Good Schools

Background and Goals

The chief aim of the Foundation's three programs is to help develop good schools and good neighborhoods so that young people can be safe, healthy, educated and prepared for adulthood.  The Good Schools and Good Neighborhoods programs are the primary focus of the Foundation's grantmaking and changemaking activities. The Good Opportunities program area is designed to support the Foundation's primary work and to invest in special opportunities that can accomplish significant results for children. Though we make grants throughout Metropolitan Detroit, the bulk of our grant dollars are targeted in six Detroit neighborhoods — Brightmoor, Chadsey/Condon, Cody Rouge, Northend Central, Osborn, and Southwest Detroit neighborhoods (Vernor) — and on innovative and successful schools throughout the city of Detroit. 

History

The Skillman Foundation has engaged in education reform in Detroit since 1986, just two years after it received its full endowment from Rose Skillman’s estate. Initially, the Foundation participated in small, innovative reform projects like the High School Development Center that found great success in individual schools. The emphasis shifted to improving the public school district by engaging in wide-scale reform initiatives aimed at improving multiple schools and improving operations. Examples include the Comer Schools and Family Initiative, and Schools of the 21^st Century.

In 2004, the Foundation embarked on a new approach to its school reform work, driven by defining and rewarding excellence for all types of schools — regardless of governance structure. This work was accomplished through the Foundation’s Making the Grade Initiative, the High School Portfolio Strategy and Excellent Schools Detroit.

The Foundation’s work to create effective conditions for school reform and innovation is done at both the citywide and neighborhood level. The citywide efforts are intended to improve the conditions so that individual schools can be successful. The neighborhood efforts use the groundwork of the citywide efforts to implement high-quality reforms in individual schools.