Snapp, Ken- Detroit Public Schools Community District

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Brief Intro of Candidate

Ken Snapp was born and raised on the Eastside of Detroit, to Gino and Jennifer Snapp. His father, a Navy veteran, a retired employee of General Motors, and a dedicated UAW member. His mother, an educator in Detroit’s Public Schools and an ordained minister in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Both were hard working parents that instilled the will of strong moral values and the importance of education at an early age.

Ken is proud to be a graduate of Cass Technical Highschool. During his time there, he became a highly decorated student earning achievements with the historically winning Cass Tech Football team. While pursuing his collegiate athletic career, Ken became involved with politics after studying political science. He later began an internship in Detroit City Councilman Spivey’s office, which strengthened his resolve due to the lack of equitable representation in the politics in majority black cities. This led to the start of a lifelong commitment to the citizens of Detroit.

In 2017, Snapp made history for being the youngest mayoral candidate at the age of 21 years old. After 2017, interacting with the residents of Detroit fueled his passion to create actionable change in the city. Through his “Bridging the Gap'' event series, he continued to connect citizens with resources and established personnel throughout Detroit and abroad. He fought against police brutality as he organized and led thousands to march across the Belle Isle Bridge in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. His efforts have been recognized nationally and locally as an up-and-coming leader. Ken Snapp has been lauded in prestigious publications such as The Michigan Chronicle, grouping him with the likes of Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor, City Council Pro Tem, and Schoolboard members.

Ken Snapp has worked in the Detroit Public School Community District as an educator for three years, served as a Deputy in the Wayne County Sheriff Office, and sits on multiple Board of Directors for social justice organizations. Snapp continues to be involved with the early development of youth. Ken was a former Varsity Head Basketball Coach for Davis Aerospace and Crockett Midtown H.S. Snapp in addition to coaching three different junior high school basketball teams at Ronald Brown Academy, underpinning his dedication for the children in DPSCD.

When Mr.Snapp isn’t educating, coaching the youth on the eastside, or leading mass peaceful protests, he acts as a political consultant. Ken has managed and worked campaigns at the local, state, and national level in a vast number of elections, oftentime with fellow young fighters combating systemic oppression. Ken also began to travel to a slew of universities across the country, lecturing and encouraging college students to get involved within their local government. As a result of his impact and dedication, Mr. Snapp is a recipient of many awards and honors, as well as three consecutive Spirit of Detroit Awards and Wayne County Commissioners award.

Ken has continuously provided leadership for his community, and has stood firmly when others dropped the ball. It’s time to ensure equitable change across the board for every citizen. It’s time to Snapp into action!

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Ken.Snapp on Instagram and Facebook www.ksnapp.com

How would you engage and include parents, caregivers, community members and students in decision-making in your district around things like curriculum, budgeting and district policy?

Establishing effective advisory committees that focus accountability for all parties. To engage and include parents, caregivers, community members, and students in decision-making within DPSCD, the district can establish advisory committees, host town hall meetings, and utilize surveys and polls to gather input on curriculum, budgeting, and policies. Open communication channels, participatory budgeting, and technology-driven engagement can broaden participation, while empowering school-based decision-making ensures localized input. Additionally, efforts to restore school pride in schools that have yet to feel included should be prioritized, fostering a sense of belonging and community across the district. Collaborations with local organizations and providing resources such as training, childcare, and transportation further support inclusivity and transparency, creating a decision-making process that truly reflects the community's needs and priorities.

What are your thoughts on school discipline and the way it is exercised in your school district? What are your thoughts on restorative practices?

candidate not asked this question

What are your thoughts on how to improve student mental health

Mental health is a serious issue that has not been adequately addressed in our community. We must educate ourselves and commit to reform and engagement within the district to effectively address this challenge. This involves advocating for increased funding, reallocating resources, forming partnerships, and integrating mental health support into our schools. By providing staff training, ongoing support, and creating a dedicated team for grants, we can ensure mental health remains a priority and make a meaningful impact on our students' well-being.

What are your thoughts on ways to improve Black student achievement in your district and in Michigan schools overall?

To improve academic outcomes for Black students and address disparities, schools should restore school pride by fostering a positive and inclusive environment and encourage engagement by involving students, parents, and community members in decision-making. Implementing culturally relevant teaching, providing targeted support programs, and building community partnerships are crucial. While using data to track progress is important, we must remember that solely focusing on data can lead us to lose our human touch. It's essential to maintain personal connections and understand the people we serve to effectively support students and create meaningful change.

We must also tailor our curriculum to better serve our students. Our students are at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to academics, according to our data. This means that something is not working and we continue to beat a dead horse. We have to inspire and encourage our staff, students, and families in a new way.

What are your thoughts on how to ensure that all students and their families, regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, religion, income status, etc., feel safe and included in your district?

To ensure that all students and their families feel safe and included in the district we have develop unwavering core tenants of equity and inclusion. Not only will our curriculum be accessible and relevant to all students but it will help develop each student who have been historically underrepresented.

We must create safe spaces for students and their families to be able to have tough conversations so that we can properly align them with the correct support. We have to designate staff and properly train/ support them.

What are your thoughts on how to recruit and retain staff, particularly staff of color, in your district with regard to pay, benefits, and working conditions?

Our campaign deeply believes in giving our teachers and staff their voice back. I want to push for a more teacher-led curriculum. We must give power back to the schools to allow. them to have autonomy to develop a plan that supports their school needs. These conversations should teacher and staff led and brought to the district to compare and contrast amongst other school . Innovation has to be at the forefront of our conversation when discussing recruiting and retaining teachers and staff. Allowing individuals to be creative and have a voice will attract more teachers and allow energetic teachers to thrive in a district that will back ingenuity while supplementing their efforts with great starting salaries and bonuses.

Working conditions can be complied into a grading system of building safety and quality. I would develop a comprehensive plan to properly assess each building an ensure each building is brought up to speed.
We also have to make sure we have a retaining clause that locks potential candidates in for a minimum of three years if they want to began a teacher pathway program.