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Observer; 11/2/06
Topic Started: Nov 2 2006, 07:52 AM (1,793 Views)
ILIkeLI
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Momofone
Nov 2 2006, 10:48 AM
"The loss can be attributed to the Legacy Initiative among other reasons, Liepa acknowledged. Some families have moved and others chose to attend private schools, he said.

LPS will try to track families who have left the district.

"We're going to try to do that, but people come and they go," Liepa said. Follow-up or "exit interviews" with families who withdraw from a district are not typical. "We do get requests (from other schools) for student records," he said."

Liepa is talking out both sides of his mouth. I was @ the meeting on Monday and ask him specifically if he was going to survey the community and he stated NO. I looked @ him and said why wouldn't you?

Common Randy, which one is it.

I think that it should be crystal clear to EVERYONE that Randy and his crew say whatever suits them at the time. They rely on the sunshine squad to reinterpret the message in a "positive" manner. They rely on many that are programmed to trust and believe those in authority-even when it doesn't all add up.
I hope you bring up his contradiction at the next BOE meeting.
I think that it is extremely reckless and incompetent to have such an uncaring, even ignorant position toward at least $3.6 million dollars leaving the district. At least Holland tried to stop their exodus, but Randy's attitude was clearly "adios, don't let the door hit ya..." This isn't the type of person you want as super.
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Administrator
Administrator
NFarquharson
Nov 2 2006, 08:55 AM


Asked about the loss of students this fall, Liepa said the estimate was about 2.5 percent -- more than 400 students. That's well over the anticipated loss, something that other districts, including Southfield and Northville, also experienced, he added.


Unfortunately, this statement is wrong. Northville actually gained 115 students this year. The fact is, our neighboring districts are hurting because they are not gaining as many students as they had hoped. Plymouth-Canton gained 400.


"And although the district is growing, a sharp contrast from many Michigan schools, Northville's official September student count day indicated 115 new students this year."

http://observer-eccentric.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../610190739/1029

Southfield is accurate.
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/.../610190558/1037
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Anna Krome
Principal
Mr. Young does not have a "way" w/this lady.

Immediately after LI rolled out, I made myself heard about my EXTREME dismay over LI.

I called his office repeatedly--he never returned my calls.

I went up to him at a BOE meeting shortly thereafter. He said he "knew" me. I said how?

He just smirked in a really creepy way. I walked away, feeling as if I was "marked" as trouble...and he attempted to intimidate me. Didn't work then. Won't ever.

AK

PS: Note that Mr. Varga is getting more involved w/writing the stories about the BOE? He feels the pressure--no doubt. Any editor would.

Don't give up. He should be countering the bald-faced mistruths being spewed. What a short memory he has. The BOE's mantra was "save money"--"we're going to be in receivership."

UGH.

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livoniamom
Principal
If we truly lost over 450 students (a whole school's worth), what is to stop them from closing another lower elementary school?

Those we voted against the recall should know be thinking twice about it. This BOE has damaged this school district's reputation terribly.

If this proves true, I really think the Detroit News should report on it especially since they endorsed the plan.
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Anna Krome
Principal
I agree.

It is high-time that the media and public start calling politicans on their intellectual dishonesty.

You can't have it both ways.

The only way to take this huge problem under control is to start voting against it.

We have LONG memories, BOE.

AK
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cat
Principal
f11
Nov 2 2006, 09:09 AM
"Liepa said he didn't know when the figures were due. "I don't know what the deadline is," Liepa said. "It is usually around Nov. 1. That could mean Nov. 3 or it could mean Nov. 5."


This guy is a moron and needs to be fired, he has only hurt this district.

He has been in his position for 4 years, isn't the deadline the same every year?
Looks like he may have that sometimers disease...Sometimes I remember and sometimes I don't... Very pitiful...very sad for the district.
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fyi
Principal
Quote:
 
However, he said: "In any other year it's not as sensitive as it is this year."


The truth shall set you free......
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mikefromholland
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f11
Nov 2 2006, 09:17 AM
"Would it be fair to say," Scheel asked, "no matter what plan we went with we would lose kids?"



Listen, we could have kept all the schools open and been
in better financial shape than we are today
....this is unbelievable!!

As I believe was the case in Holland ...
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Recalla
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Posted Image

LIEPA!!!!! YOU HAVE SOME 'SPLAINING TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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mikefromholland
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livoniamom
Nov 2 2006, 12:25 PM
If we truly lost over 450 students (a whole school's worth), what is to stop them from closing another lower elementary school?
Those we voted against the recall should know be thinking twice about it.  This BOE has damaged this school district's reputation terribly. 

If this proves true, I really think the Detroit News should report on it especially since they endorsed the plan.

Indeed this is what happened after 3 years of attrition in Holland. The district partially reversed the focus schools and brought back some neighborhood schools, but closed one elementary building in the process. We had 6 elementary buildings organized as focus schools before, plus 2 middle schools ... now we have 5 buildings for the elementary grades, 1 middle school, and 1 K-8 building. The plan was almost adopted with two elementary buildings closing, but the board voted to keep one of them open for at least one additional year. One board member was very vocal in expressing his belief that closing more buildings would only result in more enrollment losses, and he suggested that the district should attempt to reopen some of the other buildings closed in recent years.

BTW, the Holland Sentinel ran a very positive front page article on the new K-8 school this morning which I will probably post on a new thread.
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mikefromholland
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ILIkeLI
Nov 2 2006, 11:45 AM
Momofone
Nov 2 2006, 10:48 AM
"The loss can be attributed to the Legacy Initiative among other reasons, Liepa acknowledged. Some families have moved and others chose to attend private schools, he said.

LPS will try to track families who have left the district.

"We're going to try to do that, but people come and they go," Liepa said. Follow-up or "exit interviews" with families who withdraw from a district are not typical. "We do get requests (from other schools) for student records," he said."

Liepa is talking out both sides of his mouth.  I was @ the meeting on Monday and ask him specifically if he was going to survey the community and he stated NO.  I looked @ him and said why wouldn't you?

Common Randy, which one is it.

I think that it should be crystal clear to EVERYONE that Randy and his crew say whatever suits them at the time. They rely on the sunshine squad to reinterpret the message in a "positive" manner. They rely on many that are programmed to trust and believe those in authority-even when it doesn't all add up.
I hope you bring up his contradiction at the next BOE meeting.
I think that it is extremely reckless and incompetent to have such an uncaring, even ignorant position toward at least $3.6 million dollars leaving the district. At least Holland tried to stop their exodus, but Randy's attitude was clearly "adios, don't let the door hit ya..." This isn't the type of person you want as super.

Holland did try to stop its exodus, but not at D (Disaster or Debacle) Day plus two months. Unlike Livonia, our district reported the count promptly (the next day) but insisted the enrollment losses were not associated with the focus schools but were due to families leaving the area due to the poor economy. After about five months, they did concede some losses may have been due to the focus schools, but insisted the students would return in upcoming years. (Which of course did not happen -- even more left instead!)

My opinion -- based upon this Observer article -- is that your district is far ahead of Holland in publicly expressing a link between their decision and the enrollment losses that were observed.
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c3hull
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Principal
livoniamom
Nov 2 2006, 08:45 AM
Programs, schmograms....  I guarantee you that all those families that had to live with their schools closing and the upheaval of attending schools farther away would gladly give up a few "programs" to have their neighborhood school back -- who are they trying to kid?

I seriously can't imagine if they had done K-5, 6-8, 9-12 that that many people would have left (although I personally prefer it).  That configuration is actually the norm around here.  They act as if they had no other choice. 

That is a good point that Liepa made -- they know who chose an option other than LPS by requests for transcripts (assuming that always occurs).

64% of schools nationwide use the K-5, 6-8, 9-12 configuration. Believe me, there wouldn't have been anymore than a handful of kids leaving if that plan was implemented. The Admin. and BOE could have at least provided FACTS as to why this configuration would be beneficial. To date, still not one single shred of research or stats as to why the K-4, 5-6 configuration would be beneficail anyone but THEMSELVES!

Let me see, we have the wonderful Foreign Language program that teaches 4 languages in one semester, once a week for about 45-50 minutes. What a joke!!! Who could see any benefit in that? The children have 1 less recess/day, a couple hundred extra kids to stand in lunch lines with, long bus rides, a bunch of kids they don't know from neighborhoods up to 7 miles away, less parental involvement, far less personal relationships between students, staff, and parents. I could go on. I'm so tired of this Admin. and BOE trying to put a positive spin on this disaster.

It's time for Dr. Liepa and his cronnies to go! They have seriously put our school district in a financial crisis with NO plans what so ever to fix the problem.
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c3hull
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cat
Nov 2 2006, 03:34 PM
f11
Nov 2 2006, 09:09 AM
"Liepa said he didn't know when the figures were due. "I don't know what the deadline is," Liepa said. "It is usually around Nov. 1. That could mean Nov. 3 or it could mean Nov. 5."


This guy is a moron and needs to be fired, he has only hurt this district.

He has been in his position for 4 years, isn't the deadline the same every year?
Looks like he may have that sometimers disease...Sometimes I remember and sometimes I don't... Very pitiful...very sad for the district.

He didn't know when the deadline was??? If he's that clueless, he should be fired. For the last year all we have been talking about was the potential loss of students if the LIe was implemented. The LIe was all about $$$ and declining enrollment. How insulting to the public for him to think we would believe the LIe that he didn't know the date? Gee, how many people in the community knew? Makes you wonder what his thoughts and efforts are focusing on? Maybe his other business?
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loyaltolivonia
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Principal
f11
Nov 2 2006, 09:17 AM
"Would it be fair to say," Scheel asked, "no matter what plan we went with we would lose kids?"



Listen, we could have kept all the schools open and been
in better financial shape than we are today....this is unbelievable!!

I guess it would be fair to say that, Mrs. Scheel. But would it also be fair to say that LPS would not have lost 400 students had it not been for the LIe? Yes! And that there is a HUGE difference between losing 150 and 400 students? Again, yes!!

Why don't these people ever think before they speak?!
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loyaltolivonia
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f11
Nov 2 2006, 09:09 AM
"Liepa said he didn't know when the figures were due. "I don't know what the deadline is," Liepa said. "It is usually around Nov. 1. That could mean Nov. 3 or it could mean Nov. 5."


This guy is a moron and needs to be fired, he has only hurt this district.

I wonder if he told the IRS that he didn't know April 15th was the deadline for his taxes :ph43r: "I thought they were due maybe the 16th or 18th" :blink: Absolutely ridiculous!
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