DEARBORN – During a meeting on October 14, the Dearborn Public School Board approved the appointment of a “reading literacy coach” at Edsel Ford High School, less than three months after the school was ranked one of the worst in the State by the Michigan Department of Education.

The appointment of Gretchen Bajorek will aim to provide support for curriculum improvement at the high school. Her job will also be to work with teachers and help analyze student test scores and provide support for faculty who recommend curriculum change.

Ranked as a priority school this year, Edsel Ford has already undergone a number of academic changes, including expanding school hours to four extra hours a week and requiring extra prep time for teachers and faculty. The district has also allocated $2 million of its funding for at-risk students to spend on training and additional programs

Edsel Ford’s ranking was attributed to its large achievement gap among its students. While no data has been released, many attribute its lower ranking in recent years to a re-mapping of the school district. In previous years, east end and south end residents, many of whom come from bilingual families, had been re-directed from Fordson High School to Edsel Ford. 

Even if Edsel Ford moves off of the State’s priority list next year, any school identified as one automatically joins a “cohort.” The 2013 cohort of priority schools will be under the supervision of a State reform officer until the end of the 2016-17 school year. The purpose of this is to ensure progress is sustained on standardized testing.