Southeastern High School (Michigan)

Southeastern High School is a Detroit Public Schools (DPS) high school in Detroit, Michigan.

The school opened in 1917. The school's athletic teams had the name "Jungaleers" because the school was considered to be far from the urban areas.

Southeastern High School first opened its doors in Detroit, Michigan on January 2, 1917. At this time, the school consisted of little more than four walls and a roof.

History

Southeastern High School was built in the former village of Fairview, a semi-rural area dotted by forests and swampy fields that had recently become a part of the city of Detroit. It was so removed from the central city of Detroit, however, that students talked about trekking to the jungle and began referring to themselves as "Jungaleers."

In February of their first year, Southeastern High School adopted a motto, "Age Quod Agis", which is Latin for, "Finish What You Begin." School colors along with a school song, "The Purple and White" were soon adopted as well, after the many wildflowers covering neighboring fields in the springtime.

The first semester saw the enrollment of 630 students. Principal Joseph H. Corns led a staff of 19 teachers, a librarian, and a secretary. In 1918 the building was expanded to include a new library, gymnasium, lunchroom, science lab, additional classrooms and student lockers. On June 22, 1920, 39 seniors received their diplomas as the first graduating class of Southeastern High School.

The school yearbook, originally called The Aryan, was first published in June 1919. The name was changed to The Amathyst in 1967.

The school newspaper was first published in 1926 as the S.E. Booster and changed its name to The Jungaleer the following year.

During its first decade, the school's enrollment grew so quickly that by 1928 the addition of another gymnasium, several classrooms, and a new cafeteria became necessary. By the mid-1940s, Southeastern had 4,500 students. They were asked to walk only on the right side of the hallways and to use designated up and down staircases to get to classes during the four passing times. Throughout the 1940s and 50s, Southeastern had a reputation as one of the best high schools in the state with a strong academic program and sports teams frequently winning both district as well as state championships.

By the 1960s, however, enrollment began to drop. When the city of Detroit bought a large section of neighborhood next to the school for the construction of a Chrysler plant in 1987, enrollment had dwindled to just around one thousand students, and rumors of the school's closing were flying.

In the 1990s, key elements came together and the picture once again began to change. Southeastern High School joined Detroit Compact in 1992 in order to better serve its students and to ensure students both jobs as well as scholarships.

In 1994, Southeastern was chosen as a model school - one that will use technology to move its students into the twenty-first century. In 1995 the name of the school was morphed into Southeastern High School of Technology under the leadership of Principal Jacqueline Miller.

Computer labs were added, remodeling and restructuring were competed, and a fence was added to surround the campus.

In 1999, the school became Southeastern High School of Technology, "An Academy of Automotive Engineering and Design", with a new name and motto: "Success is what happen when Preparation meets Opportunity".

In 2002, faculty and students temporarily relocated to Foch Middle School while the old Southeastern High School underwent remodeling, adding an entire new wing to the building. Despite the disadvantages of the temporary relocation, student achievement began to improve in the form of test scores, behavior, and dress code compliance.

In 2008 Southeastern High School was recognized in Michigan newspapers as a highly improved model school, and a school of sports championships with both the football and golf teams winning the PSI Championships.

In 2009 Dr. Gerald E. Craft accepted the appointment of Principal. He and his administrative team attempted to carry out the vision of creating an environment that reflects 21st Century learning.

By 2012 Southeastern's student achievement and graduation rates were at an all-time low. Michigan governor Rick Snyder and Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts announced a plan to dramatically redesign public education in Michigan's lowest performing schools by including them into a new system that drives vastly more resources directly into their classrooms and offers greater autonomy to help ensure dramatic student achievement increases.

Southeastern High School was taken from Detroit Public School District (DPS) and absorbed by The Education Achievement Authority (EAA). This statewide school system operated the lowest performing 5 percent of schools in Michigan not achieving satisfactory results on a redesign plan or that are under an emergency manager.

Under new leadership of co-principals Lori Johnson and Jeff Maxwell, Southeastern High School reset its sights on again becoming one of the top performing schools in the state. With a new vision (100% college graduation) and new way of teaching (student centered learning with longer school days, a longer school year, and more autonomy for students to take ownership over their achievement), Southeastern High School again began to make changes for the better.

In 2010, DPS planned to consolidate Southeastern with Kettering High School. Officials stopped when they learned that rival gangs held influence at the schools.^[1] In 2012 Kettering closed, and some students were rezoned to Southeastern.^[2]

References

External links

• Southeastern High School
• Southeastern High School (Archive)

Coordinates: 42°22′29″N 82°58′43″W / 42.3747°N 82.9786°W / 42.3747; -82.9786