Interviewer:

If you could change one thing at DPS tomorrow, what would it be?

Dr. Theodore Jones:

Well, I think it's really important that we, you know, are really investing and doing what we need to do to improve literacy rates across the district. So in 2025, our literacy rate, the step scores had our all of our students had 15.4%. And that is a bit below. Way below, the state average by almost half one and a half, 39%. But, you know, I want us to go even beyond the state average. I love, you know, if I'm so lucky to be elected. My long term vision is to make sure that we're getting our literacy rates. You know, I'd love to, when it's all said and done, have us at 85% literacy. know, I have been studying the Mississippi Miracle and what they've been doing down there. Presently, the district's plan is to, you know, this was back in 2025 at about, upwards of 100 or 200, interventionists to do more group, training for our students and tutoring. I think we need to go beyond that as well. One of the things that Mississippi has really done well is they actually send in, renowned, teacher coaches. And it's not just, you know, giving a, a dry, Training, but it's really them in the classroom in real time. Seeing the teacher give the lesson, and then they're giving them, you know, real time feedback on how they can prove. And it's done wonders. In Mississippi is something that I think we need to really invest in here as well. I also want to make sure that we're, really building stronger partnerships with our universities. I think there are definitely some Michigan based models that we can also enact here. And, you know, one of the things is we have a roadmap for from Mississippi, but I also want us to have some innovation that's Michigan based as well.

Interviewer:

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

Dr. Theodore Jones:

One thing that I would say is I wish it had more mentorship. And let me tell you why. So you know what. And I'm going to hone in on my high school years.

Interviewer:

Sure.

Theodore Jones:

So I went to high school to play football. And that was, you know, pretty much by everything at that point. And like all young people had delusions of, I want to play in college and then I'm going to go to the NFL. And it's so rarely happens. It's like once in a lifetime talent. So I think of it, if we had it all over to do again, I'd love to have had some mentorship and, you know, really helped me to know that, you know, I do have a brain and that there was more to life than trying to play sports. So, you know, when I got to college, I was just as anyone that, you know, I actually did. Well, I made the Dean's list. You know, a lot of my time there. So the the learning, it seeped in. But I just wish I would have learned that, you know, sooner rather than later. You know, we really need to make sure that we're building bridges between generations and giving, you know, real ladders of opportunity, not just for its skilled development, but personal development and, you know, the resiliency that you need to really be able to succeed in life.

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.