Ann Arbor Schools Musings: facebook

Well, I've been gone from the blog a bit.
About a month ago one of our computers died, giving me less access to the computer. Add to that a lot of (paid) work, an art class (!), some genealogy projects...plus life intervening...and the days turned to weeks.
And, I kind of liked it.
Which means--I'll probably continue to do less blogging, even though we do have a new computer.
But--I am really happy to have guest bloggers--I still have a long list of ideas for projects if you are looking for topics to write on--contact me if you are interested.

[Remember, I did say that I would probably stop blogging about schools when my son graduates--and he is a junior now.]

Also--if you are in the Ann Arbor schools district, I encourage you to follow Monet Tiedemann's web site. Monet has been live blogging the Ann Arbor school board meetings at annarbivore.com. [Unlike me, Monet is looking for donations to keep her work going. It is a time consuming job.]

[And, Lindsay Knake from the Ann Arbor News has also started live blogging the meetings--as part of her Ann Arbor News reporting.]

And by the way, wherever you live, I really encourage you to sometimes go to your school board meetings!

There are also some facebook groups you might be interested in. None of them are affiliated directly with a school district, but are groups of parents, teachers, and other citizens.

Ann Arbor Schools Musings (really meant to get discussions going, though when I post I do usually also post the links there)
Friends of Dexter Community Schools
Michigan Parents for Schools
Save Michigan's Public Schools
Ypsilanti Community Schools Supporters

If there are other groups that should be added to this list, let me know and I will update.

And remember what this is all about:

Read about where this picture comes from, here.

Consider subscribing to Ann Arbor Schools Musings by Email!

To cut to the chase:

The ~~new Ypsilanti Community Schools Board (the Ypsilanti/Willow Run consolidated school board)~~ current Ypsilanti schools had a facebook page used for sharing information about upcoming events and activities. As you might expect, people commented on it.

When some board members from the new, consolidated school board--which is also functioning as the school boards for Ypsilanti and for Willow Run until the end of June--proposed the (truly idiotic) idea of hiring two superintendents (and yes, the same ones from the old districts), the facebook page came alive with comments. Some ones (I assume, some members of the new school board) didn't like the facebook page criticism and so they took down the page.

[Update: Commenters in annarbor.com say it was Superintendent of the Ypsi Schools Dedrick Martin who made the decision to take down the facebook page. I'm not really sure who did it, but he did say that communication has been a weakness of his. If it was him, that would make sense--communication really is a weakness of his.]

Luckily, an anonymous reader had copied the comments before it was closed down (Thank You!), and I'm posting the comments here. It's worth watching the video--which I hope come through on this site!

Also, some community members have started a new facebook page: Ypsilanti Community Schools Supporters. Feel free to give them a "like."

Monday via YouTube

The Board of Education interviewed three candidates for superintendent for Ypsilanti Community Schools. The Board will meet on Monday, February 18, to discuss these interviews.

20130214 WRCS YCS BOE Sharon Irvine Interview

"20130214 WRCS YCS BOE Sharon Irvine Interview", a playlist created by WillowRunBoE

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Meredith Schindler, Eric Kasza and Katrina Nembhard like this.
Meredith Schindler The interviews were interesting and informative - thanks to YPS for posting this. Enrollment figures released by the district last year, and presented at a board meeting then, were alarming. Enrollment has declined 13% in the last two years, and would have declined even more except for the large school of choice student population that came from Willow Run. With us combining with Willow Run, these numbers will become more alarming unless something different is done to stem this tide.

Monday at 11:51am

Yesterday near Ypsilanti

WR-YPS unified board of education decides more time needed to make superintendent hire decision. Tuesday, Feb. 19 meeting is cancelled.

Michele Towler likes this.
Pattilyn Oldfield McCarty I think that if they feel they need two people to do the job, they should have written two jobs descriptions, clearly outlining the two jobs. Choosing two people to fill one position is not making a decision.

23 hours ago · "}" title="Like this comment" id=".reactRoot[7].[1][2][1]{comment547098215323890_6047835}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[1].[2]"Like · 3
Andrew Irvine This is crap. They've had MORE than enough time to find the right person. They just don't want to have to pay out the contracts of the current superintendents. People are losing patience quickly. Bates needs to either crap or get off the pot.

23 hours ago · "}" title="Like this comment" id=".reactRoot[7].[1][2][1]{comment547098215323890_6047986}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[1].[2]"Like · 7
Shannon Grosshans I am confused, why do we need two, we can not afford two... How can they pay two when the districts had to become one for money reasons. I guess this will take more money out of educating the children!

22 hours ago via mobile · "}" title="Like this comment" id=".reactRoot[7].[1][2][1]{comment547098215323890_6048075}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[1].[2]"Like · 1
Andrew Irvine Shannon, they don't need two. They just don't want to have to pay out the current ones if they don't hire them. It's just another band-aid by the cowardly Board. I, for one, am sick of them making choices that are clearly wrong for the district because they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings or swallow their pride, when they created the mess in the first place.

22 hours ago · "}" title="Like this comment" id=".reactRoot[7].[1][2][1]{comment547098215323890_6048127}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[1].[2]"Like
Karen Bates Than why don't you submit helpful suggestions rather than name calling and ranting on facebook?

21 hours ago · "}" title="Like this comment" id=".reactRoot[7].[1][2][1]{comment547098215323890_6048343}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[1].[2]"Like
Andrew Irvine Why do I need to submit a helpful suggestion when the solution has been here all along? Here's a suggestion...hire the best person available for the job. She's right there in front of your face.

21 hours ago · "}" title="Like this comment" id=".reactRoot[7].[1][2][1]{comment547098215323890_6048353}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[1].[2]"Like · 2
Nancy Harvey Amen, Andy. This whole situation is a nightmare. How can this district succeed with a continued legacy of bad decisions? We are doomed to failure. Nothing has changed. It's the same old thing on a different day.
I encourage everyone to read the coverage in annarbor.com and especially the comments.
I also encourage everyone to watch the video of board meetings on YouTube. When you do, I ask you to pay particular attention to the after-interview board conversations which makes perfectly clear what this board thinks of its constituency. Then, make up your own mind. Do you think the board has made good decisions? Do you think they respect the people in their community? Can you trust them with our most precious resource-our children?
This is a critical moment.

16 hours ago via mobile · "}" title="Like this comment" id=".reactRoot[7].[1][2][1]{comment547098215323890_6048935}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[1].[2]"Like
Nancy Harvey Also, Karen, I respect and admire you for sticking up for your dad. He should be proud of you.
But, your idea of submitting helpful suggestions is just not possible. Many, many, many people have done just that. But, this board decided that they know better than the rest of us. They do not acknowledge our messages to them and they publicly berate parents who dare to make their views known. It doesn't seem possible to me that this is actually happening in 2013-but it is and it is scary.

16 hours ago via mobile · "}" title="Like this comment" id=".reactRoot[7].[1][2][1]{comment547098215323890_6048952}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[1].[2]"Like
Karen Bates I do not want my comments to be read as posted by the daughter of David Bates. I am attended Ypsilanti schools for K-12 and I am another member of the community that cares about the future of education in Ypsi. I admit that it is difficult to read all of the comments on facebook and the Ann Arbor News about my dad but my views do not come from the brain washed perspective of a child. Sometimes I do disagree with decisions that he makes but that doesn't mean that I turn to my blog and berate him. Nothing is going to be accomplished by angry rants on the internet. That is merely what I am trying to point out.

16 hours ago · "}" title="Like this comment" id=".reactRoot[7].[1][2][1]{comment547098215323890_6048974}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[1].[2]"Like · 2
Nancy Harvey I agree, Karen. And your opinion is just as valid as any other person's. But all other avenues of communication have been denied to us. Your suggestion is logical and I agree with it. Unfortunately, the situation is illogical and we have been told that our opinions do not matter and won't be considered. We don't know what else to do.
I am sorry that you have to deal with these kind of situations and I honestly wish that you didn't have to. I know for certain that I would not have been able to respond to criticisms of my family members when I was your age. I would not have been as rational and as eloquent as you are.

16 hours ago via mobile · "}" title="Like this comment" id=".reactRoot[7].[1][2][1]{comment547098215323890_6049002}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[1].[2]"Like
Andrew Irvine You also said that people should be making suggestions. That's been happening for a long time, but those suggestions have not only fallen on deaf ears, they have been met with hostility. It has been made very clear that the current board is not going to listen to the very people who voted them into office. Surely, you can understand people's frustrations, and I think a little venting is acceptable.