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Where are the Supporters?; The Silence is Deafening...
Topic Started: Sep 27 2006, 05:31 PM (10,506 Views)
2tots
Principal
Strongsupporter
Oct 26 2006, 09:28 AM
Shelly
Oct 24 2006, 12:51 PM
Here's some good news from the front...I have a child at Roosevelt - her bus is on time, she loves to ride with her friends in the morning and afternoon, her classmates are all doing very well ( due to a fantastic teacher - Kim Carty), the staff at Roosevelt is wonderful beyond description and we are thrilled!!  I have another daughter at Emerson who has developed into a beautiful, independant young lady. Mr. Toby and Dr. Wallace are phenominal and it shows in the behavior of the students.  If you have complaints about the schools your child is attending, find a productive means to a solution.  Complaning without pursuing a solution becomes a trait we would not accept in our children.  The transistion can be what you make of it - for your child's sake.

Careful, you are not allowed to be positive on this forum! Glad to hear the good news. My son is at Cooper and loves it. Bus picks him up and drops him off on time. No problem at lunch. Great teacher. Loves the music program and his saxaphone. Has made many new friends and has connected with baseball and hockey teammates he wouldn't have seen under the previous K - 6 setup. LI is here to stay!

I'm pleased that things are going well for you and your son. I don't think anyone on this forum would begrudge you your satisfaction. However, it is important for you to understand that things are not going as well for other people out there. I have not heard of any children who are unhappy and that is great, but it is extremely frustrating for parents who have been pleased with their children's educational experiences in the past to now have to deal with all of the problems they are experiencing this year -- late buses, over-crowded schools, kids at 3 or 4 different locations, lack of books etc. Once again this morning I watched as 2 buses arrived at my daughter's school AFTER the bell. While I have not watched every day, I have observed that these 2 buses are late every single time I have been around to see them. I live across the street from our school so it is not difficult for me to make these observations. The big question for all of us who are not happy is -- For what reason were all these changes made??? We are not saving money and academic achievement was already acknowledged by Dr. Liepa to NOT be the reason for it, so WHAT HAVE WE GAINED???
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49chevy
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2tots
Oct 26 2006, 10:58 AM

I'm pleased that things are going well for you and your son. I don't think anyone on this forum would begrudge you your satisfaction. However, it is important for you to understand that things are not going as well for other people out there. I have not heard of any children who are unhappy and that is great, but it is extremely frustrating for parents who have been pleased with their children's educational experiences in the past to now have to deal with all of the problems they are experiencing this year -- late buses, over-crowded schools, kids at 3 or 4 different locations, lack of books etc. Once again this morning I watched as 2 buses arrived at my daughter's school AFTER the bell. While I have not watched every day, I have observed that these 2 buses are late every single time I have been around to see them. I live across the street from our school so it is not difficult for me to make these observations. The big question for all of us who are not happy is -- For what reason were all these changes made??? We are not saving money and academic achievement was already acknowledged by Dr. Liepa to NOT be the reason for it, so WHAT HAVE WE GAINED???

2 of my kids who are bussed have been on time either going to school or coming from maybe twice. And both claim their drivers constantly go too fast. Imagine how late they'd be if he didn't speed.
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fyi
Principal
Strongsupporter
 
LI is here to stay!


And LPS is losing students/$$$$! :blink:
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ILIkeLI
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Principal
Strongsupporter
Oct 26 2006, 09:28 AM
Shelly
Oct 24 2006, 12:51 PM
Here's some good news from the front...I have a child at Roosevelt - her bus is on time, she loves to ride with her friends in the morning and afternoon, her classmates are all doing very well ( due to a fantastic teacher - Kim Carty), the staff at Roosevelt is wonderful beyond description and we are thrilled!!  I have another daughter at Emerson who has developed into a beautiful, independant young lady. Mr. Toby and Dr. Wallace are phenominal and it shows in the behavior of the students.  If you have complaints about the schools your child is attending, find a productive means to a solution.  Complaning without pursuing a solution becomes a trait we would not accept in our children.  The transistion can be what you make of it - for your child's sake.

Careful, you are not allowed to be positive on this forum! Glad to hear the good news. My son is at Cooper and loves it. Bus picks him up and drops him off on time. No problem at lunch. Great teacher. Loves the music program and his saxaphone. Has made many new friends and has connected with baseball and hockey teammates he wouldn't have seen under the previous K - 6 setup. LI is here to stay!

It is fine to be positive but don't you feel deceived and manipulated by LPS administration? The supporters chanted "well something needs to be done" all along and now we find out that LPS has been sitting on a nice pile of cash the whole time. They scared so many people into believing that the LI was the ONLY solution to the district's so-called financial crisis. It appears there never was a crisis of any kind. Lisa L. sat and lied about how dangerously low their reserves were and now everything is just wonderful financially. How can you reconcile all of their lies?
Don't you find it misleading that the administration continues to talk up the "savings" from the LI when ignoring the huge number that have left the district?
I can't understand why any logical person could have any faith in this administration.
It is wonderful that your child is happy but all of this was built upon lies, manipulation and deception. They need to be held accountable.
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fyi
Principal
Quote:
 
LPS has been sitting on a nice pile of cash the whole time.


Maybe that's why they are not concerned about the enrollment loss?
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49chevy
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ILIkeLI
Oct 26 2006, 12:30 PM
I can't understand why any logical person could have any faith in this administration.
It is wonderful that your child is happy but all of this was built upon lies, manipulation and deception. They need to be held accountable.

Exactly....it's great if your child is happy, but at what cost to the district? They LIed, and decieved and need to be held accountable for what they've done.
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Anna Krome
Principal

My munchin just informed there is a "contest," involving which bus can make it to school first.

So far, hers is in first place!! Hmmmm?


Being happy w/LI is grand for some--but that is not the point here. The point is the BOE lost the faith of the constituents in their stubborn resistance to serious and valid community concern.

Some people are "sheeples," and some are not. Please don't begrudge the community's questioning individuals.


AK
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jodygirlh
Principal
If the LI is here to stay, then many of us will be gone for good.

Too bad it had to come to this--a BOE and particularily an administration who does not care about their constituency will not be respected for long. They are trying really hard now, but the damage is done!
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49chevy
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The S.S. LIe is taking on water....and will surely go down....
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mikefromholland
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Principal
Strongsupporter
Oct 26 2006, 09:28 AM
Shelly
Oct 24 2006, 12:51 PM
Here's some good news from the front...I have a child at Roosevelt - her bus is on time, she loves to ride with her friends in the morning and afternoon, her classmates are all doing very well ( due to a fantastic teacher - Kim Carty), the staff at Roosevelt is wonderful beyond description and we are thrilled!!  I have another daughter at Emerson who has developed into a beautiful, independant young lady. Mr. Toby and Dr. Wallace are phenominal and it shows in the behavior of the students.  If you have complaints about the schools your child is attending, find a productive means to a solution.  Complaning without pursuing a solution becomes a trait we would not accept in our children.  The transistion can be what you make of it - for your child's sake.

Careful, you are not allowed to be positive on this forum! Glad to hear the good news. My son is at Cooper and loves it. Bus picks him up and drops him off on time. No problem at lunch. Great teacher. Loves the music program and his saxaphone. Has made many new friends and has connected with baseball and hockey teammates he wouldn't have seen under the previous K - 6 setup. LI is here to stay!

Once again this mirrors what happened in Holland.

When the district surveyed elementary grade parents during the fall of the 2nd year of our "focus schools," 51 percent agreed with the statement "Focus schools are right for our family." This is a fact.

At the same time, year-to-year enrollment losses in ordinary K-12 programs (excluding special ed and alternative HS) were in the range of 200 to 250 students per year during each of the 3 years that focus schools were in place. This compared to enrollment losses in the range of 40 to 70 students (one year actually showed a gain) in the 5 years prior to focus schools when we had traditional neighborhood elementary schools. This is also a fact.

Focus schools were partially reversed and a new plan was implemented this fall which reintroduced some neighborhood schools. The enrollment losses were down from the 200-250 range to about 60. Again, this is a fact.

Many people in Holland defended the district's action in closing neighborhood schools and praised the focus schools. They said that their kids were having good experiences and participating in programming that could not have been offered had the district stayed with neighborhood schools. Yet at the same time, the district went through a period of plummeting enrollment that was unprecedented. I estimate -- conservatively -- that the accumulated loss in foundation grant revenue associated with focus schools to the Holland district since 2003 will total about $6 million by the end of the current school year. Our district is about one-third the size of Livonia. $6 million to us is like $18 million in your district, to put the number in perspective.

Unfortunately, the accumulated enrollment losses from the last 3 years will continue to hurt the district (possibly for many years to come) as we are now starting each year from a smaller student base. I believe that the district would be hundreds of students and millions of dollars ahead of where they are now -- had they not instituted this ill-advised plan and worse yet, allowed it to continue for 3 years in the face of major enrollment losses.
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ILIkeLI
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Principal
I wonder how long this administration and BOE will sit back and watch students stream out before they admit it was a bad idea to force a plan on the community without their input.
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SJC
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Principal
Shelly
Oct 24 2006, 12:51 PM
Here's some good news from the front...I have a child at Roosevelt - her bus is on time, she loves to ride with her friends in the morning and afternoon, her classmates are all doing very well ( due to a fantastic teacher - Kim Carty), the staff at Roosevelt is wonderful beyond description and we are thrilled!!  I have another daughter at Emerson who has developed into a beautiful, independant young lady. Mr. Toby and Dr. Wallace are phenominal and it shows in the behavior of the students.  If you have complaints about the schools your child is attending, find a productive means to a solution.  Complaning without pursuing a solution becomes a trait we would not accept in our children.  The transistion can be what you make of it - for your child's sake.

How did the LI improve the quality of teachers in Livonia? How did it render those teachers more or less likable? How did it make your child more beautiful? Did you daughter poll every member of her class in order to understand their educational and emotional status?

I’m sorry but this statement is not positive or even relevant for that matter. A positive statement would compare last year to this year and highlight some positive differences as direct result of the LI. For example, your bus is on time. The bus is supposed to be on time. How low have our expectations become?
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Anna Krome
Principal
I agree.

AK
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Corwin
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Principal
SJC
Oct 27 2006, 02:24 PM
Shelly
Oct 24 2006, 12:51 PM
Here's some good news from the front...I have a child at Roosevelt - her bus is on time, she loves to ride with her friends in the morning and afternoon, her classmates are all doing very well ( due to a fantastic teacher - Kim Carty), the staff at Roosevelt is wonderful beyond description and we are thrilled!!  I have another daughter at Emerson who has developed into a beautiful, independant young lady. Mr. Toby and Dr. Wallace are phenominal and it shows in the behavior of the students.  If you have complaints about the schools your child is attending, find a productive means to a solution.  Complaning without pursuing a solution becomes a trait we would not accept in our children.  The transistion can be what you make of it - for your child's sake.

How did the LI improve the quality of teachers in Livonia? How did it render those teachers more or less likable? How did it make your child more beautiful? Did you daughter poll every member of her class in order to understand their educational and emotional status?

I’m sorry but this statement is not positive or even relevant for that matter. A positive statement would compare last year to this year and highlight some positive differences as direct result of the LI. For example, your bus is on time. The bus is supposed to be on time. How low have our expectations become?

It's interesting that Shelly's comments would be deemed irrelevant when the original point of this thread was polling supporters for their comments on how things are going.
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4kids
Principal
However, please note that the term "Supporter" in this case refers to those district members who embrace the LI wholeheartedly before it even happened. The intent of this thread is not necessarily to ask the supporters how great and positive this year has been so far, as it is more about has this year really been an IMPROVEMENT over last year, due to the big benefit upsell the district has done to the LI.

Supporters... what are the improvements to student learning and student achievement that the LI has accomplished over last year? Statements like 'Your child is making friends quickly' don't really cut it as a benefit of the LI.

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