Community outraged at state closure plans for low-performing Detroit schools

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Parents, students and community leaders are coming together and speaking out to stop what they say are efforts underway by state officials to close several schools in Detroit for low performance.

"School closure does not create school improvement," said Pastor Larry Simmons, executive director of Brightmoor Alliance.

This mom, who has two girls attending one of the school's facing closure says what school closure does create is fear.

"They're upset. It's hard for them to get into new environment, constantly changing teachers," parent Michele Phillips said.

"I changed schools to this one and if go to a different school I'm going to have to walk further than I usually do," student Melacah Mason said.

These leaders say they don't want  school reform to include what they believe are mistakes of the past.

This activist says a top-down approach to school reform does not work.

"Talk to the people. Include us. Include the parents. Include educators. Because these are people who are down at the ground," Simmons said.

Parents and community leaders say the time is now for state leaders to stand up and do the right thing.

In a statement, Gov. Rick Snyder's office tells Fox 2:

"The School Reform Office is currently conducting reviews of each school on the list. This approach examines the geographic, academic, and enrollment capacity of other public school options in the area, before any decisions are made regarding next steps for added accountability measures, up to and including a school closure."