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Livonia Observer; January 5, 2005
Topic Started: Jan 5 2006, 02:04 PM (2,696 Views)
fyi
Principal
edforall
Jan 5 2006, 05:02 PM
fyi
Jan 5 2006, 02:17 PM
LETTERS


Never heard racist remarks
I am very outraged about comments made from Ms. Hedden. I have talked to many people and have attended many meetings. I have never heard anyone make racists comments about Cooper.

We are concerned about our children's health. The hazardous site has not been tested since 1991 and no one from the LPS district seems to care enough about our children to investigate. Instead they are trying to publicly make everyone look like racists so the LPS system can look good. The lies need to stop! It is making our community look bad and ruining the image of our city.

Susan Honjas

Livonia

Were you worried about the Cooper school site all of this time? How about the children that went to school at that site? Don't even give me the answer that we care about all children in the school. Did you or didn't ANY OF YOU DO ANYTHING to stop children from going to the Cooper school site before this LI? Just answer Yes or No. No need for any dialogue.

I didn't know anything about the Cooper/Whittier site before the LI. If I knew there was a health risk for children attending there, I would have been concerned.
Now that I am aware of it, I am concerned for current and future students.
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fyi
Principal
NFarquharson
Jan 5 2006, 04:36 PM
While we have had discussions about socio-economic issues, as far as I am aware, no one had said anything against the students or teachers at Cooper. It is a simple fact that there are more students from families living in poverty attending Cooper and certain other schools in LPS, some of which are in Westland. No one ever said that makes them bad kids or bad parents. We simply said that children who live in poverty are more likely to face many other challenges and bring other problems with them to school each day. Is there a teacher who would disagree with that? Why in the world do we have the whole No Child Left Behind legislation in the first place?

No one ever said anything at all about the teachers at Cooper. In fact, while there has been some talk about the teachers' union and the role they may have had in decisions, I have not heard a single negative word about any LPS teachers at any school. I would expect all teachers to be passionate about the welfare and learning of their students and am happy that Ms. Hedden feels that way.

Ms. Hedden states, "Recently, there seems to be a group who is fearful, negative and sometimes outright contemptuous toward Cooper Elementary. This is disheartening." There are parents who are fearful of the possible effects on students when construction begins at the toxic waste site accross the street. Why shouldn't people be concerned about the possibility of airborne contaminants when the dust is stirred up? Why wouldn't we want reassurance that the children will be safe? Should we be satisfied with six uneventful pregnancies as a measure of what might happen once contruction begins across from the school. This makes absolutely no sense.

She goes on to say, "I would like to clarify some misinformation and provide reassurance that the teachers at Cooper are competent, dedicated, and involved. Likewise, there are many involved parents at Cooper -- both in the PTA and as classroom volunteers." No one has said otherwise to the best of my knowledge. I have attended all but one board meeting and every parent meeting since the LI was announced and have yet to hear any such misinformation. Where exactly did this teacher hear this misinformation about the teachers and parents?

I am glad that this teacher does not allow her students to boo and mock other students in the classroom who might be sharing an idea or an opinion. I am glad she does not allow them to interrupt when another is speaking. I don't think any of us would disagree with that. But imagine a different kind of classroom.

What if the students were faced with a teacher who would not directly talk to them or answer their questions? The student is curious about something and nervously speaks out loud in a group format, asking questions about something he does not understand. The teacher just sits and stares at him, perhaps taking notes on occasion. This is repeated several times for many days in a row. More and more students are raising their hands and asking questions. Some have gone home and spent hours researching and planning what they will say and the questions they will ask their teacher. All along the teacher remains mute, blatently refusing to answer any questions. How long do you beleive such a teacher could maintain order in the classroom? Is this how a teacher should model approprate behavior in a classroom? No back and forth exchange of ideas is allowed. It is illegal for me to answer your questions. Students may speak for 3 minutes or write questions on little cards. The teacher might decide to answer some of the questions with the same answers that she has repeated several times. The child asks, "if I have 2 apples in a basket and 3 oranges in another and I combine them, how many pieces of fruit do I have?" The teacher answers, "You will have the right amount of fruit. Do not worry about it. There will be enough for everyone." How long will it take an otherwise well-behaved child to tire of this and decide that this teacher is not interested in him or what he wants and needs. How long before he starts screaming in a fit of rage or temper tantrum? How long for an adult?

How dare our school board treat us like this! Is it any wonder that a portion of the parents who are so frustrated by this treatment and concerned about their children will decide that the rude treatment ought to be returned? I agree that people may have yelled out inappropriate things at times in some meetings. But parents will do whatever they can to protect their children. We are frustrated and feel betrayed by those who are supposed to be making decisions that are in the interst of our children. We beleive that this plan is not in their best interest and that there is a better way to cut money from the LPS budget while maintaining our current grade configuration. We have done our homework. We know what is best for our children. And the board sits and stares off into space as we beg them to listen to us. Shame on them. Any teacher or board member who behaves in this way ought to be removed from their position.

I agree. You said it all.
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ktmom
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Principal
edforall
Jan 5 2006, 05:02 PM
fyi
Jan 5 2006, 02:17 PM
LETTERS


Never heard racist remarks
I am very outraged about comments made from Ms. Hedden. I have talked to many people and have attended many meetings. I have never heard anyone make racists comments about Cooper.

We are concerned about our children's health. The hazardous site has not been tested since 1991 and no one from the LPS district seems to care enough about our children to investigate. Instead they are trying to publicly make everyone look like racists so the LPS system can look good. The lies need to stop! It is making our community look bad and ruining the image of our city.

Susan Honjas

Livonia

Were you worried about the Cooper school site all of this time? How about the children that went to school at that site? Don't even give me the answer that we care about all children in the school. Did you or didn't ANY OF YOU DO ANYTHING to stop children from going to the Cooper school site before this LI? Just answer Yes or No. No need for any dialogue.

edforall

It is unfair for you to assume that people did not care about the children that attend school on the New Cooper Site. The fact is some people just were not aware for one of two reasons, 1. Their children do not attend that school and 2. Its not in their neighborhoods.
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grantmom
Principal
edforall
Jan 5 2006, 05:02 PM
fyi
Jan 5 2006, 02:17 PM
LETTERS


Never heard racist remarks
I am very outraged about comments made from Ms. Hedden. I have talked to many people and have attended many meetings. I have never heard anyone make racists comments about Cooper.

We are concerned about our children's health. The hazardous site has not been tested since 1991 and no one from the LPS district seems to care enough about our children to investigate. Instead they are trying to publicly make everyone look like racists so the LPS system can look good. The lies need to stop! It is making our community look bad and ruining the image of our city.

Susan Honjas

Livonia

Were you worried about the Cooper school site all of this time? How about the children that went to school at that site? Don't even give me the answer that we care about all children in the school. Did you or didn't ANY OF YOU DO ANYTHING to stop children from going to the Cooper school site before this LI? Just answer Yes or No. No need for any dialogue.

Edforall......You can not get a straight up answer to this question.....I do not and still do not know where every school is in the LPS district..nor do I need to know....but I will tell you when I found out where my children were slated to go when the LI was proposed in Oct. I went on a tour of the school and started my research....this is a duty of a parent to learn about their child's school....this is when I found out about Cooper(Whittier)....but I can say that if those parents whose children attend Cooper now had brought their concerns to the forefront....I would have supported their efforts.....I am not a life long resident of Livonia so I have no knowledge of which schools have closed, are on toxic landfills etc. But when I am told that these are the schools my children will be attending I do my research!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Blair
3rd Grade
I want to send a message to the citizens who wrote about Cooper and how wonderful it is. Good for You. You should praise your school. I do mine which is
Adams.

Now about trying to speak for everyone else-- SHUT UP! All you teachers and parents are obviously close to your school. How dare you tell anyone who is opposed how to act and behave? Is your 10 year old going to be on a bus for 4 miles? Last I looked we didn't live out in the country. Is your child or to the teacher, any of her students have to travel thru what the Observer calls the worst intersections in the city?

I am happy for the minority who has no complaints. You are not affected.
Yet it’s like trying to tell someone how to type, that has never touched a typewriter..

MY QUESTION TO YOU IS = ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE CHANGES OR JUST HAPPY THAT YOU ARE NOT AFFECTED?

Nobody’s crying. Just the opposite. As you can see alot of intelligent people have stood up to a board that made some underhanded decisions (as it is turning out).

They are all an inspiration to their children and all children affected. Their not sitting in their homes whinning and chanting " I am being harrased". They have taken a stand to fight for what they believe in. You wouldn't know about a move such as that. It takes a concerned parent with a backbone.

FOR THOSE OF YOU ARE SO HAP HAP HAPPY. HIP HIP HORRAY!!!!.....
YOUR JUST TRYING TO STIR UP EMOTIONS.

YOU TROUBLE MAKERS JUST PISS ME OFF... IS THAT YOUR GOAL?
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lpsproposalsrbad
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Principal
Blair you said it all. Way to Go!
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ktmom
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Principal
Blair - way to go !
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Lisa
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Principal
First, I am not a lifelong resident of Livonia....prior to the LI I had no idea where many of the schools were. I couldn't of told you where Cooper was...I can tell you if my children were being sent there, I would be super concerned. If the site across the street is toxic it is only logical to be worried now and especially when construction begins.

Additionally, I have NOT heard any racist remark or negative comment about LPS teachers (actually just positive). The racist spin is such a yawn.

Last but not least, Blair, your post was right on...
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Positiveparent
Principal
And there it is.

On another thread there was a member that stated that they were afraid to post that they were for the LI because they didn't want the onslaught that always comes on this site to anyone that is not totally ready to get rid of the BOE and only see the negative side of this issue. Well, this string just went to that.

There are people that ARE affected by this plan AND are ok with it. You are letting other people stir your emotions. If you would for one second look at the LI from the 10,000 foot view and not just from your house, you would be able to see the positives and see that what is making some people unhappy really is for the good of the ENTIRE community. Schools MUST be closed. There is not a large enough population to sustain all of the current schools. Children need to be moved to the schools that are large enough to hold them. The k-6 model is a dinosaur and Livonia needs to keep up with the times.

Change is difficult for some people. People that get their energy from the "half-empty glass" outlook. It is going to happen, so it would be in the best interest of everyone to get on with their lives, accept it and make lemonade out of what you consider the lemons that you have been dealt.
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Want2move
Principal
So if I follow your (Positiveparent) logic correctly, one is to accept whatever one is dealt without complaint or resistance?

So would you still like to be under British rule as an American?
Maybe Hitler should have been allowed to take over Europe?

"Discontent is the beginning of progress for a man or a nation" --John Henry Cardinal Newman

Your unconditional compliance is exactly what politicians thrive on.

Thank God for people who are willing to take a risk in the face of oppression.
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Elisa
Member Avatar
Principal

Ten Educational Trends Shaping School Planning and Design
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
Kenneth R. Stevenson, Ed.D.

TREND TWO
Schools Will Be Smaller and More Neighborhood Oriented

TREND NINE
Grade Configurations Will Change: Schools of the future will be designed to accomodate emerging findings about when and where students learn best. For example, there is substantial research indicating that each transition or school change a student makes has a negative effect on learning (Renchler 2000). To offset this, some school districts are seeking to reduce such changes by adjusting grade configurations. The k-8 school is staging a comeback...

I agree, LPS needs to keep up with the times :D



http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/trends.pdf Good article, trend one is also interesting
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grantmom
Principal
Elisa
Jan 5 2006, 10:19 PM
Ten Educational Trends Shaping School Planning and Design
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
Kenneth R. Stevenson, Ed.D.

TREND TWO
Schools Will Be Smaller and More Neighborhood Oriented

TREND NINE
Grade Configurations Will Change:  Schools of the future will be designed to accomodate emerging findings about when and where students learn best.  For example, there is substantial research indicating that each transition or school change a student makes has a negative effect on learning (Renchler 2000).  To offset this, some school districts are seeking to reduce such changes by adjusting grade configurations.  The k-8 school is staging a comeback...

I agree, LPS needs to keep up with the times :D



http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/trends.pdf  Good article, trend one is also interesting

nicely put Want2move and Elisa
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Positiveparent
Principal
It's nice to see that you ONLY focused on the last pargraph that I wrote. I was just saying that you are not even willing to give it a chance and this will be a failure for your children because you are giving them a negative image of the whole situation.

Big picture view is that change is most definitely needed in LPS and it needed to happen years ago, but here we are now. I am going through massive changes in my job that are beyond my control, so I must make the best of the situation and not become miserable by only seeing the bad side and how it is affecting me. If the company doesn't change then that will for sure affect me when I loose my job. The changes are being made to save my job. They suck for me short term, but now that I have had a bit of time to live with the change I can see why it had to be done.

I was just suggesting that you need to look at the entire community and not just your family, your school, your neighborhood...

Be miserable, and for your information: I do NOT sit blithely by with unconditional compliance, I vote in EVERY election and I write my representatives and congressional members on a regular basis. I just choose not to be unhappy and full of negativity. I choose to be a positive parent, for myself and my children.
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Iliveon-Levandownbytheriver
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Principal
I am against the plan for a couple of reasons. Most people have no problems with the supporters. Im glad you like it and you are willing to give it a chance. Thats great.

There is no doubt that we are in a financial mess. But im wondering why? Why is the district in such a mess that we have to close 9 schools? Those are the questions I would love to find the answers for.

Why not fight to keep what we love and what we moved here for. If im unhappy...why do i have to just suck it up? Ferndale went to the k-4 model and after a year...they found it wasnt working and went back. That is what im scared about. Livonia is a very large district....its a lot of kids to shuffle around.

It would have been nice to have some imput and some kind of heads up on the whole thing. Im okay with change...but with so many unanswered questions....im going to be cautious. As far as only seeing one side...most parents are saying there there is some sort of element that they dont mind...but the negatives for them outweigh the positives. As far as people looking out for just their children...well I am my childrens advocate..I will do what I think is best for them.
If I dont like something I will fight. I do not discuss this with my kids...they have happy lives and enjoy school here very much...when the time comes..we will talk and deal with whatever comes our way.

There are two sides to every story. You will find...that most people are for one side or the other...not many are truly neutral.
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Tyler_Parent
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Principal
Blair: You freaking crap me up!! Daaamn, I wish I had written that!!

Lots of other good stuff since then, but that was PRICELESS.

(They call me Dick)
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