May 2026 Newsletter

As of this newsletter, PAACT represents families from all 13 schools in Birmingham Public Schools.

This newsletter covers a lot of ground. The short version: PAACT has been in rooms that matter, and the data we have gathered is worth your attention. Here is what has happened since the April newsletter, and what is coming next.

PAACT's First Community Meeting

PAACT is holding its first in-person community meeting:

Monday, June 1st, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Jeanne Lloyd Room

Baldwin Public Library

300 W. Merrill Street, Birmingham

This is a chance to hear what PAACT has learned, ask questions, and connect with other parents paying attention to the same things you are. We will have speakers from MAMA, Wait Until 8th, MiPASS, and Michigan Alliance for Families. Time for individual conversation follows from 8:00 to 8:45 PM.

What We Have Been Doing

In late April, we met with a Michigan PTA Board Member to discuss how the Michigan PTA could advocate on discipline and school safety at the state level. On May 7, I presented to the Michigan PTA Board Advocacy Committee. They have reach and standing that individual coalitions don't, and the conversation opened doors we will continue to build on.

Updates on the Website

The PAACT website has grown significantly since the last newsletter. You can now find a full breakdown of the FOIA behavior data, a plain-language review of the BPS Code of Conduct, MSTEP and iReady data, and the full climate survey analysis. All past newsletters and FOIA requests are archived there as well. We filed a second FOIA request on May 2, 2026 and received the response on May 15 at no charge. Both requests and what they returned are documented on the site.

The website also has a new FAQ page. If you have anyone asking questions about PAACT, direct them there or share my email and I will respond as soon as possible.

What the FOIA Data Shows

PAACT filed a FOIA request for district-wide discipline records because the Code of Conduct requires administrators to consider a student's documented behavioral history before making discipline decisions. That framework only works if the documentation exists.

What we received: six pages covering two full school years, for the entire district, documenting 530 total incidents. Derby Middle School alone logged 180 of those incidents. Derby's numbers being the highest in the district almost certainly reflects better documentation, not worse behavior. There is no consistent standard for what gets recorded across BPS, which means there is no consistent foundation for consequences. More detail is on the website.

What the MSTEP Data Shows

BPS remains above the state average, but Michigan ranks 44th in the nation, and the trend within the district is moving in the wrong direction where it should be strongest. Grade 5 ELA proficiency at Harlan Elementary dropped 14 points between 2022 and 2025. Quarton dropped 12 points over the same period. District-wide Grade 3 ELA declined from 73% to 67% while the state average held roughly flat. Seaholm's Grade 11 Science proficiency dropped from 66% to 49% in three years.

What the BPS Climate Survey Shows

BPS administers a Panorama Education climate survey every spring. The district's own strategic plan sets a goal of 90% of students feeling safe, valued, and prepared, and 90% of staff feeling safe, valued, and supported. PAACT analyzed four years of results.

Teacher trust in district leadership: 17% of teachers responded favorably in Spring 2026, down from 29% in 2025. Less than 1 in 5 teachers currently responds favorably. The district presented this data to the board without naming it as a problem.

School belonging for secondary students: 48% of middle and high school students responded favorably in 2026. More than half do not feel they belong at their school. The district's goal is 90%. At the current rate of improvement, BPS does not reach that goal until after 2040.

One finding the district has not highlighted publicly: when elementary students in grades 3 through 5 were asked whether other students' behavior helps or hurts their learning, only 36 to 41% responded favorably across all four years surveyed. The majority of elementary students say peer behavior is hurting their ability to learn.

One finding on survey integrity: a question about how much input students have when the school makes important decisions showed 19% favorable in 2023, was softened in 2024, and was removed from public reporting in 2025. The 2025 caregiver survey response rate also dropped from 1,290 to 327, a 75% decline, with no public explanation from the district.

Meetings with District Leadership

On May 6, I met with Deputy Superintendent Cory Heitsch alongside Katherine Brooks. This was an introduction. We shared what PAACT is observing at the student, family, and school level, and made clear that we want to work with the district, not around it.

We also met with Principal Jack Gitler at Derby Middle School. Jack hosts regular coffee conversations with parents, making himself accessible before problems become crises. Our conversation covered how Derby handles discipline day to day, how the seven-factor framework functions in practice, and what information actually travels with a student through the elementary-to-middle transition. Jack's coffee talks are a model worth naming publicly.

Our meeting with Trustee Zammit lasted three hours. We are very grateful for the time she gave us. We covered curriculum governance, the documentation problem, the Code of Conduct, facilities and enrollment trends, and whether teachers in this district have a functioning, protected way to raise concerns internally. She engaged seriously with all of it. We hope to meet with additional board members before the end of the school year. There will be three open seats on the board in the fall, which makes this a significant moment for anyone paying attention to the direction of BPS.

Meetings with MAMA and PTA Council President

I joined MAMA this spring after hearing them present at a board meeting. Their focus on unfiltered device access in schools is something I feel strongly about. The district is currently revising its technology policy and has a community survey open through May 26. Please consider taking the time to complete this. How the district responds to parent input here will be worth watching.

We also had a great conversation with PTA Council President, Meghan Jones. We are so encouraged by how involved Meghan is in advocacy already. She offered to send PAACT meeting invitations to every PTA president in the district ahead of our June meeting. PAACT exists in large part because teachers are exhausted and leaving. If PTA is a bridge between parents and teachers, we are working toward the same thing. I will also hopefully be speaking at the PTA Council meeting in September. That meeting offers a huge reach to people that can make real differences.

We hope to see all of you at our first meeting on June 1st. I am so excited to start putting some faces to names and stories. Your support has been incredible. We are just getting started.

Thank you,

Betsy McDaniel

PAACT