On behalf of all educators at Fordson High School, thank you for allowing us to educate your children and for your support through the good times and difficult times. 

The state of Fordson High School is good and only getting better! Fordson has always stood by the ideal that all students in the Dearborn Public schools are our children. We at Fordson make this our rallying cry each and every day because we understand that we must stand as a team, as one entity, and as a community, in order to fulfill the needs of our children. I want to say that we at Fordson have continued all of the great things that our school represented through the excellent work of Mr. Imad Fadlallah, and we have worked diligently to continue moving in the right direction. 

Our team has had the honor to serve the community for the last 3 and a half years. Through our work together as a school and community, we have witnessed a 60 – 70% reduction in discipline infractions through Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS). More importantly, the suspension rate in the 2013 fall semester was at only 8%. 

We have increased our graduation rates in the last two years from 77% to 84% (2012 rates have not been released). With the increase in graduation rates comes the reduction in failures. 

We have seen a steady increase in our ACT/MME scores for the last three years (2010, 2011, 2012).  Our ACT average score (composite) has increased from 17.3 to 18.6; our Michigan Merit scores have increased by 7% in math, 9% in reading, 8% in writing, 3% in science, and 10% in social studies. But believe me when I say we are not happy with this and we want more!

Many may ask: How? The answer is simple. We have achieved all of this through teamwork, communication, pride, tradition, legacy, and of course an unwavering belief in our community and our children. But the work is not simple. It requires perseverance and an unyielding desire to constantly improve and not to allow complacency to be our enemy. We as a community must hold high expectations for all of our children as well as ourselves as leaders of the community. 

In 2012, Fordson was designated a focus school, meaning that there was a gap in our scores between the students that were learning English as well as the students who were in our special education program in comparison to the students who were not. With the increase in scores last year, we were able to shed that designation in 2013. 

But I now ask for your help.

The tests that establish this designation were held again on March 4, 5 & 6 as all high schools in Dearborn took part in the ACT/MME testing. We asked that our community make a valiant effort to emphasize the importance of all three days of testing. We asked that parents and community members emphasize to their children that on these three days they give 110% not only for their school, but for themselves and their community. It is sad to say, but with all the great we have in the Dearborn Public Schools, these three days are what the State and the Federal government look at to judge us and make comparisons. What we do at Fordson does not only judge Fordson but it affects our community. 

Yes, we at Fordson and in the Dearborn Public Schools have made some great strides to continue the great things that we have achieved in the past and present. We must not be satisfied and we must continue to work as one, as one community, as one entity with a single goal: the success of our future, our children. And yes, sometimes we have to make difficult decisions but no decision is ever made without looking at all possible solutions and how the decision effects everyone involved. 

Let’s all stand together for the success of our children and our community. 

– Youssef Mosallam is the Principal of Fordson High School. For more detailed data and the testing schedule, please see the Fordson Website