Dear Mr. King,
I spoke about Everyday Math (EM) at yesterday's board meeting. Due to time constraints, I did not get to finish my thoughts on the subject. Please do not expand this program to our upper elementary students. As a mother of 3 kids enrolled in this district, I urge you to consider what is in the best interest of the children. You do not have enough data to show that this program is working in our district. Waiting for the results of next year's standardized test scores would be the right thing to do.
There is much controversy surrounding this program and the tide seems Tobe turning in math education toward a more balanced approach. Districts around the country are headed in a different direction. Over 220 Professors of Mathematics and Science including department heads from Caltech, Stanford, Harvard, and Yale, 7 Nobel Laureates and winners of the Fields Medal, the highest honor bestowed in mathematics, all endorsed an open letter to the US Secretary of Education publicly denouncing Everyday Math and other similar programs in a full page ad in the Washington Post. Are they all wrong?
The School Board should reconsider the decision to approve the use of Everyday Math for our K-4 students and should not be expanding it to our upper elementary students. It's my understanding that the district is concerned about losing $47,000 in grant funds and wants to rush to expand this program before those funds expire. If six students are pulled from LPS because of this program, the district will lose more than $47,000. Please do not rush to make this decision because grant funds may or may not be lost. Our children deserve the best math education.
Please review the recommendations made by the National Math Panel convened by President Bush here:
_http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/index.html_ (http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/index.html) Everyday Math will seriously limit the academic and economic future of our students.
Please implement a more balanced approach and reverse the damage inflicted by this grossly inadequate math curriculum.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Budget Feedback
Dear Livonia School Board Members,
I'm sorry I am not able to attend the meeting tonight. However, I have suggestion to help with the ongoing budget crisis and loss of students to private schools. My recommendation calls for cutting over 20 bus runs a day, eliminating several administrative, custodial and secretarial positions, and mothballing at least 2 buildings. I would like to recommend that the district reconfigure the buildings to K-5, 6-8 and 9-12. This could be done by simply keeping new fifth graders in the elementary buildings and moving out new sixth graders with the new seventh graders to the middle school buildings. Also, the elementary schools could then start at 8:25, rather than 8:50 AM, which would allow all the children to be home before 4:00PM. Parents would be less stressed with fewer buildings to be running between, have fewer PTAs to join, and have less fundraisers to support. The biggest gain would be children would have more time to be kids!
Now, if overcrowding at the middle school is a problem, one of the 5/6buildings could be converted back to a middle school. However, with the district's planners stating that the enrollment will continue to drop for many years, that may not be necessary. Besides, a clean, air conditioned portable classroom would be my preference for my child over an occasionally cleaned, hot room with few windows.
My other suggestion to save teaching positions, would be to charge a nominal fee for family's to be covered under health benefits. Most businesses charge the employee for at least a portion of the family's medical coverage. Our family pays over $40 twice a month for coverage. Here's an example of savings, if the district charged just $50 a month for family coverage and 10 employees per current school building participated,that would be a savings of $11000 per month or $132000 a year. Now, that could really add up if it was taken to all district employees!! Wouldn't that be better for educating our future than increasing class sizes??
I'm sorry I am not able to attend the meeting tonight. However, I have suggestion to help with the ongoing budget crisis and loss of students to private schools. My recommendation calls for cutting over 20 bus runs a day, eliminating several administrative, custodial and secretarial positions, and mothballing at least 2 buildings. I would like to recommend that the district reconfigure the buildings to K-5, 6-8 and 9-12. This could be done by simply keeping new fifth graders in the elementary buildings and moving out new sixth graders with the new seventh graders to the middle school buildings. Also, the elementary schools could then start at 8:25, rather than 8:50 AM, which would allow all the children to be home before 4:00PM. Parents would be less stressed with fewer buildings to be running between, have fewer PTAs to join, and have less fundraisers to support. The biggest gain would be children would have more time to be kids!
Now, if overcrowding at the middle school is a problem, one of the 5/6buildings could be converted back to a middle school. However, with the district's planners stating that the enrollment will continue to drop for many years, that may not be necessary. Besides, a clean, air conditioned portable classroom would be my preference for my child over an occasionally cleaned, hot room with few windows.
My other suggestion to save teaching positions, would be to charge a nominal fee for family's to be covered under health benefits. Most businesses charge the employee for at least a portion of the family's medical coverage. Our family pays over $40 twice a month for coverage. Here's an example of savings, if the district charged just $50 a month for family coverage and 10 employees per current school building participated,that would be a savings of $11000 per month or $132000 a year. Now, that could really add up if it was taken to all district employees!! Wouldn't that be better for educating our future than increasing class sizes??
Sunday, May 18, 2008
T-shirt Memos
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Saturday, May 17, 2008
New restrictions on board member oversight
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Friday, May 16, 2008
Letter to the editor
A letter from a concerned parent about Everyday Math.
I am writing this letter as a concerned parent of a 4th grade student in LPS. I am very concerned because there has been discussion of adopting Everyday Math for the LPS 5th graders this fall.
I just don't understand why you would want to bring an inferior math program to our upper grades. Aren't we all trying to give our kids the best education possible? Research of EM has proven over and over that reform math programs are not good for our children. Too much spiraling and not enough mastery.
Please talk to Board of Education member Mr. Greg Oke. He stated at one of the candidate forums "Most of the criticisms with the Everyday Math program actually come from the 5th and 6th grade levels. I actually know this because my district has EM. We utilize it up through 6th grade and all the problems we've had with it actually come from the 5th and 6th grade level." Do we really want to do his to our kids when research AND experience prove it is not a good program?
Mr. Bailey stated that he 'saw no problems with EM' when he visited one of the k-4 classrooms. Did you have to sit down with your child and try to explain some of cumbersome methods they use? I did do that with my child many, many nights this past school year and we were both incredibly frustrated.
And I applaud all of the teachers out there that have to teach this program. They are doing the best with what they have been given. My son's teacher has been out of class for 10 full days because of 'math meetings'.
I hardly think this is fair to her or her students. Not to mention, if she needs that many classes to teach a math program she piloted, doesn't that say something, too?
I am asking you...No, I'm begging you, to please wait on this 'adoption'.Read the research. Do what is best for our children. Don't make another hasty decision without all the facts. Please listen to the parents, the kids and the teachers this time.
I am writing this letter as a concerned parent of a 4th grade student in LPS. I am very concerned because there has been discussion of adopting Everyday Math for the LPS 5th graders this fall.
I just don't understand why you would want to bring an inferior math program to our upper grades. Aren't we all trying to give our kids the best education possible? Research of EM has proven over and over that reform math programs are not good for our children. Too much spiraling and not enough mastery.
Please talk to Board of Education member Mr. Greg Oke. He stated at one of the candidate forums "Most of the criticisms with the Everyday Math program actually come from the 5th and 6th grade levels. I actually know this because my district has EM. We utilize it up through 6th grade and all the problems we've had with it actually come from the 5th and 6th grade level." Do we really want to do his to our kids when research AND experience prove it is not a good program?
Mr. Bailey stated that he 'saw no problems with EM' when he visited one of the k-4 classrooms. Did you have to sit down with your child and try to explain some of cumbersome methods they use? I did do that with my child many, many nights this past school year and we were both incredibly frustrated.
And I applaud all of the teachers out there that have to teach this program. They are doing the best with what they have been given. My son's teacher has been out of class for 10 full days because of 'math meetings'.
I hardly think this is fair to her or her students. Not to mention, if she needs that many classes to teach a math program she piloted, doesn't that say something, too?
I am asking you...No, I'm begging you, to please wait on this 'adoption'.Read the research. Do what is best for our children. Don't make another hasty decision without all the facts. Please listen to the parents, the kids and the teachers this time.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Condition of closed schools
This is a response from Jack Kirksey to questions from residents about what the city can and can not do about the closed schools.
"Public Schools and/or K-12 schools are regulated by the State of Michigan. The construction, alteration or maintenance, or lack thereof, of schools has State laws stating who may inspect, who may not inspect and what procedures are to be followed.
After consultation with our Chief Assistant City Attorney, Cathryn White,and the Chief of the Building Division, Bureau of Construction Codes, State of Michigan, Larry Lehman, I have determined that we do not have the authority or mandate to enforce any building codes or maintenance issues on a public school building.
The State laws that govern this activity are Public Act 306 of 1937, as modified by Public Act 230 of 1972 and subsequently modified by Public Act628 of 2002.
The first action on a complaint should be directed to the Local Board of Education Office. In Livonia their address and telephone number is: 15125Farmington Road, Livonia MI, 48154; 734-744-2500.
If there is no response to that complaint a written complaint may be filed with the State of Michigan and they will do an investigation and follow-up. The written complaint should contain all of the pertinent details including the complaint address along with the name of the school and should be addressed to: State of Michigan, Bureau of Construction Codes, PO Box30254, Lansing, MI, 48909. A general telephone number (Not for complaints,as they must be in writing) is: 517-241-9302.
Regards,
Mayor Jack E. Kirksey
City of Livonia
"Public Schools and/or K-12 schools are regulated by the State of Michigan. The construction, alteration or maintenance, or lack thereof, of schools has State laws stating who may inspect, who may not inspect and what procedures are to be followed.
After consultation with our Chief Assistant City Attorney, Cathryn White,and the Chief of the Building Division, Bureau of Construction Codes, State of Michigan, Larry Lehman, I have determined that we do not have the authority or mandate to enforce any building codes or maintenance issues on a public school building.
The State laws that govern this activity are Public Act 306 of 1937, as modified by Public Act 230 of 1972 and subsequently modified by Public Act628 of 2002.
The first action on a complaint should be directed to the Local Board of Education Office. In Livonia their address and telephone number is: 15125Farmington Road, Livonia MI, 48154; 734-744-2500.
If there is no response to that complaint a written complaint may be filed with the State of Michigan and they will do an investigation and follow-up. The written complaint should contain all of the pertinent details including the complaint address along with the name of the school and should be addressed to: State of Michigan, Bureau of Construction Codes, PO Box30254, Lansing, MI, 48909. A general telephone number (Not for complaints,as they must be in writing) is: 517-241-9302.
Regards,
Mayor Jack E. Kirksey
City of Livonia
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Reponse to Legal Issues in Purchasing
Hi Steve:
I was involved in Royal Oak School Board politics for about 10 years. After that amount of time with little results, I moved to Troy, where the taxes are high, but people were happy with the schools. At one point I was so desperate to get others interested, that I hooked up with a group of older men in Livona (Tony Brehler) called "The Grumpies." I recall (in the mid 90's) visiting one of them in the hospital and seeing your signs around that you were running for the school board. I asked is that was Steve King of the Dittilies ( I was a great fan from the lamplighter and Back Seat in Royal Oak) and I found out it was you.
I hope you had better luck than we did in Royal Oak - all my friends who got on the board actually got sued for firing the superintendent, but of course it didn't stick, was just one of their tactics. Royal Oak has the ROEA, a very active chapter of the MEA. My conclusion is that (1) none of it had much to do with kids, it was about the adults,(2)the teachers there were more like teamsters, and used all the districts funds to elect their select candidates, (we never won another election after getting a 4 person majority on the board the first year.)
So now I live on a lake that was beautiful for the first 4 years in Emerald Lakes, and has gone to crap over the last 5, and now I fight with the Sub Board (my girlfriend across the lake and I just took over the Lakes Chair Position to fix our lake, one of six lakes) and the next fight will be with the Oakland County Drain Commissioner. So I moved here to get out of politics and am right back in it. It seems that it never ends.
Good luck, the apathy regarding the schools is amazing. In fact, apathy is why our lake went to crap. Will look for the Dittilies again in the Rochester-Troy area, you guys are great, and it brings back memories.
I was involved in Royal Oak School Board politics for about 10 years. After that amount of time with little results, I moved to Troy, where the taxes are high, but people were happy with the schools. At one point I was so desperate to get others interested, that I hooked up with a group of older men in Livona (Tony Brehler) called "The Grumpies." I recall (in the mid 90's) visiting one of them in the hospital and seeing your signs around that you were running for the school board. I asked is that was Steve King of the Dittilies ( I was a great fan from the lamplighter and Back Seat in Royal Oak) and I found out it was you.
I hope you had better luck than we did in Royal Oak - all my friends who got on the board actually got sued for firing the superintendent, but of course it didn't stick, was just one of their tactics. Royal Oak has the ROEA, a very active chapter of the MEA. My conclusion is that (1) none of it had much to do with kids, it was about the adults,(2)the teachers there were more like teamsters, and used all the districts funds to elect their select candidates, (we never won another election after getting a 4 person majority on the board the first year.)
So now I live on a lake that was beautiful for the first 4 years in Emerald Lakes, and has gone to crap over the last 5, and now I fight with the Sub Board (my girlfriend across the lake and I just took over the Lakes Chair Position to fix our lake, one of six lakes) and the next fight will be with the Oakland County Drain Commissioner. So I moved here to get out of politics and am right back in it. It seems that it never ends.
Good luck, the apathy regarding the schools is amazing. In fact, apathy is why our lake went to crap. Will look for the Dittilies again in the Rochester-Troy area, you guys are great, and it brings back memories.
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