DETROIT, LOCAL 4 NEWS AT 5:30
STARTS NOW.
>> Devin: IS IT AN INNER CITY
SUCCESS STORY OR A SCHOOL SET UP
TO FAIL?
THE INVESTIGATION REVEALS SOME
THEIR RESUMES.
YESTERDAY, WE TOOK YOU INSIDE
THE DETROIT SCHOOL THAT HAS BEEN
DRAWING A LOT OF ATTENTION, A
LOT OF IT CONTROVERSIAL.
IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT HOW IT'S
RUN BUT ABOUT WHO IS RUNNING IT.
>> Kim: AND THAT WOULD BE FORMER
MCPHAIL.
INVESTIGATION.
AND SOME MEMBERS OF HER STAFF
ARE NO STRANGERS TO CONTROVERSY
HERE.
>> Kevin: THAT'S RIGHT.
WHEN BRIDGE MAGAZINE FIRST DID A
STORY ABOUT THE CAST OF
CHARACTERS INSIDE THIS SCHOOL, I
CALLED SHARON MCPHAIL AND SHE
DIDN APOLOGIZE AT ALL FOR
HIRING FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND EVEN
THOSE WHO COMMITTED CRIMES AND
THAT'S HOW S GOT PEOPLE INTO
THIS TOUGH NEIGHBORHOOD,
SOMETHING SHE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO DO OTHERWISE.
IT'S KIDS WHO WANT, NEED, AND
DESERVE AN EDUCATION.
THE DIFFERENCE COU MEAN JOBS
OVER JAIL CELLS, PROSPERITY OVER
POVERTY, THE DISCOVERY OF HIDDEN
TALENTS.
IT'S RUN BY SHARON MCPHAIL.
SHE SAID, LOOK AT THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CRIME STATS
AND YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S
HARD TO GET GOOD TEACHERS AND
HERE.
>> YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT IN
GROSSE POINTE, THE LIGHTS AND
THE GAS ARE ON.
I'M HAPPY FOR THEM.
BUT I'M OVER HERE.
>> Kevin: PATRICIA PEEPLES IS
KWAME KILPATRICK'S COUSIN.
>> YOU'RE GONNA JUDGE SOMEONE BY
WHO THEY'RE RELATED TO.
>> Kevin: SHE NOW WORKS IN HUMAN
RESOURCES TRYING TO RECRUIT
TEACHERS.
ALMOST NOBODY WANTS TO WORK IN
THIS DANGEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS I
CALLED FOR AN INTERVIEW, THEY
SAIDYES, I'M COMING.
THEY DRIVE BY THIS AREA AND
NEVER COME IN.
>> Kevin: THIS IS SYLVIA JAMES,
KICKED OFF THE BENCH IN INKSTER
AFTER AN INVESTIGATION INTO
MISAPPROPRIATED FUNDS AND IS
SUING THE JUDICIAL TENURE
COMMISSION AND IS WELL SUITED TO
BRIGHTMOOR.
>> I'VE HAD STUDENTS TELL ME NO
BEFORE.
AND IT HELPS WHEN YOU'RE NOT
ALWAYS LOWERING THE HAMMER BUT
EXPLAINING WHY SOME OF THE
DECISIONS THEY'RE MAKING AREN'T
WORKING WELL FOR THEM.
THEY SEEM TO GET IT.
>> I GET SOMEBODY THAT WAS A
JUDGE FOR 22 YEARS AND STILL A
LICENSED LAWYER TO BE THE DEAN
OF STUDENTS.
THAT'S SOMETHING I COULD NOT
WORK REALLY HARD.
>> Kevin: SHE HIRED HER BROTH
AS A GRANT WRITER AND COLEMAN
WHO HAVE CONVICTED IN TEXAS IN A
INVESTIGATION.
MCPHAIL SAYS THESE HIRES PUT
OVERQUALIFIED PEOPLE IN
POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE
DIFFICULT TO FILL.
>> I'M NOT APOLOGIZING FOR
HIRING PEOPLE THAT DO A
KIDS.
>> Kevin: SHE COULD EASILY MAKE
MORE THAN $130,000 SHE'S PAID
EVERY YEAR AND THAT HER HIRES
ARE NOT ABOUT PADDING POCKETS
BUT RATHER GETTIN DISADVANTAGED
KIDS TO COLLEGE.
SO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP.
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE IN
BRIGHTMOOR RIGHT HERE.
GO RIGHT UP EVERGREEN, 14 MILE,
THIS IS BIRMINGHAM SEAHOLM.
SO IF YOU HAVE A GOOD SCIENCE
TEACHER LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB,
ARE THEY GOING TO WORK HERE IN
BRIGHTMOOR OR GO 14 MILES DOWN
THE ROAD TO BIRMINGHAM?
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, IT'S
HARD TO GET GOOD TEACHERS AND
ADMINISTRATORS TO WORK IN THIS
SCHOOL, IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD
WITH ALL THE BLIGHT AND CRIME.
SHE HAS HIR PEOPLE WHO ARE
GETTING THE JOB DONE AND WORKING
HARD AND WILL STICK BY THEM.
KEVIN DIETZ, "DEFENDERS."
>> Kim: I GUESS THE BOTTOM LINE
IS, ARE THEY GETTING THE JOB
DONE OR NOT?
ARE THINGS BETTER OR WORSE WITH
MCPHAIL AND HER TEAM?
>> EXACTLY.
THINGS HAVE GOTTEN BETTE UNDER
MCPHAIL, A BOTTOM FOUND IN THE
STATE.
AND A.C.T. SCORES ARE A MESS.
WE'LL LOOK AT THE TEACHING
METHODS AND ARE THEY WORKING
FAST ENOUGH AND IS SHARON
MCPHAIL THE PERSON TO BE RUNNING
THIS SCHOOL.
>> Kim: WE'VE OBTAINED NEW
DOCUMENTS INCLUDING TEST SCORES
AND A LETTER OF CONGRATULATIONS
FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
SCHOOLS.
WE POSTED THIS ONLINE TO THE
"DEFENDERS" PAGE OF
CLICKONDETROIT.COM.
YOU CAN FIND THAT UNDER THE NEW
AT IT.
>> Devin: POLICE BELIEVE A
TODDLER FOUND INSIDE A HOME WITH
A MAN'S BODY MAY HAVE BEEN
FENDING FOR HERSELF FOR DAYS,
THE 2 1/2-YEAR-OLD WAS IN THE
OF THE FAMILY.
THE FAMILY HAD NOT HEARD FROM
THE MAN FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
THE TODDLER WAS NOT INJURED.
THEY HAVE NOT RELEASED HIS CAUSE
OF DEATH BUT IT DOES NOT APPEAR
TO BE SUSPICIOUS.
>> Kim: AFTER 48 YEARS ON THE
RUN, POLICE HAVE CAUGHT A
GEORGIA PRISON ESCAPEE.
ROBERT STACKWITZ WAS FOUND
YESTERDAY AFTER BELIEVED TO BE
LIVING UNDER AN ALIAS IN
CONNECTICUT, SERVING A 17-YEAR
SENTENCE FOR ROBBERY WHEN HE
ESCAPED THE WORK CAMP BACK IN
1968
>> Devin: DECISION 2016,
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS BACK IN
WASHINGTON SAYING DONALD TRUMP
IS THE CANDIDATE THEIR VOTERS
PREFERRED AND THEY'RE OPTIMISTIC
ABOUT WHAT'S COMING UP THIS
FALL, BUT TRUMP HASN'T REALLY
GOTTEN ALONG WITH G.O.P. LEADERS
AND NOW FEUDING WITH THE SPEAKER
STEVE HANDELSMAN IS AT THE
CAPITOL TONIGHT.
>> Reporter: BEHIND THE SCENES,
MA REPUBLICAN OPERATIVES MAY
BE WORRIED, BUT THEY VOW THEY
CAN PUL THE PARTY TOGETHER
UNDER THE BUSINESSMAN.
PAUL RYAN AND MEMBERS ARE BACK
ON THEHILL.
DONALD TRUMP, T PRESUMPTIVE
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN A
STRUGGLE WITH THE SPEAKER WHO
JOURNAL."
>> WE SHOULDN'T PRETEND OUR
PARTY IS UNIFIED WHEN IT'S NOT.
>> Steve: DONALD TRUMP TWEETED,
I LOO VERY MUCH FORWARD TO
MEETING WITH PAUL RYAN AND THE
G.O.P. PAR LEADERSHIP ON
THURSDAY IN D.C.
PRESIDENCY.
>> IT WOULD BE A BIG WIN FOR
DEMOCRATS AND ALLOW THEM TO PICK
HOUSE SEATS.
>> Steve: REPUBLICAN LEADERS
WANT HIM TO CHANGE HIS TONE.
>> WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO
HAVING A CORDIAL MEETI FOR THE
WAY FORWARD.
HILLARY CLINTON WILL BE ENOUGH
TO UNIFY REPUBLICANS.
>> Steve: BUT THEY'RE AMONG THE
WASHINGTONELITE.
>> WE ARE BEING LED SO STUPIDLY
BY THESE PEOPLE.
>> Steve: WEST VIRGINIANS ARE
VOTING TODAY IN THEIR PRIMARY
WHERE ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE,
BERNIE SANDERS IS POLLING FIRST.
HE IS BEATING TRUMP NATIONALLY
BY 13 IN THE NBC POLL, FAR MORE
THAN CLINTON.
>> IF YOU WANT THE STRONGEST
CANDIDATE TO DEFEAT DONALD
TRUMP, THAT'S US!
>> Steve: WHOEVER THEY FACE,
THEY NEED UNITY
THURSDAY, UNITY IS THE GOAL.
WHAT MIGHT DONALD TRUMP TO MAKE
THE DEAL.
STEVE HANDELSMAN, LOCAL 4.
>> Devin: IN A SIGN THE CLINTON
CAMPAIGN MAY BE A LITTLE WORRIED
ABOUT THE MOMENTUM BEHIND BERNIE
SANDERS, THEY PURCHASED NEARLY
KENTUCKY.