Learning Curves: At Oxford High graduation, putting their hearts back together
Hi friends,
Last night, I had the privilege of witnessing a really big moment for 414 high school seniors at Pine Knob: Graduation. There were caps and gowns, and honor cords, and yes, someone did the worm on stage.
A parent yelled, "Don't trip!" which really brought me back to wearing heels at my own graduation, because my parents repeated the same warning about 100 times.
Last night's graduation was for Oxford High School. Missing from the crowd were Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin, two of the four students killed in a tragic shooting at the end of last November. And their absence was felt. So were the absences of underclassmen Hana St. Juliana and Tate Myre, the other students who died.
The graduates honored their classmates in various ways: Through hearts and school colors and speeches and applause.
In four years, their high school careers have been disrupted by a few awful forces: First COVID, then Nov. 30.
This week, my colleague Cary Junior II and I had the honor of interviewing four Oxford High graduates. They all recounted their different high school experiences to us, shared how these past four years have shaped them, and wanted readers to know that hope can still be found in a dark place.
What senior Lauren Hudson said really stuck with me: "We were broken. But with everything that we've done now, we're just putting our heart back together."
You can read their story here and hear their voices in Detroit Free Press' podcast, On The Line, here.
What graduation is like in prison
My colleague David Jesse, Freep's higher education reporter, also got to witness a pretty special graduation this month.
David wrote about a first-ever prison graduation, inside the Michigan Department of Correction's Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility. He also explained how this unique program came to be. His poignant story is worth a read.
Asking alums to 'Come home'
Graduation season is an excellent time to connect with a community.
As my colleague Jasmin Barmore reports, Detroit Public Schools Community District this weekend is hosting a community event all over the city, urging alumni to visit their alma maters and enjoy a block party.
“We're telling our alumni, not to come back, because come back means we lost you," Tyrone Winfrey, executive director of community affairs for the district, said. "We're saying, come home.”
Why Michigan fails kids with dyslexia
One person told me Michigan is the "worst state" for students with dyslexia. Then another. Then a state lawmaker.
That's because, parents told me, educators are missing the signs of dyslexia in children. For years. For some students, that means they've gone years struggling to read. And some Michigan adults can barely read at all because of it.
State lawmakers are trying to bolster how Michigan public school educators identify signs of dyslexia. You can read about that reform here.
And, that's all for me this week.
I'll have updates for you through this newsletter over the summer, but I'm also planning to take a week off very soon, to see my best friend get married and soak up some sun on the beach.
If you haven't subscribed to the Detroit Free Press yet, or downloaded our app, I hope you will — It only takes a few minutes. And if you already subscribe, thank you! We really, really appreciate the support.
Until next time,
Lily Altavena, educational equity reporter
Email: laltavena@freepress.com
Twitter: @lilyalta
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oxford High seniors put their hearts back together
