Here is a letter I received on the MCAT program, and the administration's plan to open the MCAT.
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I have a very simple question… WHY? Why would you take one of our districts most prestigious programs and attempt to prohibit any further participation from students within our own district? How many students and parents have there been over the years who have been very disappointed that they have not had the opportunity for participation in this program because of limited space, or because of the criteria used to determine acceptance? What would it take to allow for more students within the LPS district to attend this program?... The lowering of the criteria by a few points? Or maybe just taking students from the top of the list of those who did not meet that criteria to enable them to fill in the available seats?

This district risks further alienation from LPS students & parents who have tried very hard to gain acceptance in this program. What would you think if your child was not accepted to this program, only to see students from outside of LPS partake in what should available to our own students first. I ask you to seriously re-evaluate any attempts at accepting students from outside of our own district, and make every attempt at accommodating LPS students first. Are we trying to attract & retain students to LPS, or give them reasons to leave?

Furthermore - I would like to know what process has been used, and what criteria and data has been collected to determine why this administration feels it is necessary to exclude LPS students from further participation in the MACAT program.

Letter from a concerned parent

The June 23rd committee of the whole meeting generated a lot of emails. Here is one on how we choose an auditor.


I noted on the attachment to the agenda that the recommendations highly favor the current firm of Plante & Moran. It is also noted that Plante & Moran have been the district auditors since 1995. It is time to set aside ratings & preferences and look at reality. Any firm that has been doing the same process at the same location with the same clients for over 12 years will often suffer from complacency, and quite possibly errors & oversight. I do not need to mention the mistakes Plante & Moran has made in other districts where they clearly missed millions in embezzlement or the outstanding errors in accounting procedures. Those were districts that Plante & Moran were also already in a “comfort zone” with, much like LPS.

It is time, after 12 years, to place a new set of eyes on the audit process. Lets not let the “goodies & benefits” that Plante & Moran offers, or the camaraderie that district has long had with them, nor even the difference in price or ratings make the choice as a choice so obvious that we are missing the bigger picture. Now is the time to make a change to ensure complacency or oversight has not occurred in the past, and if so, will not occur in the future. We need to ensure accountability & accuracy in our school finances for the sake of all of our students, staff, and the entire LPS community.

As board members, your continued due diligence on behalf of the LPS community is necessary more now than ever before. The economic future does not appear to be returning to anything resembling the previous decade anytime soon, and even then we must protect for a huge reduction in economic status. Every penny counts today, and for tomorrow.

An interesting piece of the LPS budget

Here are a few choice pieces of our budget. You can see that the cost of the energy management program exceeds 100k, before any of their fees are paid. Were is the savings?

Please click on the pages below to see a larger version. Please click on "comments" to leave a comment.

The LPS Administration -- Who are they, and what do they do?

After several trys, I have been able to get the job titles for the senior members of the LPS administration. Take a look, and tell me if you don't think there might just be some duplication of effort.

Please click on the page below to see a larger version. Please click on "comments" to leave a comment.

Our future?

Lax accounting, overspending, enrollment losses, sound familiar?


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CUTS, CLOSINGS AHEAD IN FLINT
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FLINT, Mich. - Lax accounting, enrollment losses and overspending all contributed to the $10 million budget deficit now facing the Flint School District, The Flint Journal reported.With no fund equity, the district likely will lay off employees and shut schools in order to close the gap, The Journal said in reporting on a presentation by chief financial officer Andrea Derricks. Enrollment has dropped by 25 percent in recent years,leading to a reduction in state aid, Derricks said, but she also pointed to consistent overspending in some departments and too little control over expenditures.

Michele Stinson, president of the United Teachers of Flint, told The Journal that she hopes the school board will look at cutting more than just teachers and support staff. Derricks said she has put in place controls that limit how much money is spent and who can spend it, The Journal reported, as well as a freeze on purchasing supplies.

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SOURCE:The Flint Journal, "Steep cuts, school closings looming in cash-strapped Flint School District,"
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/11/steep_cuts_school_closings_loo.html

Leadership

Those of you that watch the Livonia school board meetings, or read the Observer “letters to the editor” will recognize Maggie Feher. Maggie is my neighbor, and as you may have guessed by the tone of her letter, she has not supported me since I won a seat on the school board.

I have tried in the past to reach out to her and explain my positions that differ from my colleagues, but her personal disdain for me has prevented her from hearing me. Because of her feelings toward me, I try not to engage when she attacks me. This time however, she has leveled some charges that I need to address. Here is the letter she wrote on 10/23/08:

Click below to see the entire letter.



































First, Yes Maggie I vote NO on principle and my strong conviction of putting kids first, not out of (as you say) cowardice. I will not simply go along to get along, and vote “yes”. I sought a seat at the board table, not to make friends, but to make a difference in the way we conduct our business of delivering a quality education. I am a politician of mission, not ambition. When I vote no it means I believe what has been brought before me is wrong. Also, I have always offered a viable alternative to what I am voting against, not just a “no” vote.


I promised the people of the Livonia School District that I would put the “public” back in public education and vote for what’s in their best interest, not what is politically expedient. I would rather lose an election doing what’s right, than win if I have to turn my back on the people who elected me.


Second, The smear letters that have been sent out concerning my personal life (which you seem to be such an expert on) have no place in this campaign and are simply untrue. I will not publicly discuss the details of my personal relationships, but I will say this unequivocally. I have never owed a penny in spousal support. I love my kids, and have always provided support for them, including FOC payments. I have never missed a court date that I was notified of, and have never been arrested or handcuffed!

No one tried to arrest me when I filed to run for office or any time since. I am in the public eye as both a performer and a trustee. Do you really think if someone wanted to arrest me that they would have a difficult time finding me?

Maggie, I have always taken responsibility for my actions. I don’t take the easy way; I take the way I feel is right, even if no one else agrees. That means some people will really not like me. I understand, but it will not change the way I work as a public servant. You may not recognize it, but it’s called leadership.

My response to the Walsh campaign

Below is a letter I sent to the Observer in response to the personal attacks from John Walsh and his supporters.

Steve King