"Angie Smith has had problems with every single person on that board," Terry Johnson, a former board vice president who also resigned in November, said. During the Pandemic, numerous other schools were a much better fit for their students, and as a result FPS enrollment suffered. Mable is a 24 year resident of Farmington Hills and a former member/president of the Timbercrest Homeowner Association. It is certainly not representative of those in the program, however. Jim Stark, a former board president,resigned in 2018 for similar reasons. Senator Bayer is proud to be endorsed by the following: Marcia Gershenson, Oakland County Commissioner and Board Vice Chairwoman. She is co-founder of Calvary Education Center and provides enrichment and STEM summer experiences for Metro-Detroit children. The percentage of people below poverty level was 10.0 percent for the county, while it was 16.2 percent statewide.[7]. Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022; Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections; Trends in 2022 ballot measures; The Biden administration. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Don Wotruba,executive director of the Michigan Association of School Boards, said operating without a clear vision and culture can hold a board back. This is a community with over 87 nationalities.. The superintendent of Farmington Public Schools as well as two members of the districts Board of Education cited allegations of harassment and dysfunctional behavior.. Another area of attention that must be addressed is the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers and support staff that serve the district. She runs a nonprofit and was formerly a financial advisor. Walker: We have accomplished much. Board members not in support of the plan were Zach Rich, Angie Smith and Terri Weems, according to a release from FPS. The adult behavior at the board has been horrible, and as a result, the children are suffering, Johnson said. This creates an environment for FPS to be competitive for parents decisions. Counties | Recruitment, vetting, and training are expensive propositions. Herrera will continue as superintendent until Jan. 22, which is the end of first semester. FPS can attract new and returning students by focusing on the priorities Ive already mentioned above, primarily returning to a strong fundamental curriculum, free of the distractions that happen when a district has prioritized social and political issues over academic excellence. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Smith also questioned if Herrera, who is Latino, was the diverse person she feels is needed to lead the district and felt he did nothing to sooth racial tensions in the district. Both current and former board members expressed frustration over squabbles standing in the way of work that would benefit students in a district with continued declining enrollment. Claudia has had a lifelong involvement in community service; she was a member of the Farmington Area Jaycee Women, PTA, Girl Scout Leader, Religious Education Teacher and Youth Basketball Coach. background-color: #003388; The six-member Board is also responsible for hiring a superintendent to administer the District's educational program and carryout Board policies, and for setting an annual budget that ensures proper and effective use of public funds. Livonia Chamber stickers program helps businesses highlight inclusive values, Comerica bank to sell Livonia office building, move to neighboring Farmington Hills, Henry Ford Health brings new emergency room, specialty services to western Wayne County, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. Incumbent David Turner and Mark Przeslawski defeated Fritz Beiermeister for the two-year terms. clear: both; She is the proud mother of two Farmington High graduates. Ballotpedia features 395,577 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Afterwards, Herrera will act in a consulting role until June 30, 2021, when his employment with the district will end. Angie Smith is always in the middle of gossip and personnel issues, and I am so tired," she said. .widget-row.value-only.black { She has resided in Farmington Hills for over 20 years and was involved in her daughters academics and extracurricular activities. The motion was requested by board vice president Terry Johnson. On November 8, Farmington and Farmington Hills voters will help elect new leaders at the federal, state, county, and local level. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Farmington Public School District At-large, Angie Smith (Farmington Public School District, Michigan), Ballotpedia does not currently cover this office or maintain this page. display: inline-block; 100% remote. The new policy took effect, Feb. 9, and applies to busses as well. Smith: I have been a dedicated resident and member of the Farmington Hills community for the past 26 years, and have served on the school board for 6 years. ", Teachers want parents to be involved with the schools, she said, because "it's a partnership. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles. | Smith is unapologetic for her approach. We have to gain the trust back. Those struggles, they said, happen because elected school boards aren't in agreement on all issues. She volunteers her time to several organizations which provide tax assistance to those in need, food for the homeless, accounting educational awareness, mentorship, and scholarships to high school and college students. We have great programming, sustainability projects, state and national honors, and boast the largest CTE department in Oakland County. His decision came after meeting with legal counsel, she told the members. ", 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, 'Dysfunction' blamed for loss of Farmington's top three school officials. Curricular transparency and accountability to parents remains on the public radar but has not received adequate support from the Board. $(document).ready(function () { Email: School board members agreed its roleis to manage the superintendent and let him or her run the day-to-day operations of the district. All other races or nationalities make up the remaining 3.3%. What I found is instead of being a cohesive, collaborative board, there was a lot of division and there was one common thread amongst it.. "You've got to be involved and see what's going on in the classroom. Particularly long answers were shortened, which is indicated with an ellipsis. U.S. President | }); Claudia Heinrich was elected in November 2020. .widget-row.Republican { Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. We have tremendous momentum right now and Im excited about the direction we are moving in. 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. Cecile Richards, Former President of Planned Parenthood, Endorses Andy Levin . font-weight: bold; background-color: red; I support schools of choice because it forces each school to consider how they must be constantly improving, to be a viable choice for those parents and caregivers. 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. After the superintendent's resignation, the board passed a resolution censuring Smith, who has been a school board member since 2016. EDUCATION COMMUNITY. Infighting wasfueled by big egos and big personalitiesandultimately pulled the board'sattention away from their primary focus: students, those critics say. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. } What is happening now is that it is showing and they need a scapegoat," she said. A statement read by board president Pam Green at Monday'smeeting, at which she,Trustee Terry Johnson and Superintendent Robert Herreraannounced their departures, cited Smith'spublic statements and social media posts that allegedHerrrera was against African American students and staff in submitting his resignation. Terri earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Science degree in accounting from the Honors College at Ohio University. The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Education will take place on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 6:00 pm. According to 2019 U.S. Census data, Farmington Hills is 62.7% white, 19.9% Black and 14.1% Asian. Student enrollment has had a nearly 25% reduction in less than a decade. 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 . The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Angie SmithFarmington Public School District. The polls will open at 8:00 AM and close at 7:00 PM . These seats included three seats with six-year terms and two seats with two-year terms. $(document).ready(function () { Details: Farmington Election Results Farmington Public School District Board Candidate Votes % Angie Smith 15,555 20% Terri Ann Weems 15,330 20% Donald Walker farmington mn school board candidates Before that, he attended Forest Elementary and Warner Middle School before being a Farmington District ambassador to the International Academy. "It was like the queen bee and the wannabes. Smith: Offer a longer period of time for marketing and advertising. Smith said she has talked to teachers at the high school level who want to move back to semesters from the current trimester scheduling, a move she would support. However, Macfarland says there is a middle line between teaching historical mistakes and teaching CRT. Dr. Blau currently holds Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees in Education as well as a second Masters degree in psychology. Teachers need resources to help students overcome deficiencies due to long term effects of the COVID-19 shut down. Smith: Yes, because we have hired a new superintendent who shares the same values and understands our mission and vision for the district. Weems, who led all voting, has lived with her family in Farmington Hills since 2010. One action local districts can take to address diversity, equity and inclusion is to evaluate teaching materials to ensure materials represent diverse perspectives and content, represent a range of voices, and are culturally responsive. The Farmington School Board approved a "Communicable Disease Plan" Tuesday evening. Beathard signs 2-year extension with Jaguars Feb. 24, 2023 04:17 PM EST. Angie Smith, Farmington Public School Board of Education Vice President. width: 57%; Now with a mostly new school board who just picked Christopher Delgado as the next superintendent, board members say theyre determined to work together. FARMINGTON, Mich. As the chaos surrounding the Farmington school board continues, the superintendent and two board members resigned during an explosive, emotional meeting. It was very clear there was a lot of disruption on the board, she said. FARMINGTON HILLS, Michigan - Dozens of concerned parents protested their school system's adoption of the "21-Day Equity Challenge," a Critical Race Theory curriculum, at Tuesday's school board meeting, joined by members of the Oakland County Republican Party and Moms for America. 1. display: inline-block; Smith believes school officials have "lost touch" with the community, and as an example, cites the to the Islamic Cultural Association earlier this year. .widget-row.heading { They felt uneasy. "It's really unfortunate that we've actually gotten to a position where we can't even disagree without being disagreeable We need some real change in this district and we need to hold people accountable," he said. OCHN Releases RFQ for Irrigation Services, Part Of I-696 In Oakland County Closing Down This Weekend, 1 Dead In Fiery Crash On I-696 In Oakland County: Police. 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 She earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a Master of Education from the University of Phoenix, and a Michigan teacher certification. The median household income for Oakland County was $66,436, compared to $49,087 for the entire state. [3], In Michigan, candidates are prohibited from receiving contributions from corporations or labor organizations. [8], Oakland County outperformed Michigan as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. font-weight: bold; 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. It never stops. 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. I'm not going to treat anyone different from how I would treat a family member. Minutes earlier, board vice president Terry Johnson, whose term expires next month, also resigned, effective Saturday. An active parent volunteer, she has decided to run for school board in a field that includes two incumbents, Karen Bolsen and Howard Wallach, with whom she has worked closely over the years. Angie Smith is an at-large representative on the Farmington Public School District school board in Michigan. }); Dr. Cheryl Blau has taught all subjects in grades 1-8 for more than 30 years in public, private, parochial, and charter schools. 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. The movescame during a special board meeting Monday. Drawing upon current neuroscience about how the brain learns best, Dr. Blau specializes in creating highly engaging, interactive, experiential lessons designed to bring the curricular content to life for students so that they will connect meaningfully and deeply with what they learn. School districts | It continues the cycle of negativity. var encodedEmail = swrot13('natvr.fzvgu@scfx12.arg'); Many held signs, with one reading: Let me get this straight. Bjorn Olson is a father of four children in the Farmington High district who was concerned about the 21-day equity challenge. It would be beneficial for the board to retain experience and knowledge so that we can continue to be a highly functioning board. Parents protest outside of North Farmington High School on Jan. 11, 2022. Critics said Smiths behavior created an environment Herrera couldnt work in, prompting the complaint. 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-value { This vote followed the Board of Education's decision in August to. The fact that Farmington Public Schools was not able to retain him is a big black mark on our district, Mukamal said. Weems: The last few years have been extremely challenging, especially in our district. 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. font-weight: bold; Teachers and administrators, should place an emphasis on each student in the pursuit of excellence. $(document).ready(function () { There was a problem saving your notification. There's some evidence, however, Smithwas resistant to soothing school board tensions, declining requests the board undergo restorative practice training in 2019. } Zach is actively involved with the Northern Guard Supporters and is a co-owner of Detroit City Football Club. I love these kids, and Farmington just lost an amazing superintendent.. } 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. In a tearful statement, Green told her colleaguesmost of her two-year tenure had been spent "managing unprofessional adult behaviorsversus focusing on the important work that we have been entrusted to do as aboard of education.". Effective November 2016, all terms will be for six years. These results are automatically generated from Google. "I would never discredit any of my board members, past or present let alone the superintendent," she said. Email: "It didnt have to lead to him resigning," she said. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. The infighting eventually led to Green and Johnson resigning. ", She felt the district should have gotten more than one bid and more than one appraisal before selling the property. "So this is painful. Weems: These one-time dollars present a huge opportunity to foster real change and innovation. margin-top: 1px; The resignation comes after claims from board member Angie Smith that say the superintendent was racist toward Black students and staff, however, it's unclear what instances took place. Smith denied posting commentsabout the board or Herreraon social media. var encodedEmail = swrot13('greev.jrrzf@scfx12.arg'); Donald sits on the TV-10 and IT advisory boards for North Farmington, and is a member of FAAPN, The Beloved Community Initiative and Community Equity Organization. Sure," Macfarland said. Green said the common thread was one of her elected colleagues, current trustee Angie Smith. Our legislative committee continues to think about how we can impact IDEA. Having achieved that, today, I am interested in being re-elected because I want to continue the progress the district has made recently in efforts to engage every student in a quality learning experience so that they can achieve their full potential. Vik Pandya (NBC, Dry Bar) LIVE at The Independent Comedy Club 3/4! Email: As a Farmington Hills resident, Angie served on numerous committees in the district. I believe the intent of the challenge was equality, but I think it did the opposite. 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). color: white; The 21-day equity challenge labeled my children based on their skin color, he said during the news conference. A resolution also passed to censure Smith. The position opens on March 8, 2023. More: Tolonen Family Pet Shop one of downtown Farmington's newest businesses, More: Farmington school board offers superintendent job to Walled Lake administrator, More: The Hawk in Farmington Hills prepares for June opening. Board Meeting Details. $('span#sw-emailmask-4633').replaceWith(''); Angie Smith is an at-large representative on the Farmington Public School District school board in Michigan. 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. T.R. Censure rescinded for Farmington school board member Angie Smith Over the past few months, the board has been garnering a lot of negative attention with the resignation of several. Walker: Two main priorities: safety and mental health and resources used to accelerate and supplement learning. They dont want me to keep bringing up stuff because I ask questions and they dont like that. padding-left: 10px; Walker: I was appointed to the Farmington Public School Board in 2021, so I have the confidence of the current board. Problems get created when members see their role differently than what MASB or their board sees as the appropriate role of a board member versus a superintendent, Wotruba said. .infobox p { The protesters lined the street in front of North Farmington High School, holding signs and waving at . The resignation means the harassment complaint will no longer be pursued, according to the release. For example, the auditorium was divided into masked and non-masked sections. $(document).ready(function () { Smith allegedly said Herrera in a sense had his knee on the neck of an African American coworker.. She has provided professional development for teachers in adaptive/ assistive technology using data to inform teaching and learning. He'll stay on as the superintendent through the end of the. font-weight: bold; Mable has over 30 years of experience in educational consulting throughout the state. Applicants can submit their resume, letter of intent, and three letters of reference here. I believe that by serving on the Board that I can help move the district in the right direction and correct shortcomings of the past.