Drop-Out School Scores Big with Debate

The Life Skills Metropolitan school debate team, from left: Walker, 17; Aleisha Peeples, 16; Few, 17, and Erica Webster, 18, all of Detroit.

From http://www.freep.com/article/20091219/NEWS01/912190314/1322/The-great-debaters

The great debaters

Alternative school is winning big

BY LORI HIGGINS
FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER

When you think debate team you think of the intellectuals, the straight-A students.

But some students at the Life Skills Metropolitan charter school in Detroit are proving you can add "former potential dropout" to that description.

These teens who attend a school that caters to students who dropped out or are in danger of dropping out, have surprised even their teacher by racking up award after award in their first year and a half of debate competitions. That includes a first-place for novice teams at a league competition in May.

They've been invited to compete in a debate contest at Harvard University in February.

"It doesn't matter to me that they win. I just want them to be better speakers," said Raven Jones, an English and debate teacher who started the team in April 2008. The awards, though, are a nice plus. "It makes me smile and cry."

Erica Webster, 18, remembers what it was like when her team began competing. Students from other schools made fun of them for being from an alternative school. Now, said Webster, "they're astonished."

"It's funny how we transformed from the kids from the ghetto school and now it's, 'We want to debate like them.' "

One reason Webster said she thrives in the program is because the class is small and she gets special attention from teachers.

On Friday and today, the team co-hosts a Detroit Urban Debate League competition at Wayne State University. Prep work for that tournament was taking place Thursday at the school on Jefferson.

In a classroom at the end of a second floor hallway, Sarah Walker, 17, forcefully tried to break down the arguments made by Aleisha Peeples, 16, and Malond Few, 17, that the federal government should substantially increase social services for people living in poverty.

Sarah joined the debate team this school year. She sees debate as good preparation for becoming a lawyer. She said the team thrives primarily because of its strong coaches -- including assistant coaches Lisen Hey and Darryl Stanbrough.

or lhiggins@freepress.com

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