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High School Change; Bad Idea
Topic Started: Oct 23 2005, 12:06 PM (2,754 Views)
Administrator
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Wow,that is really a big problem for you guys. They have so many programs at Churchill that people move into neighborhoods for! Were with you!
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jhourigan
2nd Grade
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Yes our area seemed to get hit the hardest with not only having our 5th and 6th graders being bussed over to Westland. we are also dealing with loosing Churchill. Many people have bought their homes in this area with the intentions of sending their children to Churchill and now were being told were Franklin!!
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Once again, what exactly is so bad about Franklin?
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Administrator
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Oct 27 2005, 01:17 AM
Once again, what exactly is so bad about Franklin?

It is my understanding that Churchill has extensive arts and media programs that the other two high schools do not have. I have spoken with a few parents who said that is why they wanted to go to Churchill, and purchased homes so they could do so. Is that correct??
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jmcculloch
2nd Grade
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Roosevelt parents,
I understand you are having a meeting on Sunday. I am encouraging all Adams parents to attend this meeting as we are in the same boat having to send our kids down to Cooper in Westland and not just a half mile up the street to Riley. My wife is at the Hull meeting right now trying to build up more numbers against this proposal.

Jim
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Another reason the population numbers are high at Churchill is because of all the magnet programs that are housed there and the sibling rule. The sibling rule allows any sibling to "ride in on the coat tails" with the first child.

Hypothetical Situation

The Smithelli family lives within the Franklin boundaries. They have five children. Mary 10th gr., John 9th gr., Ann 7th gr. and Sue 4th gr.

Mary (who lives in the Franklin area) auditioned and was accepted into CAPA at CHS. John gets to attend CHS because his sister is there.

Two years later, CAPA Mary is in 12th gr., John is in 11th and now Ann is in 9th gr. also at CHS.

Next year Mary graduates but John and Ann continue at the school because that's where they've been going and it's the sibling rule and the cycle continues to repeat...

CHS houses several magnet programs...including a Western Wayne County program. I would imagine those students as well are counted in the total numbers.

I don't know the numbers of students in the individual programs or the number of students that fall under the "sibling rule" guideline. I know CHS is the largest area-wise high school and the newest. If one or two of the magnet programs were to move to FHS, since it has so much room, would that then allow for students who are actually within the boundaries to attend CHS?
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edforall
Principal
Some very nice people live in Westland. They pay the same taxes. They moved into there homes knowing that it was a Livonia School District just like you. I think that some of the people changing to FHS, years back had started that way.
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rooseveltmom
Principal
I am a Churchill graduate, and moved here with the intentions of my children attending Churchill. However, after speaking with a few teachers and graduates of Franklin, I feel my children may be better off there. The ride is shorter and the community seems more close knit. I do still however have a problem with my children being bussed COOPER. This is too FAR. And it affects our real estate. I do not and will not support it.
On another note, does anyone know where to obtain the financial spending in depth over the past year. I have still yet to hear that there is a deficiet, and with 15% spent on other, as the boards web page states, I am curious. Any direction to head would be appreacitated, I know it is opned to the public.

FYI I do believe that Churchills special programs are still extended to any of the district students interested as well as Stevensons.
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nsbank
1st Grade
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Our family really did not like the idea of Riley being split among all three highschools. When entering 9th grade, there were only 2 or 3 Riley kids in each of his Churchill classes (Kennedy and Roosevelt kids). So I see one benefit of creating these "learning communities" at a younger age. By 5th grade your kids will be with the kids they'll graduate with. And by meeting them in 5th grade (vs 9th) you as parents will actually have a chance to meet some of their parents. It is a lot tougher to spend time at the school in 7th - 12th grade -- we are not as welcome during the school day. So, maybe there is some consolation in not being at Riley any more.
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kidstogether
Kindergarten
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I agree with you on the problems facing 9th graders that left Riley. They are definitely the minority at every high school.

This is one of the many reasons that I am in favor of the k-4 plan.

Also letting them start 5th grade with the same kids they will graduate with makes great sense. As a parent it's a lot easier to learn who your child's friends are then at the high school level.

Having gone to an elementary school where most of the children are bussed to the school my children have already faced minmum half hour bus rides to school. They don't live close enough to anyone to walk to a friends house, I've driven my kids to each and every play date they had until 7th grade when I began to trust them to ride bikes to friends houses.

I also believe that the programs that they may receive in the upper elementary are valuable programs. Current 6th graders get instrumental music with an instrument they can't take home once a week. That is not enough time to lean an instrument. More physical education can't hurt any of our youth and in the age of obesity it certainly seems beneficial. Colleges require foreign language classes in high school so given the opportunities to start this in 5/6th grades also seems beneficial. I understand that the word "may" is in the proposal but I'd rather have a "may" then an will not.

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ktmom
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kidstogether
Nov 19 2005, 10:11 PM
I agree with you on the problems facing 9th graders that left Riley. They are definitely the minority at every high school.

This is one of the many reasons that I am in favor of the k-4 plan.

Also letting them start 5th grade with the same kids they will graduate with makes great sense. As a parent it's a lot easier to learn who your child's friends are then at the high school level.

Having gone to an elementary school where most of the children are bussed to the school my children have already faced minmum half hour bus rides to school. They don't live close enough to anyone to walk to a friends house, I've driven my kids to each and every play date they had until 7th grade when I began to trust them to ride bikes to friends houses.

I also believe that the programs that they may receive in the upper elementary are valuable programs. Current 6th graders get instrumental music with an instrument they can't take home once a week. That is not enough time to lean an instrument. More physical education can't hurt any of our youth and in the age of obesity it certainly seems beneficial. Colleges require foreign language classes in high school so given the opportunities to start this in 5/6th grades also seems beneficial. I understand that the word "may" is in the proposal but I'd rather have a "may" then an will not.

I personally would not bank on these proposed programs. They have not given us any reason to trust them so far and these are not guaranteed. I just can not agree that this is what's best.

Not even in their own data does the 5/6 configuration make any sense. It does not change the achievement levels of students it in fact makes it worse. It also states that the transitions are difficult for staff and students. Not to mention they would do it again in two years and again in another two years.

I just can not find anything postive about this.
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Livonia2252
Principal
Franklin is just as good at Churchill. If your students would like to join some of the advanced programs housed at Churchill, they still can. As for the bus ride its called life. I had to take a Bus to every School I ever went to in Livonia, K-12, and my parents were not all upset they way you are all. The reason you are upset is because things are going to change for you, however you must remember you are all very well off, you live in one of the best cities in the Nation, and your students are in one of the best School Districts around. My point is this, if you do not let our school board members make decisions you have elected them to make you are actually hurting your students more. In order for our schools to remain effective and the best around change is needed. The school board has studied, and made an educated decision regarding these changes, and did not have a one sided view like some of you do. They did not make some ridged boundaries they simply went down the main streets. I think a lot of you really need to wonder what makes you better then someone living at five mile and Inkster whose children already were going to Franklin.
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rmille26
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Principal
Livonia 2252

I want to agree with you on the Franklin High School being a good school. I live at 5 Mile and Inkster and I have a graduate of Franklin and a Junior at Franklin. It is a GREAT school. Young teacher's, wonderful programs, great administration. However I believe that you saying that people are stuck on themselves is a little harsh. You have to remember that we are being shipped to a school, Cooper, that is 3.5 miles from here. We are 1 mile away from Riley. It does seem to us that we are getting a raw deal. I am a Adam's parent, but do feel for the people at Roosevelt, they have not had the opportunity to learn that FRANKLIN IS GREAT. You have to understand at Riley when the Adams children tell there peers that they are going to Franklin, most of them laugh and call it STANKLIN. Where do you think they get their perspective from. People in Livonia have always made disparing comments about it. They made them when I graduated from there. If parents would just stick together and represent all the Livonia High Schools as WONDERFUL, there would never be issue's with parents not wanting to send there children to a certain schools.
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ktmom
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Principal
Livonia2252
Dec 8 2005, 10:26 AM
Franklin is just as good at Churchill. If your students would like to join some of the advanced programs housed at Churchill, they still can. As for the bus ride its called life. I had to take a Bus to every School I ever went to in Livonia, K-12, and my parents were not all upset they way you are all. The reason you are upset is because things are going to change for you, however you must remember you are all very well off, you live in one of the best cities in the Nation, and your students are in one of the best School Districts around. My point is this, if you do not let our school board members make decisions you have elected them to make you are actually hurting your students more. In order for our schools to remain effective and the best around change is needed. The school board has studied, and made an educated decision regarding these changes, and did not have a one sided view like some of you do. They did not make some ridged boundaries they simply went down the main streets. I think a lot of you really need to wonder what makes you better then someone living at five mile and Inkster whose children already were going to Franklin. Maybe the people who decided to live there were not stuck on them self’s are some of you are.

Not sure if you were commenting on my posting but who said Franklin was not as good as Churchill?
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Livonia2252
Principal
I don’t see why being bussed to Copper is that big of a deal? I was bussed 3 and a half miles to high school. Plus the students living at Six Mile and Inkster now will be bussed over 5 miles to Homes. Any way you look at it it’s not a long ride, or drive. I believe the study by the school board was just five more min would be added to some students bus ride.
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