Pershing High School
# Pershing High School

John J. Pershing High School is a four-year public high school in Detroit, Michigan. It is in Conant Gardens in proximity to the residential areas and also serves Krainz Woods. Pershing was governed by the Education Achievement Authority (EAA), which oversees failing schools, from 2011 until 2017, when all schools were transferred back to Detroit Public Schools Community District.

## History

Pershing High School opened in 1930 with capacity to serve more than 2,200 students. It was named after General John J. Pershing, a senior officer in the United States Army during World War I, best known for his involvement in the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front. General Pershing's troops were called doughboys, which was adopted as the high school's mascot.

In 2012, Kettering High School closed due to poor performance and some students were rezoned to Pershing.

Pershing had also been fraught with academic performance issues for nearly two decades; in 2011, the governor moved Pershing and four other at-risk public high schools into a separate district called the Education Achievement Authority (EAA). This district was a state initiative to reinvigorate struggling schools through a partnership with Eastern Michigan University, but lacked funding, planning, and sufficient governance.

EAA was closed in 2017 due to its low performance and the expiration of its partnership with Eastern Michigan University, and its schools were returned to the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Concern over school closures continued and in 2017, discussions about which schools needed to go escalated. Closure criteria were initially based on test scores, then, after significant pushback from Detroit families, based on school capacity. At this point, Pershing was only at 25% capacity and had test scores in the bottom 5% for 2014, 2015, and 2016, and so was named one of 24 schools slated to close in June 2017.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Pershing was one of several technology hubs in the district and served as a meal distribution site, provided mobile COVID-19 screenings, and provided resources for childcare and utility bills.

### Legal trouble

In 2014, English teacher Tiffani Eaton-Davis attempted to break up a fight between two boys in her classroom with a broom after her attempts to reach security via walkie-talkie were unsuccessful. A cell phone video of the incident was posted online and EAA fired her the next day for violating the policy against corporal punishment; they faced immediate pushback by school, district, and state officials, as well as the Pershing community. EAA quickly rescinded their decision and offered her a job at any school in their district, but she declined and, in 2015, she sued. The lawsuit stated that she was not warned or prepared to break up violent fights every day; that one of the students in the fight had been suspended for gang-related activity and was not supposed to be on the premises; and that she was discriminated against for being a woman and for being Black, as white teachers in the same scenario were not disciplined. In 2016, she was awarded a settlement of $390,000.

## Student body

Pershing is a Title I-eligible school with Black students making up 95% of its enrollment as of 2020. Nearly 60% of the student body is male and 87% are eligible for free lunch.

## Academics

In 2020, Pershing had a graduation rate of 72.15%. During the 2017–2018 academic year, less than 5% of students achieved a SAT score that indicates proficiency in math or reading; the district as a whole scored more than 50% lower than the state average.

Electives include ACT prep, choir, dance, Jobs for America Graduation, JROTC, music theory, Police Cadet, and robotics. After-school programs include Credit Recovery, Wayne State University C2 Pipeline, and driver's ed. The standard curriculum includes: English language arts 9, 10, 11, and 12; algebra I, geometry, algebra 2, and probability and statistics; biology, chemistry, forensics for science, and physical science; civics, economics, US history, world history; Spanish I and II; and health, JROTC, and physical education.

## Athletics

Pershing offers eight sports: baseball, softball, basketball, cheerleading, track, cross country, football, and volleyball. The Doughboys are part of the Detroit Public School League, which is associated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

## Extracurriculars

Some of the activities offered at Pershing are robotics, the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP), JROTC, and STEM Club.

A recording studio was created on-campus through a partnership with JDilla Music Foundation (now called the James Dewitt Yancey Foundation), an organization created in honor of Pershing alumnus J Dilla, who died from lupus-induced cardiac arrest in 2006.

## Notable alumni

* Willie King (1915-1965), former professional basketball player in the National Basketball League
* Ed Opalewski (1919-1993), late NFL player for the Detroit Lions
* Harry Szulborski (1927-2017), late basketball player and Emerson High School basketball coach
* Mable John, Motown blues, gospel, and R&B singer
* Lenny Green (1933-2019), late MLB player for multiple American League teams
* Abdul "Duke" Fakir (born 1935), current and sole surviving original member of the Motown act the Four Tops
* Levi Stubbs (1936-2008), late lead vocalist of the Motown act the Four Tops
* Chuck Shonta, former AFL player and All-Star for the Boston Patriots and football coach for Northville High School
* Fred Julian (1938-2013), late NFL player and West Catholic High School and Grand Rapids Community College football coach
* George Genyk (1938-2017), late football player and coach
* Tom Cecchini (born 1944), former football player and coach
* Mel Daniels (1944-2015), late ABA All-Star and MVP, 2x ABA MVP, 7x ABA All-Star, inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
* Willie Iverson (born 1945), former ABA basketball player
* Ted Sizemore (born 1945), former MLB player; 1969 Rookie of the Year; and CEO of the Baseball Assistance Team
* Gino Washington (born 1946), R&B and rock singer who released local hits "Out of This World" and "Gino Is a Coward"
* Spencer Haywood (born 1949), former NBA All-Star and NBA champion; Olympic gold medalist (1968); All-American at the University of Detroit; Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
* Ralph Simpson (born 1949), former NBA player and 5x ABA All-Star
* Marvin Lane (born 1950), former MLB player for the Detroit Tigers
* Glenn Doughty (born 1951), former NFL player for the Baltimore Colts, later founded the Shake and Bake Family Fun Center and the Career Information and Training Network
* Paul Seal (born 1952), former NFL player for the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers
* Robert Hawkins (basketball) (1954-1993), late NBA player
* Brenda Lawrence (born 1954), former mayor of Southfield, Michigan and member of the US House of Representatives
* Michael "Clip" Payne (born 1958), musician for Parliament-Funkadelic since 1977, often referred to as "The Man in the Box"
* Tim Meadows (born 1961), actor and comedian, former member of Saturday Night Live
* Kevin Willis (born 1962), former NBA All-Star and champion, second oldest NBA player in history
* Steve Smith (born 1969), current basketball analyst for Turner Sports; former NBA All-Star and champion; Michigan State University All-American; and 2000 Summer Olympics gold medalist
* Enchantment, soul/R&B band formed at Pershing, composed of Emanuel "EJ" Johnson, Joe "Jobie" Thomas, Bobby Green, Edgar "Mickey" Clanton, and David Banks
* James "J Dilla" Yancey (1974-2006), late music producer, rapper, and member of the group Slum Village
* Willie Mitchell (born 1975), former CBA and ABA player, and the 1994 Mr. Basketball of Michigan
* Larry Foote (born 1980), former NFL player and current assistant coach for the Arizona Cardinals, 2x Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers
* Arthur Johnson (born 1982), basketball player
* Ron Dorsey (born 1983), former basketball player
* Andre Ricks (born 1986), basketball player, trainer, and coach
* DeShawn Sims (born 1988), basketball player for Pistoia in Italy's Serie A2
* Slum Village, hip hop group formed by Pershing alumni Baatin, T3, and J Dilla
* Derrick Nix (born 1990), NBA basketball player for the Windy City Bulls in the NBA G League
* Keith Appling (born 1992), former NBA player
* Sherron Dorsey-Walker (born 1993), basketball player for Wilki Morskie Szczecin in the Polish Basketball League
* Kay Felder (born 1995), former NBA player
* Justin Tillman (born 1996), basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Premier League

## References and notes

* ↑ Home. Pershing High School. May 24, 2001. Retrieved on October 31, 2013.
* ↑ "Pershing High alums celebrate 75 years." The Detroit News. April 6, 2005. Retrieved on November 6, 2012. "What made Pershing different was that it was built in the Conant Gardens[...]"
* ↑ "Conant Gardens produced talent." The Detroit News. June 20, 2001. Retrieved on November 6, 2012. "The Conant Gardens neighborhood near Pershing High School never [...]. Conant Gardens is bounded by East Seven Mile, East Nevada, Ryan and Conant." - Also in "Conant Gardens' inspiring past comes alive." The Detroit News. June 28, 2001.
* ↑ "High School Boundaries - 2012/13 School Year." (Archive) Detroit Public Schools. Retrieved on November 1, 2012.
* ↑ "Welcome EAA Community". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ AlHajal, Khalil. "Teacher fired for using broom to break up Detroit classroom fight." MLive. May 6, 2014. Retrieved on May 8, 2014.
* 1 2 "About Us". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 3 Einhorn, Erin (2017-05-04). "In a district full of empty classrooms and darkened hallways, can Detroit find a way to keep its schools open?". Detroit Chalkbeat. Archived from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 "Pershing High School: Who We Are". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "John J. Pershing". History.com. 2019-06-17. Archived from the original on 2021-04-25. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Roberts, Roy S. (2012). "Detroit Public Schools" (PDF). Detroit Public Schools. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-04. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Foley, Aaron (2019-01-20). "Emergency manager: Detroit Public Schools to close Kettering, City high schools". M Live. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Oosting, Jonathan (2017-03-07). "Mich. superintendent: No forced school closures in '17". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 Van Buren, April (2017-06-26). "After six years, Education Achievement Authority leaves behind lackluster legacy". Michigan Radio. Archived from the original on 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Education Achievement Authority". The Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. n.d. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 Lewis, Shawn D. (2016-09-04). "EAA at beginning of end with new school year". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Einhorn, Erin (2017-01-20). "These 38 Michigan schools could be shut down for poor performance in June". Detroit Chalkbeat. Archived from the original on 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Fournier, Holly; Gerstein, Michael (2017-04-20). "State official: Detroit district to close schools". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Gerstein, Michael; Lewis, Shawn D. (2017-01-20). "24 Detroit schools risk summer shutdown". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "New Detroit school district hubs to help families with technology resources". WXYZ Detroit. 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 3 4 Zaniewski, Ann (2016-06-14). "Broom-wielding Detroit teacher to settle for $390K". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on 2020-03-10. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Stafford, Katrease; Allen, Robert (2014-05-13). "Broom-wielding teacher gets her job back". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2020-02-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 3 "Detroit Teacher Fired For Using Broom To Break Up Fight Sues District; Attorney Suggests $25 Million In Damages". 62 CBS Detroit. 2015-06-10. Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Pershing High School". USA Today. 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 "Pershing High School". National Center for Education Statistics. 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 "MI School Data Annual Education Report". MI School Data. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
* ↑ Higgins, Lori; Levin, Koby (2021-02-26). "In spite of the pandemic, Michigan's 2020 high school grad rates ticked upward". Detroit Chalkbeat. Archived from the original on 2021-04-25. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Pershing High School". Public School Review. 2021. Archived from the original on 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 "Programs". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Academics". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Athletics". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Purcell, Jared (2019-08-22). "Pershing basketball coach hints that Doughboys may be on the way out of the Detroit PSL". M Live. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Pershing High School". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Archived from the original on 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "James Dewitt Yancey Foundation". James Dewitt Yancey Foundation. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Famous Doughboys". Detroit Public Schools Community District. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Ed Opalewski". Pro Football Reference. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Nieto, Mike (2016-11-03). "Harry Szulborski". The Times of Northwest India. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
* ↑ Downing, Clinton (2018-09-01). "Lola Legend: Dr. Mable John: From Morehouse Parish to Motown and Ministry". Lola Magazine. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
* ↑ Nowlin, Bill (n.d.). "Lenny Green". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* 1 2 "Levi Stubbs, 72, Powerful Voice for Four Tops, Dies". The New York Times. 2008-10-18. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
* ↑ "Stars mourn Four Tops star Stubbs". BBC. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame". EMU Eagles. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
* ↑ "Legendary Grand Rapids West Catholic, GRCC football coach succumbs to prostate cancer". M Live. 2019-08-22. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Former Michigan captain George Genyk, 78, dies after cancer battle". Detroit Free Press. 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Football Reunion: Cecchini Lauds U-M Integrity". University of Michigan. 2004-06-02. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
* ↑ "Hall of Fame: Willie Iverson". CMU Chippewas. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Marsh, Dave (1999). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made (1st ed.). New York: Da Capo Press. p. 594. ISBN 978-0-306-80901-9.
* ↑ Nothaft, Patrick (n.d.). "enchantment". Soul Walking. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
* ↑ Nothaft, Patrick (2021-02-18). "18 Michigan prep basketball players among 2021 McDonald's All-American Game nominees". M Live. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
* ↑ Barr, Jeff (2009-05-08). "Lions' Larry Foote Returns to His Football Roots". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Arthur Johnson". Real GM. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Ronald Dorsey". Real GM. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
* ↑ Couch, Graham (2019-04-04). "Andre Ricks: Perspective of a professional". M Live. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
* 1 2 "Top 10 Detroit Pershing basketball players of the last ten years". MichiganPreps. 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Slum Village". The Masquerade. n.d. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ "Keith Appling through the years". The Detroit News. 2021-05-23. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Langlois, Keith (2018-01-16). "Kay Felder makes the journey of a million miles from Pershing to the Pistons". Detroit Pistons. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
* ↑ Cunningham, Pete (2019-08-22). "SJustin Tillman's 40-point, triple-double leads Detroit Pershing to 84-75 win over Ann Arbor Huron". M Live. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
