We were building a foundation to be moving forward and itll be on my colleagues and myself to now find a new superintendent to help us keep moving forward.". Evidence seems to indicate that parents seek schools of choice or charter schools or home schooling when a district ceases to provide an excellent education to all students. . Smith said she has talked with district workers who are fighting to keep their homes, and an employee whose wife has cancer. So you get bogged down in all this minutia.. Board members told Local 4 the issue is ugly. "You've got to be involved and see what's going on in the classroom. Michigan Republican lawmakers have aimed to ban Michigan schools from teaching CRT, sparking pushback from some educators and Democrats who accuse the GOP of trying to whitewash history. } Social issues, and not a Board Commitment to Academic Excellence & Improvement make up the stated goals of the current Board (Read Board Goals 2021-2022). font-weight: bold; We are trying our best to develop partnerships with experts in the area. ", Smith is a self-admitted pot stirrer. Bargaining units. The current school board removedSmiths censure in January, wanting to puteveryone on the same footing as it moves forward. Smith won the seat in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016. margin-bottom: 0; It was very clear there was a lot of disruption on the board, she said. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. Appointees Terri Weems and James Stark won six-year seats Tuesday on the Farmington Public Schools Board of Education, as did long-time district volunteer Angie Smith. ROBERT DEAN Former MI State Representative, District 75 DORIS BURKS TAYLOR These seats included three seats with six-year terms and two seats with two-year terms. ", 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, 'Dysfunction' blamed for loss of Farmington's top three school officials. FEBRUARY 25, 2019, REGULAR MTG. The protesters lined the street in front of North Farmington High School, holding signs and waving at . School Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month beginning at 5:30 p.m. Afterwards, Herrera will act in a consulting role until June 30, 2021, when his employment with the district will end. The fact that Farmington Public Schools was not able to retain him is a big black mark on our district, Mukamal said. We look forward to working with you. Effective November 2016, all terms will be for six years. float: right; I think it could have been done in a better way. A resolution also passed to censure Smith. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. } .widget-row.heading { I do have a strong personality, that is true, so I would have told him what I didnt like either. Schools of choice options provide a great opportunity for students outside of our district to join us, however . there are a huge number of students who live in our district who do not attend our schools. Donald Walker was appointed to the board in 2021. "You can't be a parent who just stops (at school), drops (the child off) and rolls," Smith said. There are no incumbents among eight candidates for three Farmington school board seats: David Barr, Becky DeWilde, Joe Fritz, Melissa Gorman, Kelsey Jezierski, Maggie Storlie, Steven. But I would have been good with that. ", Teachers want parents to be involved with the schools, she said, because "it's a partnership. Biography Smith earned her bachelor's degree from Wayne State University. 100% remote. He was an announcer for Mix 92.3 and Oldies 104.3 WOMC, Director of Education and Instructor at Specs Howard School of Media Arts, Production Director at WRCJ, videographer and editor for the Communications Department at Detroit Public Schools Community District. I would place myself in the position of the bargaining unit to understand their needs, but it must be extremely important that it is explained that the districts needs have to be met to clarify the board's decision-making. . According to Weems, the board did not look at "meaningful" student achievement data for almost two years. .top_disclaimer { Incumbent David Turner and Mark Przeslawski defeated Fritz Beiermeister for the two-year terms. Two other board members also resigned. The filing will be dropped, the district said, now that he is leaving. Curricular transparency and accountability to parents remains on the public radar but has not received adequate support from the Board. Very painful.". Angie Smith, Farmington School District Vice President Melanie Piana, Ferndale Mayor Brian Turnbull, Northville Mayor Barbara Morowski-Browne, Northville Pro Tem Brian Smith, Novi City Council Person Ericka Thomas, Novi City Council Person Tim Greimel, Pontiac Mayor Mike McGuinness, Pontiac City Council President Inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies should be directed to: Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, 32500 Shiawassee, Farmington, MI 48336. Critics said Smiths behavior created an environment Herrera couldnt work in, prompting the complaint. FARMINGTON, Mich. As the chaos surrounding the Farmington school board continues, the superintendent and two board members resigned during an explosive, emotional meeting. Smith: RETAINING OUR EXCELLENT STAFF. I am concerned with turnover in our district. MINUTES 3 Michael Swiecki - Wyandotte Public Schools Regina . background-color: #f9d334; Within 10 days of becoming a candidate, candidates must form a candidate committee. Terri Weems is running for a second six-year term on the board and was appointed in 2015. A former PTA Council president, co-chair of the and a state PTSA representative, Smith was motivated by contentious union negotiations with support staff that resulted in at . Darlene Pomponio, Ph.D. - Southgate Community Schools Angie Smith - Farmington Public Schools . School districts | They dont want me to keep bringing up stuff because I ask questions and they dont like that. She has resided in Farmington Hills for over 20 years and was involved in her daughters academics and extracurricular activities. It would be beneficial for the board to retain experience and knowledge so that we can continue to be a highly functioning board. It continues the cycle of negativity. When it comes down to the diversity in this community and being a people person, that was why I could not vote to put him in, Smith said regarding her dissenting vote when Herrera was initially hired. }); Mable Fox was elected in 2020. Farmington public School board trustee. Terri earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Science degree in accounting from the Honors College at Ohio University. This is just their way of telling me to shut up. Democrats and media have claimed CRT isnt taught in the state, despite in November Detroit Public Schools Community District General Superintendent Nikolai Vitti saying the 50,000-student district is teaching CRT. But there is more work to do. Recruitment, vetting, and training are expensive propositions. Angie Smith is an at-large representative on the Farmington Public School District school board in Michigan. "I'm not happy about this because of how it affects our district. "I would never discredit any of my board members, past or present let alone the superintendent," she said. Claudia is currently active as a Farmington Area Goodfellows Volunteer and a member of the DKG International Society of Professional Women Educators. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Cities | $(document).ready(function () { The Michigan Education Association has given Andy Levin a "Highly Qualified" rating in his run for the 9th Congressional District seat. background-color: grey; Former Farmington High Music Trustees, and Marching Band mom. font-size: .9em; The movescame during a special board meeting Monday. Backup QB C.J. Excellence for All in advanced placement courses, in technical courses, and throughout the curriculum is the appropriate response of the school board. During the past six months, the number of public and internal comments that include disparaging, false and defamatory statements has increased and is in direct violation of district policies, Herrera wrote in the complaint. Many held signs, with one reading: Let me get this straight. While officials have alleged in meetings that some of the backlash over the sale has to do with bias against Muslims, Smith said, "It has nothing to do with race. Two of her daughters live in Farmington Hills and their children attend Farmington Public Schools. The board called Smiths claims unfounded, but accepted Herreras resignation to avoid being sued by him. Michigan Association of School Boards Board of Directors Election, Section 8 Director for Birgit McQuiston of Lake Orion Community Schools as recommended. Apply today! [2], School board candidates in Michigan were required to file pre-election campaign finance reports with their county election offices by October 28, 2016. } We need to continue to support career readiness across curriculum. According to 2019 U.S. Census data, Farmington Hills is 62.7% white, 19.9% Black and 14.1% Asian. Bjorn Olson is looking to hold office for the first time. Oakland County was home to 1,242,304 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau. Walker: I believe all parents have the right to choose and that should not be taken away. Parents protest outside of North Farmington High School on Jan. 11, 2022. Angie Smith, the Farmington Public Schools board secretary, wascensured for "conduct unbecoming a board member" after the panel said she made public comments and social media posts that caused disruptions to meetings and made it difficult for the superintendent "to perform his duties and provide leadership ,"a board resolution saidMonday night. U.S. President | Currently, Mable is a consultant with Michigan Virtual. An emphasis on excellence across the curriculum will attract students to the school system. Claudia retired in 2015 after a 40 year career in education, teaching high school mathematics at Riverside High School in North Dearborn Heights, Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, and Stevenson High School in Livonia. This creates an environment for FPS to be competitive for parents decisions. ", The larger problem she sees is a disconnect between the school board and the community. Smithsaid dysfunction on the board is nothing new, "it's just become more visible.". We have great programming, sustainability projects, state and national honors, and boast the largest CTE department in Oakland County. If the district were to receive the full funding that is supposed to be provided it would free general funds for more programming and improvements. } Another area of attention that must be addressed is the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers and support staff that serve the district. } word-wrap: break-word; We have to gain the trust back. "His skill set was like nothing we have ever seen in this district," she said. Those completed goals come at the expense of Academic Excellence. The new policy took effect, Feb. 9, and applies to busses as well. Weems: We need to do a better job of marketing the great things that are happening in our district. Ithurts our community, it hurts our students, our parents and our schools. School board chaos at Farmington Public Schools leads to superintendent's resignation. $('span#sw-emailmask-4631').replaceWith(''); Mable is a lifelong community advocate, co-founding the Littlefield Block Club at the age of 16. Cecile Richards, Former President of Planned Parenthood, Endorses Andy Levin . A candidate committee that does not expect to receive or spend more than $1,000 during the election cycle is eligible to receive a reporting waiver, which allows that committee not to file pre-election, post-election, and annual campaign statements. Copyright © 2002 - var currentTime = new Date();var year = currentTime.getFullYear();document.write(year); Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. Committee to Elect Angie Smith for Farmington Public Schools. width: 250px; Tweets by C & G Newspapers journalists Reporters' opinions are their own and retweets do not equal endorsements. He wants to move the DEI program forward because "those words have meaning, acknowledging and celebrating the beautiful variety of cultures, religions, and abilities within our school community is diversity," he said. Later, when the censure resolution involving her was read, she returned and indicated having heard it, but did not comment. You want to teach less reading, writing, and arithmetic so you can teach Critical Race Theory and DEI?. Herrera will continue as superintendent until Jan. 22, which is the end of first semester. We need to give racism the death it truly deserves and stop CRT and teach our kids the right values and the right history and that we do live in the greatest country in the world, Macfarland told The Center Square in an interview. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Robert Herrera, who was hired just last year, resigned Monday night during an explosive, emotional board meeting. Farmington Public Schools will continue to serve the students and families well in our community; the District has a strong leadership team that will continue to move the District forward.. margin: auto; Our curriculum is deeply using critical race theory especially in social studies, but youll find it in English language arts and the other disciplines. padding-left: 10px; Parents manifested a concern that the district was not responding well to the pandemic. However, Macfarland says there is a middle line between teaching historical mistakes and teaching CRT. Angie Smith, Farmington School Board Vice President, Endorses Levin. They also accused everyone else of not seeing things that way. She is the single mother of three daughters who all attended Farmington Public Schools - graduates of 2006, 2010 and 2016. Teachers need resources to help students overcome deficiencies due to long term effects of the COVID-19 shut down. Carr: The priorities of the district should be on excellence in education provided to all students. In public comments, some people called for the 21-day challenge to return, while others called to abolish it. Tolonen Family Pet Shop one of downtown Farmington's newest businesses, Farmington school board offers superintendent job to Walled Lake administrator, The Hawk in Farmington Hills prepares for June opening. Internal documents obtained by the Local 4 Defenders show that board member Angie Smith allegedly worked to create an intimidating and offensive work environment for the superintendent,. Federal courts | Olson: I am not happy with the overall direction of the district as it stands. I felt like I was back in high school," former trustee Richard Mukamal said of the school board. width: 100%; In addition to white privilege checklists, the challenge asked participants to join a BLM or affiliated protest to bail out arrested protesters and rioters, and included a list of microaggressions to avoid, such as calling America the land of opportunity.. At the board meeting, Terri Weems, the Farmington Public Schools (FPS) Board of Education president, said she was proud and had no plans to stop the DEI program. 1. "So this is painful. It is certainly not representative of those in the program, however. She runs a nonprofit and was formerly a financial advisor. $('span#sw-emailmask-157').replaceWith(''); The two boards members were not identified. "It didnt have to lead to him resigning," she said. Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022; Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections; Trends in 2022 ballot measures; The Biden administration. This is painful, very painful, school board President Pamela Green said. She is the mother of three young adults, products of Farmington and Detroit Public Schools. Claudia has lived in Farmington Hills with her husband, Dave Heinrich, since 1975. display: inline-block; The position opens on March 8, 2023. (The Center Square) School was out, but residents packed the North Farmington High School parking lot Tuesday night to protest the school's 21-day equity challenge that included white privilege checklists and asked student participants to join a BLM or affiliated protest.. Hometown Life sent each candidate a questionnaire on their ideas and the state of the district today. "LosingDr. Herrera will be a great loss for our students," Zach Rich, a board trustee, said during the meeting. At a glance, things appeared fine in public meetings, but board members say personal attacks amongst themselves plagued their lives outside the board room. Angie Smith was elected in 2016. We can continue to improve on that by thinking innovatively about how we provide our education services and marketing all of the wonderful options for learning and engagement we have to offer. Carr currently chairs the Economic Development Corporation Board of Farmington Hills. Resumes should include past board experience, past managerial experience, and other related experience. display: inline-block; .widget-row.value-only.black { On Nov. 8, voters in the Farmington Public Schools district will choose three people to serve on the school board for six years. } if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; What's on my ballot? Minutes earlier, board vice president Terry Johnson, whose term expires next month, also resigned, effective Saturday. Students lost social and emotional skills during the pandemic. Angie Smith has served on the school board since 2017. Angie Smith Vice President of the Farmington Public School Board angie.smith@fpsk12.net Brief Biography Yolanda Smith Oakland County Commissioner D17, and Realtor Brief Biography Nicole Wells Stallworth WONF Directory and Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan nicolewellsstallworth@gmail.com Brief Biography Shelley Taub Former board members Johnson, Green and Mukamal said problemsweren't limited to one person, arguingTerri Weems, the board's current president, has also fueled discord. Walker: I was appointed to the Farmington Public School Board in 2021, so I have the confidence of the current board. "I'm going to ask questions. Notice Of Electronic Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Meeting - November 13, 2020, Notice Of Electronic Planning Meeting - May 10, 2021, Results Of The 2017 Water Quality Changes In The Rouge River Survey, Farmington Governor Warner Mansion Receives $85,000 State Grant. I understand the complex issues and pressures facing public schools and have extensive experience in effectively solving public problems at the local level. The board is expected to decide in coming weeks on the next steps to fill the vacancies and select the next superintendent. $(document).ready(function () { Neither Smith nor Herrera immediately responded to requests for comment after the meeting Monday night. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { The Town Meeting will be held on the following day . Email: Its not currently being taught in K-12 schools anywhere in Michigan or the country.. Farmington Hills resident Angie Smith has been a resident for almost 14 years, and daughters Nanesha, 23, Jasmine, 19, and Asha, 13, have all attended Farmington schools. Katie Macfarland, a mother of children in the Detroit Public Schools system, said she showed up to protest because she found the 21-day challenge and CRT offensive and divisive. .clearfix { Students need to understand the truth of history understand the history of this country, to better understand who they are and about the injustices that have occurred in this country, Vitti said, Chalkbeat reported.