This story was written by Christian Spencer. It is the fifth in a series of nine stories funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation that aims to highlight stories written by emerging writers in Detroit. This is sponsored content in collaboration with W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
After Detroit’s bankruptcy, two of the city’s most impactful schools for pregnant teens, Catherine Ferguson Academy and Nancy M. Boykins Continuing Education Center, closed their doors and in doing so, caused a gaping hole in educational care for the city’s expectant young mothers.
Catherine Ferguson Academy was a public high school in Detroit for pregnant girls and teen mothers that officially operated from 1986 through 2014. Some of the things that made this school special included an urban farm in its backyard and on-site daycare and preschool education for the students’ infant children. The course curriculum included caretaker classes as well as child development and critical thinking.
The school’s administration and its donors took great pride in offering assistance to young mothers who wanted to continue their education. Students grades 7-12 learned valuable skills in hands-on science, English, nutrition, and urban farming classes and in time, the school’s popularity grew and sister schools were opened. The Nancy M. Boykin Continuing Education Center, named after social worker and head of the Detroit Alternative School for Girls, Nancy Boykin, and Vincent Continuing Education Center, named after obstetric physician Dr. Charles Vincent, offered teenage mothers on-site child care, nutritional meals, counseling, and after school activities.
Since their closure, the schools’ impact on the Detroit community stands out from the rest, largely due to the exceptional staff of teachers, counselors and medical personnel who created safe spaces for students. Throughout its almost 30-year history, and especially during its last nine years in operation, Catherine Ferguson Academy consistently achieved a 97% daily attendance rate, a 90% graduation rate, and a 100% college acceptance rate, despite shuttering in 2014.
Educators like Estella Lanier, a retired Detroit classroom teacher, worked at Nancy Boykin Continuing Education Center, teaching classes in child development, consumer education, and business math. Lanier says her greatest source of pride was witnessing the graduations of her students from the program. “One of my youngest students was 11 years old. And there were always challenges with funding for vital things like transportation. Most mothers with small babies had to take the bus,” remembers Lanier. “Without the help of local non-profits like the Kellogg Foundation, some of the students wouldn’t have been able to come to school. They needed a lot of services but we took pride in providing a place for them to feel safe, appreciated and responsible.”
Bernadine Jamison, now retired, worked at Vincent Continuing Education Center from 1989 to 2001. “Because of the quality of the staff and all of the wrap-around services that were given to the students, they were allowed to get to the finish line to [access] opportunities for their future and their childrens’ future,” says Jamison.
In some cases, these schools made an impact on generations. “There were a great number of students who became very close to the staff.” Remembering one of the students she taught, Jamison said, “after graduating and leading her life as a mother, she invited a group of us to her daughters’ high school graduation. She then invited us to her daughter’s wedding, where there was a teachers’ table at the reception for all of the teachers who had made a difference in her life. Even at her daughter’s baby shower, there was a teachers’ table because she always cherished her relationship with her teachers.”
Its impact
Catherine Ferguson initially faced closure in 2011 as a Detroit Public Schools facility. It was briefly revived as a charter school in the summer of 2011, only to close again in 2014 amid a contentious battle involving Michigan’s governor, its financial manager, and Detroit residents.
While the school has been inactive for just under a decade, a dedicated group of alumni created the “Keep Catherine Ferguson Academy Open” group on Facebook, which remains active to this day, serving as a haven for former teen mothers and staff members to rekindle old memories, reconnect, and mobilize for social change.
“These girls were literally our future. They were raising our future. We understood that,” says Janet Barnes, a retired educator at Nancy Boykin Day Care Center. “Students knew that we cared about them and their babies and that’s what made the difference.”
Since the closure of both schools, new continuing education schools and youth programs have opened. If you are pregnant or know a pregnant teen in need, there are two schools in Detroit specifically designed for pregnant and parenting students.
Pathways Academy, a charter school serving students in grades 9-12, provides a supportive and flexible learning environment and a range of support services, including childcare, parenting classes, and career counseling.
Turning Point Academy, a public school serving grades 7-12 students, offers a rigorous academic program alongside various support services like childcare, parenting classes, and health and wellness services.
