For a Better Day

Lessons from a Disaster Movie

2011-06-22T06:18:00.002-04:00

Don't you love disaster movies? I do! The thrill of danger and adrenaline from watching the heroes escape certain death. Whether they are facing aliens, accelerated climate change due to our carbon footprint, or other unlikely foes, the result is spectacular on the big screen.

One of my new favorites is Super 8. Here is the trailer:

This movie was fantastic! And like most disaster movies, it continues to remind me of some key life lessons.

1. The government can't save you. Find one movie where the government actually pulls it together and manages to save folks. Oh, they save some people; but I will get to that later.

Often what happens is that the government rounds everyone up and puts them in an enclosed place, perfect for whatever foe, natural disaster or alien, is coming for them. Usually the emergency broadcast system kicks just like it is suppose to, allowing the President to let everyone know they are on their own and that the government is "doing all they can".

2. The government may not try to save everyone. There is usually a plan including some sort of ship or cave to save some, but not all. Most of us are left to find higher ground or a place to hide on our own. This isn't meant to be some sort of conspiracy theory generator. I am just pointing out my observations as a disaster movie junkie. Check out this trailer from Deep Impact

3. When the crud hits the fan, it all comes down to family. Disaster movies are great not because of the government chosen survivors, but because of the heroes and heroines who choose to fight back and survive. Usually that fight takes place standing beside their families.

In fact, if you are in a disaster movie and hold on to some petty gudge or wrongdoing, prepare to be squished, drowned or blown away.

This scene from War of the Worlds was one of the most heart wrenching in the movie. It set up another tension in the movie because the family was suppose to stay together and it seemed they would never find their way back to each other.

Families matter.

4, Lastly, self-reliance and preparedness are really important. I am not just talking about an emergency flashlight and some canned food in the basement. What all the heroes in disaster movies have shown is an ability to think critically and make good choices (for the most part). They didn't sit in their house and wait for the government to help them. They didn't wait around for instructions. They grabbed their family and fought.

While we won't likely face anything near what makes these disaster movies so great, we will face adversity. And when that adversity comes, we will have some decisions to make. Is the government going to save us? Are we going to just wait for further instructions?

Or are we going to say a prayer and then fight like heck? Are we going to cling to our guns, families and Bibles? I hope so, because that is exactly what we should do.

Disposable Dads

2011-06-19T05:05:00.003-04:00

My Dad, David, has always been a dreamer. He taught me about getting back up when you get knocked down. He has a great sense of humor and shows compassion. Some of the lessons he has taught me have been about what NOT to do, and those can be the most valuable of all.

My Step-Dad, Gene, is a model of hard work. He loved my mom through her darkest days. He is an amazing woodworker and gardener. He can fix anything and is always willing to help a friend.

Tom, my Father-in-Law is a sweet man who is quick with a smile. He has a gentle spirit and has taught me about being loyal and stable for your family. He loves flying airplanes and is teaching my boys to love it too. My kids adore him.

I sure miss my Grandpa, Harvey. He was one of my favorite people in the whole world. He always had a twinkle in his eye, even when I would debate him in politics. Back then I was a hippie, born a generation too late. He would always bait me and and as I rambled on and on, just smile knowingly. He seemed to think that paying taxes and getting a job would cure my crazy liberal ideas... oh, wait.

He has been gone a few years, but I still miss him. Throughout my crazy childhood he was one constant that I could count on. When I was about eight he asked my brother and I to make Christmas lists for our Grandpa. We must have spent hours on our lists. There were categories and subcategories of presents. Our motto was "no toy left behind". Of course, we were just trying to give him options. When my parents went to his house to pick up presents, they didn't realize they would be making several trips. He had bought us everything on our lists. He was generous even to a fault. I always knew I was loved unconditionally by my Grandpa, and I sure miss him.

And I have to say Happy Father's Day to my husband, Kevin. We love you!

I am sure you have your own stories about the men in your life. Hopefully you are able to find some good in the memories and lessons they taught you.

Unfortunately, too many people in America would have a hard time coming up with anything to say about their Fathers. It seems that Fathers have become somewhat optional in our mixed up society. The notion that Fathers are optional is a dangerous trend with significant consequences. Here are some startling statistics on the impact of fatherless from an article by Wayne Parker.

Incarceration Rates. "Young men who grow up in homes without fathers are twice as likely to end up in jail as those who come from traditional two-parent families...those boys whose fathers were absent from the household had double the odds of being incarcerated -- even when other factors such as race, income, parent education and urban residence were held constant." (Cynthia Harper of the University of Pennsylvania and Sara S. McLanahan of Princeton University cited in "Father Absence and Youth Incarceration." Journal of Research on Adolescence 14 (September 2004): 369-397.)

Suicide. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of the Census)

Behavioral Disorders. 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes (United States Center for Disease Control)

High School Dropouts. 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools.)

Educational Attainment. Kids living in single-parent homes or in step-families report lower educational expectations on the part of their parents, less parental monitoring of school work, and less overall social supervision than children from intact families. (N.M. Astore and S. McLanahan, American Sociological Review, No. 56 (1991)

Juvenile Detention Rates. 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988)

Confused Identities. Boys who grow up in father-absent homes are more likely that those in father-present homes to have trouble establishing appropriate sex roles and gender identity.(P.L. Adams, J.R. Milner, and N.A. Schrepf, Fatherless Children, New York, Wiley Press, 1984).

Aggression. In a longitudinal study of 1,197 fourth-grade students, researchers observed "greater levels of aggression in boys from mother-only households than from boys in mother-father households." (N. Vaden-Kierman, N. Ialongo, J. Pearson, and S. Kellam, "Household Family Structure and Children's Aggressive Behavior: A Longitudinal Study of Urban Elementary School Children," Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 23, no. 5 (1995).

Achievement. Children from low-income, two-parent families outperform students from high-income, single-parent homes. Almost twice as many high achievers come from two-parent homes as one-parent homes. (One-Parent Families and Their Children, Charles F. Kettering Foundation, 1990).

Delinquency. Only 13 percent of juvenile delinquents come from families in which the biological mother and father are married to each other. By contract, 33 percent have parents who are either divorced or separated and 44 percent have parents who were never married. (Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Social Services, April 1994).

Criminal Activity. The likelihood that a young male will engage in criminal activity doubles if he is raised without a father and triples if he lives in a neighborhood with a high concentration of single-parent families. Source: A. Anne Hill, June O'Neill, Underclass Behaviors in the United States, CUNY, Baruch College. 1993

So what do we do about this? There are a few things that need to happen to turn this trend around. For starters, we have to tell the truth about divorce. Just because something is common doesn't mean it is normal or good. Divorce has become the easy out for couples not getting along. There are some situations when divorce is the right course of action, but it shouldn't be the first option.

Marriage has become a disposable idea, if people choose to get married at all. What has served as the bedrock of civilization, the nuclear family, has become "easy come, easy go".   In a world of instant gratification, couples need to be reminded that it can take years, not weeks or month, to work out the kinks in a marriage.

Second, and this is going to really cheese liberals off, men in our culture are being told in subtle and not-so-subtle ways that they don't count. One of the most basic illustrations of this is the idea of fatherhood itself. As it stands, if a woman gets pregnant she has complete control over what happens next.   Chicks march in the street celebrating this fact, apparently ignoring the consequences of their ideas. If she chooses to have the baby, the father is obligated to pay her money till the child is 18 (as he should). But the father has no say in the matter.

Now if she chooses to have an abortion, and kill his baby, he has no say in that either. Even if he is willing to raise the child on his own, he has no rights.   Last year I read a sickening article in Mother Jones which said,

Husbands or boyfriends have been known to barge into his office and violently insist their baby not be aborted, to which Rashbaum replies with an equally violent, "F*%#! you, Charlie, we can abort her." He won't talk to them directly because, he explains, "I don't treat men."

Should men have a say over the life and death of their own child? I think so. If we are going to tell men they don't have a say over the life or death of their child, what message are well sending about overall fatherhood?

This is a complicated issue to be sure; but like most problems in life, if we don't tell the truth about the problem, we can't begin to fix it.   While the solutions may be complex, one thing is simple and clear: kids need dads.

Happy Father's Day!

Help! My Marriage is Falling Apart!

2011-06-16T22:25:00.002-04:00

Okay- my marriage is not falling apart. In a fact, it is going pretty darn well right now. But that wasn't always the case. In fact, I was not a very good wife for a long time. No, I didn't drink excessively or cheat. But I participated in the new Cold War going on in our country- the War on Men.

Before I give you insight into to battle at hand, I should probably clarify why I am even speaking on the topic. Most people expect me to rant about lying politicians (which there are plenty) or the blasted MEA (of which I am a forced member). Nothing better than a good political throw down to get my heart pumping.

However, while not busy causing blood pressure increases in liberals everywhere, I have been teaching and training in the area of communication for 15-years. More important than my teaching and training, I have spent a lot of time reading and trying to implement the strategies on love and leadership in my own life. Trust me, it is much easier to teach this stuff than try to do it yourself. I have met many people who can give a good lecture on leadership and communication, but fail miserable at modeling the most basic aspects. Who knows, there are probably folks out there who could say the same thing about me. But I am learning and always trying to get better- and that is the key.

So back to the War on Men.

Before we begin, take a peek at these clips from the popular show Everybody Loves Raymond:

Gone are the days where respected dads like Mr. Ingalls or Mr. Brady handed out wisdom to their children instead of sarcasm. And wives no longer look up to their husbands with adoring eyes; instead they openly criticize them to the delight of onlookers. These days the average dad is portrayed in the media as being stupid, incompetent and your basic caveman.

It is true that men tend to be much more simple than women. I have heard it said that men basically need four things from their wives: sex, an occasional sandwich, to know they are important, and to watch their favorite show in quiet. Women are waaay more complicated that that, trust me!

According to the book Wild at Heart, men also need to know they are capable. That is the burning question in the heart of every man, at every age. "Am I capable?" The clip above is an all too common illustration of how men are being treated in our society today. With every sitcom and commercial they watch they are told, "No!".

And as much as we women want men to love us, we are lightening quick to criticize them in public. This is the single worst thing you can do to your marriage, outside of physical violence and cheating.

Maybe you don't believe there is a war going on- at least not one on men. Maybe you think that women are still discriminated against and we are just claiming our "Girl Power". Statistics don't lie. Divorce rates are over 50%. Marriages that do stay together are struggling as men lash out against their wives with cutting words, destroying the "Girl Power" women have worked so hard to find.

Do this for me- pay attention to the shows you are watching and the commercials. See how men are portrayed. Think about what would happen if women were portrayed the same way. I bet there would be riots in the streets.

While we are looking to Washington for answers to how to save our country, much of the work must begin in our own lives and families. If we don't end this War on Men, our country and our children will continue to reap the consequences.

Disgruntled.

2011-06-13T18:18:00.003-04:00

That one word seems to describe the mood of our country. Folks are unhappy with the current state of affairs, and who can blame them? Marriage still feels like a crap shoot, with the house odds stacked against you. With 50% of marriages failing and many more who are on the verge, the vows we took seem to be about as binding as a promise from a politician to not raise taxes.

Our schools are failing too, despite the efforts of good teachers. One of the things Americans have always found pride in was the educational opportunities we provide for children. But when some schools are only graduating 25% of students, and America is rated 8^th in the world in most subjects, we are not longer the model for education. This is concerning because education is an integral part of having the ability to achieve the American dream.

Now the future of our country isn’t so bright. All you have to do is ask a clerk to make change without a calculator and you will see how fare we have strayed from the basics. And a huge percentage of those who do go on to college need remedial classes just to make it in the college courses. While we have increased education funding by 50% over the past 10 years, our scores continue to flounder.

To make matters worse, folks in the inner city can’t seem to get out of a system that started out as a safety net but has turned into a spider web. Policies that started in the 1970’s encouraged young women to not get married and keep having babies. Sub standard schools, corruption, and 70% of babies being born out of wedlock mean the inner cities have become a place where hope is hard to come by. For all of the governments “help”, inner city families are hurting now more than ever. All the while, the politicians are still acting like they own the place. There is a lot to be disgruntled about.

So how did we end up here? What happened to that American spirit that said that no matter how bad things get, we could always pull ourselves up? We are nowhere near depression era suffering, but so many of us are feeling the pinch, even if it means we have to downsize our cell phones and start cooking at home. As someone who would flunk out of Cooking 101, I can appreciate that sentiment.

If you watch television you know there are political pundits, talk show hosts, psychologists and even exercise gurus who are sure they hold the key to fixing our country... usually it includes you sending in three easy payments of $19.99 plus shipping and handling. The solutions they offer are sometimes at least partially right, but none of them have a corner on the market of restoring the American spirit.

So what is the solution? I don't have all the answers, but I know it isn't the government.

Wiener and Washington

2011-06-12T10:58:00.000-04:00

This week our television screens have been inundated with discussion of Congressman Wiener and his sexual escapades. While I am shocked that six women would find him attractive enough to sext with, his actions also speak volumes about the state of our people.

I have stood beside thousands of people and rallied to demand better from those in power in Lansing and Washington. When someone mentioned that Washington was just a reflection of us, most of us bristled at the thought. But I think he was right.

If we really were disgusted with what they are doing, why are they still in power? If we want change, why can't we get it? Of course some of use really do want better and are actively working towards change. However, most people seem to be still sitting it out. Worse, Congressman Wiener's District has so far supported him despite his horrible actions. Just how far down have we slid?

There is a lot of debate about America being a Christian Nation and how it is slipping away. It is an irrfutable fact that American was founded on Christian principles. Congress printed Bibles to distribute and built churches. Schools used Bible-based curriculum. It is foolishness to deny the Christian influence in the founding of our country.

Obviously things have changed. Now Christians are the criticized, ridiculed and discriminated against. Just look at what happens when a student wants to pray and mention God during graduation.
There are multiple reasons we have come to the point that a court decides our religious freedom. But one of those reasons may not be that there are less true believers in Christianity than there were in the past.

If you go visit the Bible Belt, you will find that almost everyone talks nicely about God and Christianity. They are all open to a little prayer and wouldn't think to bristle at God being mentioned in a graduation speech. But are all of them true believers? No. The difference is that even though they are not true believers they understand that Christian values are not a bad thing. Not all the Founding Fathers were Christians either, but they understood the value in Christianity.

There is now a divide between the true believers and those who don't believe. In most areas of the country you can find antagonism and hostility towards true believers- and that is just in the church. Outside the church you find a downright war being waged against the Christian faith. It isn't being fought with guns, but in the courts and in the media.

In response, Christians often worry about the number of true believers declining and look to that as the root of our problems. I don't think it is the number of believers declining that has changed our country; it is the attitude of the non-true believers towards believers that has changed and is causing change.

I am not going to try and turn you all into Christians. Yes, I will share my faith if you ask. But honestly, I will be happy if we can tone down the hostility of those who don't believe by talking about common values we almost all can agree on.

Personal Responsibility
The Importance of Family
Telling the Truth
Keeping Your Word
Don't Steal

These are the values that Wiener and Washington have shunned. These values are that most of America still feels are important. Those of us who do must unite and demand better from politicians, media and most importantly, ourselves.

And for goodness sakes, let's all just agree to never send a picture of ourselves naked over Twitter.

Welcome to the new For A Better Day!

2011-06-09T17:28:00.000-04:00

After four years of ranting about the School Board and the general state of education, I am so excited to broaden my perspective!

I learned a lot while I was on the Board about policy making, finance and of course education. But I also learned a lot about human nature. For example, my basic requirements for those running for public office changed. I used to think that it was important for an elected official to know things like Robert's Rules of Order and how to read a budget report. Those things are important (although at times a bouncer would have been more appropriate than a handbook when it came to keeping our Board meetings under control).

Something about watching the underbelly of public service has made me re-evaluate my standards for candidates. Now I am looking for something more basic, like someone who won't lie to the public. That is a great place to start. Good public servants should also ask good questions. They don't have to know everything, but they need to sense when they are being snookered. Anyone who has paid attention to the Howell School Board knows that there were a lot of contentious moments between Board members.

Education is a big deal. It plays a huge role in the condition of our country- and that isn't a compliment. We must support good teachers and demand accountability for the ones who are bad.

Over the next few months I will probably share stories of my days on the Board. Although due to non-disparagement agreements, I won't be able to share everything.

The stories I can tell, along with things I have learned from people much smarter than me, should make good material for this blog.

I hope you will visit often and let me know what you think.

Media Hype and Union Antics

2010-11-16T04:10:00.000-05:00

If you watch MSNBC you may see a very unflattering view of Howell. While the media may enjoy painting us in a negative light, it isn't an accurate portrayal.

Howell is a community that has been trying to overcome a tarnished reputation earned years ago by a small group of hateful people who didn't even live in Howell.

Howell is a place that may not be as diverse as other communities, but has purposefully developed community events to welcome in tens of thousands of guests of all race, creed and background.

Howell is a community that that has seen an explosion of growth over the past 20-years. People are moving here despite the reputation because they want a community that feels a bit like small town America. Not a community small in ideas, but a community that cares for each other. A town where you can go get ice cream on Saturday night and run into people you know. A town where you can go watch a Blues concert on the courthouse lawn on warm summer evenings.

Howell also has a union that says they are standing up for teachers. But I wonder if they would be standing so strong if a teacher had shown a film stating the pro-life point of view. We have a union representative who lied about an Administrator in front of the entire School Board to further her agenda. Even with a union that is out of control, we have good teachers in Howell too.

I also see kids who just want to learn. They don't want to be involved in controversial issues or be ashamed of where they come from. They don't want teachers who put them on the spot and embarrass them for their beliefs.

Our district is a place where some adults, from the School Board down, have not done a very good job dealing with bullying amongst themselves and therefore are not very good role models for kids to follow.

We want to talk about bullying, fine. Bullying is born out of a hurting generation that has not been taught to respect parents, their country, their teachers or anyone else, and yet are expected to understand how to treat each other with kindness.

The truth is, you can disagree with a persons behavior and still love the person. And if I say I disagree with you, it isn't hate speech. There is real bully going on. There are kids that are hurting. But it isn't bullying to say that I disagree with your behavior.

It is, however, bullying to incite a debate in a classroom and then humiliate and punish a child for their beliefs.

This situation has been blown up by a teacher who did not like that he was called on the carpet for his behavior. Who exactly was he defending anyway? He wasn't defending a child, he was defending an agenda.

He is right about one thing though, no child should be bullied. No child should have his or her name dragged into the national spotlight as a racist and bigot just to further the agenda of a union or defend a teachers' inappropriate actions.

Maybe before we start bringing in more speakers and training, each of us, from the Board down, should take responsibility for our own actions and model the behavior we want to see in other children. Not the politically correct version, but the honest, true and kind version. I am thinking the Mr. Rogers, Andy Griffith, or Charles Ingalls version.

Once again our community is at the center of the culture war. It is time the good people of this community stand up and fight back against the social progressive agenda. We don't have to apologize for crimes we didn't commit. We do need to protect children in Howell.

If we are serious about reducing bullying, we need to start with teaching responsibility, accountability and some of the basics of what it means to be kind. Maybe we can just start with some of teacher Ron Clark's 55 Essentials.

Here are some of the skills that Ron Clark says are essential for kids to learn:

•Make eye contact
•Respect other; ideas and opinions
•Do not save seats
•Say thank you within three seconds of receiving something
•When you win, do not brag; when you lose, do not show anger
•Do your homework each and every night without fail
•Do not talk in a movie theater
•Be the best person you can be
•Always be honest
•If you are asked a question in conversation, ask a question in return
•Perform random acts of kindness
•Learn the names of all the teachers in the school and greet them
•If someone bumps into you, even if it was not your fault , say excuse me
•Stand up for what you believe in

What do you think?

Much Work to be Done

2010-08-06T08:21:00.000-04:00

It has been a long four years for Howell Public Schools. So many of you have been engaged in the process of trying to improve our District. And while some things have changed for the better, many things have stayed the same.

One of the best things that has happened is that parents are now more willing to speak up for their kids. You know your kids better than anyone and it is important that you respectfully advocate for your children. We have some great students, teachers and administrators in Howell. If you run into someone who works for the schools and does a good job, please let them know. They need to hear it!

Now on our third Superintendent in four years, it is crucial that the Board support Mr. Wilson and let him run the District. The Board was out of balance with both previous Superintendents and that lack of leadership was very destructive.

Some are sure to be happy that I am not running for the School Board again. They are still looking for that scapegoat to explain the general lack of leadership on the Board and destructive pettiness that has been present since I was elected. The only way things will get on a better track after I am gone is if we get new leadership on the Board. Otherwise, you will continue to read about HPS in the paper and we will probably end up in another search for a Superintendent.

My prayer is that there will be good candidates who run for School Board. We need folks who are rational, practical and able to put kids first. The most important thing we need are folks who understand their job is to question with boldness, but let the Administrative team run the District. These people should be committed to transparency. Our meetings are now audio taped, which is good. They should be televised. We need more documents on-line for you to see and guard against violating the Open Meetings Act.

Thank you for allowing me to serve the past four years. It has been a long road to walk with you and I sure have learned a lot. I will be around till December and will keep you informed about what is going on.

While none of us want or need drama, please be prepared that we are not out of the woods yet. With an empty high school and no plan to open it, and the boundaries between governance and management still just nice talking points, there are sure to be some difficult times in the future.

Elections have consequences. Please vote smart in November.

Getting Past the Past

2010-06-08T15:58:00.000-04:00

Last night we held a Board workshop designed to start the conversation about expectations between Board members and the Superintendent. Overall, it was a pretty good process.

We identified some ideas of how we want to communicate and how we can move the District forward. The Board seems to have realized that it is time to get busy making sure that the new Superintendent can be successful; he can't be successful unless we get our act together.

I am not sure how we get past the past. It is a tall order for everyone on the Board to put aside the deeply intense feelings we have over past events, including the firing of our last Superintendent and the recall.

Our best chance seems to be in having positive things to focus on. We are way overdue for Board Goals and strategic planning. That should enable the district to focus on the future. It should also help us focus on what we should be focusing on, policy issues.

I am hopeful that the days of eye-rolling, snarky comments, recalls and the like are over. Only time will tell.

When Will We Learn?

2010-03-03T13:37:00.000-05:00

The students, parents and taxpayers of Howell deserve better than what this Board is giving them right now. We have been through two Superintendents, countless Trustees and still are struggling to fulfill our basic responsibilities as a Board.

The worst part is that from my seat, the School Board is more dysfunctional and less effective than it was the day I was sworn in. Everything rises and falls on leadership, and our Board is still at a loss for good leadership.

As you probably know, we are getting ready to interview two finalists for Superintendent tonight. What you may not know is that as of right now, we have not settled on a process for the interviews or what questions will be asked. Now there have been behind the scenes discussions going on; but these discussions violate the spirit and probably the letter of the Open Meetings Act law. Here is an excerpt from an e-mail showing the backside of the process:

I am still waiting for a couple of board members' opinions on whether it's ok to have administration and the union ask a couple of quetions to each candidate from the podium

Mr. Yenshaw requested if we do invite questions from other stakeholders, that administration and the union give the questions to us in advance, which is a fair request.

Deb

and

There never was an intention for anyone to privately introduce themselves. It's a public meeting and those who want to come and talk to the candidates after their interview are welcome -- administration, staff, union, whoever. Many did so after our last interviews. Nobody has the authority to stop that. I did speak to Lynn in the "what do you think" stage, but no decisions were made. I specifically told her I was going to contact the board members individually to get their opinions after I finished the meeting I was in (non school related meeting). I also told her I would send an email to all of you. I also told her I wasn't making this decision. This letter from her to us interrupted the process of me calling board members.

This board on several occasions has talked about giving some of our stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions of our candidates. My suggestion is to allow both administration and the union leaders as a whole to ask a couple of questions publicly while the candidate is at the podium. This way all questions are transparent. The board members I have called SO FAR (Mr. Parker and Mrs. Pratt) have agreed. I fully intend to finish the calls before inviting anyone to do so.

I have made it clear to everyone that private meetings aren't MY decisions to make.

At this time I invite all board members to respond to provide their thoughts.

Deb

As you can tell, there are decisions being made in private that should be made at the Board table. Last time we went through this process we hired a consultant. Although she was not my first choice, she did help move the process along in a professional and proactive way. This time we did not hire a consultant, at least not someone to guide the entire process. Because of that, we have been stumbling and fumbling the entire time.

Another concern is that the Board is working with the Union, circumventing the administration and giving the Union preferential treatment. Since the e-mail between J. Pratt and Doug Norton came out last summer during the recall effort, you have been voicing concerns about how intimate the Union and Board are. My guess is that some of the Board members are very involved with Union leadership. In fact, Doug Norton was appointed to the Board Personnel Sub-Committee. His wife serves as a MEA Union leader in the area. His appointment is a clear conflict of interest.

Also, it appears Jay McDowell feels comfortable enough to send J. Pratt multiple e-mails with scathing feedback about the Superintendent Candidates. Out of respect for our candidates, you will not find posted here any of the comments. Rest assured, the Union in Howell is strong and ready to take on any Superintendent who comes here.

Yesterday there was a move by Ms. Drick to give the Union a private audience with the two finalist candidates. While she denies it, there was enough of a concern on the part of Lynn Parrish to proactively express her reservations about the idea in an email to the Board.

Ms. Drick sent me a long exchange between her and Mr. McDowell dating back to Feb. 16th. There are huge gaps in the e-mail strain, but from what she provided, it seems there has been an ongoing conversation between them. The email resulted in more questions than answers. While Jay and I have enjoyed some spirited conversations, I can't imagine engaging in the kind of ongoing communication they are involved in.

This District has been through too much and our staff, parents, and students need stability and transparency. You are probably weary from the ongoing drama, but your district needs you. Please step up and demand better from this Board. You have been reading about a Strategic Plan and how important it is. Why haven't we started the process? Why do we not have Board goals?

I have serious reservations about hiring either of the candidates tonight. My reservations come not from them, but from this Board's ability to govern the district and oversee a Superintendent. When November rolls around, please get to know the candidates for School Board and vote!

The Great White Whale

2010-01-09T11:28:00.001-05:00

Driving home last night I glanced over and saw Parker High School, the great white whale of Howell. The question remains, what are we going to do with that building??

There have been two groups of community members who have tried to figure out the answer to this question. With all the great work they have done, at the end of the day it all comes down to kids. Listening to what you all have to say, along with the multiple plans floating around, it seems we are at a crossroads. There are two feasible plans out there and I want to hear your feedback on them.

The first plan is to make Parker a University Center . This would take Parker and rent it out to colleges so that folks in this area can take college classes here in Livingston County from a variety of providers. It would utilize the bulding, and if we have the right contracts going in, could make the district some money. With a $4-5 million hole in the budget next year, any extra income is going to be a welcome sight.

There are a few challenges with this plan. First, I am not sure how many colleges are looking to expand. They are losing funding too and we already have several colleges and schools within 45 miles of Howell. The second problem is that Parker was built with your money and it was built for kids. All along the Board has said that their preference is to use it for kids if at all possible. This plan would take that option off the table for the most part. No university or college is going to be willing to make a significant commitment to Howell without a long term contract.

The second plan is one that would put kids in Parker High School . We have an aging elementary on the East side of town, Latson, that is about to have a major interchange built literally a stone’s throw away. We have another older building downtown, SE that has awkward traffic flow. Both of these schools could be relocated to Three Fires Middle School with no redistricting. Redistricting is something parents strongly resist. Then Three Fire students could be moved out to Parker, again without redistricting.

This would accomplish a few different things. First, it would close two of our oldest elementaries and give the kids a nice new space to learn in. Second, it would move small children away from a busy interchange and all the retail space that is expected to be developed in that area. Third, it would save the district money. Finally, and most importatntly, it would use Parker for what you intended, Howell students. No, it wouldn't be a high school, but this is the next best thing.

There is a rumor that LCC may even be interested in leasing Latson, which would bring in revenue to the district. It seems like having the option to lease out Latson, which would be in a prime location right off the freeway would be more advantageous thanleasing out Parker which is expensive and off the beaten path a bit.

So these are the two current plans being floated. I need your input. What do you think? You can post here or send me an e-mail wjdayhome@sbcglobal.net

Do you have any other ideas we haven't though of? Please keep in mind we have no extra money and need to bring in extraincome if possible.

Thanks for your input!

Race to the Top

2010-01-05T08:42:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow night the Howell School Board will be voting on a resolution to support the State's effort to apply for funding from the Race to the Top grant program. This grant program was introduced by President Obama and represents a expansion of the Federal intrusion into education started by President Bush through No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

The K-12 education budget in Michigan counted on the Federal Government for about one percent of its budget just 10 years ago. In the last ten years, the funding has grown to account for 10% of the Michigan education budget, or $1.3 billion. Most teachers detest NCLB and it has not proven itself to be the magic bullet for student success that was promised.

Race to the Top (RTTT) is just another catchy name with money attached. Only this time there are even more implications for education. While the Governor will sign into law today some good education reforms, you have to wonder why those reforms couldn't come outside of a promise for more Federal money. If the reforms are good, they are good. If they are needed, then make them.

These reforms are not part of Race to the Top, they just pave the way to apply for the grant.

What concerns most folks who are paying attention to Race to the Top are the "international benchmarks" that are talked about in the grant. In order to receive the money, which would be about $140,000 for Howell, we have to agree to align our curriculum with international benchmarks. The only problem is that these benchmarks are not developed yet. They are being developed, supposedly, by a consortium of groups. Here is a link to their website: Core Standards Website . In their report the National Governor's Association, part of the consortium, develops a great case against the current American way of doing school. Unfortunately, their core solution is using International Benchmarks. Again, these benchmarks do not currently exist; but to go after RTTT funding, we must sign on to them.

Other states, including Florida, are using things like the United Nations International Baccalaureate (IB) program as a model for the curriculum and looking to the United Nations for further guidance of what is to come. The International Baccalaureate program has a very sophisticated name, and may have some merit in terms of curriculum intensity. But they also supported the Earth Charter, which is an unsophisticated attempt to sell world-wide socialism. Here is what the IB has to say about the charges that they are pushing a socialist agenda: IB RESPONSE. Here is what a watchdog group has to say about IB:EDWATCH.. Another issue with IB is the cost. It is terribly expensive to implement IB. With only $140,000 to gain, the price for the unknown is just too high.

Education is a State and local issue. It was never suppose to be a Federal issue; and certainly isn't an International issue. So what do we need to fix our education system? What America has always relied on to improve our standard of living- competition. If we embrace competition in our educations system, many of our problems will disappear as failing schools disappear.

In these economic challenging times, it is going to be hard to turn down $140,000. But not doing so would be pennywise and pound foolish. We can’t afford more Federal intrusion. We can’t afford International Standards that are not even defined yet. We can’t afford a curriculum heavily influenced by the United Nations. For these reasons, I will be voting NO tomorrow night. If you have input or feedback, please e-mail me atwjdayhome@sbcglobal.net. I look forward to hearing from you.

Throw Out the Textbooks!

2009-12-14T06:37:00.000-05:00

Throw out the textbooks. There is no need to read the Declaration of Independence or U.S. Constitution. No need to read about the Greatest Generation or Founding Fathers. No need to learn about America tearing herself apart and putting herself back together again to right the wrongs of slavery and segregation. Nope.

In fact, there is finally a book, and now movie, that gives the honest social progressive view of American history. The People Speak is a documentary to prove just how sexist, racist, and elitist America is.

Howard Zinn wrote A People's History of the United States and now brings us The People Speak. He is portrayed as a revolutionary, except that now most standard textbooks mirror his view of American history. The History Channel is showing The People Speak; and it may be coming to a classroom near you. The movie is social progressiveness at its best. There is a stream of Hollywood faces, including producer Matt Damon.

Here is one example from the movie:

"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" was originally "Life, Liberty , and Property." According to Howard Zinn, the "Property" label proves the Founding Fathers were elitists. He claims that the Constitution was designed so that slave owners could run the country; also that the Bill of Rights was only added after protest, against the original intent of the Founding Fathers.

The reality is that "Property" was changed to "Pursuit of Happiness" because the Founding Fathers didn't want further the cause of slavery by giving more credence to the terrible institution. The Founding Fathers originally wanted to include the term "Property" because without the right to own property, people cannot be free.

Do we need to hear voices of dissension to honestly look at our Nation's history? Yes. But the history so many of our children are learning is almost entirely voices of dissention. What has fallen out of fashion is teaching about the good in our history, the heroes.

Howard Zinn tries to bring down the American heroes and undermine the greatness of our country. Yes, America is flawed- because people are flawed. But I, like so many of you, believe that America is great. America has always held the promise of liberty. That is why so many fight to come here.

What frightens me most about this one-sided negative view of America being taught as truth and beauty is that if we give up the will to fight for our country, we will surely fail. If we feel like offering apologies is more appropriate than fighting for freedom, we will fail. And if we believe this view of American history, we are more likely to land on the side of apology.

What kind of stories would have been in this book if written 100 years from now?

1. Cindy Sheehan, just a mom who wanted to stop an "unjust" war.

2. Nidal Malik Hasan,the misunderstood Muslim who shot 13-people in Fort Hood , TX .

3. Dr. Tiller, the great fighter for women's rights, unless of course you are a baby girl.

Actually, lots of the dissenters he would have written about are now part of the status quo; and those who are fighting against the system are those who actually love this country. Wonder what he would do with this reality? I imagine he wouldn't be so quick to write about those who love liberty and attend tea party rallies. He would probably wait five years, for the socialist policies to show their inability to provide "social justice" and then write about how it was racism, sexism and the rest of the "isms" that prevented Eden from taking root.

Bottom line- ask your child's teachers and your local school boards about this film. Will they be showing it? Will they be showing some counter story, like the HBO miniseries John Adams? This will be a good litmus test for the condition of our education systems and its treatment of the history of our great nation. Will your school pass the test?

An Open Letter to Michigan Teachers

2009-11-26T08:17:00.000-05:00

Dear Teachers:

Thank you for wanting to teach kids everyday despite all the challenges you face. Thank you for really caring about the kids and trying to make sure each one of them loves to learn. Thank you for working in a system that is broken, despite your best efforts. It isn't your fault.

I know there is low morale among teachers. But apparently it has little to do with raises. Actually, it does deal with raises but not in the way the some would like us to believe. For three years I have been sitting behind the board table and listening to what your union leadership has to say. I have also been talking to individual teachers from across the state that listening closely. What individual teachers have to say is much different then what the union is claiming to be true.

Most teachers understand how bad the economy is and are grateful to have a job. They wouldn't dream of demanding raises in this economy. But the union is beating its chest and demanding raises for everyone, even as the private sector takes more pay cuts and more people become unemployed. What you have told me is that raises are not going to make you love your job more- but there are some things that can be done.

School Boards are generally pretty wimpy when it comes to the union, which you know. So they give in to raises and then have to lay off teachers, which makes your job harder, not easier, because of increased class size. For most of you, it isn't worth the additional $200 a month you might get with a raise.

In fact, money has never been a complaint when I talk to teachers. You do have concerns, like class size and parents who won't raise their own kids and don't believe you when you report that little Johnny isn't behaving. But these are not even at the top of the list.

The top of the list of things that are contributing to low morale and frustration are the MEAP and No Child Left Behind. Both of these tie your hands when it comes to teaching and prevent you from being creative in the classroom. They place stress on you and the students and drive much of what you do in the classroom.

And they are not working. While there may incremental improvements, the measuring stick is far from perfect. I had no idea the MEAP was rewritten every year. What a stupid waste of money. And how can you compare year to year if the test is rewritten and cut scores change all the time?

NCLB is a typical Washington bureaucratic mess that was meant to bring accountability to our schools but has instead caused a paperwork nightmare and not had the positive impact it was intended to have.

So it isn't money. The union has to know this. If they know this, then why are they always asking for raises and demanding to keep MESSA (which they are making a fortune off of and have $500 million in savings)? That plan is good for them. If they were looking out for teachers, it seems they would be having very different discussions.

In fact, after some research it seems there are some other options to improving your work environment; but I need your help to complete the plan. You know how money is being spent and probably have some creative, fantastic ideas that could be implemented so save money. To do this, we are going to need to find a lot of savings. Okay, here it goes:

1. Opt out, as a state, of No Child Left Behind. Utah did it and so could we.

2. Get rid of the MEAP and go to the Iowa or SAT. That would save money and provide a much more consistent view of how kids are doing.

3. Truly return curriculum selection to the local district. If one district wants to have a social progressive slant in their curriculum, let the local community decide. If a district wants to focus on a more traditional or even classical approach, that is fine too. That would allow districts to build identities and give parents more choice about their child's education.

Opting out of NCLB would cost the state $1.3 billion. That is a lot of money, I know. But there are some ways to recover the costs right away.

1. Change all teachers to the state employee health benefits. The benefits are really good and much cheaper then MESSA. That could take care of $500 million if estimates are correct.

2. Consolidate all non-teaching functions at a county level. You can keep local school boards, but centralize payroll, accounting, HR and busing. That would save money.

3. Move the state to more of an open-source curriculum. Texas is doing it and it would save a fortune on text books. There is plenty of free resources out there.

4. Move all new teachers into a Defined Contribution plan- and let current teachers opt in. The reality is that there is no real guarantee that you will get all of your promised health benefits and pension-at least if GM and Ford are any measuring stick. You should have the choice to take your future into your own hands, especially if you are a young teacher.

If class size, NCLB and the MEAP are leading to low moral, let's fix it. Your union isn't helping. It is going to be up to you. Please send me your ideas about other ways to cut costs and back fill that $1.3 billion.

About the parents, not all the parents who are "trouble makers" mean to be. They are passionate about their kids and feel like they have no say over the education of their kids. They are told, when they bring forward a concern, that they are the only ones complaining and that they don't' know what they are talking about.

Please listen to these parents. The ones I know are willing to be your best defender if they feel like they are being listened to and taken seriously. Not sure what to say about the parents who really do want you to parent their child. That is a problem for another day.

Please send me your feedback and ideas wjdayhome@sbcglobal.net. I will keep your information confidential and look forward to hearing from you!

Wendy

No New Taxes!

2009-11-09T19:22:00.000-05:00

For the past week or so I have been getting regular e-mails from the Michigan Education Association and the Michigan Association of School Boards asking us to come to Lansing tomorrow and pressure legislators to raise your taxes.

I will be there.

But I won't be working with them; I will be there representing you! You can join me in Lansing or join us for the Telephone Tea Party! You can call your legislator tomorrow between 9:30 am - 1:30 pm and let them know you don't want your taxes raised.

You already pay enough taxes. Many of you have taken pay cuts just to keep your job or have lost your job. Meanwhile, Howell teachers, at least 2/3 of them, got 6% raises this year. Times are tight and there is no magic money tree in Lansing.

It is time the MEA, MASA, MASB and others join those of us who are living in the reality of this terrible economy. You are bound to hear teachers start to talk about how much they need a raise. Here are some facts about education in Michigan:

Myth: Michigan teachers are not paid a fair wage.

Fact: Michigan pays teachers $5,713 more than the national average – the nation’s seventh highest – even though Michigan has fallen to 27^th place in per capita personal income. (U.S. Census Bureau figures)

Myth: Michigan public sector employees have benefits that are in line with private sector benefits, including health care.

Fact: Michigan’s state and local governments to provide employee benefits whose annual cost exceeds private sector averages by $5.7 billion. (Mackinac Center) The average Michigan state employee receives a salary and benefits package worth nearly $75,000. The comparable figure for private sector workers is approximately $58,000. (2006 figures from the Mackinac Center)

Myth: Teachers are overworked and underpaid.

Fact: Teachers work 2/3 of the year. They are required to be in school about 7 hours a day, including a prep time and lunch. They are paid more than many other professions who work all year long, including accountants, nurses and chemists. They also make more per hour than police officers, computer programmers, and office managers. (salary.com)

Myth: If the schools don't receive more money, children will suffer.

Fact: They only way children will suffer is if teachers stop doing their job in protest during contract negotiations. The MEA is demanding raises for their members, even as many of you are taking pay cuts just to keep your job. If teachers illegally strike, or take out their frustration on students, then students will suffer. Districts are going to have to make some tough choices and look at things like privatization, consolidation of services and cutting services outside the scope of the mission of public education.

Governor Granholm is no treat!

2009-10-27T10:34:00.000-04:00

We are in an epic battle between the political establishment (including the unions) and hardworking families who are sick of the way government spends money and are not willing to give them any more. But that is exactly what Granholm is asking us to do.

In a brilliant move by the Governor, many of the richest districts in the state are on the ropes. She cut their 20J funding, a long-standing incentive put in place to entice them to sign on to Prop A, and they are not happy about it. She is targeting these districts in hopes of putting pressure on Legislators like Senator Mike Bishop, who now has to choose between doing what may be best for districts in his hometown, or what is best for the state.

Here is what the Wall Street Journal is saying about Gov. Granholm:

In 2007 Governor Jennifer Granholm signed the biggest tax increase in Michigan history, with most of the $1.4 billion coming from business. The personal income tax—which hits nonincorporated small businesses—was raised to 4.2% from 3.95%, and the Michigan business tax levied a surcharge of 22%. The tax money was dedicated to the likes of education, public works, job retraining and corporate subsidies. Ms. Granholm and her union allies called these "investments," and the exercise was widely applauded as a prototype of "progressive" budgeting.

Districts knew six months ago there were going to be drastic cuts. They knew this even as they gave the teachers raises and refused to privatize. There is no excuse for raising taxes on citizens so we can reward bad behavior.

The Governor is holding kids hostage. The Michigan Education Association is in bed with Michigan Association of School Boards and the Michigan Association of School Administrators. Insiders report that they are sure we are going to meet their ransom demands and approve tax increases. So, while you struggle to put food on the table, they are betting you will pay the ransom and keep the broken system going.

The problem is we already know that next year schools will face a cut of at least another $500 per student. Real reform won't happen until schools run out of other options. Call their bluff. Don't pay the ransom and let's just take down those trying to steal even more money from the taxpayers. We can't afford Granholm, we can't afford the MEA. Contact your Legislators and let them know you won't support any new taxes or revenue enhancements. Enough is Enough!

MEA, MASA & MASB Not Looking Out for Kids!

2009-10-11T21:04:00.000-04:00

Last week the Legislature was presented with a $218 per pupil reduction in funding for the K-12 budget. The Senate passed the budget, but the House couldn't pull it together to do the right thing. In fact, not even the Republicans could stand strong and be counted as voting responsibly. Only two legislators voted yes on the budget.

This would have been a hard hit to the budgets of most school districts. But it was also the responsible thing to do.

While many said that $218 was just too much of a cut, it is actually only 3% of the K-12 budget. Most of you in the private sector have seen pay cuts in the neighborhood of 10%, and are thankful you still have a job.

The truth is, it shouldn't have been a shock to anyone that the cut was coming. The State regularly holds Revenue Conferences to track tax income vs. expenditures. Reportedly, it has been an ugly forecast all year.

Howell was prepared for this cut. Rick Terres, who takes care of our budget, has been telling us for months to expect this kind of reduction. The money just isn't there to support the bloated budget of public education any more.

Because they didn't do the right thing last week, they did the wrong thing just a few nights ago. At first glance, it looked like a pretty good compromise. There were no tax increases, we wouldn't use all the stimulus dollars next year (instead of spreading it out over the next two years) and it would only result in a $165 cut per pupil. Sounds good, right?

That is what I thought. Then I started looking at the actual plan and talking with some education insiders. The picture is actually much more bleak.

Here are my predictions:

1. At the December Revenue Conference we will hear that revenue isn't what it was suppose to be. That is in part because they are counting on capping movie credits to bring in some cash, but as I have been saying, the movie folks will just move on when there is no credit to be had.

2. The Legislature will move to use stimulus money to backfill the budget so that they don't have to impose a mid-year cut.

3. Next year, with no stimulus money and even less money in the coffers, schools will face a $500-700 cut per pupil.

4. Politicians will be "forced" to raise taxes through a graduated income tax, general income tax rate increase, or other taxes billed as "revenue enhancements".

5. Once again, hardworking Michigan families will be forced to give up even more of their money because government can't manage their own finances.

So why is this happening? Because the legislature has been bullied by the Michigan Education Association, Michigan Association of School Administrators and the Michigan Association of School Boards. Yup, all three of these groups were up in Lansing last week, twisting arms and taking names. Apparently irresponsible lobbying isn't just for teachers' unions anymore.

The reality is that these groups know what is coming and they don't care. They are confident that when schools face the huge funding cut coming, you will support tax increases. They may be right. We will have to do something, and our choices are limited.

1. Lansing could raise taxes as explained above.
2. Lansing could reform health insurance and retirement to reduce costs.
3. Lansing could force districts to consolidate- meaning county-wide districts and/or services.
4. Lansing could finally give parents a choice in education by issuing tax credits so that families can pick the school their kids go to. Competition will increase results and decrease costs.

The most likely outcome is either option number one or three. The folks in Lansing give in to the school yard bullies much too easily. We need to encourage them to stand up to the unions and put kids first. Like most bullies, these unions are not as powerful as they like to think and many Michigan voters are growing weary of the whining.

Every district should be bracing for some very hard times ahead. Every taxpayer should be calling Lansing and demanding responsible leadership. We must Make Lansing Listen!

What's going on.....

2009-09-03T21:42:00.001-04:00

You have sent me several emails about concerns you have. I would like to address them:

1. Howell Schools has taken the official position that it will not air the President Obama speech during the first day of school. The day will be busy enough for students and if you want to watch the speech with your kids at home, it will be available on YouTube. Teachers may choose to defy that directive; and if they do, please let them and their Principal know how you feel about it. Here is some information about the issue: Obama Speech

2. There are rumors floating around that I plan to resign. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am here to serve and represent you and have no plans to resign. Many of you have asked if I am running for reelection and I am considering it. In September I will be out of the state off and on and will miss the Board meetings. But I hope to see you in October!

3. There has been much discussion about how to move the district forward. You have told me, and I agree, that the Board is charged with finding a Superintendent and should not pass that responsibility off on Ms. Parrish. It is our job to find a good candidate and then work with that person. As a board, we have some work to do to make sure we can communicate effectively with a Superintendent and help lead the district. We only have three main jobs, and this is one of them. We need to start searching for someone right after the first of the year.

As your kids begin the school year, please remember that you are their best advocate. You know your child better than anyone else. You love them more than anyone else. If something isn't going right, let the school know. Be brave and firm about voicing your concerns. Most teachers do want to help your child and will listen. If they don't, put it in writing and talk to their supervisor.

I am honored to be serving you on the Howell School Board. While it has been a long road, it is because of you that I am still here. Please let me know if you have any concerns or ideas for improving HPS. Have a great weekend!

MEA Math 2 + 2 = 5

2009-08-23T05:30:00.000-04:00

The MEA Voice recently featured Howell in an article about the evils of privatization. The article claimed that privatization costs more than we were spending before we privatized. Our district responded to the MEA claims in the local paper.

The MEA Voice article states the Howell district increased its overall maintenance bill by $359,231 during the 2007-2008 school year.

While you may find that figure quite surprising, it shouldn't be surprising to find out that the MEA is lying. Here is how they defend their article:

However, MEA spokeswoman Kerry Birmingham said the union's article gave a true representation by looking at the district's overall maintenance spending. She said the figures cited were reported by Howell Public Schools to the state.

"We have to look at the whole picture," Birmingham said. "They told the public this would save money. The fact that the district decided to build a high school that they can't afford doesn't change the fact that they are spending more on their operations than they were before privatization."

Um.... so we are to believe that comparing the entire maintenance budget to what we use to spend on custodians cleaning is an accurate represenation of the numbers? No wonder so many of our students can't do math. But this is just the usual MEA "ends justify the means" shenanigans.

Meanwhile, Howell school officials claim statistics will show custodial privatization allowed the district to save about $500,000 during the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Parrish said there were several one-time costs associated with the privatization during the prior academic year, including insurance extensions and pension packages the district provided its laid-off custodians.

At the MEA Bargaining conference last Winter, the MEA talked a lot about how important it was for all the unions to begin working closely together. Their brick wall around our schools is starting to crack as taxpayers and parents step up and ask good questions. To fortify that wall against privatization and transparency, they are circling the wagons.

Here is Jay McDowell, Howell Education Association Representative's, response:

"It is important that these numbers are made available," he said. "Taxpayers have the right to know how their money is being spent."

Transparency is important and crucial to ensuring fiscal responsibility. However, the MEA seems to only be in favor of transparency when they can spin the numbers. It is disingenuous of the MEA to lie about the numbers to further their agenda.

If you are frustrated by the MEA using Howell to bully other districts into not privatizing, please contact the MEA and let them know. You can contact Iris Salters, MEA President by phone at:517/332-6551 Ext. 5509 or via e-mail at: isalters@mea.org.

Blast from the Past

2009-08-15T17:28:00.000-04:00

In the local paper tomorrow you are likely to read about Catherine Capy and her new book. She is apparently doing a book signing out at the Green Oak shopping center. Tomorrow's discussion is likely to dredge up discussion about racism, book burning and the controversy in Howell Schools.

Two years ago Ms. Capy used a book, Freedom Writers Diary, in her class without approval from the district. Some parents complained about the book and she was asked to stop using the text. The Board then started looking at some of the other texts that were being taught. A firestorm ensued.

You elected me to ask the tough questions. So when the district couldn't produce a list of approved books used in the classrooms, and the list that came home with the students had 30-titles listed and no other information, I was concerned. Parents told me, and the Board, that they wanted more information about the books their kids were being assigned. Unfortunately, after much discussion, controversy, accusations and debate, nothing changed. Parents still are under a "reader beware" advisement, as they will probably get no more information than a list of book titles that they are charged with reading to see if the content is appropriate for their child.

That isn't the story you are likely to hear in the paper or from Ms. Capy. I am sure that there will be talk of the supposed racism that drove the book complaints, but when I heard from parents about their concerns with the books, there was never any mention of racism. So why in the world would that even be an issue?

Howell has a terrible reputation for being racist. It is largely undeserved and based on some guy who lived north of town and was a member of the KKK. Because of this reputation, some folks are constantly trying to prove that we are not a racist community. They don't understand that you can't talk your way out of a situation you behaved your way into. That goes for people and communities. The best thing we could do is to stop dwelling on the past and be kind and respectful to everyone.

Unfortunately, the racism issue is a red herring put forth to mask the real issue, that HPS still doesn't have a scope and sequence. We still don't have a list of approved books and movies being used in the district. Why? Here is an e-mail from that time period that may shed some light on the issue:

This is from Power Politics & Money

From: McDowell, Johnson
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 9:57 AM
To: All HPS Teachers/Principals
Subject: Important message from the HEA Executive Committee

Howell Teachers,
We write this email in great dismay at the recent action by the Director of Curriculum to place a great burden on the already overworked teachers in this District. By now you may have received the recent email from Jeanne Farina regarding the logging and listing by teachers of supplemental materials used in their classroom. If you have not, it is quoted below. Not only does this possibly violate the contractual agreement to not force teachers into non-teaching duties, but it also places a great burden on teachers to perform the District’s work without any fair compensation.

As one elementary teacher wrote:

“If I were to include all materials, including teacher professional books containing worksheets, my classroom library, guided reading library, poetry, read alouds, biography library, videos, maps, posters and anything else I am forgetting, I would have to list close to 1000 items?! This is NOT an exaggeration! I have spent years building a curriculum that the district has failed to provide me-- and now I'm supposed to spend a weekend sending her a list? Perhaps I should send HPS a bill?”

At this time, the Union leadership suggests that you do not use the supplemental materials you have in your classroom until the District devises a plan that does not constitute a hardship for teachers and require teachers to perform non-teaching duties.

If these supplemental materials are those which you have personally purchased, it is suggested that you begin taking these materials home.

If you find that you simply cannot take these materials home because the District has not provided you with any other curriculum to teach, then please make this situation known by emailing Jeanne Farina and the members of the School Board. School Board member’s emails can be found on the District’s website.

If you have supplemental materials in your classroom that the District has purchased, we suggest that you not use them until the District has sent a representative to log and list these materials and have them approved by the Curriculum Council.

Yours in Solidarity,

HEA Executive Committee

Jeanne Farina’s email:

“At our recent principals’ meeting we discussed the need to identify all supplemental materials used by our teachers. Supplemental means – anything used with a group of students to enhance the approved core curriculum.

Please ask your teachers to list these resources on the attached grid. We will compile the lists by grade and subject. The information will be discussed and approved at the next K-12 curriculum meeting. We are compiling these lists for core subjects only, at this time. (E.g. Math, Science, Social Studies, and ELA)

Thank you in advance for your assistance.”

Where do we go from here?

2009-08-07T07:30:00.000-04:00

I have to be honest, like many of you I was feeling pretty defeated after the June 26th meeting. Not only because they fired Mr. Gardella in a kangaroo trial, but because I was truly ashamed and appalled at how he was treated during the meeting. Like you, I was also very upset that we spent $180,000 at the same time we are laying off teachers.

Since that day, many of you have come forward and started to demand better. Yes, there are a few who are quite happy with the firing and how it was done, but they are mostly Union leadership and Community Coalition members.

What example is this for kids? What lessons were learned?

1. Adults lie.
The firing of Ted Gardella had been talked about since March. The idea that the firing was spontaneous is a lie.

2. Money grows on trees.
Well, that isn't true but see #1. How do we spend $300k and have no Superintendent to run the district?

3. Teachers are not entitled to the same freedoms as everyone else, at least when the Union is telling them how to vote and whether or not they can sign recall petitions.

4. Adults don't always get along.
Actually, this is okay when there is respectful discourse. People should be able to agree to disagree. But when we disagree we shouldn't make it personal and we should remember we are accountable for our words.

5. Bullies sometimes win.
Someone claimed that Ted was a bully. Really bullies scare people into not talking. They scare people into cowering and going along to avoid confrontation. There is NO evidence of that in the district. In fact, everyone from teachers, Principals, Board members and parents felt quite comfortable letting Ted know exactly how they felt. On the other had, subtle bullying can be successful. Just push and push for your way and eventually some people will just give up and give in.

6. Just pretending it didn't happen might work to get you out of trouble.
Pretending something didn't happen doesn't it go away. You can't ignore the past. While we are not a prisoner to the past, we are a product of it and are accountable for it. There is forgiveness and healing, but only if people admit they were wrong. If they don't think they were wrong, then the public can respond accordingly.

Are these the lessons we want our kids to learn? We must demand better.

Being on the School Board is hard. It has been challenging and I have made mistakes. But I am learning and remain accountable to you, the people who elected me. Do I see a clear way for this district to move forward? Not really. But rest assured, all public school districts have problems. Some are just better at hiding them than others.

With the lack of true competition in our education system and the lack of educational choices in Howell, my best advice to parents is to be an advocate for your child. You know them better than anyone and love them more than anyone. According to God and to the Michigan Constitution, you are responsible for your child's education. Don't let the "experts" tell you otherwise.

Fox Guarding the Henhouse

2009-07-21T09:33:00.000-04:00

With contract negotiations coming up between the Howell Education Association and Howell Public Schools, it is very disconcerting that School Board leadership seems to be conspiring with the Union leadership behind the backs of the taxpayers.

Here is a string of e-mails between the Howell School Board President and retired union bully, Doug Norton:

From: "Jeannine Pratt" <[address removed for privacy] >
To: "Debbie" <[address removed for privacy] >
Subject: Fw: Having done the right thing
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:33:56 -0400

per Doug Norton... what should be said on this flyer?

__________

From: Doug Norton To: Jeannine Pratt
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2009 1:36 AM
Subject: Re: Having done the right thing

Oops sorry for the previous blank message. I am in need of a text for a flier to be handed out to hand to people telling them not to sign the petitions. You folks should probably approve/supply what you want said in it. Can you help?

__________

On Fri, Jul 17, 2009 at 1:31 AM,
Doug Norton <[address removed for privacy] > wrote:

__________

On Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 9:45 PM,
Jeannine Pratt <[address removed for privacy] > wrote:

There was a man who came up to their vehicle and introduced himself as Connie Quinn (male) and asked if they were attending the recall meeting. Jay said no and he walked away. You may want to have people at the Farmer's Market because I'm betting that's where they'll be trying to get petitions signed starting a week from this Sunday. That gives them July 19 and 26. You may want to check with the Chamber to see what they will and won't allow during the Farmer's Market. The post card is great! Thank you! Jeannine

_____________

From: [address removed for privacy]
To: Jeannine Pratt
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2009 8:48 PM
Subject: Re: Having done the right thing

Bummed we didn't have someone inside. I'll work on that. Very small turnout. We can put this down. Keep in touch please. Thinking we should shadow petitioners. Need inside info. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
__________

From: "Jeannine Pratt"
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2009 20:28:16 -0400
To: Doug Norton<[address removed for privacy] >
Subject: Re: Having done the right thing

My husband and Jay Drick sat in the parking lot and counted 16 people. They knew Vicki Fyke was one and figured out who Debbie McCormick was. Otherwise they didn't recognize anyone. Based on their description of one woman, I think it was Diane Cureton, who was a big LOVE member. Jessica Matthews from WHMI was there so we'll be able to get more from her. Jeannine
_________

From: Doug Norton
To: Jeannine Pratt
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2009 3:21 PM
Subject: Re: Having done the right thing

Salutations! If at all possible we need to find someone to attend the organizational meeting for recall tonight at 6:00pm at The Baymont Inn. We need as much info, as to what is being planned as possible. I have put ut feelers but have no conformation. Can you help? Thanks, Doug Norton

You can find more on these e-mails at www.whmi.com

Doug Norton isn't just a retired teacher, he is the wife of the Uniserv Director for the MEA that helps negotiate the contract on behalf of the teachers in Howell Public Schools. So while he is making deals with the School Board, his wife will be negotiating a very difficult contract.

Here's what many of you have told me you think is going on:

1. The Union wanted Ted gone and finally got the Board to fire him.

2. The Union is coming to the defense of those board members as a "Thank you".

3. When contract time comes around, the Union is going to expect their "Thank you" for working on the the recall.

4. The taxpayers and kids will be the losers in the education game once again.

A few more comments on the Union/Board relationship- Mrs. Pratt told a story about Ted rolling his eyes at an employee as an illustration of how badly he treated folks. That employee was Jay McDowell. I will not say any more about Jay except that after watching him work for three years, he is very capable of standing up for himself and has, at least on one occasion, allowed kids to get involved in Board politics. If you want to see them, I have those e-mails too.

If you want to sign a recall petition or circulate them, please go to www.forhowellkids.com. Take your schools back! Enough is enough.

Responsible Government

2009-07-03T08:19:00.000-04:00

School Boards and other local elected positions are often taken for granted as being somewhat unimportant. Voter turn out is low and folks don't usually pay attention to what is happening. That is a mistake.

As we are learning, school boards and other local units of government can have a huge impact on our communities. These positions are also the training ground for elected officials who may want to run for higher office at some point. It is no wonder that if they are not held accountable in the "little" things, they will not expect to be held accountable in the big things.

Your decision to send me to serve on the school board is still an amazing honor for me. It has been more demanding and character building than I ever could have imagined.

Here is what you have allowed me to learn:

1. Elected officials need to stick to their values.

2. If you want to be popular, don't run for public office and say what you actually think.

3. Every elected official needs to be held accountable.

4. If every elected official would govern like they are not running for re-election, they may make better decisions.

5. Being on a school board is about the kids. Every decision should be preceded with the question, "Is this good for kids?"

Being a public servant is a great responsibility. Some of you have been disappointed in me at on point or another. Others of you have sent me great notes of encouragement. Overall, I hope that I have failed forward and shown consistency of character.

But this isn't about me. It is about you. You are paying attention. You are demanding better from your elected officials. Our freedom will not slip away if folks like you continue to demand good and limited government. Our liberty is not lost if you exercise your right to vote and demand a redress of grievances. Thank you!

Please continue to e-mail me and call me. I appreciate the feedback, both good and bad. I need you to hold my feet to the fire when I stray away from what is best for kids. Happy Independence Day!

Great Video!

2009-07-02T14:38:00.000-04:00

Three Cheers for HPS!

2009-06-23T21:17:00.000-04:00

There are some great reasons to celebrate Howell Public Schools. First, our High School made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) from the State Department of Education for the first time in three years. This is an amazing accomplishment that can be credited to our Superintendent, administration and teachers. They worked hard to collaborate and implement important changes to how we approach the MEAP test. If we would not have made AYP, there could have been some significant consequences for us as a District.

If you read the paper today, you probably saw the stories about Brighton and Hartland being $6-7 million in the hole for next year. We are going into the new fiscal year with a balanced budget, after reducing our spending by $2.5 million. Diligence on the part of our administration and concessions by many of our bargaining groups have put us in a better financial situation than some of our neighbors and many of the districts in the state.

We voted not to raise your property taxes. We are responsible for our spending and for building Parker HS. If we come up short in paying back the bonds, then it is up to us to find a solution. I will not vote to raise your taxes.

There are some other good things happening. Check out the story on WHMI and see just what good Mr. Gardella has done in the year he has been here.

Raising Property Taxes

2009-06-18T08:55:00.000-04:00

With all the shenanigans of the past two weeks, including an effort to force out the Superintendent, this slipped by me.

From Press & Argus this morning:

Howell schools planning to hike property taxes

Howell Public Schools plans to raise property taxes for the upcoming fiscal year in order to mend a drop in property values and pay its debts.

The increase, which would generate a little more than $500,000 for the district's debt fund, applies to all non-tax-exempt properties, said Richard Terres, associate superintendent for business.
He said the increase from 6.56 mills to 6.76 mills is needed because of a 3 percent drop in overall property values.

"This is the first (time) that I can remember seeing a decrease in the tax base like this in Howell," Terres said.

Monday, the district will host a public hearing on the issue during the regular meeting of the Howell Public Schools Board of Education.
Terres said the district is allowed to levy as much as necessary to pay its debt each fiscal year under bond issues voters passed in the 1990s and as recent as 2003.
Read more.

Some of you have lost jobs. Some of you are facing foreclosure or just trying to scrap by. The last thing we need to do is raise your property taxes. I will not vote to raise your property taxes.

Time for a County-Wide School District?

2009-06-03T13:32:00.000-04:00

Most of you are local-government kind of people. You realize that the closer government is to us, the more say we can have in how it operates. That is why contemplating the question of county-wide school districts has been an interesting proposition.

After looking at our county and all the changes that are going on, it seems like the perfect time for Livingston to become the first county-wide district. While this goes against local government philosophy, we don’t really have that much say in our districts anyway.

Most of the curriculum is decided at the State level via the MEAP. The MEA, a state-wide union, strong arms districts into submission by electing school board members who will vote for their interests or by threatening action if the districts don’t cooperate. With all the increased Federal and State involvement, there are laws that cover most everything else.

Yes, school boards are charged with passing the budget. However, the State determines how much money we get and the union determines how much we spend, given 88% of our budget is wrapped up in personnel. We get to decide what to cut. Yes, we are charged with making policy, but much of that is governed by law and the Department of Education. Some of it isn’t but we are given “model” policies that we are (wink, wink) free to use if we want to.

So what are the advantages of having a county-wide school district?

Union contracts: We can work to find the best contracts and use those. Hartland has a pretty good teachers’ contract. Maybe all the teachers could use that one. Many contracts throughout the state are filled with draconian language that takes away management rights. This may be just the opportunity to find some balance.

Bussing: District-wide bussing would be much more efficient.

Administration costs: By having all the administrative work of the district done in one location, we could spend your tax dollars much more efficiently and expand programming.

Competition: Instead of competing in schools of choice, we can foster competition through magnet programs, specialty schools, and more options for kids. This could give parents some choice in where their kids go and there would be no need for hard feelings between communities.

These are just some initial thoughts on the idea. With K-12 education taking up almost 30% of the State budget, we can’t fix Michigan without changing this system. With all of our districts struggling to different degrees, now may be the perfect time to do something radical.

Let’s work together, putting kids first! What do you think?

Why are School Boards so Political?

2009-06-01T08:04:00.000-04:00

Some of you have asked me why school boards are so political. Shouldn't we just be focusing on what is right for the kids?

Yes. We should. However, in districts all over the country, school boards have become much more about the adults than about the kids. Here are some reasons why:

1. Unions. School Unions are powerful, well funded and politically influential. The American Federation of Teachers is one of the largest teacher unions in the country. They were featured on John Stossels' video Stupid in America, where they talked about the need for more funding for education and defended their protection of dangerous teachers. In looking at their Legislative Action Center, it is clear that they are concerned about promoting policy that helps them, whether or not it improves student learning. Here is the AFT mission statement:

The mission of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, is to improve the lives of our members and their families, to give voice to their legitimate professional, economic and social aspirations, to strengthen the institutions in which we work, to improve the quality of the services we provide, to bring together all members to assist and support one another and to promote democracy, human rights and freedom in our union, in our nation and throughout the world.

There is no mention of kids in that statement. No mention of academic learning or education.

The National Education Association is another one of the big teacher unions in the country. Their website is more kid focused, which is good. But if you look at what they do at their conventions, you get a better idea of where they want to go as an organization. Here are some of the resolutions they passed at their 2008 conference:

C-23. Comprehensive School Health, Social and Psychological Programs and Services. The National Education Association believes that every child should have direct and confidential access to comprehensive health, social, and psychological programs and services. The Association believes that programs in the schools should provide —
A planned, sequential health education curriculum for pre-K through adult education that integrates various health topics (such as drug abuse, the dangers of performance enhancing dietary herbal supplements, violence, safety issues, universal precautions, and HIV education)
Counseling programs that provide developmental guidance and broad-based interventions and referrals
Comprehensive school-based, community-funded student health care clinics that provide physical and mental health, and basic health care services (which may include diagnosis and treatment)
If deemed appropriate by local choice, family-planning counseling and access to birth control methods with instruction in their use.

D-21. Competency Testing of Licensed Teachers. The National Education Association believes that competency testing must not be used as a condition of employment, license retention, evaluation, placement, ranking, or promotion of licensed teachers.

H-7. National Health Care Policy. The National Education Association believes that affordable, comprehensive health care, including prescription drug coverage, is the right of every resident. The Association supports the adoption of a single-payer health care plan for all residents of the United States, its territories, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

H-11. Statehood for the District of Columbia. The Association supports efforts to achieve statehood for the District of Columbia.

I-1. Peace and International Relations. The Association urges all nations to develop treaties and disarmament agreements that reduce the possibility of war. The Association also believes that such treaties and agreements should prevent the placement of weapons in outer space. The Association believes that the United Nations furthers world peace and promotes the rights of all people by preventing war, racism, and genocide.

I-2. International Court of Justice. The Association urges participation by the United States in deliberations before the court.

I-3. International Criminal Court. The Association believes that the United States should ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and recognize and support its authority and jurisdiction.

I-8. Global Climate Change. The Association believes that humans must take steps to change activities that contribute to global climate change.

I-11. Human Rights. The National Education Association believes that the governments of all nations must respect and protect equal access to education as embodied in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

I-15. Family Planning. The National Education Association supports family planning, including the right to reproductive freedom. The Association also urges the implementation of community-operated, school-based family planning clinics that will provide intensive counseling by trained personnel.

You may agree with all of these resolutions, but is this what a teacher union should be focusing on? Very few of their resolutions had anything to do with academic test scores and learning.

School unions are not here for the kids. In fact, some might argue they aren't here for most of the teachers either. Some claim that they are here just for themselves and their political agenda.

2. Local Politics- In Howell we have facilities that are utilized by several organizations in the community. The Chamber, City Council, youth sports groups, and many others have a vested interest in access to HPS buildings and land. Most communities have similar partnerships with local organizations.

The schools belong to the community, that is true. But working out contracts that are fair and navigating the waters of the community leadership, politics, and history can be difficult. Again, this is about adults most of the time, not about kids.

3. Money- HPS has a budget of over $67 million. The K-12 budget for Michigan is about 1/3 of the entire State budget. There is a lot of money tied up in education. Most of that money goes to personnel. We need good staff- that is for sure. But sometimes it seems that while the adults are arguing over money, the kids get left behind.

4. Government intrusion- The more government gets into the business of education, the worse our schools seem to do. K-12 education has become a political football; not only the funding of the program, but curriculum decisions as well. If you do some research you will find that as the Federal Department of Education has grown, test scores across America have gone down.

5. Political Agendas- Even I was shocked when I was looking online at Michigan Virtual High School Courses for my son to take and found this description for Biology:

It’s never been more important to have a basic understanding of biology. As an adult, you may be asked to decide important issues at the ballot box, such as wetland preservation and stem cell research. To make informed decisions, you’ll need to know the science behind these issues. In Biology 1A, you’ll study the chemistry of living things, the structure of cells, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, the principles of genetics and more. While you won't become an expert in any of these areas of study, you’ll learn the basics and be prepared to take more science courses, and have the knowledge to be a good citizen.

When did high school biology become tied to politics?

All of these issues make School Boards a very tough place to sit. What can we do to make sure that the main thing stays the main thing?

1. Understand the purpose of education. That seems to be a fundamental battle between adults. Are we to focus on academics? Are we to educate the "whole" child? Are schools to be surrogate parents for parents who are not doing their job? Are we to provide health care to kids? What is our purpose?

2. Give parents choices. A unionized monopoly will not change. Only through competition can we begin to focus on the kids. They, along with their parents, are the consumers. With so few choices, they don't know what they could be missing. The more competition there is, the better education will become.

3. Always ask, "Is it good for kids?"

There is no doubt that with the hearts and minds of our future, along with a huge price tag, schools are very political. School Boards are trying to balance the demands of government regulations, parent expectations, union obligations and community utilization. In the middle of this are the kids. We need to make sure they don't get lost in the midst of all the adult issues.

Budget Issues

2009-05-17T06:54:00.001-04:00

Monday night we will be making some tough decisions regarding the budget for next year. Here is some information for you:

1. We did get a 4% MESSA insurance rate reduction. MESSA is the Union run insurance company that has historically cost more than other insurance companies, but is fought for by the union because the MEA receives marketing money from MESSA and the third organization in their group receives administrative payments. That is a lot of money floating around between these three organizations. For more information and to follow the money trail, check here.

One additional fact that is interesting is that while we received a 4% decrease in MESSA rates, Pinckney was hammered with a 7% increase. How can rates in neighboring districts vary so much? In fact, a quick informal survey of some of the districts around the state shows a variety of increases and decreases. Interestingly, the decreases were in districts were they are bargaining or about to bargain a new contract. The increases seem to be in districts where they are not bargaining. Maybe this is not accurate of the entire state. If anyone has more information on this, I would love to see it. If it is, it looks manipulative, at best, and possibly illegal, at worse.

2. Cuts- we are planning to make some tough budget cuts. While we don't want to cut staff, we are going to have to. Most of the people on the cut list have been there on and off for the past few years. It isn't personal and it isn't fun. But we have to have a budget that that is responsible. With that said, I would like to keep some of the teachers slated to be cut. We need to keep class size down, especially at the lower elementary. You have said this is important to you, and I agree.

We have asked lots of questions, looked at several choices for cutting the budget, and will be making our decisions tomorrow night. We are going to be talking about what is essential to the education of children. While we offer some good services outside the academic realm, our core responsibly is to educate students academically. You are the parents, it is your job (and you want the job) to help your children develop into responsible citizens who are well-adjusted. Our job is to teach them math, reading, history, science and the rest.

The budget at the State is ugly. We are all living with this economy and are probably not surprised by that. Next year could be even worse. With that said, we are going to need to cut and cut deep. I have heard the idea of zero-based budgeting being kicked around for the past year. I am all for it. This could give buildings more say in how money is spent. They would have to come up with a budget for their building that fit within a target range. Who better to decided what to spend on custodians, supplies, books, etc, than those working in the buildings? With privatized custodians, the teachers could decide to clean their own room and have extra money for copies or supplies.

3. Some good news- There are a lot of good things going on at the District. Because of the efforts of our administrative team, and others, students who wouldn't have graduated this year will because of the Credit Recovery Program.

We have had several students win awards, including Madeline Lemieux, a senior, was one of the winners for her film "Don't Take a Life". She won a very cool Oscar-like trophy and a $1,500 scholarship. Ya!

It was a great accomplishment, so please, be sure to congratulate her when you see her. Here is the link to her winning film: Don't Take a Life

Students were given a realistic portrayal of the costs of drunk driving during this multi-media presentation by Jeff Minock.

Our parents now can see exactly what is being taught by our schools in the area of Human Reproductive Health. While I know that many of you don't agree with the level of information being given to young children, at least you can now find out exactly what will be taught to your children and can make good decisions about opting out. A committee worked hard to bring this transparency in curriculum to the district. I am hopeful that there will be academic transparency in every area of our curriculum.

A wonderful group of people are also working to come up with ideas for using Parker. Meanwhile, Mr.Gardella has been very creative in offsetting costs of Parker with the movie and now television project.

Please let me know if you have feedback or input! dayw@howellschools.com

Arch Lewis Road Show

2009-04-27T11:48:00.000-04:00

Here is an update about an upcoming presentation in our area that you may find interesting:

Last Friday, April 24th, the Muskegon-based Education Action Group sent this memo to members of the Howell school board, in advance of Wednesday’s appearance by Arch Lewis, the Michigan Education Association’s so-called “financial analyst.”

Mr. Lewis has been making the rounds of the state, stopping in districts where teacher contract negotiations are ongoing. He focuses on districts where the school board wants to save scarce tax dollars, quite often by switching employee health insurance coverage.

Mr. Lewis’ review of school district books usually has the same result – he concludes that the district has mismanaged money in many other areas, so there’s no reason why the board should dump expensive MESSA insurance coverage for teachers and other employees.

The backstory of Mr. Lewis' presentation can be found in an MEA document called "Making Sure Affordability Doesn't Become the Issue." The document, which was given to MEA members at a recent conference, urges local leaders to focus on audits, and not budgets, as a means to justify increased spending on employee salary and benefits. The document gives particular attention to defending MESSA health insurance.

What Mr. Lewis fails to mention is that MESSA is an insurance carrier owned and operated by his employer, the MEA. He fails to mention that MESSA makes millions of dollars in excess earnings every year and shares the wealth with the MEA.

In the last two years, for example, MESSA has transferred nearly $10 million to the teachers union in the form of various “fees.”

So when cash-strapped school districts around the state - - like Grand Rapids, Cass City, Wayne-Westland, Charlevoix, Adrian, Caseville, Three Rivers, Muskegon, Bridgton and many others - consider dumping MESSA and saving hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars, the MEA springs into defiant action. Quite often its first major effort is to send in Mr. Lewis with his one-sided audit presentations.

“The union’s marching orders for Lewis are clear: Hoodwink the public into thinking its local school board is spending foolishly, so there will be no justification for school boards to address the issue of rising costs, particularly in the area of health insurance,” the EAG memo to the board said.

The memo also encourages board members to see through Lewis’ presentation and continue their efforts to curtail costs without gutting instructional or extra-curricular budgets.

“School board members around the state are gaining the courage to stand up to the MEA, despite Mr. Lewis’ creative brand of accounting. We hope you will join that group and let the MEA leadership know that you’re going to act responsibly with scarce tax dollars, whether they like it or not.”

We will be having a budget presentation for Howell at the Board meeting tonight- 7:30 Administration Building. Check www.howellschools.com for more information.

Face Book Fiasco

2009-04-03T12:55:00.001-04:00

It was brought to my attention by the administration that some students from our community joined a Face Book group that appeared to be racist in nature. Our administration took quick action to investigate and address the issue.

It seems there were some kids who posted on the site, not just from Howell. The site was something about the Rebel flag (uggg more flags:) The site was vague, misguided, and apparently joined by kids who didn't fully understand the implications of what they were doing.

While some may choose to paint these kids as racist, I hope that doesn't happen. To parade these kids around as proof that Howell is a racist community is self-serving and just plain false. I have lived here for 9 years and have not seen any more racism here than anywhere else.

The last thing we need is a "love in" or "teach in" or "reeducation" program for these kids. Their parents know what happened and will handle it. The district has done its job with swiftness and accuracy.

Now it is time to get back to academics.

Transparency & Fiscal Responsiblity

2009-03-14T07:58:00.000-04:00

So many of you have been concerned with the financial transparency that isn't often found in public schools and government in general. Howell Public Schools has taken a giant leap forward and shown its commitment to fiscal responsibility.

Not only can you find audio of the School Board meetings on the website, you can also view the entire financial report given to the Board and the check run. Click here to see financial reports, minutes, and to hear the meetings.

Congrats to the HPS administration in joining the few who are willing to open their books to public scrutiny. It is your money paying for these schools and you have the right to know where it is going.

In other news, the alternative HS is still being developed. Part of that program may contain online classes. We are currently looking at submitting a waiver to the MI Department of ED to allow all of our 6-12 students to take more than two classes online. That means parents would have more choices for their kids- and that is a good thing! On-line classes are not for every student, but that is a decision that should be made by students and their parents.

There are continuing discussions about the Curriculum process. While, there has been a Curriculum Council in place within the district, per the contract, it hasn't always worked very well. Unfortunately, that Council hasn't produced much more than textbook suggestions.

The administration has decentralized the process and is looking to develop a scope and sequence for all subjects and grades so that students will be learning the same thing across the district. So while the Curriculum Council isn't actively meeting right now, the district is developing curriculum, at the building level and with teacher input. I am confident that the process is being refined and the outcome will be clear, consistent curriculum.

Let me know what you think about these important issues!

Lansing Tea Party

2009-02-28T19:26:00.000-05:00

You may have heard about the Tea Party Rally that took place Friday in Lansing. There were over 250 people there to speak out against big government and unfettered spending. Just as you have to live within your means, so should government, including schools.

Howell will face a deficit this coming budget year thanks in part to the Howell Education Association contract that was approved last year. I voted "No" on that contract because so many of you were concerned we would end up right where we seem to be. That means tough cuts are coming to Howell again.

From what I have seen, this Board is committed to being fiscally responsible and not delaying tough decisions or looking to Lansing for our own budget bailout. That is good news for the taxpayers in Howell. You already pay more than your fair share in taxes and it is up to us to make sure every dollar is spent wisely.

If you want to see what happened on Friday in Lansing and learn how you can get involved in the New Patriot Revolution check out their website. New Patriot Revolution

Ferris Beuller's Day Off? Not even close.

2009-02-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

When we were approached by the movie company about having them film at Parker, there were three considerations: What educational opportunities would there be for kids? How much money could we make to put into our general fund? and, What was the movie going to be about?

The producer of the movie came to a Board meeting and told us the movie was like Ferris Beuller's Day Off. In fact, I specifically asked her if it wasn't more like Fast Times at Ridgemont High given the drug content and PG-13 rating. She said, "No, it is like Ferris Beuller's Day Off."

Our district made sure that no students were on the set during school hours when there was questionable content involved. Students who elected to be extras in the movie did so on their own. There were students from across the area involved in the movie. For Howell students at both the high school and middle school levels, there were opportunities to learn what movie making was about behind the scenes. They heard from casting directors, producers and others on the crew. It was an amazing opportunity for Howell kids.

According to the production company, they spent over $3 million dollars in our community. They brought a sense of excitement to the community and fostered collaboration between the City, Chamber and HPS. The movie created jobs in a time when they were desperately needed and pumped money into small businesses throughout the area. It was a good opportunity for Howell.

With that said, for those of you who have seen the trailer to High School, you were probably a little shocked. I turned off the volume on the trailer because my kids were sitting nearby.

What bothers me the most about this whole thing is not that they made the movie at Parker. It is actually that I am left wondering if our culture has slipped so far away from its roots that this movie really is considered the "Ferris Beuller" of 2009.

What does this say about our culture? What does this say about our tolerance for trashy content? We were told there was an overarching message in the movie that drugs are bad. I guess if you can see past the gyrating hips of the pot smoking girl in a negligee, maybe there could be.

As someone who voted to let this movie be made at Parker, I am in no way endorsing the content. For those of you who are deeply offended by the content of this movie, I am sorry. It is offensive. It is not Ferris Beuller's Day Off.

What do you think about the cultural issues? How far is too far? Is there a way for Americans to come together under the banner of common sense and start to pull the line in the sand back from the abyss? I look forward to hearing from you.

It's a Shell Game

2009-02-12T08:13:00.000-05:00

The MEA has a new proposal to help fix school funding problems. They would like to pay teachers who are eligible more to retire now instead of waiting a year or two. There are two issues with this.

1. We don't have a funding problem, we have a spending problem. Yes, times are tight, but we have to live within our means. I have heard from so many of you who are struggling to pay your bills, facing rolling layoffs, and having to cut back on spending. That is the reality and no one is exempt.

2. This plan could bankrupt the pension system or increase retirement costs for districts, offsetting any savings.

If the MEA was serious about retirement incentives and reform, they could offer to switch to a 401k system or a cafeteria style retirement plan option for their new members. But I haven't seen that discussed anywhere. The current proposal is short sighted and will not address the structural problems in the retirement system.

Here are two perspectives on the plan:

LANSING, Mich., January 28, 2009 – The Michigan Education Association and a bipartisan group of lawmakers today unveiled a plan to keep devastating school cuts from impacting Michigan classrooms.

The proposal for the School Employee Retirement Stimulus encourages public school employees who are eligible to retire to do so in the near future. The savings come when school districts are able to replace retiring teachers and staff with newer employees starting at a lower salary. The program would also open badly needed jobs for the next generation of dedicated school employees and keep young families here in Michigan.

If just 10 percent of employees already eligible for retirement take advantage, this stimulus would save more than $410 million next year, helping balance the projected shortfall in the School Aid Fund. Over the next decade, the plan would save schools more than $1.7 billion.

“These are tough financial times and everyone in Michigan is making sacrifices,” said MEA President Iris K. Salters. “The Michigan Education Association is proud to be part of a solution that saves schools money while investing in the education that will prepare students for the jobs Michigan needs.”

MEA’s support for this retirement stimulus hinges on keeping the savings in public education – filling the gap in school budgets and ensuring that there are not further cuts in programs to help prepare students for the changing workforce. Furthermore, these savings also must spur greater investment in programs that are proven to help students achieve.

For more click here: MEA

From the Kalamzoo Gazett

Unveiled Wednesday by the Michigan Education Association and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, the plan would boost pension benefits by about a third to encourage school employees to retire this year. A teacher with 30 years of service who earns $70,000 would see his or her pension set at $42,000 a year under the plan, compared to $31,500 under the normal formula. An estimated 90,000 school employees would qualify for the plan.

The MEA and the lawmakers say the plan could save school districts significant money by taking highly paid employees off the payroll and creating jobs for new teachers who would be paid much less.

But local officials and MASA conference participants say the savings would be more than offset by higher pension costs. School employees are in a statewide system funded by public school districts, who this year must contribute an amount equivalent to about 16.5 percent of their payroll. That rate already is expected to rise because of the lagging stock market and increasing health-care costs.

Boosting the pensions of potentially tens of thousands of retirees would put further stress on the pension system, some say.

"It would transfer the problem from one pocket to another, from the School Aid Fund to the retirement system," Biladeau said. "There are 62,000 teachers who would qualify for this, and if all they took it, it would cost $1.6 billion in additional pension benefits and another $800 million in health-care costs."

To read more click here: Kalamazoo Gazette

Parentlink

2009-02-07T19:34:00.000-05:00

For all of you who have been asking for more communication between you and the school, you are going to love Parentlink. Friday night 12,000 calls went out to HPS parents letting them know about Parentlink. Parents will be getting a letter with their user name and password. This will allow parents to log in and read messages. This will also allow you to choose how parents receive messages. The system can call multiple numbers and send e-mails and text messages.

This system can be used by Teachers, Principals, Administration, clubs, teams and other sub-groups to relay information quickly. We have had a system like this, but we were charged on a per-call basis and the system wasn't used much. This system costs $2 per student for unlimited communication. The system made those 12,000 in under five minutes.

The Charter School my kids are in this year uses a similar system. It has been amazing. For example, one day the school was put on "lockdown" because a store nearby was robbed. We got a call right away letting us know exactly what was going on. We also got a call when the "all clear" was given. It was helpful to know what was going on and not hear it at the end of the day from my kids or through the media.

We are here to serve you. I hope Parentlink helps you feel more connected to the District. Be on the lookout in the next few months for our new website. A great team is working to make sure the website is user friendly. We were given a preview at a Board meeting last month. I know you will be pleased with what is coming.

HPS Website

2009-02-07T19:03:00.000-05:00

Thank you for bringing to the attention of the District that there was a link on the HPS website to an on-line magazine subscription site. Apparently the link rotates magazine advertisements and today's selection included Playboy and Hustler, among others. It is upsetting to think that even one child may have accidental clicked on that site and had access to this kind of material. It looks as though this was NOT done on purpose.

The link has been removed. The situation is being investigated; and we will be looking at what policy or regulation changes may need to be made to prevent this from happening in the future.

Thanks for those of you who brought this information to our attention. Thanks to our administration for reacting so quickly. Please continue to monitor the District and let me know if you find anything of concern.

Wendy

Sunday Morning

2009-02-04T14:47:00.000-05:00

From FoxNews

If HPS takes the borrowed cash being offered in the stimulus bill, they won't be able to use it for building renovations. If the money is used for that, it may affect area groups who rent HPS buildings to hold church services on the weekends.

Read below:

Conservative Groups Declare Obama's Stimulus Bill a War on Prayer

A provision in the House-passed stimulus bill -- banning money to be used to renovate schools from being spent on facilities that allow "religious worship" -- has ignited fury among those who claim it discriminates on the basis of faith and violates the right to free speech.

By Cristina Corbin

Democrats in Congress have declared war on prayer, say conservative groups who object to a provision in the stimulus bill that was passed by the House of Representatives last week.

The provision bans money designated for school renovation from being spent on facilities that allow "religious worship." It has ignited a fury among critics who say it violates the First Amendment and is an attempt to prevent religious practice in schools.

According to the bill, which the Democratic-controlled House passed despite unanimous Republican opposition, funds are prohibited from being used for the "modernization, renovation, or repair" of facilities that allow "sectarian instruction, religious worship or a school or department of divinity."

Critics say that could include public schools that permit religious groups to meet on campus. The House provided $20 billion for the infrastructure improvements, of which $6 billion would go to higher education facilities where the limitations would be applied.

Read more by clicking here.

Stimulus Bill

2009-02-04T12:37:00.001-05:00

The Democrats have introduced a pork-filled bill that will fund everything from replacing grass on the Washington Mall to $355 million for contraceptives. Public schools are also set to get some of the borrowed cash.

If this money is going to be coming our way, what should we do with it? Many of you have written to me about our need to increase our fund equity, which is our savings account. You are right. If the State misses a payment to us because they are broke, we only have about two weeks worth of operating cash in the bank. Our fund equity is under 4%. We should have a fund equity of 15%. During our last policy development workshop, we drafted a policy that would require the district to work towards that goal.

With that in mind, HPS should take most, if not all, of the stimulus money we receive and make sure that amount ends up fund equity. Then it will be up to the board to make sure it stays there and isn't used to offset budget deficits.

The economy will probably get worse before it gets better. As we are all finding out, having some money in the bank is essential for a household or business to run effectively and seamlessly in times such as these.

Let me know your thoughts!

Monday's Meeting

2009-01-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

This morning I heard from one of you asking why I had voted "Yes" on a contract I had not read. Here is what happened.

Last night the HPS Board approved a contract with our local HESPA Unit. The contract met the parameters established by the Board. It resulted in a pay freeze and 1% pay give-back from the employees. It is a good contract and I am thankful that the HESPA members worked with the district in the best interest of the kids.

The vote on the contract was split. Here is why:

We receive our Board packets on Friday's before the meetings. In our packet was an overview of the fiscal information associated with the contract. No one requested a copy of the contract over the weekend. When it came time for a vote, a board member decided he wanted to read the entire contract before we approved it. While this sounds very logical, and will be the practice in the future, his request came as a surprise to all of us.

I voted to approve the contract without reading the entire thing for several reasons. First, the contract financials matched what we had asked for. Second, the contract had been bargained in good faith and to go back now and comb through it for things we don't like serves no good purpose unless we are going to go back to the bargaining table and start all over. Third, there were no significant language changes requested or implemented. Fourth, the contract needed to be approved by Feb 1st so that the new, cheaper, medical insurance could be implemented March 1st.

Should the Board read every contracts we plan to approve? Yes. In fact, I have read through all the current contracts we have with our Unions and the entire board now has copies of all the contracts.

As you know, I won't support a contact that isn't good for kids. I was the only one to vote "No" on the current HEA contract. Many of you contacted me and thanked me for that vote. This contract may have language issues, but we didn't' direct the negotiation team to fix those. We gave financial parameters and the team met the parameters. So I voted, "Yes".

However you feel about this, I would like to hear from you.

Parker Committee and other updates

2009-01-18T09:43:00.000-05:00

The Superintendent is working to establish a new committee to evaluate options for Parker. If you would like to be part of that committee, please send me an e-mail at wjdayhome@sbcglobal.net and I will be happy forward it to Mr. Gardella.

The Board elected Bob Parker to the position of Treasurer and Phil Westmoreland to the position of Secretary. While I was interested in those positions as an opportunity to further serve the district, there are benefits to being passed over again.

My #1 obligation is to the families of our students and community members of our district. By not being an officer, I will have more free time to keep you informed about what is happening in Howell and education in general.

There are a lot of rumors about what is happening with Renaissance Academy. What I heard at the Board meeting was that the district wants to make sure these students succeed academically, the current cumulative GPA for the students in the Renaissance program is under around a 1.4. The Board voiced concern over making sure the students of that program had a say in the design of the new program, which will be run by Howell. If you want more information, please contact the district.

Board Policy Meeting

2009-01-11T17:31:00.001-05:00

Yesterday the Board met to continue our work on the Board Policy Book. We specifically worked on the Finance, Property, and Personnel policy sections. Going through this process as a Board has made it a long one, but better serves you. The debate has been lively as we balance our desire to provide our staff with a good working environment, meet the needs of our students, and work within fiscal constraints.

In the next few meetings we will start to approve policy we worked on last year. This includes the area of Curriculum. Many good changes are coming to HPS that will help parents and staff know what the Board is expecting. If you want to see any of the draft policy, please contact me.

Tomorrow night we are electing a new Secretary and Treasurer. I have let the Board President know that I would be honored to serve in either capacity. With three board members being brand new, it is going to be important to keep the district on the positive path it is on by having seasoned leadership. The new board members seem to be learning a lot, and there is a lot to learn!

Hope to see you at the Board meeting tomorrow night. A special Congrats to the We the People Team who took 3rd place at the State competition.

EAG Takes on MEA over FOIA

2009-01-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

Below is a press release put out by the Education Action Group. Please check out what is happening with their FOIA request in the Wayne-Westland District.

MEA successful at using courts to skirt FOIA law

Reform group will seek other ways to protect public's right to know

The residents of the Wayne-Westland school district deserve to know what the Michigan Education Association is hiding from them, regarding last fall’s teacher strike and the ongoing effort to recall several school board members.

But the MEA is apparently willing to use the court system and its fat checkbook to hide the truth from the public.

On Nov. 11, Kyle Olson, vice president of the Muskegon-based Education Action Group, filed a Freedom of Information request with the Wayne-Westland school district, asking for copies of recent e-mail communications that were transmitted on a district-owned e-mail account.

Olson made the request based on tips from various teachers in the district, who told him the MEA was using the taxpayer-supported e-mail account to plot strategies for last fall’s teachers strike and the subsequent school board recall campaign.

As Olson put it, he was simply trying to discover “what plans the union was hatching against the school district while using the district’s own resources.”

Officials of the Wayne-Westland district agreed that the e-mails were fair game under the state’s Freedom of Information Act, and were prepared to honor Olson’s request on Dec. 5.

But the teachers union was granted a special hearing on Dec. 4 to challenge the legality of Olson’s request. Judge Kathleen MacDonald subsequently issued a temporary injunction, preventing the school district from releasing copies of the e-mailed text until a full hearing took place Jan. 12.

Unfortunately, the Education Action Group, a small non-profit organization operating on a shoestring budget, can’t afford the estimated $10,000 it would cost to retain a qualified attorney to pursue the case. As a result, Olson withdrew his FOIA request with the school district Monday morning.

The MEA probably guessed that the Education Action Group couldn’t afford to press its case any further in court. If so, it was smart strategy on the part of the union, a multi-million dollar statewide organization with a team of attorneys on permanent retainer.

But how fair is the union being to the residents of the Wayne-Westland district? Don’t the taxpayers have the right to know if the union is using a tax-funded e-mail account to plot against the district’s governing body and administration?

Under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act, most types of government correspondence and information are easily obtainable through a simple written request. The law was designed to prevent public officials from hiding the details of their operations from the taxpaying public.

Yet somehow the teachers union has managed to wiggle around that law by outspending the truth-seekers in court.

But the union’s temporary victory can’t erase the unanswered question – what information is contained in those e-mails that the union so desperately wants to hide? And if there’s nothing to hide, why not honor the intent of the Freedom of Information Act and release the e-mails for all to see?

We at the Education Action Group are willing to bet the union is trying to conceal the true nature of the Wayne-Westland teacher’s strike last October, and the current recall effort against the school board members.

The union insists that the strike was related to class size, and the recall attempt is purely the work of citizens who are angry at the school board.

We believe the strike was an attempt by the MEA to pressure the school board into maintaining expensive MESSA health insurance coverage for teachers and other union employees.

MESSA is an insurance carrier created by the MEA, which turns over millions of dollars of profits to the MEA every year. Cash-strapped school boards around the state are trying to secure less expensive employee coverage, but the union is fighting them tooth and nail.

We also believe the MEA is attempting to do the same thing in the Wayne-Westland district that’s it’s been doing in other districts throughout the state – use the state’s recall law to remove school board members who stand up to its demands at the bargaining table, and replace them with puppets willing to vote the MEA way.

We believe the residents of Wayne-Westland have the right to know the true nature of the recall effort before deciding whether to sign a recall petition, or how to vote in a possible recall election.

In the name of full disclosure, we’re calling on the MEA to end its petty legal maneuvering and allow the school district to release the texts of the e-mails in question. Only then will voters have the information they need to make an informed decision about the future of their school district.

801 W. Norton, Ste. 1 | Muskegon, Michigan 49441
info@edactiongroup.org | www.educationactiongroup.org

EMO

2009-01-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

Heard this term? It is a common term used among kids today. But what it means varies widely. Emo is suppose to be short for emotional. Here is how one website defines Emo:

Close enough to punk and rock Emo is now know for it's more emotional state of mind. Instead of the anger hard-core way of expressing one-self , Emo (short for emotional) has taken a new tole on the twentieth century of expressing yourself. From the music with strong emotion and feeling, unlike hard rock or this is more of an alternative way to let your feeling be known.Emo is not only a classification or a type of music it's also taken over the way one expresses themselves by dressing. It includes the tighter fitting pants to the dyed-black or dark hair with it covering your face. The longer hair in front with the spikes in the back is also a more Emo- or emotional look to dressing. Emo is also being known as for the hot emo guys and emo girls kissing. From pictures all on the web to the music videos. Hot emo girl to girl and well as hot emo guy to guy is becoming more and more adventurous and more open concluding; Emo meaning being comfortable with oneself. Its a more direct way of altering the feelings one has without words, just emotion.

Some say music is not a type of music. That it is more of a fashion and a way of feeling, hence the emotional. Just recently people have been considering emo to be a genre or music.. Taking back Sunday is one of the many bands people consider to be emo.

Wondering why everyone hates emo? Not all emo people are cry babies or suicidal. Many emo kids come from families which are having serious issues whether it being money issues or what have you

What is scary about this trend is that there are undercurrents of cutting, sexual experimentation and suicide. Kids are being lured into believing that what they are feeling and doing is normal and fine, and it isn't.

Here is a quote of the website that encourages boys to experiment kissing each other:

Emo boys kissing.yummy. Considered to be the hottest thing in the emo scene. Usually there is no attraction behind the act of emo guys kissing. They just do it because they can, and they know girls think it's hot! Boy, are they right, there is just something about it that makes chicks just want to see more. However, sometimes there is a attraction behind the kiss. Browse through the pictures below.

Here is what else the site says about boys kissing:

Emo boys kissing is when two or more emo boys explore with each other by kissing. They usually do it to see the girls go crazy.

You ask are they bi? Most of them are not, like mentioned about they like to get the attention he girls give them when they make out. Some however, are really attracted to the other emo boy

On the forum you can find a survey about how many times the kids have tried to commit suicide. Only 18% said never. Almost 12% say it is part of their "daily routine".

The site also talks about cutting, other sexual experimentation and general angst. There are pics of underage boys kissing that could be considered child porn. This is a scary trend that could be impacting kids you know. Please talk to your kids about this trend. There is a lot of information on the internet about what Emo's look like, listen to, and talk about.

Looking at this site made me mad. There are adults behind this, pushing boys to experiment and kids to move further away from their parents into the darkness of depression. This trend is no joke. It isn't like anything I have ever seen. It seems like a very systematic way to destroy our teens. While many kids might not even understand the culture of Emo, it is like boiling a frog, they get into it so slowly they don't even realized they are moving into an arena that they don't belong in.

Board Policy Workshop

2009-01-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

Saturday the Board is having a Policy Development meeting. This is an open meeting and it would be great to see some of the public there. The meeting is held in the Board room and starts at 8:30 am.

This is the third time we will have met to work on a new policy book. As most of you know, many of the problems our district has encountered have been due to a lack of policy or poorly written policies. This process should take care of many of those issues.

Look for new policy to begin coming up for approval at the next few Board meetings. The next HPS Board meeting is this coming Monday.

If you want to see the draft policies we have been working on, I will have my copy on Saturday.

The new policy book, once approved, will be available online and searchable by key word. This should help a lot with keeping the District on course.

Hope to see you Saturday!

The Real Story

2009-01-06T19:17:00.000-05:00

Ever wondered how this blog ended up causing so much trouble? Ever wondered what the heck I was thinking over the past few years, posting things that caused so much controversy? The success of this blog has more to do with you, the readers and posters, than with me. You are the folks who provide the stories, facts and insights. Thank you!

Here is the Q & A written for Municipalist.

www.municipalist.com

January 05, 2009

Union lawyers target blogging Michigan school board member
"There is no teeth to the argument that public officials can't have blogs," says Wendy Day, an elected board member for a public school district in Howell, Michigan whose blog has attracted plenty of attention from across her community and from local media.

Wendy teaches at Lansing Community College. Of her early days on the Web, she admits: "I had no idea of the power of a blog." She candidly answered our questions about various dust-ups she has encountered in what could be termed a colorful blogging career. Her blog was recently the subject of a threatening letter from the law firm of the local teachers' union.

By the way, this Q & A, the 34th we have published with (mostly) public sector bloggers, is the first from Michigan, where I grew up.

Why she started her blog:

I was elected to the Howell School Board in 2006 after a lot of controversy in our district. As a conservative, home school mom, I was not welcomed by the administration or the board at the time.

I started the blog to offer another way to communicate with the public about Howell Schools and about broader education issues. There was little communication between the School Board and the community; I pledged to change that. The blog quickly became a place to discuss broader issues and at it's peak had hundreds of visitors every day and posts with 600-800 comments on them. I was brand new to blogging and learned some lessons the hard way.

Last spring I shut the blog down because I felt the district had turned a corner and there was now better communication between the board and the district. It was brought to my attention by local media that the blog address had been taken over by a porn site. The last thing I wanted was a parent or child looking for the blog and finding that. So I reported the users and got the URL back. I made a few changes and started blogging again.

On the positives:

There had been a small group of people trying to bring to the publics attention what was happening in the schools. For some reason, they were not finding traction with the community at large. Through the blog, the community began to really discuss public education, and Howell specifically. They began to ask good questions about what was happening in the schools and in their child's classroom. Many parents have told me they feel empowered to fight for their child and stand up to the education system because of what they have learned on the blog.
As a Christian, I found myself backed into a corner several times. The choice was to be true to God or save my "reputation." I am not sure, without this blog, if I would have had the moxy to face the hatred I encountered and stand up for God.

At the core, this blog isn't about me. It is about the community wanting and deserving a say in the education of our children. They deserve a voice and factual information about what is going on in public education today.

On the negatives:

For the community, I don't think there have been many. There is so much that has been exposed about public education and the debate is good. Not everyone likes that I have a blog. They don't understand that it is perfectly acceptable for an elected official to have a blog, as long as they are accountable for what they say.

The learning curve was tough for me. I had no idea the power of a blog. For a long time I let people post anonymously. That allowed people to really slander others and be nasty with no accountability. It seemed like the blog was only up for a few minutes and I was embroiled in my first controversy. There were hundreds of comments and I had no idea how to censor them without looking like I was playing favorites or not wanting to hear negative stuff about myself. So I just left everything up.

Sometimes the media will report nasty comments that are posted on well-known blogs. None of those comments held a candle to the kind of comments that were on mine. The issues on my blog were often controversial and emotions were running high. That seemed to bring out ugliness in people that I didn't expect.

Our first controversy ended up being about abortion. A friend of mine told me that her 5th grader and a friend were going to participate in a Day of Silence to end abortion. They had met with the Principal and just planned to wear black arm bands that day. If anyone asked why, they were going to give out cards that said they were giving up their voice for those who had no voice. This is modeled after the GLSEN Day of Silence. Ironically, in 2003 our Governor made a proclamation asking all K-12 students to participate in that event.

So I posted on my blog about this event and that I hoped the rights of these boys to speak out would be respected. The posting was done on impulse. Why I don't think social issues belong in school, I am well aware that the liberal agenda is being pushed loud and strong, so I supported a little conservative values being pushed too. As you can imagine, all hell broke loose. The paper took the story and made it front page news. Parents thought I was organizing the protest.

You would have thought I was bringing in men from all over to carry pictures of aborted babies and march outside the school. It was tough. Folks threatened to protest on my lawn and I had to call the Sheriff. The media turned it into a huge deal. I was yelled at by audience members at School Board meetings during public comment; all the while my fellow board members just sat there trying not to smile at the attacks.

We then had issues about some of the books that were being used in English classes that portrayed graphic incestuous rape and other Rated-R issues. I didn't start that discussion, but as soon as I posted it on the blog, I was on the front page again. There have been several stories that made the front page, after being taken from the blog. When I decided to develop a blog, I had no idea the affect it would have on the community. The result is that many in the community have the impression that I am a racist, book burning, religious wacko. That is a little hard to swallow. I have had to develop really thick skin. But this blog isn't just about me. It is about the kids, parents and taxpayers in our community.

One of your commenters scolds you about having a blog at all, and more than one instruct you on what you should and should not be blogging about ("politics" is ok, "contracts" not ok, etc.). Do you buy this analysis?

That has been the argument from the beginning. Many didn't like it when I started it because I was exposing things and questioning things they didn't want talked about. Those same folks don't like that there is an independent voice out there giving people solid information about what is really going on in public education. The MEA would love to shut it down, they even sent me a letter threatening litigation.

I honor the laws about monitoring unions and never disclose things that were said in executive session. I don't disclose confidential information. I would never give information about negotiations that was not already public knowledge and/or available by FOIA.

Other than that, I can blog about whatever I want to. There is no teeth to the argument that public officials can't have blogs. We, like everyone else, are, and should be held accountable for what we say. I have no problem with that. Looking back, would I have changed the road the blog has traveled? Probably not. A lot of good has come from the discussion on the blog. A lot has changed for the better in our district.

It is funny, when I was first elected critics said I was just using this as a stepping stone for higher office. Even in the midst of controversy they still argued I was just trying to get name recognition. If that was the case, a blog was a bad idea. Politicians generally do better if they keep quite and avoid taking a stand for anything too controversial. I gave that up long ago. The truth is, while it may be better for politicians, it isn't better for society or our kids. We need leadership who will stand up for what they believe in, even if it doesn't make them popular.

You seem to enjoy blogging about the Michigan Education Association [the major state teachers union]. Is that a large reason you began blogging?

I don't like the MEA. I like a lot of teachers. In fact some of my closest friends work in public education. But I don't like the MEA. If I can tell the truth about what they are doing to our schools, I will. If I can help thwart their plans to grow their political war chest through new money making avenues, I will. I am a member of the MEA, because I have to be to teach. I don't really like that much either.

With that said, the MEA is not the reason I started blogging. I started blogging to talk about education. There are several stories about the MEA on my blog now because they tried to pick a fight with me. The didn't like something I posted and sent me a letter to intimidate me. The MEA has tried to trample on my rights to free speech. They are developing a trend of trampling on transparency. First they sued the school and an activist, Chetly Zarko, over e-mails he tried to obtain through FOIA. The MEA/Howell Education Association doesn't want those e-mails released. Now they tried to intimidate me by, ironically, charging that I was intimidating them with my blog.

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-29T07:43:00.001-05:00

Thanks for your input, here are some of the Education Reform Resolutions for Michigan in 2009 you have suggested:

1. Detroit should become a voucher city. Their graduation rates, test scores, leadership, and money management have earned the school system a Failing grade. The time is right for students in Detroit to be given a real chance at a solid education by giving parents real choice. Good teachers will still have jobs and may get paid even more. Poor teachers will have to improve their skills or find something else to do. Other cities have done this, and it has made all the difference.
In the end, the kids win- and that is what it is all about!

2. MI should opt out of No Child Left Behind funding. Utah did it. All the fussing over unfunded mandates could be eliminated by just opting out. While parents are all for accountability in education, history has shown that the more government intrusion into education, the lower the test scores. The Federal Government has no right to be involved in education at the state level and needs to close up shop. Michigan could institute its own accountability system, including merit pay and opting back into the international tests, to make sure we are competitive with other countries.

3. Michigan should become a right-to-work state. That wouldn't eliminate unions, but it would make membership optional. If unions are doing a good job representing their workers, their membership rolls should stay consistent and not much will change. If folks don't feel like they need or want union representation, they won't be forced to hand over their hard earned cash or sit before a panel of union members and explain why they deserve to opt out.

4. Teachers should become State employees. That means they would receive the same medical benefits as State employees now and negotiation of teacher contracts would be done by the State, not individual school districts. Georgia has this and it removes a lot of the contention between districts and unions.

5. Districts should not be able to build new schools unless they have operating capital set aside for at least 2 years. No more relying on student enrollment predictions. Cold hard cash on hand or no build.

6. Give every high school student a lesson in financial management. Nothing has hurt our economy more than bad financial choices made by individuals. Many people didn't even know they were making bad decisions because they have never received a solid financial education. Every school should offer Dave Ramsey or a similar program to teach kids to make good financial decisions.

So there you have. This is the short, but heavy list of changes that could be made to the Michigan education system in 2009. What do you think?

Reflections

2008-12-24T06:48:00.000-05:00

You may remember reading here that Howell Public Schools needs to achieve four things. With your input, I wrote that Howell should be a district where:

Kids feel safe
Parents feel involved
The Community feels listened to
The Staff feels valued

Here is what the district has done in the past year to make these things happen:

Kids feels safe- Howell implemented a strict new reporting system to help track all incidents that involve student safety. This should make sure that reporting always happens and when it doesn’t, the right people can be held accountable.

Howell is exploring the idea of adding LobbyGuard systems to more schools. This system has volunteers swipe their license for an instant sex offender list check. It then prints of a name tag with their picture and the date they are approved to be in the school. If someone does not pass the background test, the secretary at the school is notified. There is currently a LobbyGuard at the High School.

Using money saved from administrative restructuring, Howell has hired an additional set of eyes to work at the crowded middle schools as a Dean of Students. He is a contract employee who works at both campuses to handle discipline problems.

With the Latson Road intersection moving forward, the district will be working with the parents of Latson Elementary to address potential safety issues and work out a good plan for the school for during and after construction.
Finally, the Board met a few weeks ago to continue working on policy that will address curriculum issues and approval.

Parents feel involved- Howell recently approved implementing an automated calling system that can alert parents about everything from school lockdowns to when progress reports coming home. This system will help parents keep in touch with the school and know what is going on, even when their child forgets to give them school paperwork. They system can call multiple phone lines and send e-mails, all based on parent preference.

Howell is also using money from restructuring to redesign the website for easier use. Within a year, you will be able to find Board Policies online and searchable.

At the last policy session the District also put forth policy that will require a Parent Involvement Committee to ensure that parents are welcomed and involved in the district.

Community feels listened to- Many of you were not happy with the way the Board changed its mind about closing Parker. The Board has directed the Superintendent to form a committee after the first of the year to look at several options about what to do with the Parker campus. The district wants community input and will have a better idea about what the realistic options are given our budget forecast and student needs.

If you have been in the Board room in the past few months, you will have seen that the room has been rearranged for easier viewing by the audience. The district has also added microphones for the Board members so that the audience can hear. There is also a microphone for speakers. Staff who present reports have started to use PowerPoint so that the audience can also the see report details. The district is looking to have audio recordings of the meetings available to the public, possibly through the website.

The Staff feels valued- Our Building Administrators have been given more authority and accountability for their buildings. This includes having more say in curriculum design and professional development day plans. The district is working to give teachers clear guidelines for curriculum, while still leaving processes in place to allow for some creativity.

The staff has worked very hard to help the district work through budget struggles, often solving their own departmental problems and suggesting restructuring ideas. Professional Development has taken on increased importance and the District leadership is working to make sure that our staff has quality professional development that makes their job easier. By taking our focus from a broad spotlight to a laser focus on student academic improvement, everyone in the district can have a clear idea of where the district is headed.

Finally, I have been receiving good news updates and samples of building communications that are encouraging. The District staff seems to be focused on a great new year that will bring opportunities for change and growth, all with student academic success as the priority.

So there you have it. There are some great things going on in the district. These successes come from clear expectations, strong leadership, and dedicated staff. While the district will be entering into collective barging in the spring, I have written here before, and continue to believe, that there is real potential for the District and the Union to have a positive relationship and in the end, focus on kids, period!

HEA Not Happy

2008-12-21T12:30:00.001-05:00

Well, the HEA leadership is not happy. They are apparently mad because I dared respond to their threatening letter in public. They are mad because at least one of their members isn't keeping their secrets. They claim that they are just trying to protect their membership.

If they want to protect their membership, they should think about giving up the intimidation tactics. Every time they stir the pot, the focus is put back on the member they are claiming to protect. Without their threatening letter, this story would have died with the small number of people who happened to see it. By working so hard to stomp on free speech rights, they are drawing negative attention to themselves and the teacher involved.

The HEA leadership is saying that I am trying to intimidate them. That is funny. The HEA/MEA is a well oiled political machine. They are highly trained, well funded and skilled in the art of dodging transparency.

Parents, taxpayers and community members want and deserve transparency. We all are entitled to free speech. If groups like the MEA are able to succeed at intimidating folks into silence, we all lose. The MEA/HEA continues to fight against free speech and the freedom of information act.

They have included a new argument in their latest press release. They have claimed that my posting the e-mail violated copywrite laws. The e-mail was forwarded to me by one of their members. For more information on copywrite issues go to:

http://www.piercelaw.edu/thomasfield/ipbasics/copyright-on-the-internet.php

Here is what was reported in the Free Press:

In Howell, a teacher's e-mail center of dispute
BY SHARON GITTLEMAN • FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER • December 21, 2008

When does a seemingly private communication become a subject for public discussion? That's one question at the heart of an ongoing dispute between Howell teachers and a school board member.

In October, Howell school board Trustee Wendy Day reprinted a teacher's e-mail to members of a listserv, an online bulletin board, run by the Howell Education Association.

The post offered the teacher's thoughts on the possibility of a teacher strike next year in light of the coming school board elections. Teachers and the board member have been at odds ever since over the propriety of publicizing the comment and freedom of speech.

"We created this forum because e-mail at school isn't an appropriate place for discussions or commentary," said Karen Langer, a teacher at Howell High School and president of the Howell Education Association. "We'd like our members to be able to express their opinions."

The 100-member listserv is open to members of the HEA; it's unclear how Day gained access.

"It could be viewed as interference in union business," Langer said. "We felt it was extremely inappropriate. Posting those comments weren't productive, except to make that member feel embarrassed or humiliated."

Langer said a teachers union lawyer sent a cease and desist letter to Day, who responded by demanding, through her blog, an apology from union officials, who say they see no need for one.

Day could not be reached for comment. According to her blog, she also complained to the American Civil Liberties Union and the Michigan Civil Rights Commission.

The principle of freedom of speech trumps privacy rights, said Wayne State University constitutional law professor Robert Sedler.

"She has the First Amendment right to comment to other people," Sedler said. "If the lawyer would try to get a court order to stop her from circulating this, the court would refuse to intervene."
Writings published on a private listserv aren't protected from disclosure, Sedler said.

"The listserv is public enough. It was circulated," he said. "The First Amendment encourages a robust exchange of ideas."

Howell Board of Education President Ed Literski said the school board has no authority to order Day to stop publishing material on her blog.

Here is the press release the HEA sent out last week:

From: The Howell Education Association

Date: December 18, 2008

Re: Howell Education Association Response to School Board Member’s Comments

The Howell Education Association is comprised of over 450 members teaching grades K-12 in 11 buildings. With a membership of this magnitude, communication is a great challenge. In 2007, the Howell Education Association began a password-protected list-serve to provide a means of communication to members, as well as provide a forum for members to express diverse opinions covering a wide range of educational subjects.

The officers of the Howell Education Association are charged with many responsibilities. Our primary responsibility is to serve as representatives for our members in all matters. When Howell Public Schools School Board member, Wendy Day, published on her blog a copyright protected communiqué posted by a teacher in our password-protected forum, our member felt publicly humiliated and attacked. The choice to publish the comments without prior permission from or notification to the teacher is a deliberate attempt to convey misleading information that the Howell Education Association was considering job action at a time when we have a settled contract and are not engaged in bargaining talks. It is an attempt to undermine the efforts that have been made to move our District forward in a positive manner.

It is our duty as Union officers to defend all teachers with the resources we have available. To clarify this further, we have added additional copyright language to all of our postings on our list-serve to help protect us from a repeat incident. Our decision to seek legal counsel and issue a cease and desist letter to Ms. Day in order to protect our members from further personal attacks was done in a civil and respectful manner.

It is our view that the Howell community has high expectations of their duly elected officials. School board members represent the community as well as the employees that work for the schools. Though Ms. Day makes the claim that her blog was personal rather than an expression of her public office, we disagree. We further question the wisdom in her decision to pontificate, from her public board seat during a public meeting, in response to our legal request to cease and desist in her behavior. We feel that these actions have brought negative attention to Howell Public Schools and the Howell community. We find her response to our request to cease and desist completely inappropriate and feel that speaking from her board seat invalidates her claim that her original action was private rather than public. It is our view that her actions and demands are an attempt to interfere with Association business, and thereby are a violation of the Public Employment Relations Act.

We cannot and will not cease in our responsibility to represent and protect our membership.

2008-12-09T06:01:00.000-05:00

For a copy of the letter sent by the Howell Education Association, please go to www.whmi.com or www.livingstondaily.com

Response to HEA read at the board meeting last night:

I would like to respond to the accusations made by the Howell Education Association in the letter from their lawyer dated November 12th. I am responding from the board table because they sent their letter to the district. This is not a district issue, this is about me.

The HEA does not have as unified as front as like they think they have. At least one teacher believes they were not putting kids first and sent me the e-mail. All I did was put it out there for the public to make its own mind.

As for the e-mail itself, I have learned the hard way that anything you put in an email can end up on a blog, or worse, the front page of the paper.

The bottom line is this:

First Amendment to the United States Bill of Rights and Article 1 section 7 of the MI Constitution both guarantee my freedom of speech.

They have requested I give up my first amendment rights, and I am going to request a few things from them.

1. That the HEA rescind the letter dated November 12th, recognizing that I have every right to post things on my private blog;

2. That the HEA cease and desist harassing and intimidating me or they may face litigation;

3. And a public apology from the HEA leadership, including Jay McDowell, Karen Langer, Jeff Huey and the Uniserve Director Barb Cameron

I have filed a complaint with the ACLU, the MI Civil Rights Commission and contacted my local MEA union, MAHE, about this issue.

As dues paying members of the HEA, I hope that teachers’ who feel this is a waste of time that could be better spent focusing on teacher development and student improvement, will stand up and let their voice be heard. Do not let the union silence you as they are trying to silence me.

By fighting against the Freedom of Information Act and now stepping on the First amendment rights of a private citizen, the HEA leadership may want to go back and read the constitution and then do some serious soul searching as to their agenda.

If they want to be on the opposite side of free speech, transparency, and the law, then they can continue down the path they are on. I have no intention allowing them to stomp on my rights and invite any other teachers who have e-mails from this group to send them to me.

I am hopeful that the HEA will respond appropriately and that we can move past this, allowing them to put the focus back on teaching.

New Game in Town

2008-12-01T15:11:00.000-05:00

Slip Sliding Away

The MEA is seeing MESSA, their insurance cash cow, slipping through their fingers due to new bidding requirements and disclosure laws. Because of this, they may be looking to monopolize another market, 403b plans.

New Federal requirements are causing districts to take a second look at the way they administer 403b plans. Many districts are choosing to hire a Third Party Administrator (TPA) to facilitating the program.

Here is how it works:

A district hires a company, a TPA, to perform the role or making sure the district is compliant with the Federal regulations when it comes to 403B plans, which are like 401K plans. The TPA works to track contributions, check the status of requests for plan loans, and process distribution requests, among other duties.

Most schools plan to have a TPA and a separate list of vendors who will participate and abide by the Federal regulations. Employees can choose any vendor off the list, including MEA Financial/Paradigm. Due to the new regulations, the market has decreased dramatically because many companies simply don’t want to mess around with the reporting requirements for these particular plans. Left on the short list is the MEA.

Introducing Paradigm

The MEA Financial Services arm is a program that most folks don't know much about. This arm of the MEA, called Paradigm, is offering to act as TPA and vendor in districts. This is problematic for a few reasons. First, if the MEA serves as TPA they have access to participants’ information, which could allow for an unfair advantage in marketing their investment products. This would be true for any TPA/Vendor duplication.

The second problem is that the ultimately, the MEA would love to be the only provider on the list, instead of being one of many options folks will have. This would give them a corner on the market. Currently, 403b vendors are not a negotiable item. Could that change in the future? Maybe, but it may not even have to be negotiated by name.

As we have seen with MESSA, the provider has been negotiated over for years due to union requirements and laws making it difficult for districts to bid out insurance.
Is the 403b program headed down the same road as MEA MESSA, with the MEA Financial Services being the favored provider and allowing the MEA to earn tons of cash they can use for political purposes? I hope not. It is going to take vigilant districts and state government to make sure this doesn’t happen.

Working the Board Room

I have seen our local union step up pressure to insert themselves into the discussion of 403b vendors, even when it isn’t a negotiable item. I couldn’t figure out why they choose to speak out on a topic that seems to be a cut and dry issue. After doing a little research, I see exactly what their stake is in these changes. In fact, their Summer Leadership Conference even highlighted the issue:

116 The IRS Has Done It Again! The New 403(b) Regulations
and How to Make Them Work for You
2:45-4:15 p.m.
This session will repeat as Session 510.
Recent IRS changes to the regulation of 403(b) Tax Sheltered
Annuities have dramatically altered how the employer will administer
your 403(b). This session will outline the significant changes
and explain what actions employers, participants and investment
providers are taking in light of these new regulations. Additionally,
the session will show how to implement tax advantage strategies for
participants under the new regulations. Presenter: Bruce Reaume

Mr. Reaume is the Regional Manager/Western Region of sales for MEA Financial Services.

It looks like there is a new MEA game in town.

2008-11-19T08:28:00.001-05:00

If you are wondering how the MEA views the illegal strike in the Wayne-Westland district that cost students valuable learning time and caused parents the hardship of trying to find childcare, here it is:

MEA Representative Assembly meets in Lansing
Union pride, crisis fund on the agenda
http://www.mea.org/members/111908_MEA-RA_meets_Lansing.html

Chesaning Education Association President Andrew Reger and Wayne-Westland Education Association President Nancy Strachan spoke about union pride at the MEA Representative Assembly Nov. 8. (Photo by Karen Schulz/MEA Voice)
LANSING—Union pride was the theme of the Fall Representative Assembly (RA) on Nov. 8, an annual gathering of hundreds of MEA members and leaders who help guide the business of the association.

Strachan, president of the Wayne-Westland Education Association, thanked MEA members, leaders and staff for their ongoing support during bargaining. Wayne-Westland teachers hit the picket lines in early October, the first major work stoppage outside of Detroit since 1994.

Strachan received a standing ovation from the delegates.

“Your support means more than you know,” she said.

In other business, RA delegates:

Referred a proposal to set aside extra money in a fund to help members who engage in a work stoppage to an MEA committee. The proposal calls for contributing the equivalent of $10 per member into the fund. The committee will report back at the Spring RA May 1-2.

Does this mean the MEA is planning on funding more illegal strikes here in Michigan? Shameful. I am confident that our local HEA will follow the lead of the Gaylord Education Association. They settled a 3-year contract that saved the district 25% by switching medical insurance plans away from MESSA. Here is what Greg Becker, head of the GEA had to say in the local Gaylord paper:
http://www.gaylordheraldtimes.com/articles/2008/11/14/news/top_stories/doc491dd41c9691e501541171.txt

Becker said he was pleased with the working relationship between the GEA and school board.

“We sat down at the beginning and established that we would work in a professional manner and listen to each other’s concerns. We established a working relationship with the board and that’s what led up to a contract both sides were happy with.”

It would be good for our kids if the HEA/District negotiations could follow the fine example set up in Gaylord.

A student perspective

2008-11-16T07:52:00.001-05:00

Thanks to "melomilo" for her continued communication with me. We don't always agree, but she, along with some other students, have kept me informed of their perspectives about what is going on in HPS. She also has a blog and gave me permission to link to it: http://viewofamind.blogspot.com

Our students want a voice. I believe that as a district we are working to make sure they have one. Students- keep talking and keep giving feedback! As a School Board member, I work for you and the folks in the community who elected me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Wendy

Contracts, Recounts and Movies, Oh my!

2008-11-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

Here are a few updates about what is happening with Howell Public Schools...

Movie cameras are rolling at the Parker campus. "High School" is being filmed at Parker, along with other locations in Howell. This movie should bring in a lot of money to the community. The district is also receiving financial and educational benefits.

Pat Howle has asked for a recount in her run for Howell School Board. Pat lost to Bob Parker by only 25-votes. With that close of an outcome, isn't too much of a surprise that she asked for a recount.

HPS approved a groundbreaking contract with our Maintenance staff. Here are some of the highlights:

-Three year contract with a 0% increase, meaning salaries from 2006 stay intact through fiscal year end 2010.

-In addition, all members have agreed to a .5% "give back" to be deducted throughout the rest of the current fiscal year.

-They have also agreed to higher prescription co-pays.

This is an amazing contract that shows that this bargaining group understands fully the current economic climate and challenges the district is facing. I want to personally thank them for making sacrifices and not pushing for an unreasonable contract. By negotiating and approving these kinds of contacts, HPS will end up in much better condition than our neighboring district.

The Board room is now more audience friendly. Paul Pominville has done a great job setting up a sound system so that people can clearly hear the Board. Hopefully that will make it easier for you to hear what is going on during the meeting.

Finally, we approved the hiring of two Deans of Students. These positions will help with behavior problems and serve as an extra set of eyes in the schools. We also contracted for a third person to serve in our middle schools. Although these are "new" positions, through the restructuring that has been done throughout the district, we have saved $30k overall.

Kids, period!

Happy Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

If you are Veteran, Thank you! Please know that you are loved, respected for your service and appreciated.

For all the military families out there, Thank you too! Being the wife, husband, mother, father or child of a soldier is not easy. It can be scary, lonely and sad.

Anyone who has ever sat through a military funeral knows that the sacrifices made by our soldiers are almost unbearable sometimes. Whether it is a Blue Star or a Gold Star hanging in a window, a family is putting Country First!

America is a great country; and worth fighting for!

God bless you this Veteran's Day! May true peace find you, wherever you are.

More Change for HPS

2008-11-05T18:11:00.000-05:00

The voters have spoken and all three incumbents to the Howell School Board have been voted out. There are many theories as to why that has happened. These are three good men who bring diverse voices to the board and were working well to move the district forward. I want to thank each of them for stepping into a less than ideal situation and working really hard to make a difference for kids. Dan Fondriest, Mark Michaels and Mike Yenshaw, thank you!

Alas, it seems as if the public has understandably went with the theory that seemed to resonate throughout the elections of, "throw em' out". Unfortunately, the Board was working well together, moving forward, and putting kids first.

I am hopeful that the new Board members, Ann Routt, Bob Parker, and Debi Drick will continue that pattern of teamwork and cooperation. No, we do not need a 7-0 voting board, but we do need a board that puts kids first and respects each other.

Rest assured, the leadership of the Board is prepared to welcome these new folks and help get them up to speed right away.

One issue that got lost in the election hoopla is the fact that we had a very productive meeting on Saturday to work on developing a new policy book. As most of you know, our policy book has been at the center of many of the controversies of the past few years. After some research, we have brought in company to help us start from scratch with legally vetted policy options to consider.

The process was thoughtful, communicative, and respectful. There was disagreement, compromise and a focus on kids. We have two more sessions, Dec 13 and Jan 10 to discuss policy. Please consider joining us.

Thanks for your support.

HPS Kids...period!

Voting

2008-11-04T04:47:00.000-05:00

There is a large field running for the Howell School Board. Before you hit the polls today, please take the time to check out the websites for Doug Moore and Dan Fondriest.

I do not always agree with either of these men. They are free thinkers who happen to be conservative Republicans. They both have kids in the schools and will bring a strong finance background to the position.

These men are both willing to go against the grain and stand up for what is best for kids. Dan has proven he can ask tough questions, think things through, and offer great ideas.

Doug was the runner-up in the 2006 election. He should have been appointed to the board during the past year but wasn't because of all the politics involved. The voters gave Doug a vote of confidence last time around and I hope you will do the same this time. Doug will be an asset to HPS.

Day of Prayer- Monday Nov 3rd

2008-11-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

As you know, we are at a crossroads in this country. From the School Board to the Supreme Court, your vote is going to have an impact. The next President will likely appoint at least three Supreme Court Justices. There has been a call for a day of prayer and fasting on Monday. Will you join the thousands who will be praying for God's will and direction for our country?

ELECTION 2008
Day of fasting, prayer a prelude to Nov. 4
'We are about to set a course that will affect our country for generations'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: October 27, 2008
10:08 pm Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

The foundation launched in honor of famed Christian speaker, broadcaster and leader D. James Kennedy, who founded the Coral Ridge Ministries, has announced a day of prayer for Nov. 3.

"We are about to set a course that will affect our country for generations to come," said a statement from Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy of the D. James Kennedy Foundation.

"For this reason we are calling on all Christian leaders and their congregations to join with us for a day of fasting and prayer the day before the election on Monday, November 3rd," she said.

"Please join with us as God instructed us in 2 Chronicles 7:14," she said, citing the Bible:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
"We're less than a week until the most important election in our lifetime. Must is at stake that is vital to our nation," she said.

This is by far not the first day of fasting and prayer called for Americans.

Here is just one historical example:

By His Excellency
James Buchanan, President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation for a Day of Humiliation, Fasting, & Prayer.
To the People of the United States. A Recommendation.

Numerous appeals have been made to me by pious and patriotic associations and citizens, in view of the present distracted and dangerous condition of our country, to recommend that a day be set apart for Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer throughout the Union.

In compliance with their request and my own sense of duty, I designate Friday, the 4th of January 1861, for this purpose, and recommend that the People assemble on that day, according to their several forms of worship, to keep it as a solemn Fast.

The Union of the States is at the present moment threatened with alarming and immediate danger; panic and distress of a fearful character prevails throughout the land; our laboring population are without employment, and consequently deprived of the mans of earning their bread. Indeed, hope seems to have deserted the minds of men. All classes are in a state of confusion and dismay, and the wisest counsels of our best and purest men are wholly disregarded.
In this the hour of our calamity and peril, to whom shall we resort for relief but to the God of our fathers? His omnipotent arm only can save us from the awful effects of our own crimes and follies -- our own ingratitude and guilt towards our Heavenly Father.

Let us, then, with deep contrition and penitent sorrow, unite in humbling ourselves before the Most High, in confessing our individual and national sins, and in acknowledging the injustice of our punishment. Let us implore Him to remove from our hearts that false pride of opinion which would impel us to persevere in wrong for the sake of consistency, rather than yield a just submission to the unforeseen exigencies by which we are now surrounded. Let us with deep reverence beseech him to restore the friendship and good will which prevailed in former days among the people of the several States; and, above all, to save us from the horrors of civil war and "blood-guiltiness." Let our fervent prayers ascend to His Throne that He would not desert us in this hour of extreme peril, but remember us as he did our fathers in the darkest days of the revolution; and preserve our Constitution and our Union, the work of their hands, for ages yet to come.

An Omnipotent Providence may overrule existing evils for permanent good. He can make the wrath of man to praise Him, and the remainder of wrath he can restrain. -- Let me invoke every individual, in whatever sphere of like he may be placed, to feel a personal responsibility to God and his country for keeping this day holy, and for contributing all in his power to remove our actual and impending calamities.

James Buchanan.
Washington, Dec. 14, 1860.

MEA/HEA and the elections- Amazing!

2008-10-22T12:34:00.000-04:00

The MEA is hard at work, both as a state and local union organization, to influence the 2008 elections. They are working very hard to elect their candidates to our local school board. Here are a few sessions they had at their Summer Leadership Conference:

105 The Ypsilanti Coalition: Strength in Numbers
2:45-4:15 p.m.
Together the Ypsilanti teachers and support staff got their candidates
elected to the school board, helped move out an unfriendly superintendent and principal, and bargained fair and equitable contracts. Come hear their compelling story and become motivated to follow their example in your local.
Presenters: Larry Hankins and Kelly Powers

406-506 Elect Your Employer and When We Do, Then What?
2-5:15 p.m.
This session continues as Session 506. Participants must register for the entire series. Local associations do an excellent job campaigning for and electing
school board candidates. Every year members have a chance to elect individuals who have a direct impact on local education policy. However, once they are elected, we seem to forget about them. This session is designed to help members identify potential candidates,analyze election data and run a successful campaign. Participants will be provided ideas on how to keep in constant contact with the
people elected and how to inform them about your issues and the impact on the school district. Most often the local superintendent has daily contact with the board, while those who elect them seem to forget who they elected. This session will provide ideas on how to avoid this trap.
Presenters: Linda Myers and Rick Trainor

Here is an e-mail sent out by a teacher to other members of the HEA on their super-secret yahoo group. It appears to be in response to Doug Norton. Sounds like this teacher is threatening a strike- a full year ahead of negotiations! The e-mail has not been altered.

From: fiziksrulez
To: puttingkidsfirst@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 7:50 PM
Subject: Howell Teachers: Putting Kids First Trouble? Agreed!

Doug, I'm reading similar input and interpreting it in a different way....I don't think its as much about depriving the children of a "diverse and just education" as much as I think it is about "opening Parker at any cost necessary".

Mr. Gardella was notorious at his former district as a "cut cut cut" administrator, acording to my research. The rumor has it that the local community was fed up at the depth, as well as choice, of his cuts and that he was encouraged to seek employment elsewhere.

He's gaining control by eliminating voices of dissention and hiring supplicants to serve him. We have a principal here at the high school who is on such a short leash that he cannot as much as shake himself after urinating without the go ahead of his boss.

I'm intepreting what I'm seeing here at ground zero as "I'm the hero who's going to open Parker" thought process by Mr. Gardella. What you see are non-core courses and programs, especially those on the controvesal side, getting cut. Expect more, including and especially MESSA! Many in this community would applaud that action.

I'm very frightened for the upcoming bargening session...it may well come to a Wayne-Westland stance..does the Howell EA have the strength to vote yes on a labor action measure?

Everyone reading this, think it over. Do you want to vote "yes" on a strike measure a year from now? Scary decision, isn't it? If you act NOW and I mean RIGHT NOW you can get out and help get our candidates voted in to office on the school board. LOVE is out in full force: the only lawn signs I've seen out for the HEA candidates are the ones on MY lawn in my sub. This election is going to be 85% name
recognition. ..and it looks like Moore and Yenshaw have the upper hand.

Mr. Gardella is bent on opening Parker within his 3 year contract, and he plans on convincing the board to do so upon the backs of us teachers in this next contract. This is to be the hallmark of his career.

Please wake up and get active NOW before we have to march a picket line without jobs. Time is running out...our livelihood is slipping through our fingers like beach sand. Please do something, no matter how small. Get a lawn sign. Stuff envelopes. Talk to your neighbors.

Give a few bucks to the MEA PAC envelope you tossed aside last week. If you are waiting for "someone else" to take care of it...forget it. Its up to you.

Zach Kasprzak
HHS

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School Board Elections

2008-10-17T20:58:00.001-04:00

It has been a long two years in Howell. After all the turmoil and change of the past few years, the district is finally moving in the right direction. There are still problems and we have a lot of work to do, but at least folks are paying attention.

Thank you so much for making your voice heard and demanding better. It is now time to make sure that we stay on the right track by voting November 4th. This is the first November HPS Board Elections. Here is what I know about the candidates.

Dan Fondriest- Was appointed to the board. He has voted for fiscal responsibility and kept a critical eye on change in the district. He asks good questions and is a member of the Livingston County Republican Party.

Doug Moore- Came in third in the last board election. He is a numbers guy who relies on facts, not emotion, to make decisions. He is also a member of the Republicans.

There are people running who I have great concerns about and know you would not want to vote for. If you would like to know more about this, please e-mail me.

While the ballot asks you to pick two candidates for the 4-year term, you can choose just one.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me wjdayhome@sbcglobal.net

Wendy

Attention all Livingston County Residents

2008-10-07T19:03:00.000-04:00

Everyone in Livingston County should be paying very close attention to what is happening in the Wayne-Westland school district. The union there (which does not philosophically include all the teachers) has decided to stage an illegal strike.

As reported in a MASA update: In a recent statement the President of the Wayne-Westland Education Association said “we set a precedent.” “If we hadn’t walked away today, others wouldn’t know it’s OK to do this. This won’t end bargaining struggles across the state but we have taken a step.”

The goal of this strike is to embolden unions across the state to walk out on the kids they say they put first when they don't get their way in negotiations.

With tightening budgets and rising health care costs, districts are being pushed against a wall by unions who think there are money trees growing on the grounds of Michigan schools. If local unions approach upcoming negotiations the way the union has in Wayne-Westland, it will be your kids who are locked out the classroom an illegal strike.

Here is what else the MASA has to say about the strike:

The union has done a masterful job at making this sound like “classroom size and instructional support” are the issues. The truth is; it’s about MESSA. The administration offered the same level of benefits with a different provider or MESSA benefits with a higher teacher contribution and the union walked.

The union has lawyers, press people and a full UNISERV team on the ground leaving the school administrators badly out gunned. Plenty is at stake here:

The strike law is being tested for one of the first times since passage
The strike is coming on the heels of last year’s MESSA reform for a reason; the only way the MEA can keep MESSA relevant is at the bargaining table.
If the MEA succeeds, we can expect many, many more strikes.

Taxpayers, not the teachers, are footing the bill for this strike and its impact on parents and the community.

It is up to all of us, teachers included, to let the union know that it is NOT okay to walk away from the class rooms. If this is their definition of "Kids First," then I propose a new slogan:

Kids, Period!

Hope is NOT a Plan!

2008-08-05T14:12:00.000-04:00

Here is an article I wrote for www.rightmichigan.com

Hope is not a plan!+Hotlist

By Wendy Day, Section News Posted on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 09:42:11 PM EST

It wasn't long after I joined the Howell School Board that I started hearing folks talking about hope. They said things like, "We hope the state will give schools more money," and "We hope there will be equity in school funding".

One thing I have learned, hope is not a plan.

From school board tables across the state you can hear board members lamenting about the "lack" of funding for public schools in Michigan. Worse, candidates running for office in Michigan are also heard talking about the "lack of" or "unequal" funding in public education.
While it is true that funding isn't dollar for dollar equal across districts, this is not where we need to be focusing our attention. Public education already accounts for more than a third of our state budget. It already is the number one priority in tax spending. For schools operating in the red, there are only two options: raise money or cut spending.

So what should districts be doing?

Instead of hoping for more money, some districts have started to make tough decisions about how they spend their money. In Howell we have privatized, increased fees, explored medical insurance changes, and are currently working on ways to increase our student population.

While Howell has made some stupid decisions, like passing a teacher contract we couldn't afford, we have done some things right. If your district is asking for more money through a "sinking fund millage" or an "enhancement millage," or is threatening to cut programs, please don't just sit there. There are things schools can do besides cut programs for students or raise your taxes.

Because of union pressure, most boards are not willing to explore real spending reform. Here are few examples of what Howell has done:

1. Privatization is one way to save money with minimum impact to students. Privatization can happen in a few different ways. First, you can completely contract out the service. Howell privatized their custodians. We hired a company to provide a service we use to run in house. Second, you can privatize administrative positions. Howell has done this as well. That means individual administrators are no longer employees of the district, but are run through a third party. Finally, you can keep the employees but change the employer of record to another company or entity. We have done this with our daycare workers and substitute teachers. All of these save districts money on retirement costs and insurance.

2. Many districts are now mandating pay-to-play programs or arts and sports. This is a better alternative to cutting programs altogether. Howell offers scholarships for those who can't afford the fees.

3. During the last teacher contract the board named itself the as the insurer for the district. That meant we could bid out the medical insurance for teachers and were no longer tied to MESSA. MESSA is an arm of the MEA and is very expensive. It was a bold move. In the end MESSA underbid the competition and capped their increases. They ended up lowering their price, saving the district a lot of money. If your district has MESSA, this may be a good strategy for you too. Your teachers will be mad, but even if you end up keeping MESSA, you can save money.

4. School isn't what it used to be 20-years ago. There are many ways to teach students using technology and partnerships. Howell is working to develop fantastic partnerships that will draw students to our district. This is important because schools receive money based on how many students they have in the schools. Traverse City has led the way by having 200- slots for students to complete their classes entirely on-line. Schools don't need more money. They need to approve reasonable contracts, look for ways to cut spending, and pay attention to their customers- students.

Candidates for state office should be talking about MESSA, the MEA teacher contracts, the retirement system for school employees, and more choice for parents as to how they educate their kids. These are the tough issues that must be addressed in the coming years.

So whether it comes from a local school board member or a Presidential candidate, don't let them fool you.

Hope is not a plan!

Part-time Public School

2008-07-30T12:16:00.000-04:00

Hey folks-

There has been a lot of information in the media about the proposed part-time public school program that could attract homeschoolers from all over the area to HPS.

Here is what I know about the program:

1. The program was an extension of the idea to approach the private schools about providing services that we could count towards our state student count.

2. The idea for the program began to be developed before we made the decision to close Parker, with an expectation that it would be housed at the Freshman Campus.

3. The district met with the Department of Education, the lawyers, and several representatives from within the district to work on the logistics and plans for the program.

4. Mr. Gardella was hired in the middle of the process, and has wisely decided to make sure for himself that all the bases are covered.

5. This program is the first of its kind in the state, but not in the country.

6. We are legally bound to offer courses to homeschoolers anyway, this program would have just made it easy for them to come.

7. The program has caught the attention of folks from as far away as Stockbridge, Fenton, Ann Arbor and Beverly Hills.

8. Homeschoolers are not breaking down the doors of the public schools to get in. Why would they? But the only way to increase our budget is to attract more students.

9. Public schools are not a monopoly. Parents do (and should) have choices about educating their kids. The district is working to reach out and draw students here, even if it is part-time.

10. This program will only enhance the education of all HPS students by bringing in additional income.

If you have questions about the program, please let me know. There will be more information provided at each of the upcoming August board meetings. You can find meeting info at www.howellschools.com

It has been a long time...

2008-07-07T16:22:00.000-04:00

Hey folks-

As you probably know, we hired Ted Gardella as our new superintendent. I am excited to see what the next two years will bring. As I ponder where we have been and where we are going, I need your help. What are the top concerns you would like to see me work on as a school board member? With 2.5 years left on my term, I am here to serve you and willing to listen. We have come a long way, let's not stop now.

Let me know what you think. BTW, I just read a great book: From Crayons to Condoms. It brings up a lot of the things that HPS has faced in the past few years. Check it out.

Wendy

Meeting Last night

2008-05-20T06:58:00.000-04:00

We had another productive meeting last night. Here is a review:

1. By asking the right questions and really looking into the details, we "found" and extra $130,000 in the curriculum budget. That takes us another step away from privatizing and cutting programs. The rest of the budget will undergo scrutiny as well over the next year.

2. We are developing an award for a HPS Citizen of the Year award to recognize folks who support HPS. A committee has been formed to work out the details and information will follow.

3. Rick Terres introduced some revenue enhancement ideas, including reaching out to non-public school students. The most exciting thing I heard about the effort is that any revenue will be put into an account to open Parker as a second high school. If you have questions about this program, please let me know. Details will follow as they develop.

4. The Board is moving forward with the Superintendent search. This has not been the smooth process I had hoped for. There are still folks out there who are trying their best to throw this board off track. What a shame. We should all be rallying around this process and making sure we get the best candidate possible. Instead, we are forced to deal with sneaky efforts to undermine the process. I hope any of you who have received disparaging e-mails about the board will come to a meeting and judge for yourself.

Meeting 5-12

2008-05-13T07:54:00.001-04:00

Thanks to all of you who came out last night to the board meeting. It was a packed house. One of the fun aspects of my job is getting to recognize the great kids in our district who earn recognition. Last night we recognized several students for their efforts. It was wonderful to see the good things they are doing.

We also completed our first round of budget cuts.

Here is the breakdown of what we cut:

HS Asst Principal $105,000
Teachers $800,000
Reduction in expenditures $100,000
Privatize Administrators $ 65,000
Tech Services Coord $ 80,000
Privatize Coaches $ 5,000
Reduction in Unemployment $125,000
Food Price Increase $ 95,000
Community Ed $200,000
Maintaince Position $ 51,000
Energy Savings $ 75,000
Supplies for Indiv Printers $15,000
Textbooks $100,000
Privatize Security $ 5,000
Privatize Pool Employees $100,000
Cut HS Secretary Position $50,000
Cut In-room suspension aid $30,000
Cut Business Assistant $50,000
Cut 2-hour clerks $30,000
Cut HS Career Resource $40,000

Total $2,103,600

The teachers we are cutting are teachers that were put into place to accommodate flex-scheduling. Some of those classes had only eight students in them. That doesn't work. Due to the fact that we are returning to a more traditional schedule, and we have lost over 200-students with another 150-student loss anticipated, we simply have more teachers than we need.

As for textbooks, that budget more than doubled in one year. We heard last night that the reason behind that jump was new standards and benchmarks from the State. The budget is still double what it was 2-years ago and the board is asking some tough questions as to why.

The board meeting was heated last night. It isn't pleasant, but necessary to discuss things openly and ask questions. For too long the previous school board did not ask enough questions. Now we are faced with trying to turn over every rock in search of money and answers.

We said as a board that we wanted to be Welcoming, Engaging, and Child-centered. Our decisions should reflect that.

Please, please, please get involved in the Superintendent search. We need your input!

Letter from President

2008-05-08T09:59:00.000-04:00

Dear Citizens:

As you are aware, the Howell Public Schools is in the process of selecting a new Superintendent.
As a part of the plan to select our next Superintendent, your School Board has solicited the professional expertise of TD and Associates to assist with this critical decision-making process.

An important element in the overall plan is to receive valuable input from community members. Therefore, we are seeking ideas as to the characteristics you would like our new Superintendent to possess.

Although there may be a wide range of opinions regarding needed superintendent characteristics, Dr. Terre Davis, of TD and Associates, will submit your list of potential attributes to the Board of Education for assistance in finalizing the needed characteristics in our next Superintendent. She will meet with community citizens at various times (see below) on
Tuesday, May 13, 2008.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m. at the Howell High School Freshman Campus Auditorium

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the Howell High School Freshman Campus Media Center

7:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Howell High School Freshman Campus Media Center

If you would prefer, you may give your comments in writing. Any written suggestions / comments should be sent to: Dr. Terre Davis, TD and Associates, c/o Superintendent’s Office, Howell Public Schools at 411 N. Highlander Way, Howell, MI 48843. Written response needs to be received no later than noon, May 19, 2008.

On behalf of our entire Board of Education, thank you for your interest and contribution to the education of Howell Public Schools’ students.
Sincerely,

Philip W. Westmoreland westmorp@howellschools.com
President, Howell Public School Board of Education

Budget Workshop

2008-05-08T08:24:00.000-04:00

Last night the Board held a budget workshop. Here is some of what was talked about:

Our target is to reduce our budget expenses by $2 million.

Here is the current list of probable cuts:

HS Assistant Principal $105,000
Teachers (16) $800,000 (back to 06-07 pupil/teacher ratio)
Reduction in Discretionary Spending $100,000
Reduction of Unemployment costs $125,000
Increase Lunch/breakfast $ 95,000
Textbook budget reduction $100,000
Community Education $200,000
Tech Services Coordinator $ 80,000
Energy Savings $ 75,000
Privatize Administrators $ 65,000
Maintenance $ 51,000
Supplies for Individual Printers $ 15,000

Other possible cuts:
Business Office, 1 Assistant $ 51,000
Coaches- Privatize $ 5,000
Cut In-room Suspension Aid $ 30,000
Cut HS Career Resource $ 40,000
Cut 1 HS Secretary $ 50,000
Privatize Cafeteria Workers $ 74,429
Privatize Technicians $ 68,588

The Board will be voting on the budget reduction list on Monday night. Please let me know what you think. There are some exciting things on the horizon and I am looking forward to some upcoming possible changes.

Also, there will be community meetings scheduled soon by our search consultant to give you the opportunity to provide feedback about what you want in a superintendent. The Board went through this process on Monday and here are some of the things that were said:

Strong Financial Background
Good Listener
Child-Centered
Leader vs. Manager
Integrity
Results-Oriented

These are just a few of the traits we came up with. All of the traits given by the community will be put into a report and a "profile" of our ideal candidate. Please let your voice be heard!

Privatization

2008-05-04T08:57:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of talk, and worry, about the idea of privatizing. Here is some information about the process:

There are different ways to privatize.

With our administrative positions we privatized, the employees retired and were rehired by a private company to provide services to the district.

With the custodians, we contracted the entire process out to a company and let them do the hiring. In that example, people lost their jobs.

The third option is to keep the same employees but have them receive a paycheck from a different company.

All of these options save the district money on retirement, benefits, and social security. We are looking at the third option for some of our other employees.

Like you, I was surprised to hear the board ask for numbers on privatizing the entire central staff. I do not support that idea and don't think it is realistic. With that said, we need to be looking at everything to know where we stand as a district.

With a new superintendent coming in and all the change in the district, an outside audit (not like the one done annually for us) is essential. Our budget process is just going to get harder to navigate and an outside extensive audit done on the district is something we should all be asking for. We will see......

Meeting 4-27

2008-05-04T08:22:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting.

Here are some of the things we talked about/decided at the last meeting:

1. We voted to leave the Freshman where they are at. I have heard overwhelming support for this idea from parents who will have freshman next year. By staying at the freshman campus, the students will avoid longer bus rides, have access to 10-12 programming without needing a shuttle, and have the benefit of the Resource Officer.

This also allows the district to do a building study and decide how to use the Parker facility next year.

2. We selected a search firm to conduct the Superintend search for the district. There were four firms we interviewed. The winning firm was TD and was selected by a 4-3 vote. I voted for HYA. This firm was very professional and a real sense of the reality of the candidate field and the issues we were facing. I still support HYA as the firm of choice. This is the most important decision I will make as a board member and will work hard to make sure we find the right candidate.

Part of this process will be meeting with you to find out what you want in a new Superintendent. I will post the meeting schedule when it is confirmed. Your input is vitally important.

What leadership qualities do you want to see?
What should their professional experience be?
Should the person be from Michigan or out-of-state?

3. We continued to look at the budget. This is the most in-depth job the board has done since I have been around at asking questions and trying to make the right decision about how to balance the budget. Many of you have contacted me with feedback about possible cuts. Thank you!

Monday we are having a meeting to discuss the Superintendent Search process. Wednesday we are having a Budget Workshop. Please feel free to join us for these meetings!

http://www.howellschools.com/ for details

Meeting 4-14

2008-04-15T07:18:00.000-04:00

For those of you who couldn't make it to the meeting last night, here are some highlights as well as other issues that are going on:

1. We are looking at three firms to do our search for a superintendent: Cascade Consulting, Michigan Leadership Institute, and TD & Associates. If you have any input, information or research on these companies, please let me know. We will be voting on this at our next meeting. Before the meeting, we will be hosting representatives from these companies. That will be at 6:00 and is open to the public.

2. With the search almost underway, I need your help. You have already give me some great feedback about what to look for in our new superintendent. Please keep the suggestions coming!

3. We are looking to adjust our budget by almost $3 million. The cuts we are making this time around will not be easy. In light of that, we will be voting next meeting on whether to keep the 9th graders where they are- it will save us $60,000. This comes at the recommendation of administration. It is the right thing to do. If you agree, please let the board know.

4. We have a Goal Setting session scheduled for this Thursday at 7:00. It is a public meeting. I am very excited about this. It is the first time in two years we are getting together to just talk about where we want to go as a district.

5. Graduation is currently slated to be on Sunday at noon or at 6:00 pm if it is raining during the day. I have heard from you that the time is a concern because most of us will have to miss church. This seems to be another long standing system problem in which the Saturday's at the end of the year are taken up by sports. Traditionally, we along with every other school in Michigan, have had to hold graduation on Sunday or graduate athletes competing in sports on Saturday separately.

Another problem we are facing this year is that we need to have graduation outdoors. The bleachers at HHS were damaged last Fall and are being replaced. That means we have to have alternate times in hopes that our crazy Michigan weather will provide calm sunshine at some point that day.

That is what I know. If you are frustrated by this, please contact the Michigan High School Athletic Association. They are in charge of the sports schedules.

DOS Update

2008-04-08T07:41:00.000-04:00

Some thoughts on the Day of Silence

Suggestions for DOS volunteers (parents):

Bring cookies for the kids and teachers.
Bring some flowers to the front office ladies.
Offer to make copies, sort papers, or even grade tests.
Help clean beakers or wipe counters or whatever will help the staff.
Make sure you call ahead and let them know you are coming.

The parents who contacted me about DOS are not bullies. I know you love all the kids at HHS, not just your own. I pray the love of Christ will shine through you as you volunteer.

Please do not be intimidated by those who are turning this into a battle. It is not. God loves all kids and doesn't see the need to point out one group over another. Every child was created for God's purpose and is loved.

Bullying is a behavior rooted in a lack of respect for self and others. We can't talk (or not talk) our way out of a situation we behaved our way into. We have to behave our way out. That goes for the students and the school board.

Maybe DOS should be a day we all pledge to love one another a bit better; not because someone may be gay or transgender, but because we are all God-breathed and have intrinsic value.

Instead of a DOS, let's pledge to love one another every day.

Searching for a Superintendent

2008-04-08T07:26:00.000-04:00

We will soon be embarking on the search for a new Superintendent. This is the most important decision to be made during my tenure and I need your help.

What qualities are important to you? Would you rather see someone promoted locally or from out-of-state? What should their priorities be? School progressive reform or back-to-basics?

Please let me know what you think. Thanks!

Day of Silence

2008-04-01T17:26:00.000-04:00

Well- I have heard that several students at HHS will be participating in the Gay and Lesbian Day of Silence on April 25th.

Many of you contacted me because you were concerned about the gay agenda being pushed by the organization GLSEN and even by some teachers. My suggestion is that if you can, please volunteer at school the school that day. If you want to do that, please check with the school in advance.

Let me know what you are hearing.

Budget Reductions- Proposed

2008-03-31T11:26:00.000-04:00

2008-2009 Preliminary Budget Reduction Review

As a result of the continued chronic State economic crisis, HPS has experienced 5 straight years of budget reductions totaling over $10.5 million.

We are now at the point where more relevant program and staff reductions may be necessary for 2008-2009.

Over the past several years, most of the following reductions/revenue enhancers have been presented to the board and public, but not implemented. They include the following:

Professional and support staff
HS Asst. Principal $105,000
Teachers (16, maintaining 06-07 pupil-teacher ratio)* $800,000
HS career resource $ 50,000
Elementary media centers sec. to part-time $100,000
In-room Suspension aide $ 30,000

Reductions in discretionary expenditures $100,000

Additional contracting of positions
Administrators (3.75 FTE (08/09) vs.1.5 FTE(py) $ 65,000
Security/Hall monitors/non-instructional aides/café
workers $ 50,000
Technical Services Coordinator $ 80,000

Increase of Fees
Facility rental $ 20,000
Lunch/breakfast ( .25/meal) $ 75,000

Elimination/reduction in programs, including:
Community Education $200,000
Pool (PHS) $125,000

Enhanced student recruitment efforts, including non-core
curriculum offerings to private schools and home schoolers
along with expanded ADED.
20 FTE’s $140,000

Consolidation/shared services
Technicians/maintenance/business service, etc. $150,000

Energy Savings
Automatic PM computer/printer shut-down
Eliminate personal appliances
Alternate hallway lighting
Other $ 75,000

Eliminate supplies for individual printers $ 15,000

Textbooks $100,000
Note-with this reduction, budget is still in excess of
06-07 actual expenditures by $125,000
Other Considerations

TOTAL $2,280,000

*This represents a correction only in the teacher pupil ratio.

A very cool video! Enjoy

2008-03-31T09:51:00.001-04:00

Monday's Meeting

2008-03-26T10:12:00.000-04:00

There were several important issues on the table Monday night.

First, we voted on a new contract with the Superintendent. Thanks to Mr. Breiner for helping make this a smooth transition. For details check out:
http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080326/NEWS01/803260304

We also were presented with ideas for balancing our budget next year. I will post the cut list later today. We will need to reduce costs by at least $2 million.

Many of you are requesting we keep the freshman where they are at. I agree. Please let the rest of the board know how you feel.

We approved the purchase of a new piano for HHS. The one we have now is out of shape and a new one was badly needed. The funds for this come from Bond dollars- which can't be used for operational costs.

Here is some info on an upcoming meeting we were told about:

Positive People for Howell Public Schools has organized a community forum to learn and discuss school funding and specifically, the current 2X school funding formula that is up for approval at the state level. Scott Menzel, Livingston Educational Service Agency Superintendent, will be presenting information on school funding and the 2 X formula. There will be a question and answer portion following the presentation. There will then be a discussion on how to email, write or visit your state representatives to make the most difference in addressing the underfunding of our schools. Parents, family and citizens who are directly affected by this issue are the most powerful in getting our legislature to listen. All parents and citizens from Livingston County are welcome as this issue affects us all! Any questions, please email Positive People for HPS at contactus@positivepeopleforhps.com or look at our website for more information on Equity in Funding at www.positivepeopleforhps.com. The meeting will take place on Monday, April 21st from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the LESA building, 1425 W. Grand River Ave, Howell and is designed to be an efficient and quick way to learn about the issue and how we can work together most effectively as a community to stop inequality in school funding.

More to come!

Day of Silence

2008-03-19T10:36:00.000-04:00

No, not that day of silence.......

The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network or GLSEN Day of Silence scheduled for April 25th. Several of you have contacted me because you are concerned about this event, which is a pro-gay agenda event held in schools across the country.

Here is what I know:

1. Mission America has posted a list of schools they believe are participating. This list is not based on any list from GLSEN. GLSEN does not post what schools or students have signed up.

2. Howell High School is on the list from Mission America.

3. As with any student political protest, it is protected free speech unless it disrupts the learning environment. Students who refuse to answer questions by teachers or interact when instructed to will be considered disruptive to the learning environment.

4. To the best of our knowledge, there is no planned activity for this event.

5. As many of us learned a while back, political issues don't belong in the public schools. With that said, students have the right to free speech and the district cannot prohibit students from participating in political events as long as they are not disruptive to the learning environment.

6. Based on the lack of any organized efforts, we have requested that HHS be removed from the list of participating schools (per Lynn Parrish). Much like the last day of silence mentioned on this blog, this too will turn hopefully out to be a very uneventful day for our students.

You have every right to be concerned about what your students are exposed to in school. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. When more information becomes available, it will be posted.

Wendy

http://www.missionamerica.com
http://www.glsen.org/

Old Board or New?

2008-03-12T07:58:00.001-04:00

If you read the LCP today you probably saw that there was a little squabble at the board meeting between one member and several of us. Truthfully, that was tame compared to what goes on behind the scenes. But that is okay, for now.

The underlying struggle is over direction of the board and the culture of the district. There are two camps- one wants the rubber stamp, Breiner agenda of yesteryear. The rest of us want a district that represents the community.

A district with small town values and big city opportunities.

We can have both. We can also live within our means. All of this change is going to take some work and there will be bumps, especially as board members choose sides.

Here is what side I am on- yours! These schools belong to the community. While this community is growing, the families who live here still want schools in which:

The students are safe.
The parents are involved.
The teachers are valued.
And the community is listened to.

If these things are in place, we will have good academics. I believe we are moving in the right direction. Please keep talking to me. Your input and stories from the front lines are so important. Thank you!

Last Night's Meeting

2008-03-11T06:37:00.000-04:00

It was a packed house last night. Due mostly to the Fall athletic teams that were honored for their outstanding performance. Great Job!

We did receive a transportation report. At this point, it looks like we can work with the buses we have (although we still need 8 buses to replace ones that are unsafe after this year). Of the 8 buses we need, we voted last night to purchase 6. I will keep you posted.

We heard from two families whose kids have been assaulted, one at the high school and one at a middle school. I know these situations are being addressed for discipline, but I have to wonder what is going on with these kids? These incidents were not the old hair pulling, two punch fights I remember occasionally happening in my school. My prayers are with these families.

We did vote to not renew the Superintendent's contract. Although I disagree with the impression that was given last night. We did not do this only because we were asked. This is something that should have been taken care of months ago. We waited, for whatever reason, but at least from where I sit, this was a board initiated move.

Looks like we are sticking with Option 8 for now. There is a task force being put together to address the concerns parents have and to be proactive about problems that may arise next year.

The board is going to be having a planning session sometime in the next month or so for us to set some goals for this year and get on the same page. Please send me any input you have about what our goals should be.

I was able to chat with several parents last night. Thank you! I really enjoy hearing from you and listening to your perspective.

Last thing for now, we fixed the building use policy to allow for political candidate forums. These are your schools and we need to be able to host candidate forms to increase awareness and encourage civic participation.

Monday night

2008-03-08T09:04:00.000-05:00

Monday night promises to be another interesting board meeting.

We have received a preliminary report about busing needs for next year with Option 8 and it isn't pretty. It looks like busing for Option 8 will cost the district an additional $350k - $700k depending on the buses we are able to buy.

I have heard from many of you who say we should have just gone with Option 6. I agree! In fact, I would support tweaking Option 8 to leave the freshman where they are.

Some will criticize us for making a decision 2-weeks ago and then possibly changing yet again. I can't argue with how it looks. The truth is, at least from my perspective, we had to walk through this process to prove that closing Parker for a year would not be a slap in the face of the voters.

Making the decision 2-weeks ago allowed the staff to get started on moving the 10-12 students back to HHS. They need every extra day they can get.

So will we be tweaking 8 and leaving the freshman where they are at? I don't know. Please let me know what you think about this idea.

I just can't rationalize spending another $350k-700k when we are getting dangerously close to cutting programming. We will have a proposed cut list by the end of the month. I will post it here.

One other thing, I have asked for a cost analysis for bus aids to ride our routes. You have made it clear that you are sick of hearing bus ride horror stories. I agree. I am not sure where the money will come from, but I have heard from you that it would be money well spent.

Community Coalition

2008-03-02T07:20:00.000-05:00

from www.livingstondaily.com

Maria Stuart:
The rejection from LOVE still lingers

I feel Wendy Day's pain.

Really. I do.

Day, a member of the Howell Public Schools Board of Education, is frustrated that a group calling itself the Community Coalition formed to promote positive news about Howell schools and she
doesn't know much about it.

I know how she feels.

Rewind to a couple years ago and that's exactly how I felt when LOVE (the Livingston Organization for Values in Education) formed and I didn't know much about it. Now, there are some differences between the Community Coalition and LOVE.

The Community Coalition is a group of Howell business people who want to promote positive things about Howell Public Schools. As Pat Convery, president of the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Community Coalition said, "If we don't have great schools, we can't be an exceptional community."

The Community Coalition's tack seems to be to spread the word about the good things going on in Howell schools, as well as offer itself as a resource and support system to the district.
LOVE was formed by Marion Township resident Vicki Fyke and a few other people to "promote unity in our community and to emphasize traditional American family values in our public schools."

LOVE's first step toward that goal was to offer up framed copies of "In God We Trust" to be displayed in all district classrooms and offices. Since then, the group has been busy, busy, busy: challenging books and coming up with plans to rid the district of its superintendent that have centered around humiliating him into resigning.

LOVE also endorsed Day in her successful bid for the school board; she was the biggest vote-getter that election.

The other big difference between the two organizations?
Daily Press & Argus reporter Lisa Roose-Church asked Day that question for a story she wrote last week. Day said LOVE takes responsibility and works in the open, while the Community Coalition "doesn't seem to operate that way."

Really?

Day's beef was that the Community Coalition doesn't have a Web site and she was one of several school board members the group hadn't talked with yet.

Community Coalition members said Day hadn't returned phone calls; Day said the Community Coalition hadn't called her. Believe what you will, but Day wasn't the only board member to not speak with members of the Community Coalition at the time the story was written.

Anyhow, I could tell from the tone of Day's blog (forabetterday.blogspot.com) last week that she was ticked: "I am looking for a Web site for the Community Coalition that I have heard has been formed ... to give input to how HPS is run. I believe there was an article about them a few months back in the LCP. ... If anyone has any information about this group or a Web site I can visit, I would love to hear from you."

Unfortunately, the Community Coalition doesn't have a Web site. On the other hand, LOVE had a Web site, and I visited it a couple years ago to learn more about the organization headed by the controversial Fyke.

I was surprised to see that I had to apply for membership, and when I got to the part that asked me to write a few lines about why I was joining, I said I am the managing editor of the Daily Press & Argus. Then, realizing that might not be enough to demonstrate my upstandingness in the community and worthiness to the group, I added that my son was going to be a student in the Howell Public Schools district.

I crossed my fingers and waited nervously. Finally, I received a nice phone call from LOVE member Jim Pratt, who had also run unsuccessfully for the Howell Public Schools Board of Education. It was the news I prayed for: I was in!

But there was a catch.

Pratt said I could be a member of LOVE as long as whatever I saw on the Web site didn't end up in print. So excited was I to be among the chosen — maybe it was the celestial choir ringing in my ears — that I agreed.

I still won't violate that agreement. I will tell you, though, that after being on the Web site, I decided to cancel my "membership," but LOVE — via another phone call from Pratt — beat me to the punch and kicked me out because some unnamed members were "uncomfortable" with me.

Can you believe that?

I wrote a column about it while the pain of rejection was still fresh; I described the experience much like "summoning up the courage to dump a goofy boyfriend only to have him beat me to it."

So, I must not have been invited to the LOVE meeting at which I was first accepted and then rejected by the membership. Maybe there was an emergency meeting called and a show of hands to kick me out; maybe there was an online poll on the group's Web site.
No matter which. I'm sure I was rejected in the open, somewhere.

At least Day got to meet with the Community Coalition. She's got nothing to complain about,really.

Hmmmm........

Everyone, including Maria Stuart, should be concerned about a group of well-known community members that are meeting with individual school board members to try and exert influence over the direction of HPS. This group has an "invite only" membership list and takes it a step further by meeting only with those that they feel appropriate, up until last week when they met with me.

They said they called me last week starting on Wed. That could very well be true. I unplugged my land line to see how it felt to go without (thinking of crossing into the world of cell full-time). However, all of the other board members were contacted via e-mail weeks ago. You do the math.

Were they basically nice to me? Yes. But I have it on good authority that the meetings go a bit differently when I am not there, at least with some of the group members. Most importantly, this isn't about me. This is about you. You have just as much right to be heard as any group, especially one made up of high-profile community members.

Here is who I know is in the Community Coalition (I don't think it's a secret):

Mike Hall
Don Cortez
Pat Convery
Yvonne Swan
Sharon Huff
Jeanne Clum
Sue Darazic
Bill Manual
Steve Manor

They have between 50-70 members.

I am not complaining, just looking out for the students, tax payers and community members who have a right to know that the board is being lobbied.

Where were all of you?

2008-02-29T12:56:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful for all of the input I have been getting from you. It is becoming clear that many of you think we should have gone with Option 6. I totally agree! It is a shame that the groundswell for Option 6 didn't happen three weeks ago.

But, here we are.

There are some great reasons to stick with Option 8, including:

There is a lot of excitement from the 8th graders about getting to go to Parker.

It relieves overcrowding at the freshman campus

It allows us to generate revenue with the freshman campus.

Parker is a much nicer facility than the freshman campus.

They 9th graders will have access to a better library, athletic facilities and computer labs.

It saves the district money, which means we won't have to cut the budget quite as much.

The decision has been made, but if you have ideas about working within this framework to help the students, I am all ears!

Funding Equity

2008-02-29T11:19:00.001-05:00

We have been hearing a lot about equity in funding for schools. Usually this is discussed in raw dollar numbers. It is easy to lament about Howell not getting as much as other areas-and that is true. But like most things in life, it isn't as simple as it seems.

When Prop A passed, HPS saw a significant increase in funding. The problem is that we grew after Prop A so we couldn't take advantage of the loop hole given to districts that had already been spending a lot on education. Those districts came under the umbrella of Prop A with a caveat that they could keep some additional funding resources beyond the foundation allowance that makes up almost all of our budget.

Also, the idea of comparing districts dollar for dollar without taking into account cost of living differences does not give a clear picture of where we are.

Is HPS getting shorted compared to other districts? Yes. But we need to live within our means, including building a fund balance, and work to attract students to our district.

Meanwhile, I applaud the Citizen's for Equity group for fighting for our County! Keep up the good work.

Fiscal Transparency

2008-02-28T19:04:00.000-05:00

Many of you have been shaking your heads at the idea that the district is "broke," and at the same time spending money on things like DDR.

The district owes it to you to be as fiscally transparent as possible. To that end, some changes may be coming to HPS. First, HPS may be the first district in the area to put our checkbooks online for all to see. That will allow you to see exactly where your tax dollars are going.

Second, the board is going to bring forward a possible policy change to make sure all purchases over $5000 receive board approval before the money is spent. These expenditures will be reviewed by a board sub-committee.

As a board member, it is my responsibility to make sure your tax dollars are being spent well. Part of that process will be providing more transparency in our financial process. The administration is committed to this as well. Stay tuned for more information.

Option 8 and Community Coalition

2008-02-27T16:38:00.000-05:00

Hey folks-

Yesterday I met with the Community Coalition- they do exist! They said they want to help this board by providing input about the future of HPS. I am holding them to that mission and hope there is open and honest dialogue. There seems to be a range of opinions within the group about where the district should go; so this is an official invite for anyone, in that group or not, to share your thoughts and feedback about HPS and how to move towards a healthy future. Your opinion is just as important as any former board member, superintendent or business owner.

On another topic, our decision on Monday has been called "rash" and "condescending". I understand why you might feel that way. Let me assure you that the folks who voted for Option 8 all heard from many of you over the past two weeks. We heard from the administration that the finances were more grim than we had thought. We heard from athletics that Option 2 was getting logistically complicated and morphing into something other than the Option 2 we had voted for.

Here are some facts about Option 8:

1. It is Option 4, flipped. It is something the administration had said they would be comfortable with. It is something that was presented to the public (as Option 4).

2. It is the 2nd cheapest option, behind Option 5- which would have kept us at Parker.

3. Parker holds 1300 students. HHS holds 1850 students. We have about 1840 students grade 10-12th. HHS was the logical place to put them and Parker would already be half full with our 700 ninth graders.

4. Putting the 9th graders at Parker allows them to use a much nicer building and opens up the Freshman campus for other educational opportunities. I have heard suggestions for an International HS Program, an Early Childhood Center, a Co-op, Magnet School for gifted and talented and I know there are other ideas out there waiting to be heard.

5. Will busing be an issue? Yes. We live in a rural district and will need more buses no matter what option we went with. The good news is we are being proactive about this instead of repeating this year, where we found out there was a problem when parents showed up to a board meeting. That can't happen again.

6. Every moment from the time your child steps on to the bus until the time they step off is important to us. We are not insensitive to that fact. You have a right to be concerned about busing, given everything that has happened. I don't think any board member would disagree with this statement.

7. When you hear that we have "cut" $11 million from our budget, it isn't exactly true. Our budget has increased almost every year. The "cuts" are really just re-appropriations that had to happen because of increased costs in medical insurance, retirement costs, and energy costs. Until we get a handle on those costs and stop giving out raises we can't afford, we are going to struggle. The frustrating thing is that we have little say over energy costs or retirement costs. Not an easy situation, but we have to live within our means. These are your tax dollars we are spending and we better do it wisely.

8.There as no clear win-win scenario. Thinking K-12, Option 8 is the best chance for us to make money leasing the freshman campus, increase educational opportunities, and move forward.

With all this said, please let me know what you think. What programs do you want to see in HPS? What is being offered elsewhere that we could duplicate? I am excited to hear from you!

We heard you!

2008-02-26T07:10:00.000-05:00

For the past two weeks many of us on the board have been mulling over the decision we made to go with Option 2. Since then, I have heard from dozens of you via e-mail, phone calls and right here. Thank you!

Last night we reconsidered our decision and decided to change to new plan, Option 8. Here is the basics of Option 8:

1. 10-12 students will be at the main HHS campus. This building is beautiful! We were able to tour it last night and the changes are dramatic.

2. 9th grade students will be out at Parker. This allows them to enjoy the new building and stay with their friends.

Option 8 is expected to cost about $330,000. There are some variables such as busing that will need to be looked at. But even with busing, this option is much less expensive than Option 3, which is over $600,000 (with additional busing costs) and Option 2, which was almost $800,000 the first year and $1.5 million by year 3.

This change means that we can protect programs like elementary counselors. I don't know anyone who thinks cutting this program is a good idea.

So thank you, thank you, thank you! Your voice was heard and I am sure we have made a sound fiscal decision given the lack of a clear win-win situation.

On another note, I am meeting with the Community Coalition today at 4:00. I will keep you posted.

Wendy

Community Coalition Update

2008-02-24T16:56:00.000-05:00

Well folks-

I was just invited to meet with the Community Coalition- which is a good thing. I am looking forward to hearing how they can help the board and the administration.

Do you have any questions you want me to ask them? Any input to give as to how they can best help HPS?

Thanks for the feedback!

Wendy

Community Coalition

2008-02-24T13:37:00.000-05:00

Groups form to address Howell schools issues
By Lisa Roose-Church
DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

The community seems to agree — Howell Public Schools has its issues.

As a result, parents and business leaders are forming groups — both informal and formal — in an effort to help support those making decisions rather than complain from the sidelines.

In recent months, at least three groups — Community Coalition, Positive People for Howell Public Schools and an unnamed, informal group of parents of students from the Howell High School at Parker Campus — have been created to promote causes, and support the district and its leadership.

Yet, not all groups are being met with open arms by at least one Board of Education member in the school district.

Board member Wendy Day recently expressed concerns on her blog about Community Coalition — an informal group of business leaders trying to support the district. She said she is looking for a Web site for Community Coalition — none exists, organizers say — because she has been told the group wants to "give input (into) how HPS is run."

"Shouldn't everyone try to influence decisions?" asked Pat Convery, director of the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce and member of Community Coalition. "Shouldn't everyone attend board meetings and offer an opinion?"

Convery said Community Coalition also hopes to connect with the nonpartisan group Positive People for Howell Public Schools, so the two groups can help promote the district and facilitate positive decisions.

"We want a school board and administration that make good decisions," Convery said. "From the chamber's point of view, our mission is to be a catalyst for business and community. If we don't have great schools, we can't be an exceptional community."

Howell Public Schools is a great district, the business leaders agree. The group has compiled a list of 138 items it feels represents positive facts about Howell Public Schools from 1999 to today. Some of those accomplishments include opening Hutchings Elementary School and Three Fires Middle School as well as expanding or remodeling Highlander Way Middle School and the old McPherson Middle School into Howell High School Freshman Campus.

Other district accomplishments include the annual Highlander Hero luncheon, a $1.44 million literacy grant, four state Teacher of the Year finalists from 1999 to 2004, formation of committees to address professional development and special education, and more.

However, on her blog (forabetterday.blogspot.com), Day has questioned the group's motives, saying it does not "seem to operate" in public. She claims she is the only board member "who has not been invited to meet with" the group, so she is "wondering what they are all about."

"I also heard from Bob Parker that they have asked him to run for school board this next round," Day wrote on her blog Tuesday.
While calls to Parker have gone unanswered, Convery and Community Coalition member Don

Cortez say the group has approached no one about running for a future school board seat.

Cortez said the group conducts its meetings in private because businesses — unlike the school board — are not obligated to hold a public forum. The group is not a secret, however, and members have met informally with board President Phil Westmoreland, Vice President
Jeannine Pratt, and school board members Kim Shumaker and Michael Yenshaw to offer their support.

The group is also hoping to meet with Day, Treasurer Ed Literski and board member Dan Fondriest.

Cortez said attempts have been made to contact Day, but she has not returned phone calls.

For the rest of the story go to: http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NEWS01/802240319

Okay, after reading this there are a few points that need to be cleared up.

1. I have not been contacted by this group. In fact, they sent an e-mail to all the other board members (minus Pratt and Westmoreland, who they had already met with) asking to meet with them. I was left off that e-mail. I have two well know e-mail addresses and my number is in the phone book. These folks have also been at several recent board meetings and have not extended their hand to me.

2. There are at least 2 former board members in this group. If they really wanted to help HPS, they should have stayed on the board and helped us make the difficult decisions we face now. Ironically, some of the decisions we are making can be traced directly back to these board members who approved the contract language for the superintendent.

3. They are not informal. They sent out an "invite only" letter to several (I hear around 70) folks in the community when they were starting their group.

4. There is a big difference between this group and Positive People. Positive People has a great website, has been open about their focus on students, is not political, and is giving a presentation at the next board meeting. Some community coalition members stood up at a recent board meeting and gave vague speeches about "not taking the district backwards". Although we may have different ideas about what that means, I couldn't agree with them more. The board is moving in the right direction and to go back to where we were 2-years ago would be tragic.

5. Why should you even care who is meeting with the board? Because this group has an agenda. This isn't a group of random parents or community members. It is the Director of the Chamber and a Chamber Board member. It is a Howell City Council member. It is former board members from HPS. Also involved is a former superintendent who sits on the LESA Board. They claim they represent the business community. But in fact, they support an agenda that has led our district into controversy after controversy, at least from what I can tell. They have not come out with a clear statement of their true agenda but seem to look longingly at the "good old days" before I was elected to the board. They appear poised to criticize action we take, but have not offered solutions the myriad of problems facing HPS.

I look forward to meeting with them.

School Options

2008-02-21T17:15:00.000-05:00

I have been receiving e-mails from parents who are concerned about the choice we made as a board for the schools next year.

To those parents who have e-mailed me, thank you. I know you really care about your children and have some valid concerns with Option 2.

Let me start by saying that Option 6 still would have been the best option. Option 6 (moving everyone back to HHS) would have solved all the concerns of the parents I have heard from and been much more fiscally prudent than Options 2 or 3.

With that said, those of you who were at the meeting saw that the board clearly was not going to entertain Option 6. The only real choice was between Options 2 & 3.

Voting for Option 2 was a vote to move the district forward. Was it the best fiscal choice? No. But my vote for Option 2 was an effort to honor the taxpayers who voted to build Parker back in 2003.

I have heard from many of you about your concerns. I have also heard from parents both inside and outside the district who are excited about Parker and can't wait to send their kids there.

What else are you hearing? What other concerns do you have?

We want special treatment too!

2008-02-20T15:08:00.000-05:00

I didn't know that Detroit Schools get special treatment. Actually, I knew that; I just didn't know it was a formal arrangement. Michigan Votes reported on this bill that has been introduced into the House. How can HPS get some of that "special treatment"?

House Bill 5765 (Extend Detroit School District special treatment )Introduced by Rep. Bettie Scott on February 19, 2008, to reduce from 100,000 to 75,000 the number of students that qualify a school district as a “school district of the first class.” Detroit is the only such district, which is a statutory device to allow the Detroit School District to be exempted from a variety of regulations that apply to other districts, and receive special treatment in other ways. The Detroit district has lost tens of thousands of students in recent years, and is expected to fall below the 100,000 threshold soon. http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=59886

Community Coalition

2008-02-19T15:07:00.000-05:00

I am looking for a website for the Community Coalition that I have heard has been formed by the Howell Chamber of Commerce and Mike Hall to give input to how HPS is run. I believe there was an article about them a few months back in the LCP. I also heard from Bob Parker that they have asked him to run for School Board this next round. Should be an interesting time.

If anyone has any information about this group or a website I can visit, I would love to hear from you.

Wendy

MSBLF

2008-02-18T10:39:00.000-05:00

There is a new group offering training and information for school board members called the Michigan School Board Leaders Forum. Here is what they have to say about the organization:

Welcome to the Michigan School Board Leaders Forum, Inc., a non-partisan, non-profit group dedicated to the success of reform-minded school board members in Michigan.

Reforming school expenditures, adopting policies that use competition and competitive bidding to school districts’ advantage, and seeking ways to use tax dollars more efficiently are all a part of our mission.

We also seek to empower reform-minded school board members from around the state to network, learn from each other, and adopt policies in their own district that work elsewhere.

www.msblf.org

From Daily Press & Argus

School leaders band together
By Lisa Roose-Church DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Reform-minded school leaders have joined hands to create the Michigan School Board Leaders Forum Inc., a network to learn from and get to know like-minded board members from around Michigan.

The idea is to educate board members about contract negotiations, successful reform policies from around Michigan and the country, and ways to stretch dollars further. It is a plan Howell Public Schools Trustee Wendy Day supports.

"I am a member of that forum and very excited about it," Day said. "I am hoping there will be other board members who join as well. There is a shortage of training options for school boards, and this is an excellent opportunity."

Because of Michigan's struggling economy and financial challenges facing school districts across the state, the group seeks to empower board members to enact spending reforms to ensure as many dollars as possible are going directly to educating children.

"This is a chance for those of us committed to meaningful education reform to create a forum dedicated to improving the system, rather than simply supporting the status quo," said Mike Reno, a Rochester Community Schools board member. "MSBLF is about responsible stewardship and accountability to students, parents, and taxpayers."

For the rest of the story see: http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080218/NEWS01/802180307/1002

Small High Schools Making a Comeback

2008-02-17T07:51:00.000-05:00

From Jack Hoogendyk's blog www.coreprinciples.com where he writes from the floor of the House of Representatives:

From the Governor's State of the State
"...And, we will create new high school opportunities, particularly small high schools, to help the tens of thousands of students who now leave high school without a diploma stay on a path that leads to success in college and beyond."

What was she talking about? Here is an excerpt from mlive:Granholm pushes for tougher schoolsPosted by Peter Luke Gazette News Service January 28, 2008 08:35AMLANSING --

Gov. Jennifer Granholm will propose Tuesday a $300 million state fund to provide planning and startup cash for the creation of as many as 100 small high schools in Michigan.The schools, designed to replace dysfunctional, industrial-model high schools plagued by high dropout rates and low academic achievement, would be:

• Proposed by local school districts and limited to 400 students or less on a general admission basis.
• Governed on site by a principal with increased autonomy to set budgets, establish curriculum, hire teaching staff and establish work rules.
• Possibly partnered with universities, businesses, foundations and nonprofit institutions to establish specialized fields of study.
• Based on an emerging national reform model that stresses rigorous course work, academic relevance to the real world, personal relationships between staff and students and individualized study plans.

----While I certainly applaud the innovative idea of creating new schools to compete with existing schools that are failing, I must ask, why doesn't the Governor support Charter Schools? Four years ago, a retired businessman offered to build 15 new specialized high schools in Detroit, with his own money. But they could not be built unless the legislature, with the Governor's support, lifted the cap on charter schools in Detroit. There was no support or leadership from the Governor on getting this done.

After all the money spent around the state on mega-sized high schools, now they tell us that smaller schools are better? What are the taxpayers who spent millions building these mega schools suppose to think? Hopefully, Howell can explore some of the "school within a school" ideas to work with the buildings we have and recognize the benefit of smaller schools. The good news- Parker will be one of those "small high schools" next year.

Kindergarten

2008-02-14T20:36:00.000-05:00

sHowell is adding 2-new sections of all day every day kindergarten next year. There is a high demand for the program and now every elementary in the district will have a section. Admittance will be determined through a lottery.

Many of you have shared your thoughts with me about this program. It seems that the bottom line is that you like having choices when it comes to your child's education. I agree. We live in a society that provides almost endless choices and education shouldn't be an exception. Currently, you can choose half day, all day alternating days, or an all day every day kindergarten schedule. This allows families to do what is best for their child based on age, maturity, and skill.

As more districts move towards all day every day kindergarten, what will the affect be on the kids? Is it better to have all the students on the same schedule or offer choices to families?

What do you think?

Bus Report

2008-02-14T08:54:00.000-05:00

The Bus Report was released to the media yesterday. You can download it at either www.whmi.com or www.livingstondaily.com

Our number one concern as a district needs to be student safety. When this story broke, the whole community was outraged. We all asked questions like, "What could lead a child to do this?", "What is going on that prevented the superintendent from knowing what happened?", and "How can we make sure this never happens again?"

There have been new policies developed to make sure all employees understand what is expected and to provide for clear reporting procedures. The Board will discuss board policy that may need to be put into place to compliment and reinforce any administrative policies dealing with this issue.

As to discipline of employees, you probably won't be shocked to hear that I will not comment on that. Yes, I have concerns after reading the report. Yes, I will be looking to see what Mrs. Parrish brings forward in the near future.

This report was not the end of this incident. The families of the children involved are still in court and are still hurting. The community is still wondering if their kids are safe on the bus. The district is still working on internal controls to make sure that in the future this is handled correctly from our side.

I say this to let you know that you may not see any outward action quickly (although it shouldn't take months). Please be assured that we are working to move forward. While we can't predict what individual choices a child might make, we can make sure we react swiftly and appropriately.

What a Difference a Day Makes

2008-02-13T08:13:00.000-05:00

Monday the community learned that we are going to begin the split into two High Schools. While I woke up yesterday morning feeling less than peaceful about the decision we made- in part because I had a few frantic e-mails and phone calls wondering what we were thinking. This was such an important decision and I take the job of listening to and representing you very seriously.

This morning I am excited. Yes, this is going to be a transition and we are going to need to listen carefully to what you have to say. But there is so much opportunity for students with this change. Students will have twice as much opportunity to participate in sports and other co-curricular activities.

According to a 1996 study by Kathleen Cotton, smaller schools can offer better academic success, better attitudes, better behavior, and lower drop out rates, especially for at-risk students. Students have a better sense of belonging, better chance that students will go on to college and even better teacher attitudes.

http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/10/c020.html

There are many studies that confirm Ms. Cotton's findings.

While our student populations will still be large by many standards, Parker will temporarily fit into the ideal school size which is 400-600 students. Even as we grow the schools, they will be much smaller than the current high school population.

Our job as a school board is to listen you to and make the right decision for the students. I hope you can start to embrace the positive aspects of this move. I am excited and look forward to what next year will bring.

Please keep the feedback and ideas coming!