We have a new superintendent who is committed to long term leadership in FPS. display: inline-block; We will hold elections at the Town Hall. } Censure rescinded for Farmington school board member Angie Smith Over the past few months, the board has been garnering a lot of negative attention with the resignation of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. But when it comes to the $220 million bond issue on the ballot August 6 . On November 8, Farmington and Farmington Hills voters will help elect new leaders at the federal, state, county, and local level. She has also taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the fields of both education and psychology. A resolution also passed to censure Smith. I think it could have been done in a better way. display: inline-block; 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. Bjorn Olson is a father of four children in the Farmington High district who was concerned about the 21-day equity challenge. Smith denied posting commentsabout the board or Herreraon social media. ", Smith is a self-admitted pot stirrer. Email: ADMINISTRATORS; Superintendents; Superintendent Secretaries; CORPORATE SUPPORT; VIP Program; VIP Directory; Sponsors The Board of Education is a governing body which is independent of other municipal, elected governing bodies. margin-bottom:0px; .widget-row.value-only { 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. Farmington public School board trustee. "I would never discredit any of my board members, past or present let alone the superintendent," she said. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. Carr: I have a Ph.D. in Public Administration and my academic career has been in public education. }); Dr. Cheryl Blau has taught all subjects in grades 1-8 for more than 30 years in public, private, parochial, and charter schools. I chair the Communications/Community Engagement committee and work on the Legislation committee for our board. } font-weight: bold; We look forward to working with you. FARMINGTON -- Farmington School Board voted Feb. 8 to amend the district's mask advisory policy so that masks are "highly recommended" instead of mandated. 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. Board members should have had a longer community conversation around the sale, she said, adding, "People are afraid now, and they are angry. Committee to Elect Angie Smith for Farmington Public Schools. According to 2019 U.S. Census data, Farmington Hills is 62.7% white, 19.9% Black and 14.1% Asian. font-size: .9em; width: 43%; 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. 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. 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. The Board establishes policy matters (curriculum, budget, personnel, etc.) Though different factions present different reasons for Heitschs retirement, all say he left the district sooner than he wanted to because of board dysfunction. Vik Pandya (NBC, Dry Bar) LIVE at The Independent Comedy Club 3/4! display: block; For subscribers: 'Dysfunction' blamed for loss of Farmington's top three school officials. 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. 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. That was obvious.. Jim Stark, a former board president,resigned in 2018 for similar reasons. During the Pandemic, numerous other schools were a much better fit for their students, and as a result FPS enrollment suffered. Herrera hadrecently filed a complaint against board secretaryAngie Smith for harassment, district officials said in a statement. The leadership shuffle. Contact Shelby Tankersley at stankersle@hometownlife.com. Terri and her husband live in Farmington Hills and have three children who attend Farmington Public Schools. Cecile Richards, Former President of Planned Parenthood, Endorses Andy Levin . Herrera filed a complaint against Smith for harassment. [1] Elections 2016 See also: Farmington Public School District elections (2016) The Tuesday meeting displayed a deep divide of opinion among parents that immediately apparent upon entering the school's auditorium. Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022; Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections; Trends in 2022 ballot measures; The Biden administration. Two other board members also resigned. 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. A Farmington schools trustee who was censured at a board meeting this week wheretwo members and superintendent resignedsaid the rebuke signals that they want her to "shutup" and not challenge or question her colleagues. 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). He's been involved with the Judson Center, United States Marine Corps, Grace Centers of Hope, Woman At Risk and Another Way Pregnancy Center. A Certified Public Accountant, she has volunteered with parent groups at her children's schools and, width: 100%; She has resided in Farmington Hills for over 20 years and was involved in her daughters' academics and extracurricular activities. All other races or nationalities make up the remaining 3.3%. 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. 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. Smith is unapologetic for her approach. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Angie Smith and others you may know. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. School board members set overall district policy and manages the district superintendent, in this case Superintendent Christopher Delgado, who oversees day-to-day operations. He's held a variety of elected and volunteer positions in the past, including mayor, when he lived in Missouri. 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. Board meetings are cablecast LIVE on TV-10 and live . } Hometown Life sent each candidate a questionnaire on their ideas and the state of the district today. Inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies should be directed to: Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, 32500 Shiawassee, Farmington, MI 48336. Mable has over 30 years of experience in educational consulting throughout the state. 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. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Information, Information for the 2021-2022 School Year, Social Emotional Support Tools for Families, School Closing and Repurposing Information, NWEA Student Progress Report - Parent Information, Farmington/Farmington Hills Education Foundation, 2018-2019 Farmington School Culture & Climate Survey - Staff, Absence Management / Attendance Reporting, Board of Education Committee and Representative/Liaison Appointments. Heis slated to act as a consultant before receiving a severance payment of $105,000 onJune 30, 2021. ", 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, 'Dysfunction' blamed for loss of Farmington's top three school officials. She has resided in Farmington Hills for over 20 years and was involved in her daughters academics and extracurricular activities. What is happening now is that it is showing and they need a scapegoat," she said. Cities | padding-left: 10px; They also accused everyone else of not seeing things that way. 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. The two boards members were not identified. }); Mable Fox was elected in 2020. We have hired a new superintendent who is dedicated to our school district, onboarded 4 new board members, and become a highly functioning certified board. He's previously worked for Detroit's public school system and Specs Howard School. 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. I think we need to do some cutting at the top. I would work with the districts financial advisers and work out a five year plan, and discuss with labor relations what their input would be, and to make sure that funds would be allocated in technology to keep us current. Weems: The last few years have been extremely challenging, especially in our district. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Walker: I was appointed to the Farmington Public School Board in 2021, so I have the confidence of the current board. The fact that Farmington Public Schools was not able to retain him is a big black mark on our district, Mukamal said. Voters will also choose one candidate for a two-year term. 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.. Walker: IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funding. 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 in the statement. var encodedEmail = swrot13('mnpu.evpu@scfx12.arg'); 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. Walker: Two main priorities: safety and mental health and resources used to accelerate and supplement learning. Smith is unapologetic for her. 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. $('span#sw-emailmask-4633').replaceWith(''); We made a decision on (return to learn) in early January and, I think, the very next day some board members were questioning that decision, she said. Angie Smith has served on the school board since 2017. I have the experience of providing leadership and direction in the hiring of a new superintendent and guiding our district through a pandemic, contract negotiations and threats of violence against our work. [4], Candidates received a total of $6,710.00 and spent a total of $12,632.11 as of October 30, 2016, according to the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds.[5]. font-weight: bold; Recruitment, vetting, and training are expensive propositions. 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. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Questions or Comments? She's been involved with the PTA, Women of Tomorrow and her homeowners association. Email: 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. It was very clear there was a lot of disruption on the board, she said. The district serves about 9,100 students right now, a number that dropped over 300 students from the 2019-2020 school year. I view the school board as instrumental in setting goals for the district and adopting policies that support achievement of those goals. I want to hold the position because I love our district and know that we have a very strong program already, but passionately want to be a part of improving it even more The Board is responsible for achieving aggressive education outcomes in Math, Reading, Writing, Science, and other areas that are required so that each student has a chance to become a productive member of our society as we know it and can reasonably expect it to be. and holds the Superintendent and staff accountable for policy implementation. [8], Oakland County outperformed Michigan as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. width: 250px; Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports. She worked for Detroit Public Schools for 8 years in the Special Education Department as a trainable aide grade 1. Curricular transparency and accountability to parents remains on the public radar but has not received adequate support from the Board. She said she's not the bully: her former colleagues are. var encodedEmail = swrot13('znoyr.sbk@scfx12.arg'); It cited "conduct unbecoming a board member based upon Ms. Smiths public comments and posts causing disruption to school district meetings and operations, necessarily and unfairly interfering with the ability of the superintendent to perform his duties and provide leadership for the district, among other things," the district said. Guide. If you look at our board meetings, all they say is Ms. Smith, you are out of line, and I am not out of line. I'm not going to treat anyone different from how I would treat a family member. Northville Public School Board Vice President ANDREW MUTCH Novi Councilmember ANGIE SMITH Farmington Public Schools Board Member JOHN MAGEE President Wolverine Lake Township Council LAURA MIKULSKI Ferndale City Councilmember REV. Counties | If you would like to help our coverage scope grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia. The district paid Herrera a $105,000 buyout,and the district continues to pay his six-figure salary through June as his replacement is hired. Terri earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Science degree in accounting from the Honors College at Ohio University. She has provided professional development for teachers in adaptive/ assistive technology using data to inform teaching and learning. "I guess what prompted me to do it was when we had to wear those red shirts and walk around North Farmington," she said. 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.. The motion was requested by board vice president Terry Johnson. The movescame during a special board meeting Monday. The candidates listed below responded positively to our questionnaire and are ready to stand up for students and parents . Neither Smith nor Herrera immediately responded to requests for comment after the meeting Monday night. What they've done now is they've caused tension between the races. Backup QB C.J. Carr: An issue that may not be on residents radar is the recruitment, training and retention of employees. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { Zach has worked for over a decade in a variety of public service roles at the local, county, and federal levels of government. .widget-key { Prior to the start of the pandemic, anxiety and depression among adolescents was growing, and now is at an all time high We also have a District Mental Health Program Coordinator who support staff in providing resources, programming, and learning opportunities for social, emotional, mental, and behavioral well-being. "I'm not happy about this because of how it affects our district. He and his family have been a part of the community for 20 years. Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Applicants can submit their resume, letter of intent, and three letters of reference here. Teachers and administrators, should place an emphasis on each student in the pursuit of excellence. FPS cannot afford to be a revolving door for our staff. This is painful, very painful, school board President Pamela Green said. This is just their way of telling me to shut up. } 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. }); Angie Smith was elected in 2016. It really does take a village. State legislature | We need some real change in this district and we need to hold people accountable.". Minnesota Parents Alliance identifies and endorses school board candidates across the state who are aligned with our mission of prioritizing academic achievement, equality and parental rights in their school district. var encodedEmail = swrot13('greev.jrrzf@scfx12.arg'); Tuesday night's protest was followed by a school board meeting where concerned residents spoke out about curriculum that includes Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Our curriculum is deeply using critical race theory especially in social studies, but youll find it in English language arts and the other disciplines. "We had steps in place. I believe the intent of the challenge was equality, but I think it did the opposite. I can speak," she said. }); Zach Rich was elected in November 2018. Ayes: 4 Dr. Ruskin, Mr. Mena, Mr. Cook, and Mr. Smith . But there is more work to do. 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. margin-bottom: 0; I have worked in both postsecondary trade and K-12 education for the past 31 years. 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.". Email: I have the utmost respect for Dr. Herrera.. As Director of Multimedia at Detroit School of Arts, he provides administrative support to the digital media programs and teachers. Cowboys name Brian Schottenheimer offensive coordinator Feb. 24, 2023 06:29 PM EST. Smith had dialed into the virtual meeting minutes after Green spoke about Herrerabut said she couldn'tparticipate due to a family emergency. ", The larger problem she sees is a disconnect between the school board and the community. "You can't be a parent who just stops (at school), drops (the child off) and rolls," Smith said. .clearfix { "So this is painful. How to vote | Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. ", Teachers want parents to be involved with the schools, she said, because "it's a partnership. display: inline-block; background-color: #f9f9f9; The priority for ARPA dollars should be focusing on helping students recover academically and emotionally from losing a year in the classroom. Weems, Smith, and Stark won these seats. Tweets by C & G Newspapers journalists Reporters' opinions are their own and retweets do not equal endorsements. Board president, vice president also resign. Ballot measures, Who represents me? The meeting location is Maxfield Education Center, 32789 W. Ten Mile Rd., Farmington, MI 48336. Smith, a 12-year member of the council, did not register as a candidate for the Nov. 8 election by the Tuesday deadline, according to the website of the Minnesota Secretary of State. We must concentrate on our literacy and math scores and closing the opportunity gap. We must create more academic challenges for our gifted students. When the district establishes Excellence For All as its standard, then gaps in achievement can be eliminated. Candidate Donna Swoboda did not submit a response. 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. In addition to teaching high school, Claudia taught mathematics at Oakland Community College and Schoolcraft College. According to Weems, the board did not look at "meaningful" student achievement data for almost two years. Johnson and Weems have gone as far as filing complaints against each other to the district. 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. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi. Federal courts | "It was like the queen bee and the wannabes. After the motion was requested, board president Pamela Green read a statement regarding "extraordinary developments" since the last meeting. Financial transparency is another issue that needs additional attention. I felt like I was back in high school," former trustee Richard Mukamal said of the school board. While apparently emotional, Green read off the statement which mentioned that the resignation would be on mutual terms. 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. border:1px solid #FFB81F; font-weight: bold; school board members. 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. Take a sneak peek inside. On Nov. 8, voters in the Farmington Public Schools district will choose three people to serve on the school board for six years. There was a problem saving your notification. Ballotpedia features 395,577 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. I am MASB board certified which means I have taken the needed classes to learn how to be an effective board member. 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 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. The resignation agreement makes Herreras complaint moot and will no longer be pursued. In public comments, some people called for the 21-day challenge to return, while others called to abolish it. Its the spreading rumors, the gossip and her attacks on different staff members.. 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 . The reasoning was cited as "conduct unbecoming of a board member," and was based on Smith's social media posts, which members agreed interfered with the superintendent's ability to perform his duties, among other things, a release states. [1][6], Farmington Public School District is located in Oakland County in southeastern Michigan. Resumes should include past board experience, past managerial experience, and other related experience. 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. 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). 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. 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. 1. 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. You have permission to edit this article. 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. Former Farmington High Music Trustees, and Marching Band mom. Smith: Offer a longer period of time for marketing and advertising. The issue was so upsetting to Green and board Vice President Terry Johnson that they resigned. }); A University of Detroit-Mercy graduate in Communications, with a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a two time graduate of Specs Howard School of Media Arts, Donald Walker has worked in media and education for 30 years. Its not currently being taught in K-12 schools anywhere in Michigan or the country.. Newsroom tweets. $('span#sw-emailmask-153').replaceWith(''); Infighting wasfueled by big egos and big personalitiesandultimately pulled the board'sattention away from their primary focus: students, those critics say. Two board members and the superintendent of Farmington's school district resigned from their positions last night, amid a big shakeup in leadership on the board. Student enrollment has had a nearly 25% reduction in less than a decade. Follow Us. The county seat is Pontiac. Schools Details: Top candidates who won a seat on the Farmington 192 Independent School Board are: Melissa Gorman with 6,219 votes, Becky DeWilde with 5,693 votes, and Jessica farmington public schools board election Verified Just Now The district should not differentiate between students. color: white; She served as Chairperson of the Detroit Public High School Advisory Committee, several FPS PTA boards, and is treasurer of her homeowner association. Spotlight Junior Players proudly presents Disney's "Aladdin Jr" for ONE weekend ONLY!