This is painful, very painful, school board President Pamela Green said. 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. I love these kids, and Farmington just lost an amazing superintendent.. Guide. The United States Census Bureau found that 43.7 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 26.4 percent of state residents. Michigan Association of School Boards Board of Directors Election, Section 8 Director for Birgit McQuiston of Lake Orion Community Schools as recommended. Particularly long answers were shortened, which is indicated with an ellipsis. font-weight: bold; Not indoctrination.. 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. Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade. The priority for ARPA dollars should be focusing on helping students recover academically and emotionally from losing a year in the classroom. 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. "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. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a BA in Education and Eastern Michigan University with a Masters Degree in Mathematics. Ballot measures, Who represents me? We have great programming, sustainability projects, state and national honors, and boast the largest CTE department in Oakland County. Our goal and hope is to continue to hire individuals who are excited, and passionate about Educating our students. How to vote | Email: FPS Board Secretary Angie Smith said DEI includes "hard topics" that "have to be brought up." During the protest, Debbie Kraulidis, a Moms for America vice president, said the 21-day challenge and teaching CRT are "racially dividing" and "anti-American." Our legislative committee continues to think about how we can impact IDEA. She's been involved with the PTA, Women of Tomorrow and her homeowners association. We have completed our strategic planning, identified the profile of a lifelong learner and negotiated long term contracts with our staff. This board member is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. .clearfix { "I'm going to ask questions. } Weems pointed to the boards decisions regarding in-person learning as evidence of that. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. ROBERT DEAN Former MI State Representative, District 75 DORIS BURKS TAYLOR Other important priorities should include safety in schools, attendance, meeting the needs of the marginalized as well as those that are advanced and gifted, investing in proven programs for special education, and ensuring the welfare and confidence of each learner (Example kids who are hungry cannot learn productively, kids who do not feel safe or confident also cannot learn productively, etc.). Two other board members also resigned. Contact Shelby Tankersley at stankersle@hometownlife.com. We can urgently move forward to improve outcomes for those in need. However, Macfarland says there is a middle line between teaching historical mistakes and teaching CRT. FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A lengthy school board meeting heard more than 80 people speak during public comment with a clear divide when it comes to the district's approach to teaching. .widget-row.value-only.black { }. Though she's plugged into the district, she said, "I knew nothing about the sale until the night it went down. Walker: The best action begins with an equity audit to determine how your district is addressing these issues. Smith denied posting commentsabout the board or Herreraon social media. The superintendent of Farmington Public Schools as well as two members of the districts Board of Education cited allegations of harassment and dysfunctional behavior.. Darlene Pomponio, Ph.D. - Southgate Community Schools Angie Smith - Farmington Public Schools . Federal courts | Another area of attention that must be addressed is the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers and support staff that serve the district. My children went to Farmington Public Schools. Smith is unapologetic for her approach. Weems: There are researched backed reasons to support diversity and, practicing equity in education is a requirement. Carr: Careful review of issues related to the delivery of excellence in education to all students tends to result in these types of discussions. float: right; Before the school board meeting, about 60 people huddled together in freezing temperatures for a brief news conference highlighting concerns of parents and entities about the teaching of CRT to school children. 1. background-color: grey; The percentage of people below poverty level was 10.0 percent for the county, while it was 16.2 percent statewide.[7]. Angie has also served the District as a Building PTA President, PTA Council president, PTA State Region D Representative, and Co-Chair of the Farmington/Farmington Hills MCMR MLK Walk. We have a new superintendent who is committed to long term leadership in FPS. 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. 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. Angie Smith has served on the school board since 2017. ", The larger problem she sees is a disconnect between the school board and the community. School board members agreed its roleis to manage the superintendent and let him or her run the day-to-day operations of the district. 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. 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, Herrera said. I feel the role of a school board member is to be an advocate and voice for the community and to make sure we are serving our residents, staff, students, and stakeholders. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles. Smith won the seat in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016. "LosingDr. Herrera will be a great loss for our students," Zach Rich, a board trustee, said during the meeting. } The two boards members were not identified. text-align: center; The seven-member school board is relatively young withfour members elected or appointed in the past 6 months. Masks had been required when the district's residential population was classified as high risk for covid-19. FPS has what is needed to provide a wonderful experience for a student. I can speak," she said. Herrera filed a complaint against Smith for harassment. A Twitter List by candgnews In public comments, some people called for the 21-day challenge to return, while others called to abolish it. Vik Pandya (NBC, Dry Bar) LIVE at The Independent Comedy Club 3/4! .widget-row { Angie Smith is an at-large representative on the Farmington Public School District school board in Michigan. But there is more work to do. She is the single mother of three daughters who all attended Farmington Public Schools - graduates of 2006, 2010 and 2016. 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. [1] Elections 2016 See also: Farmington Public School District elections (2016) I think it is a loss for the district, Green said. 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. Take a sneak peek inside. 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. Email: } You can watch Shawn Leys full story in the video posted above. "I'm not happy about this because of how it affects our district. Email: The meeting location is Maxfield Education Center, 32789 W. Ten Mile Rd., Farmington, MI 48336. Herrera hadrecently filed a complaint against board secretaryAngie Smith for harassment, district officials said in a statement. She is the single mother of three daughters who all attended Farmington Public Schools - graduates of 2006, 2010 and 2016. In 2009, Mable was honored as Mother of the Year by the Detroit Free Press featured article "A Mother's Heart" and recently received the Mother of the Year Angel Award 2020 from Children Spa with Disabilities. Newsroom tweets. Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Herrera resigned from his position, allegedly following allegations of racism toward Black students and staff in the district. After the motion was requested, board president Pamela Green read a statement regarding "extraordinary developments" since the last meeting. 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. Dr. Herrera was appointed as superintendent in 2019. The county seat is Pontiac. } 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. Board meetings are cablecast LIVE on TV-10 and live . font-size: 1.2em; This is just their way of telling me to shut up. The Michigan Education Association has given Andy Levin a "Highly Qualified" rating in his run for the 9th Congressional District seat. Apply today! Green said the common thread was one of her elected colleagues, current trustee Angie Smith. But I would have been good with that. Zach is actively involved with the Northern Guard Supporters and is a co-owner of Detroit City Football Club. Several board members said Hererra's not the first to administrative leader to leave the district because of strained relations, sayingformer Superintendent George Heitschs retirement was premature. Smith believes school officials have "lost touch" with the community, and as an example, cites the to the Islamic Cultural Association earlier this year. Bjorn Olson is a father of four children in the Farmington High district who was concerned about the 21-day equity challenge. 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. Weems said she and Smith are on good footing nowbut acknowledged the twohave faced issues in the past. Weems: Mental health is a huge issue facing not just our district, but the whole nation. clear: both; .infobox p { Counties | color: black; We must concentrate on our literacy and math scores and closing the opportunity gap. We must create more academic challenges for our gifted students. Johnson, the board's vice president,told the panel he wasresigning 45 days before his term expiresbecause the group"has just completely changed.". These seats included three seats with six-year terms and two seats with two-year terms. This is a community with over 87 nationalities.. 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. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports. I'm not going to treat anyone different from how I would treat a family member. In fact, Ive had 3 conversations this week where the concerned parents shared very favorable accounts of the individuals that already give an excess of their time and energy in the program, but unfortunately theres just not enough to go around. This community has lost trust with the district.". That email, and dozens of others Hometown Life obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, highlight some of the behind-the-scenes rancor among the elected officials. var encodedEmail = swrot13('mnpu.evpu@scfx12.arg'); "Mr. Johnson cited that he was resigning with deep regretand could no longer serve due to the constant dysfunctional behavior of two board members," the district said. Angie Smith - Farmington Public Schools Michael Swiecki - Wyandotte Public . font-weight: bold; The Tuesday meeting displayed a deep divide of opinion among parents that immediately apparent upon entering the school's auditorium. [3], In Michigan, candidates are prohibited from receiving contributions from corporations or labor organizations. color: white; Smithsaid dysfunction on the board is nothing new, "it's just become more visible.". color: black; Board members are accountable to the parents and residents of the district and should be transparent in the decision-making process. 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. Those completed goals come at the expense of Academic Excellence. Davis County uses many social media channels to share information and interact with residents and non-residents. The Federal Centers for Disease Control acknowledged that it did not respond well to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.". 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 agenda can be found here at least 18 hours before the meeting. }); Terri Weems was appointed in September 2015 and elected in November 2016. Angie attended Wayne County Community College and Wayne State University with a major in Mortuary Science. Parents protest Farmington High school board meeting over CRT, 21-day equity challenge, How Police Department Spending in Michigan Compares to Other States, Home Buyers in Saginaw, MI Are Making Some of the Smallest Down Payment in the Country, Heres How Many Guns Were Sold in Michigan Last Month, Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs At Risk of Automation and AI Replacement in Michigan, Judge declares Illinois' gun ban unconstitutional, Report finds $860 million lost in homes seized by government, U.S Treasury sanctions cartel-run timeshare fraud network targeting Americans, Air Force leader's testimony on military vaccine mandates contradicts IG report, Gaetz says, Biden takes fire after vowing to ban assault weapons, Madigan asks judge to toss out 14 of 23 corruption counts. Herrera's resignation came after he filed a complaint against board member Angie Smith for harassment after she made posts online claiming he was racist toward students and staff. 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. Smith is unapologetic for her. The candidates listed below responded positively to our questionnaire and are ready to stand up for students and parents . Contact reporterShelby Tankersley at stankersle@hometownlife.com or 248-305-0448. Welcome to the Counseling Center! The movescame during a special board meeting Monday. 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. (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.. 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. The current school board removedSmiths censure in January, wanting to puteveryone on the same footing as it moves forward. Post-election reports were due by December 8, 2016. [8], Oakland County outperformed Michigan as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. We need some real change in this district and we need to hold people accountable.". Chiefs promote Nagy to old job as offensive coordinator Feb. 24, 2023 07:33 PM EST. Board president, vice president also resign. Angie Smith (Farmington Public School District, Michigan) This disambiguation page lists articles with similar titles. Board president Pamela Green said in a statement that she read to the board that Herrera cited Smith's public statements and social media posts alleging he was against African American staff and students. .widget-row.Green { FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Herrera has resigned from his position, allegedly following allegations of racism toward Black students and staff in the district from another board member. As a school board member, she said, she would first and foremost listen to parents, teachers and students. FPS Board Secretary Angie Smith said DEI includes hard topics that have to be brought up., During the protest, Debbie Kraulidis, a Moms for America vice president, said the 21-day challenge and teaching CRT are racially dividing and anti-American., Our schools have drastically lost their way, and they must get back to the mission of education, Kraulidis said. I view the school board as instrumental in setting goals for the district and adopting policies that support achievement of those goals.