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Letter to the Board - Please stop K-4; Help us understand why K-6 is not better
Topic Started: Dec 29 2005, 11:41 AM (473 Views)
2 kids
Principal
To all Board Members and the Superintendent,

I hope you all had a nice time off with your families. It is still the Holiday season and we all should wish the best for our families and our community in this coming year.

I am so disappointed that we are not seeing any action on your part to revisit the Legacy Plan and consider implementing the K-6 version of it, while working very closely with the community to craft the final version. It will save more money than the proposed K-4 option, while it won't require this radical school reconfiguration project. What is the point of creating:

- additional transitions for elementary children?
- asking almost 4000 additional students to ride the bus, some for miles?
- needing to purchase/lease so many more buses to implement this plan (is this money well spent)?
- creating super-sized schools for 5/6 elementary kids (900 students) - these are much bigger than our current middle schools
- incurring much larger one-time costs than under K-6 (this will likely be in the millions - is this money well spent)?

While we will have to change a couple of boundaries with the modified K-6, it won't be as drastic of a shock to the entire community as K-4. With the proposed K-6, you will be splitting up Kennedy between Frost and Emerson, and Adams will be split between Holmes and Emerson. Based on the projected enrollment, we can possibly looks at a solution where this is addressed, such as possibly including all of Kennedy in Frost and all of Adams into Emerson. Or keep it the way it is now . . . Or some other options. Do the numbers, it can work. So, with K-6, we can also end up with a three-section community, which was touted as a benefit of only K-4.

Also, consider pulling the "specials" off the table and you will see that the numbers (savings) will look strongly in favor of K-6. Don't you think that with the continued enrollment reductions and no significant help from the state, we should be looking at saving as much as possible while retaining all of our programs for years to come? I am really concerned that we are using these new specials as a carrot for the parents, to justify the school closings and such, but then in a year or two, these will be the first programs to go . . .

It is very disturbing that you chose to go against 65% of the community (no need for school configuration change) and yet won't be saving any more money than with K-6. If anything, K-6 will prove to be a bigger money saver than K-4, once the one-time costs are factored in. No to mention the serious intentions of so many parents who are in the process of pulling their kids out of the district (going to Farmington schools, moving to Canton, going to private schools) and from what we can tell, it's all because of K-4 and the creation of these super-sized schools for elementary kids. These are not bad apples moving out. They are active parents in our community.

The appeal of the LPS will be gone with this move. It is so disturbing to see how much press coverage this thing is getting, and how we all get to read about the Board going against 65% of the population on the most important question on your questionnaire.

I am hoping that you are not too proud to admit that lots of mistakes were made in your endorsement of a seriously flawed, no known cost to implement, lack of community support plan. And that you will correct it, before it's too late, by putting a freeze on K-4 implementation while re-visiting the feasibility of the proposed K-6 implementation.

I have spent a lot of time researching options, attending meetings, watching your meetings and absorbing the information. The K-4 plan just looks plain wrong for our community. Why can't you just see that?
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TAB
Principal
Just wanted to let everyone know that these letters do get read....at least by me anyway.....I responded back to 2 kids and this morning we met and had coffee.....very interesting discussion ensued and I learned a lot......I hope I was able to shed a little light on some of 2 kids ideas......anyway.....I hope other BOE members can respond as we all were elected to listen.

Tom
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Anna Krome
Principal
I am glad your coffee went well. What did you learn, Tom? I am really curious.

I had coffee w/two BOE members, too. But it doesn't sound like yours.

Great letter 2kids.

Thanks for posting, Tom.

Tom:

Why is it okay to take kids from out of LPS for some programs, such as the tech school, but not on a general basis?

Anna Krome
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loyaltolivonia
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Principal
TAB
Dec 29 2005, 12:15 PM
Just wanted to let everyone know that these letters do get read....at least by me anyway.....I responded back to 2 kids and this morning we met and had coffee.....very interesting discussion ensued and I learned a lot......I hope I was able to shed a little light on some of 2 kids ideas......anyway.....I hope other BOE members can respond as we all were elected to listen.

Tom

Tom,

It looks to me like your fellow board members have abandoned you and left you on the firing line!

Unless someone can tell me their screen names, it looks like not one single BOE member except you answer our letters and questions. Maybe they should try supporting you like you have pledged to support them with the LI. Well, there's a novel idea. The rest of OUR BOE actually answering questions posed by "We the People" of Livonia.

Thanks for your time, Tom. It seems like you have a lot less of it than the rest of the board as you have to field legitimate questions and concerns from us.

Have a wonderful new year. I hope our children do, too! :D
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lpsproposalsrbad
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Principal
Cyndi Markarian has posted to this forum under the name Cyndi, and I believe JEM is Joanne Morgan? Just a guess...
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Anna Krome
Principal
I know Cyndi is Cyndi Markarian. She told me.

Good guess on JEM.

Mr. Freeman's child or himself post as "XYZ"--that's my guess.

Why is it that only the BOE or close relatives seem to be posting in support of LI?

And, I am Anna Krome.

Anna Krome
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TAB
Principal
Anna.....you make me laugh......I knew I liked you!!!! What did I learn this morning....just a different perspective......there once was a show called "Naked City" and in the biginning the announcer would say....."there's 10 million stories in the Naked City and this is just one of them".......to me there are many different opinions and perspectives to look at here and by talking with as many different people as possible , gives me possibly new insight.....like thinking out of the box.....what a novel idea, don't you think!!! Anyway, I saw how detrimental all this could be from a family who isn't directly impacted yet but could be......we had great conversation....I truly did walk away wiser to say the least!.....Am I abandoned ??? .....sometimes I feel that way but I should be going "out of my way" to make sure this doesn't happen....we really need to keep the lines of communication open between us...... and yes, Cyndie and Jo have both been on ....but XYZ.....this person does bring up some interesting statements for thought......I wonder if his or her parents give any suggestions? Anyway...off to two Holiday parties today......one from 2-5 and another dinner party in Ann Arbor from 6-?..........Have a great day everyone......

P.S. And I'm Tom Bailey :rolleyes:
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Anna Krome
Principal
Tom,

Have a great time. I think you are nice, too.

Yes, communication is imperative. I wish more of it was going around here w/the BOE.

Can you tell me why the BOE has such a vested PERSONAL interest in LI? Why they are testy w/you?

Speaking only for myself, by this time in the game, I would be doing some serious "reality checks." Asking myself, well, if 800 people show up on a Monday night in frigid temps. to wait 6 hours to speak, maybe I should really listen to them?

Maybe, I DO NOT have all the answers. Maybe I should read something that I think I don't agreee w/but maybe I can GET something out of?

Yes, there are a lot of perspectives to consider. But, I feel one giant one has surfaced--and that is that 5/6 STINKS.

Anna Krome




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moveon
Principal
TAB
Dec 29 2005, 12:15 PM
Just wanted to let everyone know that these letters do get read....at least by me anyway.....I responded back to 2 kids and this morning we met and had coffee.....very interesting discussion ensued and I learned a lot......I hope I was able to shed a little light on some of 2 kids ideas......anyway.....I hope other BOE members can respond as we all were elected to listen.

Tom

Why do you always have to grandstand? just say I read these letters. You don't have to refere to the other BOE all of the time do you??? oh you do that is right...you are trying to keep up with that "I am the hero" thing! Stop speaking for them and stop saying what you think they should be doing.....just worry about yourself and the job you think that you are doing for the people. Some parents say this and I will now say it to you...just worry about yourself!
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Iliveon-Levandownbytheriver
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Principal
moveon...


Why so hostile? What does it matter to you....how about you just worry about yourself....

Or is it....do what I say...not what I do?
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moveon
Principal
Iliveon-Levandownbytheriver
Dec 29 2005, 06:12 PM
moveon...


Why so hostile?  What does it matter to you....how about you just worry about yourself....

Or is it....do what I say...not what I do?

I think that is how all of you think. Or is it....I only care about the issues when they hit home????
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Iliveon-Levandownbytheriver
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Principal
No....I personally think alot of parents are very involved in the community and the issues. I moved here from another district and alot of parents there...just werent that involved in their childrens life like here.

We are very lucky to have great parents here.
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loyaltolivonia
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Principal
moveon
Dec 29 2005, 06:07 PM
TAB
Dec 29 2005, 12:15 PM
Just wanted to let everyone know that these letters do get read....at least by me anyway.....I responded back to 2 kids and this morning we met and had coffee.....very interesting discussion ensued and I learned a lot......I hope I was able to shed a little light on some of 2 kids ideas......anyway.....I hope other BOE members can respond as we all were elected to listen.

Tom

Why do you always have to grandstand? just say I read these letters. You don't have to refere to the other BOE all of the time do you??? oh you do that is right...you are trying to keep up with that "I am the hero" thing! Stop speaking for them and stop saying what you think they should be doing.....just worry about yourself and the job you think that you are doing for the people. Some parents say this and I will now say it to you...just worry about yourself!

MoveOn-

Personally, I don't think answering letters could be called "grandstanding". He is letting us know that he reads our letters-He cannot speak for the other board members. Sure would be nice to know that MISTER Lessard was doing the same as TAB!!! At what time did TAB ever use the word hero??? That is what YOU see.

I do not see it that way. I see him as a line to vent our frustrations and get answers to our questions. Are there any other board members out there willing to stick their neck out to criticisms such as yours??? I have seen one for sure and another 'might be' on this forum.

To quote you "Some parents say this and I will now say it to you...just worry about yourself!"

Stop picking on people for the sake of picking. Try using some of that anger towards a good cause........The Legacy Initiative!
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