we're dealing with homelessness, absenteeism. We're dealing with transportation. They're going to have to get a straight. We have to get a straighter way on how are we going to get our kids to school safely. Safely. More reading programs. And and I want it across the board, not just this school having this the school having that. Some schools don't have what this school got, you know? Such as like my daughter's school. My daughter's school, Bunche, doesn't have a lot. They don't have a lot of programs. So I’d like to see more more reading and after school programs while I'm running. I'm just going to continue what I'm doing right now. And that's volunteering, giving back, helping where I can, making a difference. I'm still going to continue to go to the meetings, participate, show up and show out. Yes. That's it.

Candidates appear in ballot order, alphabetical by last name.

Vote for not more than 4

• Natalie Bien-Aime*

• Steve Bland Jr.

• Michelle Broughton

• Katrina Brown

• Cidney Calloway

• Bobby Christian*

• Nicole Conaway

• Vilma Escamilla Duran

• Daniel Ferguson III*

• Duane Larry Grigsby Jr.

• Bessie L. Harris

• David Harris

• C. Allan Hubbard

• Henrietta Ivey*

• Tabrian C. Joe

• Shinese Johnson

• Theodore Jones

• Georgia Mae Lemmons

• LaMar D. Lemmons

• Clement O. Lett*

• Phil Lloyd II

• Darious Morris*

• Liana Mulholland

• Tyshea Pope

• DaNetta L. Simpson

• Tawanna Simpson

• Jameel Montgomery Smith

• Calesther Smith-Arnold*

• Terry E. Whitfield

• Elizabeth A. Williams

• Theresa Williams*

* Did not participate in the CitizenDetroit candidate video series.

Ijazz Jackson*

Aliya Moore

Shawn Vaughn

* Did not participate in the CitizenDetroit candidate video series.