Burnley failed the parents of Detroit.(Detroit Public Schools CEO Kenneth Burnley)(Column)

Byline: Ida Byrd-Hill

Former Detroit Public Schools CEO Kenneth Burnley did not receive "personal attacks for the `crime' of trying to improve education in his own hometown'' as reported by Crain's (See Mary Kramer's column, July 11).

His "crime'' was a failure to listen and satisfy his clients: parents. Detroit Public Schools has a growing population of parents like me - college-educated, professional, well-informed and active behind the scenes. We had high expectations of Burnley, as he was a University of Michigan alumnus. Our first expectation was that he would meet with us regularly to discuss his progress. He did not meet the first expectation and many …