Detroit Community Public Schools Community District
Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is in an ongoing partnership with Leading Educators to strengthen instructional leadership in ELA and math so all students have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to thrive in Detroit, our nation, and our world.
About the Partnership
Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), which serves more than 48,782 students, is determined to educate and empower every student in every community every day to build a stronger Detroit.
The Challenge & Early Partnership Efforts
DPSCD students, like millions of students across the country, faced setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the district is working to recover and rebound.
Even before the pandemic struck, leaders in the district noticed a concerning trend: there was stagnation in elementary reading achievement, and math proficiency was persistently low. These issues signaled a pressing need for improvements in instructional strategy.
With partnership from Leading Educators, DPSCD adopted Tier 1 curricula and implemented curriculum-aligned cycles of professional learning for two years, but principals perceived them as disconnected from school priorities.
- Walkthroughs revealed many classrooms where adopted curricula were not fully in use, and an opportunity for teachers to increase rigor and student ownership.
- Likewise, fewer than 50% of teacher leaders had consistent common planning or PLC time.
Some outlier schools were making progress, but instructional leadership needed to be built systematically. District leaders saw the need for a unified approach to building upon existing strengths and resources for overall improvement.
Looking Ahead
To ensure all students are college and career-ready, DPSCD is partnering with Leading Educators to bolster instructional recovery and growth through the following levers:
- Creating a coherent instructional system that aligns leadership practices and learning goals district-wide.
- Designing and delivering monthly professional development for district-level coaches to facilitate a more systematic approach to teacher support.
- Directly coaching principals to enhance their instructional leadership skills, including strategic planning, collecting and analyzing observation and student learning data, and facilitating collaborative problem-solving conversations.
Ultimately, DPSCD intends to foster schools where teachers are well-equipped to meet student needs and prepare all students for the future.
The district aims to recapture and outpace initial academic gains with culture and achievement program investments in subsequent years.
Read a Related StoryLeading Educators regularly meet with district leadership, including the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and the Deputy Superintendent of Strategy and Academics, to develop guidance, policies, and practices that promote effective instructional leadership across the district.
We collaborate closely on the design and facilitation of professional development for various stakeholders, including principals, teacher leaders, and coaches. LE also developed a district-specific playbook that is being realized in actionable learning materials.
Principals in select schools receive direct coaching aimed at refining their leadership abilities and supporting them in fostering effective instructional practices. Additionally, we offer coaching and guidance for district-level coaches, ensuring they effectively implement instructional leadership strategies.
Partnership By The Numbers
48,000 Students
empowered with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to thrive in a changing world
24 School Leaders
supported to grow strong instructional practices across schools
106 Schools
supported with coherent instructional efforts designed to yield sustainable growth
Meet the Team
Mary Kay Murphy
Dr. Keli Swearingen
Dr. Michelle Brown
Alexa Rowek
Dr. Brittany Whitby
About Mary Kay Murphy
Before joining Leading Educators, Mary Kay held the roles of teacher, principal, instructional coach, and district consultant. Mary Kay also gained experience working at two other national non-profits, Partners in School Innovation and The Education Trust-Midwest.
Mary Kay holds a B.A. in Elementary Education from Aquinas College and an M.Ed in Educational Leadership from Grand Valley State University.
Fun facts: One of her favorite simple joys in life is a good cup of coffee in the morning, and after dinner, She thinks out loud and talks with her hands, and sends Snapchats of the dogs to her three kids every day.
Mary Kay Murphy in the news
About Dr. Keli Swearingen
For the past 12 years, Keli has directly supported charter schools and regions with two fervent beliefs: master educators are made through years of deliberate coaching and support; and educational equality requires teachers, coaches, and leaders to pivot our practices, adapt, and maintain the resilience needed to persevere through the work required to alter-reality and provide equitable opportunity. Throughout her work with KIPP Public Schools and Democracy Prep Public Schools, Keli supported K-12 alignment, assessment, teacher and instructional leader development and coaching. Keli has a background in assessment and measurement, which she used to lead the development of next generation assessments for ELA and math, as well as aligned data-driven instructional protocols that support implementation of standards aligned curriculum and strategic interventions.
Keli founded Ascend’s second elementary school in Brownsville (serving as school director) and later coached data and analytics for all schools in the Ascend Learning network. Keli was a research fellow at the Florida Center for Reading Research and an Ed Psych and Classroom Assessment instructor for FSU’s College of Education. She has a master’s in library science and a doctorate in educational psychology. Keli started this journey as a Teach For America corps member teaching high school ELA in New Orleans (CM ’02).
Keli is from Panama City, Florida and currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When not nerding out on instruction and assessment, Keli enjoys spending time with her wife, Norah. She also enjoys working on Jeeps, playing music (bass and kit), watching Florida State football (Go Noles!), and watching Saints football (Who Dat!).
About Dr. Michelle Brown
Before joining Leading Educators, Michelle was the Vice Principal of Academics at the New Orleans Charter Science and Math High School, the same school where she learned that teaching is the best career in the world. She was previously a teacher educator at Southeastern Louisiana University and the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP). She began her career in education as a high school English and reading teacher in New Orleans.
Michelle holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education. Her graduate work focused on classroom observation and effective literacy practices in secondary ELA classrooms. She earned a B.A. from New College of Florida where she pursued a dual concentration in Literature and Hispanic Language and Literature.
About Alexa Rowek
Before joining Leading Educators, Alexa was the Achievement Director of Special Education at KIPP New Jersey where she supported K-12 Principals and Assistant Principals through strategic planning, coaching, and professional development to implement strong special education programming. Prior to that at KIPP, Alexa was a Special Education math and ELA teacher as well as an Assistant Principal at TEAM Academy. She began her career in education as a high school Math and ELA teacher in New York City.
Alexa holds a M.Ed in Special Education from Pace University, and received a post-masters certification as a Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant (LDT-C) from William Paterson University. She earned a B.A. from Dickinson College in Psychology and focused on studying the brain.
About Dr. Brittany Whitby
Before joining Leading Educators, Brittany served as the Director of Mathematics for an ECE-8 charter school in Washington, D.C., where she designed effective math programming,
coaching, and support for teachers and leaders. Throughout her career, Brittany has served as a teacher, school leader, and coach across charter and public schools.
Brittany holds an Ed.D in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University. Her capstone focused on creating meaningful leadership support for Black educators who aspire to school leadership in urban communities. She also holds an M.Ed in Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Psychology from Hampton University. Brittany loves solo travel and running in her free time.
Learn About Other Partnership
DPSCD is just one of a dozen partnerships across the country that are pushing the boundaries of what schools can offer students. Learn more about how we customize our supports to meet the needs and strengths of visionary districts.
