Interviewer:

In one word, what would be your top priority for the district's children, and how would you prioritize that?

C. Allan Hubbard:

In a word? It's listening.

Interviewer:

Yeah.

C. Allan Hubbard:

I think you prioritize that because good leaders listen and then they lead. At the board level at that 30,000 foot view, like you can hear the ripples from the margins of our stakeholders. Students on the margins, parents and families on the margins. You can hear that in the, you know, things we see on the news. Like we can kind of like see that in social media. We can see that in every DPSCD school board meeting. You see that like you see that laden like sort of marginalized voice. Like, so when I say leaders who listen like we're listening for that voice because they feel voiceless. And that's why it comes across that way. Like the sort of latent conflict, combative. If you go to any school board, you hear it. If you don't hear, you'll see it in their posture. And you're listening for that. But not only just that. Like you're listening for what the systems are teaching us. All the data that Vitti talks about is good data. Like I think we need to reimagine the data. Like as a former statistician who looked at data analysis, I think that the data is what you listen for too, because that data speaks. But the question is to become at the board level, how do you interpret that data for the sake of the students going forward? And I think it looks like listening and then leading, and that feels like a very board policy driven process in terms of helping all the stakeholders, starting with the students. DPSCD, is the next best thing in terms of how we think about like, modern education as far as I'm concerned. Like, I have a immense belief in building a board that's worth believing in it. And I think it looks like the data. I was talking to someone today and essentially, like, I think that the global concerns we have, across the globe, across continent, in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, all throughout cold wars, direct wars, implicit wars, I think what you see in Michigan specifically are, the same types of people in global conflict, in close proximity in Michigan. But that are at peace. And I think there's something said about that and the work I've done as a business anthropologist, as a consultant outside of this, is we know that places like Hamtramck are one of the most peaceful places in Southeast Michigan, and that's where I hang out, and that's where I shop, and that's where I do business. And like, it's the most peaceful place. And if you look at the demographics there, it mirrors what you see in the Middle East. And so I think that the globe has something to listen to when it comes to what you see in the Hamtramck that most people from Detroit don't know about, but it's part of Detroit, it’s part of metro Detroit. And so as a person who has been to schools on the West side, Downtown-ish, but I graduated from Chadsey, like on the Southwest, and I say, that's Detroit Detroit, because it's really like, when conversations around, like, how do you be your sister and brother’s neighbor in an authentic and real way, and it starts, by being in community with people like at the high schools.

Interviewer:

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

C. Allan Hubbard:

Had have listened. I think that listening is important, and I think that the more and more it sounds like it's just a talking point, the more and more for me, it underscores what is my real inspiration. I think that the reason why there aren't a lot of men in particular in that school system is because, you are required to listen. And I think when we deal with our male counterparts in that academic setting, if you don't have that social ability, that social, emotional, intelligence to make sense of a very complex environment where now you're dealing with like someone else's kids, you have this sort of melting pot of this need to do the things that keeps families together, and that starts with listening. Listening to needs, being able to voice your own need, and coming from Edison Elementary where it's a Montessori environment, like it's a Montessori environment, and that's what type of environment that helps breed students are consistent with what you see in our society, who grow up to be international citizens. Now, part of our platform is to literally outline a five step motion process that allows our students to do a 13th year, and that starts with having conversations with parents who know their students aren't ready to do anything other than to take another year and be in close proximity with their colleagues through led instruction, as you would, any other 13th year in Ontario. And I think we mirrored that, and I think we provide that as an option for our students and parents to come here as a pilot. And I think it looks like seeding that toward conversations where we're asking real questions to parents about their readiness, not just to get out of school, but for life. And that's a commitment that DPSCD needs to answer and keep answering it until every student matriculates and achieves what they set out to achieve.

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.