"I would never discredit any of my board members, past or present let alone the superintendent," she said. It is certainly not representative of those in the program, however. We have completed our strategic planning, identified the profile of a lifelong learner and negotiated long term contracts with our staff. Following his resignation, the school board censured Smith, and twoboard members followed Herrera's lead and resigned, as well. Zach has worked for over a decade in a variety of public service roles at the local, county, and federal levels of government. Contacted by. "You cant tell a board member to keep quiet, but that is what they like to do.. "Dr. Robert Herrera indicated a desire to resign his employment with the district," Green said. School board members set overall district policy and manages the district superintendent, in this case Superintendent Christopher Delgado, who oversees day-to-day operations.
float:right; Take a sneak peek inside. Spotlight Junior Players proudly presents Disney's "Aladdin Jr" for ONE weekend ONLY! Here is a link for the live stream of this meeting. I am concerned with turnover in our district. But I would have been good with that. Later, when the censure resolution involving her was read, she returned and indicated having heard it, but did not comment. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. display: block; 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. Based on the State } Real history is flawed. $('span#sw-emailmask-157').replaceWith(''); var encodedEmail = swrot13('purely.oynh@scfx12.arg'); Johnson, Green and Mukamal contend Weems and Smith allow their personal friendships to dictate their school agendas and frequently get involved in issues that should be handled by administration. It continues the cycle of negativity. Smith denied posting commentsabout the board or Herreraon social media. 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, making comments and social media posts accusing Herrera of trying to rid the district of any African American staff members. In a Sept. 24, 2020, harassmentcomplaint, Herrera detailed actions taken by Smith he believes were in retaliation over a hire she didnt agree with. Angie Smith Farmington School Board - 6 year term Donald Walker Farmington School Board - 6 year term Claudia Heinrich Farmington School Board - term ending 12/31/2024 Susie Muzbeck Crafton Walled Lake School Board Becky Spagnuolo Walled Lake School Board John Paul Torres Waterford School Board But there is more work to do. Olson: One tangible action would be to explore proven programs that improve student-teacher relationships. Olson: The schools priorities need to be returning to the basics of good curriculum, without the distractions of other important, but secondary issues especially social and political concerns. Im very vocal and Im very passionate about what I do and who I do it for, she said. The Board is responsible for curricular and financial decision made by the District. color: white; "We had steps in place. She also would like to see Superintendent Susan Zurvalec take "more of a cut" in salary and eliminate more staff from the central office to get more money into the classrooms. color: black; Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Herrera resigned from his position, allegedly following allegations of racism toward Black students and staff in the district. Farmington Public School District At-large, Angie Smith (Farmington Public School District, Michigan), Ballotpedia does not currently cover this office or maintain this page. Don Wotruba,executive director of the Michigan Association of School Boards, said operating without a clear vision and culture can hold a board back. Together they raised 4 daughters who attended Farmington Public Schools from preschool through high school graduation. Parents protest outside of North Farmington High School on Jan. 11, 2022. color: white; Counties | Carr: I have a Ph.D. in Public Administration and my academic career has been in public education. Many held signs, with one reading: Let me get this straight. Contact reporterShelby Tankersley at stankersle@hometownlife.com or 248-305-0448. "I'm not happy about this because of how it affects our district. Herrera filed a complaint against Smith for harassment. I view the school board as instrumental in setting goals for the district and adopting policies that support achievement of those goals. His decision came after meeting with legal counsel, she told the members. This community has lost trust with the district.". Its not currently being taught in K-12 schools anywhere in Michigan or the country.. The fact that Farmington Public Schools was not able to retain him is a big black mark on our district, Mukamal said. $(document).ready(function () { Weems: These one-time dollars present a huge opportunity to foster real change and innovation. } 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.. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { Pastor Doug Jones, Welcome Missionary Baptist Church Pastor and Chair of the Oakland County Ministerial Alliance. Terri earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Science degree in accounting from the Honors College at Ohio University. $('span#sw-emailmask-153').replaceWith(''); 2022 Election Results. } } background-color: green; All rights reserved. The agenda can be found here at least 18 hours before the meeting. background-color: #f9d334; She runs a nonprofit and was formerly a financial advisor. (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.. The percentage of people below poverty level was 10.0 percent for the county, while it was 16.2 percent statewide.[7]. 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. Her currently works for the Detroit School of Arts. But when it comes to the $220 million bond issue on the ballot August 6 . In public comments, some people called for the 21-day challenge to return, while others called to abolish it. For her part, Smith said this could have all been solved with a simple conversation.". The median household income for Oakland County was $66,436, compared to $49,087 for the entire state. We have tremendous momentum right now and Im excited about the direction we are moving in. "It's bittersweet that it has to be against two friends.". In the past, she's been involved with the Oakland County School Board of Directors and is a former employee of Farmington Public Schools. Johnson and Weems have gone as far as filing complaints against each other to the district. 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. $('span#sw-emailmask-4632').replaceWith(''); 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. Now with a mostly new school board who just picked Christopher Delgado as the next superintendent, board members say theyre determined to work together. Fixing the boards culture is important to its effectiveness moving forward. After the motion was requested, board president Pamela Green read a statement regarding "extraordinary developments" since the last meeting. color: white; Financial transparency is another issue that needs additional attention. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. While apparently emotional, Green read off the statement which mentioned that the resignation would be on mutual terms. clear: both; Cecile Richards, Former President of Planned Parenthood, Endorses Andy Levin . "When he told me how much he makes my 19-year-old makes more. font-size: 1.2em; Smith provided the following statement on his priorities for the district to the League of Women Voters Oakland Area: Our top 3 issues are, 1. While this is not how or the time that I wanted to leave the district, I felt it was necessary to do what was in the best interest of our entire school community, Herrera said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. var encodedEmail = swrot13('mnpu.evpu@scfx12.arg'); The county seat is Pontiac. Given the emergency timeframe, there were serious shortcomings in online education delivery. Board members should have had a longer community conversation around the sale, she said, adding, "People are afraid now, and they are angry. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Following the creation of the committee, candidates have an additional 10 days to register the committee with the school district filing official by filing a statement of organization. We were founded on the Declaration of Independence.. The priority for ARPA dollars should be focusing on helping students recover academically and emotionally from losing a year in the classroom. Cowboys name Brian Schottenheimer offensive coordinator Feb. 24, 2023 06:29 PM EST. She worked for Detroit Public Schools for 8 years in the Special Education Department as a trainable aide grade 1. [8], Oakland County outperformed Michigan as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. Its really unfortunatethat weve actuallygotten to a positionwhere we cant even disagree without beingdisagreeable. Angie Smith was elected in 2016. One individual sported a shirt that read: We do NOT CO-PARENT with the Government., Parents were protesting a 21-Day Equity Challenge held by the Farmington Public School District last fall. As a Farmington Hills resident, Angie served on numerous committees in the district. Three newcomers win seats on Farmington School Board. font-weight: bold; I could not emotionally continue, Green said. It would be beneficial for the board to retain experience and knowledge so that we can continue to be a highly functioning board. The board firstpassed a resolution accepting the resignation of Superintendent Robert Herrera, who hasled the district since 2019. }); Mable Fox was elected in 2020. Board president, vice president also resign. }); Claudia Heinrich was elected in November 2020. $('span#sw-emailmask-4631').replaceWith(''); Incumbent Terri Ann Weems ran against challengers Donald David, Clark Doughty, Bruce Lilley, William Lubaway, Tammy Luty, Ed Richardson, Tera Shamey, Angie Smith, and James Stark for the six-year terms. However, Macfarland says there is a middle line between teaching historical mistakes and teaching CRT. } There's some evidence, however, Smithwas resistant to soothing school board tensions, declining requests the board undergo restorative practice training in 2019. I am MASB board certified which means I have taken the needed classes to learn how to be an effective board member. The adult behavior at the board has been horrible, and as a result, the children are suffering, Johnson said. On November 8, Farmington and Farmington Hills voters will help elect new leaders at the federal, state, county, and local level. Inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies should be directed to: Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, 32500 Shiawassee, Farmington, MI 48336. Voters will also choose one candidate for a two-year term. Questions or Comments? Curricular transparency and accountability to parents remains on the public radar but has not received adequate support from the Board. var encodedEmail = swrot13('greev.jrrzf@scfx12.arg'); Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. Its the behavior of her overall. | font-weight: bold; Mable is a 24 year resident of Farmington Hills and a former member/president of the Timbercrest Homeowner Association. The two boards members were not identified. 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. text-align: center; Her censure-ship was much more than what the portrayal is, Green said. 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. .widget-row.value-only { Bestselling author and popular speaker Angie Smith is grateful that Christians are finally doing "what the Lord has called us to" engaging in genuine dialogue about "hard subjects" otherwise considered taboo in some circles, such as same-sex marriage and a woman's role in the Church. The board should establish clear expectations in terms of student achievement and then work with the Superintendent, finance director, and curriculum director to develop and implement a financial plan to address weaknesses from the past two years. The Board of Education is a governing body which is independent of other municipal, elected governing bodies. I support in-house relations opposed to resourcing out, revisiting this would be major for me, so I would have a meeting of the minds of all stake holders, to keep from this happening again. Olson: Some of the attributes that make me qualified to be a school board member include being a parent of 4 kids in the district, a taxpayer in the district, and my strong business acumen. The Farmington School Board approved a "Communicable Disease Plan" Tuesday evening. background-color: grey; Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. .infobox { Very painful.". Smith: Offering programming and bringing in experienced DEI consultants to help engage and educate our staff and community. margin-bottom: 0; Herrera said in his resignationSmith'sharassment against him created a hostile work environment. .infobox p { That was obvious.. Chiefs promote Nagy to old job as offensive coordinator Feb. 24, 2023 07:33 PM EST. padding-left: 10px; Our legislative committee continues to think about how we can impact IDEA. All Dr. Herrera had to do was come to me and say, Angie I dont like how this is going. We have to gain the trust back. The candidates listed below responded positively to our questionnaire and are ready to stand up for students and parents . }); Dr. Cheryl Blau has taught all subjects in grades 1-8 for more than 30 years in public, private, parochial, and charter schools. On Thursday, Greensaid through tears thatshe was exhausted bythe drama on the board. Angie Smith, Farmington School Board Vice President, Endorses Levin. "It was like the queen bee and the wannabes. Teachers and administrators, should place an emphasis on each student in the pursuit of excellence. } Michigan Association of School Boards Board of Directors Election, Section 8 Director for Birgit McQuiston of Lake Orion Community Schools as recommended. It is creating an unsafe working environment for employees, creating a divide in the community and likely fueling recall efforts.. State and local courts | Weems: Mental health is a huge issue facing not just our district, but the whole nation. Biography Smith earned her bachelor's degree from Wayne State University. At the end of the meeting, Green then announced she also was resigning as ofFriday, saying "the dysfunctional behavior of two unnamed board members had interfered with further progress of district initiatives,as well as contributing to her health issues, ultimately requiring that she remove herself" from the board, district representatives said. Email: We do this by helping you register for the classes that you need, advising you on subjects such as testing, college readiness, career readiness and connecting you to the . This is a community with over 87 nationalities..} Donald Walker was appointed to the board in 2021. Online learning requires a significant investment in teacher training, equipment, and curriculum delivery. .clearfix { For example, the auditorium was divided into masked and non-masked sections. Johnson, the board's vice president,told the panel he wasresigning 45 days before his term expiresbecause the group"has just completely changed.". Email: Darlene Pomponio, Ph.D. - Southgate Community Schools Angie Smith - Farmington Public Schools . It was moved by Mr. Cook and supported by Mr. Smith that the Novi Community Schools Board of Education approve the Consent Agenda Items A and B as presented and vote on the donations separately. She is the proud mother of two Farmington High graduates. Smith: RETAINING OUR EXCELLENT STAFF. legislators. "I don't like anything sticking," she said. So in response to that, the board got together in spite of the fact that some members disagreed … everyone wanted to make sure the new board members wrestling with that decision had a chance to be heard.. Ballot measures, Who represents me? Two other board members also resigned. When you see a staff member having to buy groceries with a Bridge card, that troubles me," she said. Join Facebook to connect with Angie Smith and others you may know. Hometown Life sent each candidate a questionnaire on their ideas and the state of the district today. The motion was requested by board vice president Terry Johnson. For subscribers: 'Dysfunction' blamed for loss of Farmington's top three school officials. Weems: We need to do a better job of marketing the great things that are happening in our district. 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. They need to have a conversation about who they want to be as a board, who they want to be to the public, how they want to be toward each other and how they are going to conduct themselves, Wotruba said. These results are automatically generated from Google. T.R. Currently, Mable is a consultant with Michigan Virtual. Mable is a lifelong community advocate, co-founding the Littlefield Block Club at the age of 16. SuperintendentBob Herrerafiled a harassment complaint against a school board member shortly before his resignation, which came just 18 months after the school board hired him. We completed an equity audit and are working on our strategic plan in conjunction with the audit We successfully negotiated contracts, became a fully certified board with engaged leadership We still have a lot to do. Email: All other races or nationalities make up the remaining 3.3%. School board chaos at Farmington Public Schools leads to superintendent's resignation. 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.. Bjorn Olson is a father of four children in the Farmington High district who was concerned about the 21-day equity challenge. 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. How to vote | Angie Smith, the Farmington Public Schools board secretary, was censured for "conduct unbecoming a board member" after the panel said she made public comments and social media posts. Our curriculum is deeply using critical race theory especially in social studies, but youll find it in English language arts and the other disciplines. } Smith said she has talked to teachers at the high school level who want to move. The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Education will take place on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 6:00 pm. Weems, Smith, and Stark won these seats. There was a problem saving your notification. FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Herrera has resigned from his position, allegedly following allegations of racism toward Black students. She is a certified public accountant and is a member of the American Institute and Michigan Association of CPAs, as well as the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA). Teachers need resources to help students overcome deficiencies due to long term effects of the COVID-19 shut down. The Farmington Public Schools superintendent and the top two members of the board of education resigned Monday amid allegations of harassment and racism.During a special meeting Monday, the. Green said the common thread was one of her elected colleagues, current trustee Angie Smith. Afterwards, Herrera will act in a consulting role until June 30, 2021, when his employment with the district will end. $('span#sw-emailmask-152').replaceWith(''); Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa: hallermotorworx.com, +14799696464, +18005589044 Home Haller Motorworx & Farm Equipment Magazine, AR 479 969-6464 She said she's not the bully: her former colleagues are. Email: Carr: The very real challenge for the board of Farmington Public Schools is to gain the trust and confidence of parents and residents. Angie attended Wayne County Community College and Wayne State University with a major in Mortuary Science. Elections in 2023 | He is a two-time graduate of Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Public Affairs, co-majoring in International Studies and University Honors, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. I have worked in both postsecondary trade and K-12 education for the past 31 years. As a school board member, she said, she would first and foremost listen to parents, teachers and students. color: black; In addition to teaching high school, Claudia taught mathematics at Oakland Community College and Schoolcraft College. She was elected Precinct Delegate at 21 years and interned for the Detroit Council Member, Honorable Erma Henderson.