Portage school board President Jennifer Whistler resigns
By Tom Haroldson | Special to the Kalamazoo...
November 16, 2009, 8:58PM
PORTAGE — The president of the Portage Public Schools Board of Education resigned Monday, but declined to say why.
Jennifer Whistler, who was first elected to the school board in 2004 and was president since her re-election in 2008, sent a two-sentence letter to the board Monday morning indicating she was resigning “for personal reasons.”
Dale Posthumus, school board vice president, made the announcement at the board’s special meeting Monday night that had a packed audience waiting to hear about proposed budget cuts. Whistler was not at the meeting, nor at the prior school board session Nov. 9.
“We want to thank Jennifer for her years of service and wish her well,” Posthumus said in his brief announcement, also declining to speculate as to her reasons.
Contacted at her home after the meeting, Whistler declined to specify why she decided to resign, particularly at a time when the school board is wrestling with making at least $2.5 million in cuts by January and a potential $5 million more in next year’s budget.
She indicated, though, that it was not the budget pressures that prompted her to quit.
“I will say that the budget cuts did not scare me,” Whistler said, declining to go into further details.
The board will have 30 days to fill Whistler’s position. Anyone interested in applying for the opening can contact Tom Vance, school district community relations manager.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Portage Public Schools' Board of Education President Resigns
The president of the Portage Public Schools' Board of Education resigned on Monday, November 16, 2009 citing personal reasons.
The Board is once again looking for applicants to fill a vacated position.
Seeing some signs of positive change in this Board over the past year since I resigned, I decided to apply for this position.
The last question on the questionnaire asked for 3 reasons you would like to be a member of the PPS Board. Having more than 3 reasons, I chose the essay format instead.
**************************************************************
The struggling Michigan economy has shed light on inefficiencies in our public schools budgets that were not apparent when the economy was flourishing. This is forcing school boards to take a very hard look at what is taking place in their districts. School Boards can no longer afford to hover at the “30,000 foot view”. This is a major part of the reason for the situation we find ourselves in today. School Boards have not been doing the job their communities elected them to do.
Having recent past experience working with this Board and earning the MASB Board Certification, I recognize the requirements of a strong community representative.
Weaknesses in the Portage Board of Education that have led to the current problems have been the inability to hold administration accountable for the funding they were given. This board is known in our community as a rubber stamp for the administration. One example is the Fast Forward presentation, which asked for more funding without data to support the program’s success.
This Board has spent more time and energy on silencing board members than focusing on the performance of the superintendent and the district.
At their last retreat, they spent precious time giving each trustee an opportunity to criticize Trustee Kurdys for doing what they all should have been doing; asking questions. That has to be the lowest moment for this Board and they were all so blinded by their hatred that they didn’t stop to think of how the public was going to view their priorities during this retreat.
However, I have seen positive changes taking place in the year since I resigned from the Board.
By re-examining the effectiveness of Carver, they have shown that they now understand that they are accountable to the community.
By asking for the total costs of the IB program, they are acknowledging their responsibility as stewards of the communities’ hard earned tax dollars and listening to those who elected them rather than the anecdotal reports of administrators who may have a conflict of interest.
Those who worked with me on this Board know my views on what the role of a board member should be. We should do everything in our power to promote transparency and accountability to the people we serve.
Three of my six children have graduated from PPS and gone on to college. We have personally experienced the strengths and weaknesses of the PPS education system. This year my fourth child will be graduating from PNHS and I still have 2 more children who will be entering PCHS in the fall. My husband is a small business owner in Portage. My family will experience firsthand the effects of the decisions this Board will make.
You have been given the opportunity to select a board member who will serve the community and not the administration. Please choose wisely.
The Board is once again looking for applicants to fill a vacated position.
Seeing some signs of positive change in this Board over the past year since I resigned, I decided to apply for this position.
The last question on the questionnaire asked for 3 reasons you would like to be a member of the PPS Board. Having more than 3 reasons, I chose the essay format instead.
**************************************************************
The struggling Michigan economy has shed light on inefficiencies in our public schools budgets that were not apparent when the economy was flourishing. This is forcing school boards to take a very hard look at what is taking place in their districts. School Boards can no longer afford to hover at the “30,000 foot view”. This is a major part of the reason for the situation we find ourselves in today. School Boards have not been doing the job their communities elected them to do.
Having recent past experience working with this Board and earning the MASB Board Certification, I recognize the requirements of a strong community representative.
Weaknesses in the Portage Board of Education that have led to the current problems have been the inability to hold administration accountable for the funding they were given. This board is known in our community as a rubber stamp for the administration. One example is the Fast Forward presentation, which asked for more funding without data to support the program’s success.
This Board has spent more time and energy on silencing board members than focusing on the performance of the superintendent and the district.
At their last retreat, they spent precious time giving each trustee an opportunity to criticize Trustee Kurdys for doing what they all should have been doing; asking questions. That has to be the lowest moment for this Board and they were all so blinded by their hatred that they didn’t stop to think of how the public was going to view their priorities during this retreat.
However, I have seen positive changes taking place in the year since I resigned from the Board.
By re-examining the effectiveness of Carver, they have shown that they now understand that they are accountable to the community.
By asking for the total costs of the IB program, they are acknowledging their responsibility as stewards of the communities’ hard earned tax dollars and listening to those who elected them rather than the anecdotal reports of administrators who may have a conflict of interest.
Those who worked with me on this Board know my views on what the role of a board member should be. We should do everything in our power to promote transparency and accountability to the people we serve.
Three of my six children have graduated from PPS and gone on to college. We have personally experienced the strengths and weaknesses of the PPS education system. This year my fourth child will be graduating from PNHS and I still have 2 more children who will be entering PCHS in the fall. My husband is a small business owner in Portage. My family will experience firsthand the effects of the decisions this Board will make.
You have been given the opportunity to select a board member who will serve the community and not the administration. Please choose wisely.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The MEA is a problem, but your local school board is worse
Michigan, stop complaining about funding cuts in foundation allowances. Your school boards have been asleep at the wheel. They have not been doing the job they were elected to do; holding districts accountable for your hard earned tax dollars they receive. Instead they choose the path of least resistance by telling the public to cry out to Lansing for more revenue (aka raising taxes).
Take a look at Portage.
When the administration was asked to provide a breakdown of their $1,000,000 athletic budget by school and sport, they said "our system isn't set up to allow the delineation you might think", and yet they continue to consider asking parents to take on the financial responsibilities via "pay to play".
Portage cannot provide the total costs of their current International Baccalaureate Program and yet they included expanding IB to K-12 in their August Project ReImagine Grant request.
In 2008, when the administration was unable to provide a breakdown of the costs of IB, they said "we don't track program costs".
*********************************************
Below is a Blog posting of Mike Reno.
The MEA is a problem, but your local school board is worse
Posted: 16 Nov 2009 03:10 PM PST
Year after year, report after report, Michigan’s education system gets pounded.
Detroit News: Researchers from political left and right give Michigan schools mediocre grades (11/16/09)
Yet despite this sort of report card, people fail to hold school boards accountable for their failures.
This is a great quote from the article: Upon the report's release, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted the country's education system is as important an indicator of economic health as the "stock market, the unemployment rate, or the size of the GDP."
Our schools have smart kids, some great teachers, and wonderful buildings. The state devotes one third of its budget to K-12 education.
Yet school boards have allowed expenses to grow in an undisciplined and out-of-control way, they set no meaningful and/or measurable goals, and have no clear or inspiring vision for the future.
So, while the editorial is accurate when it points out that the MEA bears some responsibility, I think the lion’s share of blame rests squarely on the shoulders of your local school board.
Hold’em accountable!
==> Mike.
----------------------------------------------------
November 16, 2009 http://detnews.com/article/20091116/OPINION01/911160304
Editorial: Researchers from political left and right give Michigan schools mediocre grades
Michigan's education system is lagging in data collection and accountability, hiring and evaluating teachers and school management, says a new report co-sponsored by researchers on both the nation's left and right, along with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The "Laggards and Leaders" report, sponsored by the conservative American Enterprise Institute and the liberal Center for American Progress think tanks, reflects the growing realization on both sides of the political aisle of how stagnant and ineffective the U.S. educational system has become.
Nationally the report's authors found less than two-thirds of American schools provide access to college-level coursework. Given schools' weak support for rigorous academic preparation, it's no wonder America is lagging behind other industrial countries for college-going and completion.
State finance systems are inefficient and undermine innovation, the researchers also found.
Other widespread problems include teacher evaluations that are not based on teacher effectiveness. Only four states require evidence of student learning to be a major factor in teacher evaluations.
"Without the ability to remove ineffective teachers from the classroom, school leaders cannot build a cohesive school culture, create an environment of accountability, and ensure that all students will learn," the report said.
In Michigan, the teachers unions surely have been one of the state's greatest obstacles to recent reforms. The Michigan Education Association has been lobbying fiercely against changes in school data collection and alternative certification pathways for teachers, among other ideas, stalling the state's application to win $600 million in competitive federal Race to the Top funding.
The state's higher education system also has been hurting Michigan's Race to the Top chances by resisting the development and use of a long-term data collection system to track Michigan children's growth and progress from pre-kindergarten through college.
The report's researchers noticed and gave Michigan a grade "D" for data collection. The state received "C" grades for school management; technology; staff hiring and firing; and removing ineffective teachers.
Seventy-five percent of Michigan principals studied said teacher unions or associations are a barrier to the removal of bad teachers, 14 points higher than the national average of 61 percent. Eighty percent of principals also reported tenure is a barrier to removing low-performing educators.
Overall Michigan received a mediocre grade. Just two areas, finance and its student pipeline to postsecondary learning, received a "B" grade.
Upon the report's release, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted the country's education system is as important an indicator of economic health as the "stock market, the unemployment rate, or the size of the GDP."
Michigan, failing in economic growth and job creation, must get its schools in order to educate its citizens out of the Great Recession and get them successfully working in the global economy.
Take a look at Portage.
When the administration was asked to provide a breakdown of their $1,000,000 athletic budget by school and sport, they said "our system isn't set up to allow the delineation you might think", and yet they continue to consider asking parents to take on the financial responsibilities via "pay to play".
Portage cannot provide the total costs of their current International Baccalaureate Program and yet they included expanding IB to K-12 in their August Project ReImagine Grant request.
In 2008, when the administration was unable to provide a breakdown of the costs of IB, they said "we don't track program costs".
*********************************************
Below is a Blog posting of Mike Reno.
The MEA is a problem, but your local school board is worse
Posted: 16 Nov 2009 03:10 PM PST
Year after year, report after report, Michigan’s education system gets pounded.
Detroit News: Researchers from political left and right give Michigan schools mediocre grades (11/16/09)
Yet despite this sort of report card, people fail to hold school boards accountable for their failures.
This is a great quote from the article: Upon the report's release, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted the country's education system is as important an indicator of economic health as the "stock market, the unemployment rate, or the size of the GDP."
Our schools have smart kids, some great teachers, and wonderful buildings. The state devotes one third of its budget to K-12 education.
Yet school boards have allowed expenses to grow in an undisciplined and out-of-control way, they set no meaningful and/or measurable goals, and have no clear or inspiring vision for the future.
So, while the editorial is accurate when it points out that the MEA bears some responsibility, I think the lion’s share of blame rests squarely on the shoulders of your local school board.
Hold’em accountable!
==> Mike.
----------------------------------------------------
November 16, 2009 http://detnews.com/article/20091116/OPINION01/911160304
Editorial: Researchers from political left and right give Michigan schools mediocre grades
Michigan's education system is lagging in data collection and accountability, hiring and evaluating teachers and school management, says a new report co-sponsored by researchers on both the nation's left and right, along with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The "Laggards and Leaders" report, sponsored by the conservative American Enterprise Institute and the liberal Center for American Progress think tanks, reflects the growing realization on both sides of the political aisle of how stagnant and ineffective the U.S. educational system has become.
Nationally the report's authors found less than two-thirds of American schools provide access to college-level coursework. Given schools' weak support for rigorous academic preparation, it's no wonder America is lagging behind other industrial countries for college-going and completion.
State finance systems are inefficient and undermine innovation, the researchers also found.
Other widespread problems include teacher evaluations that are not based on teacher effectiveness. Only four states require evidence of student learning to be a major factor in teacher evaluations.
"Without the ability to remove ineffective teachers from the classroom, school leaders cannot build a cohesive school culture, create an environment of accountability, and ensure that all students will learn," the report said.
In Michigan, the teachers unions surely have been one of the state's greatest obstacles to recent reforms. The Michigan Education Association has been lobbying fiercely against changes in school data collection and alternative certification pathways for teachers, among other ideas, stalling the state's application to win $600 million in competitive federal Race to the Top funding.
The state's higher education system also has been hurting Michigan's Race to the Top chances by resisting the development and use of a long-term data collection system to track Michigan children's growth and progress from pre-kindergarten through college.
The report's researchers noticed and gave Michigan a grade "D" for data collection. The state received "C" grades for school management; technology; staff hiring and firing; and removing ineffective teachers.
Seventy-five percent of Michigan principals studied said teacher unions or associations are a barrier to the removal of bad teachers, 14 points higher than the national average of 61 percent. Eighty percent of principals also reported tenure is a barrier to removing low-performing educators.
Overall Michigan received a mediocre grade. Just two areas, finance and its student pipeline to postsecondary learning, received a "B" grade.
Upon the report's release, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted the country's education system is as important an indicator of economic health as the "stock market, the unemployment rate, or the size of the GDP."
Michigan, failing in economic growth and job creation, must get its schools in order to educate its citizens out of the Great Recession and get them successfully working in the global economy.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Michigan Math Scores Flat
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
Volume XI, No. 42
Oct. 20, 2009
http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/med/
MICHIGAN MATH SCORES FLAT
---------------------------------------------------------------
DETROIT - Michigan math scores remain at a standstill on The
National Assessment of Educational Progress, while other Midwest
states are improving, The Detroit News reported in a recent
column.
The NAEP tests fourth- and eighth-grade students across the
country. The latest math scores show that achievement levels in
Michigan have remained essentially flat over the past five
years, while those in other Midwest states have improved
relative to national averages, according to The News.
In addition, African-American students in Michigan scored lower,
on average, than their counterparts in any other state, The News
noted. Michigan also is tied for last nationally in calculations
of black-white achievement gaps on the test, the report said.
"While our neighbors are dramatically improving, we continue to
fail," Sharif Shakrani, co-director of the Michigan State
University Education Policy Center, said, according to The News.
_______
SOURCES:
The Detroit News, "New test scores show that our students are
falling behind," Oct. 19, 2009
http://www.detnews.com/article/20091019/OPINION03/910190306/1031/opinion03
National Center for Education Statistics, "Mathematics 2009:
Snapshot State Report, Michigan Grade 4."
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/stt2009/2010454MI4.pdf
National Center for Education Statistics, "Mathematics 2009:
Snapshot State Report, Michigan Grade 8."
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/stt2009/2010454MI8.pdf
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Double-but-nothing: More education
spending hasn't yielded better results," Sept. 6, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7914
Volume XI, No. 42
Oct. 20, 2009
http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/med/
MICHIGAN MATH SCORES FLAT
---------------------------------------------------------------
DETROIT - Michigan math scores remain at a standstill on The
National Assessment of Educational Progress, while other Midwest
states are improving, The Detroit News reported in a recent
column.
The NAEP tests fourth- and eighth-grade students across the
country. The latest math scores show that achievement levels in
Michigan have remained essentially flat over the past five
years, while those in other Midwest states have improved
relative to national averages, according to The News.
In addition, African-American students in Michigan scored lower,
on average, than their counterparts in any other state, The News
noted. Michigan also is tied for last nationally in calculations
of black-white achievement gaps on the test, the report said.
"While our neighbors are dramatically improving, we continue to
fail," Sharif Shakrani, co-director of the Michigan State
University Education Policy Center, said, according to The News.
_______
SOURCES:
The Detroit News, "New test scores show that our students are
falling behind," Oct. 19, 2009
http://www.detnews.com/article/20091019/OPINION03/910190306/1031/opinion03
National Center for Education Statistics, "Mathematics 2009:
Snapshot State Report, Michigan Grade 4."
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/stt2009/2010454MI4.pdf
National Center for Education Statistics, "Mathematics 2009:
Snapshot State Report, Michigan Grade 8."
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/stt2009/2010454MI8.pdf
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Double-but-nothing: More education
spending hasn't yielded better results," Sept. 6, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7914
More Shared Services May Lie Ahead
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
Volume XI, No. 42
Oct. 20, 2009
http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/med/
MORE SHARED SERVICES MAY LIE AHEAD
---------------------------------------------------------------
THREE RIVERS, Mich. - Consolidation of services is one likely
way public school districts will deal with future budget
reductions, the Three Rivers Community Schools superintendent
told the school board recently, according to radio station WLKM-
95.9.
Superintendent Roger Rathburn noted that technology services
already have been consolidated at the county level there, and he
suggested that business and superintendent services may follow
suit, the station reported.
"The school systems just can't exist under the old model. There
are not enough revenues to sustain that model and I think most
districts are doing their best to keep the impact away from the
classroom," Rathburn said, according to WLKM.
The Three Rivers district has reduced spending by about $2.8
million in the past four years, the report said. The K-12
spending bill passed by the state Legislature for the current
year cuts school aid by about $165 per student.
______
SOURCE:
WLKM-95.9, "TR School Board discusses budget trends,"
Oct. 13, 2009
http://www.wlkm.com/?p=7952
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Six Habits of Fiscally
Responsible Public School Districts: Executive Summary,"
Dec. 3, 2002
http://www.mackinac.org/4892
Volume XI, No. 42
Oct. 20, 2009
http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/med/
MORE SHARED SERVICES MAY LIE AHEAD
---------------------------------------------------------------
THREE RIVERS, Mich. - Consolidation of services is one likely
way public school districts will deal with future budget
reductions, the Three Rivers Community Schools superintendent
told the school board recently, according to radio station WLKM-
95.9.
Superintendent Roger Rathburn noted that technology services
already have been consolidated at the county level there, and he
suggested that business and superintendent services may follow
suit, the station reported.
"The school systems just can't exist under the old model. There
are not enough revenues to sustain that model and I think most
districts are doing their best to keep the impact away from the
classroom," Rathburn said, according to WLKM.
The Three Rivers district has reduced spending by about $2.8
million in the past four years, the report said. The K-12
spending bill passed by the state Legislature for the current
year cuts school aid by about $165 per student.
______
SOURCE:
WLKM-95.9, "TR School Board discusses budget trends,"
Oct. 13, 2009
http://www.wlkm.com/?p=7952
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Six Habits of Fiscally
Responsible Public School Districts: Executive Summary,"
Dec. 3, 2002
http://www.mackinac.org/4892
PPS Board Committees 2009-2010
The Portage Public Schools' Board of Education televised meetings occur approximately once a month and can be viewed on Public Access TV. DVD's can be obtained for a fee or can be viewed at Public Access.
However, the majority of the Board of Education's work is spent off camera in committee work.
As of this writing, you will not find committee information on the PPS website. It has been requested.
Also requested is the addition of Committee Meeting Schedules, Agendas & Minutes.
****************************************
Board of Education
2009/10 Committee/Liaison Assignments
Audit Committee – *Deb Polderman, Dale Posthumus, Jennifer Whistler
Bond Construction Committee – *Dale Posthumus, Rusty Rathburn, Deb Polderman
CEO Evaluation Committee – *John Whyte, Randy VanAntwerp, Melanie Kurdys
Governance Education Committee – *Melanie Kurdys, Randy VanAntwerp, Jennifer Whistler
Owner Linkage – Ad Hoc Committee – *John Whyte, Randy VanAntwerp, Rusty Rathburn
*Chair
Liaison Assignments:
• District Advisory Council – John Whyte
• Portage Athletic Foundation – Dale Posthumus
• Portage Education Foundation– Deb Polderman
10/8/09
Contact Information for the Board of Education can be found on the PPS Website.
http://www.portageps.org/administration/boardofeducation/default.aspx
However, the majority of the Board of Education's work is spent off camera in committee work.
As of this writing, you will not find committee information on the PPS website. It has been requested.
Also requested is the addition of Committee Meeting Schedules, Agendas & Minutes.
****************************************
Board of Education
2009/10 Committee/Liaison Assignments
Audit Committee – *Deb Polderman, Dale Posthumus, Jennifer Whistler
Bond Construction Committee – *Dale Posthumus, Rusty Rathburn, Deb Polderman
CEO Evaluation Committee – *John Whyte, Randy VanAntwerp, Melanie Kurdys
Governance Education Committee – *Melanie Kurdys, Randy VanAntwerp, Jennifer Whistler
Owner Linkage – Ad Hoc Committee – *John Whyte, Randy VanAntwerp, Rusty Rathburn
*Chair
Liaison Assignments:
• District Advisory Council – John Whyte
• Portage Athletic Foundation – Dale Posthumus
• Portage Education Foundation– Deb Polderman
10/8/09
Contact Information for the Board of Education can be found on the PPS Website.
http://www.portageps.org/administration/boardofeducation/default.aspx
"It's the taxpayers' dollars. They have a right to see how it is being spent, and I have a responsibility to share it with them."
In the Portage Public Schools District folks have been asking for the online check register. The response from the Board of Education:
"The Owner's Linkage committee will be looking into the issue of posting checkbook registers online. Stay tuned."
Here is the Owner Linkage Committee – *John Whyte, Randy VanAntwerp, Rusty Rathburn.
Contact them and let them know what you think.
John Whyte johntwhyte@ameritech.net 327-3561
Rusty Rathburn rrathburn@portageps.org 385-4178
Randy VanAntwerp rvanantwerp@portageps.org 327-5742
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009
Contact: Ken Braun
Policy Analyst
517-482-7108
or
989-631-0900
Four Mid-Michigan Public School Districts Open Books
Gladwin acknowledges ‘responsibility’ to embrace transparency; resident’s effort gets Clare on board
MIDLAND — Four more public school districts — Gladwin, Clare, Frankenmuth and Coleman — have joined a growing transparency effort by publishing their checkbook registers online, said Ken Braun, director of the Mackinac Center’s “Show Michigan the Money” project. Braun has been encouraging all 551 public school districts, every charter public school, municipalities and legislators in Michigan to regularly provide this data on their Web sites.
“It’s very simple,” said Gladwin Superintendent Rick Seebeck. “It’s not my money. It’s the taxpayers’ dollars. They have a right to see how it is being spent, and I have a responsibility to share it with them.”
In Clare, local attorney Ghazey Aleck launched a Web site to push the school district toward transparency.
“I noticed a disturbing trend,” said Aleck. “The school was holding kids responsible in the classroom, but they weren’t being held accountable for their own actions.”
His efforts paid off, and the district now posts expenditures on its own site.
With these additions, there are now 58 public school districts and two intermediate school districts statewide providing this information online, including half of the largest 20 districts. More than one in five public school students now attend a district that has an online check register.
“On the day after his inauguration, President Obama said, ‘The way to make government accountable is to make it transparent, so that the American people can know exactly what decisions are being made, how they’re being made and whether their interests are being well served,’” said Braun. “It’s encouraging to see school districts in mid-Michigan, and throughout the state, fulfilling the spirit of this ideal.”
Links to all school district checkbook registers open to the public are available at www.showmichiganthemoney.org/9329.
#####
Mackinac Center News Release"
"The Owner's Linkage committee will be looking into the issue of posting checkbook registers online. Stay tuned."
Here is the Owner Linkage Committee – *John Whyte, Randy VanAntwerp, Rusty Rathburn.
Contact them and let them know what you think.
John Whyte johntwhyte@ameritech.net 327-3561
Rusty Rathburn rrathburn@portageps.org 385-4178
Randy VanAntwerp rvanantwerp@portageps.org 327-5742
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009
Contact: Ken Braun
Policy Analyst
517-482-7108
or
989-631-0900
Four Mid-Michigan Public School Districts Open Books
Gladwin acknowledges ‘responsibility’ to embrace transparency; resident’s effort gets Clare on board
MIDLAND — Four more public school districts — Gladwin, Clare, Frankenmuth and Coleman — have joined a growing transparency effort by publishing their checkbook registers online, said Ken Braun, director of the Mackinac Center’s “Show Michigan the Money” project. Braun has been encouraging all 551 public school districts, every charter public school, municipalities and legislators in Michigan to regularly provide this data on their Web sites.
“It’s very simple,” said Gladwin Superintendent Rick Seebeck. “It’s not my money. It’s the taxpayers’ dollars. They have a right to see how it is being spent, and I have a responsibility to share it with them.”
In Clare, local attorney Ghazey Aleck launched a Web site to push the school district toward transparency.
“I noticed a disturbing trend,” said Aleck. “The school was holding kids responsible in the classroom, but they weren’t being held accountable for their own actions.”
His efforts paid off, and the district now posts expenditures on its own site.
With these additions, there are now 58 public school districts and two intermediate school districts statewide providing this information online, including half of the largest 20 districts. More than one in five public school students now attend a district that has an online check register.
“On the day after his inauguration, President Obama said, ‘The way to make government accountable is to make it transparent, so that the American people can know exactly what decisions are being made, how they’re being made and whether their interests are being well served,’” said Braun. “It’s encouraging to see school districts in mid-Michigan, and throughout the state, fulfilling the spirit of this ideal.”
Links to all school district checkbook registers open to the public are available at www.showmichiganthemoney.org/9329.
#####
Mackinac Center News Release"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
