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What should be done now?; How to rectify this mess
Topic Started: Nov 9 2006, 10:00 AM (869 Views)
NFarquharson
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livoniamom
Nov 9 2006, 02:05 PM
As Tom Bailey said at the last meeting "God bless the seniors" but we need kids to keep this school district going -- now is not the time to put a plan in place that drives people with children away!

You are exactly right. There is newer census data that shows that our seniors are moving out, moving to condos, assisted living etc. Until the recent houseing glut, those single family residences they vacated were being bought by families with an average of 4 people in their household. That usually means they have kids. We were right on the brink of turning things around...

We need to put something into place to attracts families and kids to LPS, so that trend can continue. I love seniors too (especially my mom,) but the reality remains that we have a whole lot of homes built in the 50's and 60's with original homeowners who will not live forever. When they go up for sale, we want families with kids to move in and send their kids to LPS.
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boredbytheboard
Principal
Quote:
 
How about a new School Superintendent!LOL
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Zeke
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Principal
At minimum it will take drastic action to even begin to turn this around.

1. 2 new BOE members next May.
2. Fire Liepa.
3. Back to K-6 & neighborhood schools (Nancy's plan is a very good starting point).
4. Headlines in the OE when these things happen.

We will need at least this just to get people with children to consider moving to Livonia.

Drastic action & lots of publicity.
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Pete
Principal
Yes, something along the lines w/ what we had last year but w/o two of the Elem schools. Sweet and simple.
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mikefromholland
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ILIkeLI
Nov 9 2006, 10:17 AM
Form a new demographics committee  with the largest % of participants having children in the district.  A single BOE "liasion" to the committee.  LPS employees, current and past, would act as "resource' people only.
Maybe a new, very comprehensive and specific survey to gauge the communities feelings or support for various options.

The title "demographics committee" does not do an adequate job of explaining what needs to be done. How many of you knew what the demographics committee was doing before the LI was publicly announced?

In Holland when we did it right (the 2nd time, in 2005-06) the district named the group "Community Advisory Committee" -- a name which exactly describes what was lacking in the initial effort in both Holland and Livonia.
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bmom
Principal
Zeke
Nov 9 2006, 04:28 PM
At minimum it will take drastic action to even begin to turn this around.

1. 2 new BOE members next May.
2. Fire Liepa.
3. Back to K-6 & neighborhood schools (Nancy's plan is a very good starting point).
4. Headlines in the OE when these things happen.

We will need at least this just to get people with children to consider moving to Livonia.

Drastic action & lots of publicity.

Hope you don't mind, I would like to add to your list

5. Fire Ms. Levesque
6. Fire Ms. Alles

Both were as deep into the trenches as Liepa!!!
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mikefromholland
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I see many posts on this thread and all over the forum calling for a new superintendent.

As a point of information, it is my opinion that the resignation of Holland's superintendent -- which she announced about 7 months after the wheels of the buses started rolling our kids all around the town -- DELAYED the partial reversal of the Holland focus schools by one additional year. That's my opinion.
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cmic
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NFarquharson
Nov 9 2006, 03:32 PM
livoniamom
Nov 9 2006, 02:05 PM
As Tom Bailey said at the last meeting "God bless the seniors" but we need kids to keep this school district going -- now is not the time to put a plan in place that drives people with children away!

You are exactly right. There is newer census data that shows that our seniors are moving out, moving to condos, assisted living etc. Until the recent houseing glut, those single family residences they vacated were being bought by families with an average of 4 people in their household. That usually means they have kids. We were right on the brink of turning things around...

We need to put something into place to attracts families and kids to LPS, so that trend can continue. I love seniors too (especially my mom,) but the reality remains that we have a whole lot of homes built in the 50's and 60's with original homeowners who will not live forever. When they go up for sale, we want families with kids to move in and send their kids to LPS.

What is the incentive for families to move in here now? Too little too late. Nancy, the board needs to adopt your plan and aggressively move on it. It is not good enough to advertise how wonderful Livonia is now when it has been advertized for over a year about how it is in disarray.

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Livonia Voter
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NFarquharson
Nov 9 2006, 11:38 AM
I refuse to believe that a group of 40 people that are employees, educators, PTA parents, former employee, BOE trustee, etc. would intentionally create a bad plan in order to serve their own purposes.


I do.

When those 40 people are hand picked by Dr. LIEpa. And, if those people have thier own jobs, or spouses/friends jobs to protect. They closed 7 schools, but how many principals, etc were let go?
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Livonia Voter
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fyi
Nov 9 2006, 01:04 PM
According to Mr. Bailey, "Unless we start making major budget cuts, we're not going to dig ourselves out of this hole." :o

Is that really the solution? What kind of "major cuts" could he be referring to?


How about we start with the bloated administration?
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livoniamom
Principal
fyi
Nov 9 2006, 12:46 PM
I agree with NF. I don't think people serving on the Demo. Comm. or the BOE meant to harm our district. I think they really thought they were doing the right thing at the time.

We all need to put our differences aside and work toward fixing this mess.

Likewise, I don't think the majority of the supporters (at least the ones I know) purposely supported a plan they thought would fail. They were mislead by the BOE to think that we were in dire financial status and that the LI would save the district. The supporters on my street all said "well, something has to be done." They were snowed too.
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Anna Krome
Principal
Which brings me to Differentiated Education, which LPS already practices for SOME of the LPS population.

This BOE, especially Ms. Markarian and others, fall over themselves to congratulate our Trade High School across Newburgh from Churchill.

That's great. But what about the other populations of college-bound students? Where's their special "high school?"

How about those that fall somewhere in between?

Does the BOE suffer from a lack of creativity in addressing these issues?

AK

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rooseveltmom
Principal
The only way the schools can make it is within the classrooms. I think the focus needs to be on the Teachers. This whole process has grossly underminded us, not only as parents, but with LPS employees as well. Many teachers have had to take on these changes as we parents have. And though they try to smile and focus on the kids. Point is they were blatently forced into the same corner we were.

So while I am not shocked to see just how this plan has become as so many of us understood it would. I think that we need to make it work. For our kids sake. And IMHO I think it starts with supporting a Positive atmosphere in the classroom. Something I see lacking these days.

Last year all I could think was What? Why? and are you Flippin Serious? We have lost that battle. And it was at the expense of our children. I hope that there is some light at the end of this tunnel. And wouldn't it be great if we as a community can actualy make this better. We have to. Cause our houses aren't selling fast enough not to.
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Grant1
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We have just begun to fight!
Change will be for the better...

Only the people can effect change...

The Central Office Administration and the current BOE ( less Steve King ) will not effect change on thier own.
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mikefromholland
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Principal
livoniamom
Nov 9 2006, 07:38 PM
fyi
Nov 9 2006, 12:46 PM
I agree with NF.  I don't think people serving on the Demo. Comm. or the BOE meant to harm our district.  I think they really thought they were doing the right thing at the time.

We all need to put our differences aside and work toward fixing this mess.

Likewise, I don't think the majority of the supporters (at least the ones I know) purposely supported a plan they thought would fail. They were mislead by the BOE to think that we were in dire financial status and that the LI would save the district. The supporters on my street all said "well, something has to be done." They were snowed too.

All this was true in Holland as well in my opinion. Sincere people who truly had the best interests of the district at heart made a decision. Unfortunately they used a poor process to arrive at the decision and as a result the decision didn't work.

Many people in the community rallied around this decision because of their respect for authority and because they too sincerely believed they were doing the right thing for the district.

People like myself who questioned the decision were painted as obstructionist and not team players.

And in Holland, it was not until everyone (well, everyone who was left) put their differences aside and worked toward fixing the mess that things finally improved.
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