Dr. Sandra Truitt Robinson is vice president for public school partnerships for the Edison Project in Detroit, which operates 51 schools in 25 locations, teaching students in "academies": multi-grade groups that are taught by the same four to six teachers until they graduate to the next academy. The project's youngest students are required to master basic math and reading before graduating from the primary academy, and must begin mandatory Spanish classes. Previously, Dr. Truitt Robinson was superintendent for the Department of Education, Area D, in Detroit. As the former principal of Martin Luther King, Jr./Senior High School in Detroit, Dr. Truitt Robinson implemented new programs in science, mathematics, international studies and commerce, enlisting community members to play an active role in the school. Martin Luther King High's mathematics and science magnet program was a model throughout the district, while its use of technology and focus on business prepared many inner-city youths for economic success. Peer coaching, student exchanges, classroom guest speakers, local financial support, and her "adopt-the-building" programs were some of Dr. Truitt Robinson's strategies for the school's success.
