Guide. Critics said Smiths behavior created an environment Herrera couldnt work in, prompting the complaint. After the superintendent's resignation, the board passed a resolution censuring Smith, who has been a school board member since 2016. $('span#sw-emailmask-4631').replaceWith('' + encodedEmail + ''); I am happy with our direction, but this is not a time to rest because there is still plenty to do. Weems: These one-time dollars present a huge opportunity to foster real change and innovation. Herrera hadrecently filed a complaint against board secretaryAngie Smith for harassment, district officials said in a statement. var encodedEmail = swrot13('pynhqvn.urvaevpu@scfx12.arg'); Smith had dialed into the virtual meeting minutes after Green spoke about Herrerabut said she couldn'tparticipate due to a family emergency. 3. I am concerned with turnover in our district. Farmington Hills resident Angie Smith says she worked hard to help pass a 2004 Farmington Public Schools bond referendum. They also accused everyone else of not seeing things that way. 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). Smith questions the need for three assistant superintendents, and wonders whether the district's could have waited for a time when more money was available. 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. Infighting wasfueled by big egos and big personalitiesandultimately pulled the board'sattention away from their primary focus: students, those critics say. This is a community with over 87 nationalities.. MASB Bylaws - Article IV - Membership "I'm going to ask questions. Board of Education | Farmington Central CUSD #265 Our goal and hope is to continue to hire individuals who are excited, and passionate about Educating our students. Darlene Pomponio, Ph.D. - Southgate Community Schools Angie Smith - Farmington Public Schools . Teachers and administrators, should place an emphasis on each student in the pursuit of excellence. We should consider opening up Schools of Choice at the high school level, and offer more spots. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; What's on my ballot? "But we were not founded on slavery. Our curriculum is deeply using critical race theory especially in social studies, but youll find it in English language arts and the other disciplines. When the district establishes Excellence For All as its standard, then gaps in achievement can be eliminated. But when it comes to the $220 million bond issue on the ballot August 6 . ", 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, 'Dysfunction' blamed for loss of Farmington's top three school officials. $('span#sw-emailmask-153').replaceWith('' + encodedEmail + ''); The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Angie SmithFarmington Public School District. Our legislative committee continues to think about how we can impact IDEA. 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. Smith allegedly said Herrera in a sense had his knee on the neck of an African American coworker.. The board was fighting bitterly over Terri Weems as president, and it was made very clear to me that she needed to go as president, Mukamal said of Weems previous tenure as board president. 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.. "It's bittersweet that it has to be against two friends.". Pam Green, a former board president who resigned last November, said she never knew the board without problems amongst itself. 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. Ballot measures, Who represents me? Herrera will continue as superintendent until Jan. 22, which is the end of first semester. ", She felt the district should have gotten more than one bid and more than one appraisal before selling the property. T.R. width: 57%; ADMINISTRATORS; Superintendents; Superintendent Secretaries; CORPORATE SUPPORT; VIP Program; VIP Directory; Sponsors Terri and her husband live in Farmington Hills and have three children who attend Farmington Public Schools. U.S. President | But there is more work to do. I am not interested in having her do this practice, Smith wrote to Green of the suggested instructor in a March2019email. U.S. Congress | .widget-img { Voters will also choose one candidate for a two-year term. He wants to move the DEI program forward because "those words have meaning, acknowledging and celebrating the beautiful variety of cultures, religions, and abilities within our school community is diversity," he said. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { Apply today! Smith: Offer a longer period of time for marketing and advertising. .widget-row.heading { 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. The percentage of people below poverty level was 10.0 percent for the county, while it was 16.2 percent statewide.[7]. Farmington Public Schools board fills vacant seat - Daily Tribune What is happening now is that it is showing and they need a scapegoat," she said. Weems, who led all voting, has lived with her family in Farmington Hills since 2010. I think it is a loss for the district, Green said. Hometown Life sent each candidate a questionnaire on their ideas and the state of the district today. Weems, Smith, and Stark won these seats. } 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. Spotlight Junior Players proudly presents Disney's "Aladdin Jr" for ONE weekend ONLY! The Town Meeting will be held on the following day . "I am embarrassed and I feel so bad because I feel like I let everyone down. She is the single mother of three daughters who all attended Farmington Public Schools - graduates of 2006, 2010 and 2016. Smith earned her bachelor's degree from Wayne State University. .infobox { Smith Says 'It's Time' for Her Farmington School Board Run Committee to Elect Angie Smith for Farmington Public Schools - Facebook Angie Smith, Farmington School Board Vice President, Endorses Levin. Masks had been required when the district's residential population was classified as high risk for covid-19. 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Claudia retired in 2015 after a 40 year career in education, teaching high school mathematics at Riverside High School in North Dearborn Heights, Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, and Stevenson High School in Livonia. font-size: .9em; During a special meeting held with the school board Monday evening and streamed on YouTube, a motion was made to amend the agenda to include consideration of entering into a resignation agreement with the superintendent. Board of Education / Board Members - Farmington Public Schools background-color: 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. font-size: .9em; Board members not in support of the plan were Zach Rich, Angie Smith and Terri Weems, according to a release from FPS. Particularly long answers were shortened, which is indicated with an ellipsis. The position opens on March 8, 2023. Email: Its really unfortunatethat weve actuallygotten to a positionwhere we cant even disagree without beingdisagreeable. MINUTES 3 Michael Swiecki - Wyandotte Public Schools Regina . , Weems: Originally, I joined the board because I was interested in helping the district become financially stable. The Board of Education consists of seven school district residents who will hold either four or six-year terms. Since 2020, some classrooms have facilitated cultural arguments over equity and diversity and debated how history should be taught. var encodedEmail = swrot13('greev.jrrzf@scfx12.arg'); ", On the flip side, parents have to be connected with their children's schools and teachers. 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. Farmington Public Schools to begin elementary in-person learning in He'll stay on as the superintendent through the end of the. Parents protest outside of North Farmington High School on Jan. 11, 2022. width: 250px; We look forward to working with you. Claudia has lived in Farmington Hills with her husband, Dave Heinrich, since 1975. Farmington school board appointees win seats "Dr. Robert Herrera indicated a desire to resign his employment with the district," Green said. WATCH: Amazon Organizer Big Mike Foster, Labor Leaders Host Rally and Canvass for Andy Levin. Fixing the boards culture is important to its effectiveness moving forward. So you get bogged down in all this minutia.. Herrera had filed a harassment claim against Smith,which she said citeda "hostile work environment." $(document).ready(function () { 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.. East metro candidates line up for November election. Who's running in It was very clear there was a lot of disruption on the board, she said. The Farmington School Board approved a "Communicable Disease Plan" Tuesday evening. Email: Carr: Careful review of issues related to the delivery of excellence in education to all students tends to result in these types of discussions. The filing will be dropped, the district said, now that he is leaving. background-color: grey; 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. However, I am pleased with the direction the district is moving in, especially in the last year. The adult behavior at the board has been horrible, and as a result, the children are suffering, Johnson said. As a school board member, she said, she would first and foremost listen to parents, teachers and students. How to run for office | }); Mable Fox was elected in 2020. But I would have been good with that. Sure," Macfarland said. Biography Smith earned her bachelor's degree from Wayne State University. SuperintendentBob Herrerafiled a harassment complaint against a school board member shortly before his resignation, which came just 18 months after the school board hired him. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles. } "I guess what prompted me to do it was when we had to wear those red shirts and walk around North Farmington," she said. .widget-row.value-only.black { I view the school board as instrumental in setting goals for the district and adopting policies that support achievement of those goals. 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('natvr.fzvgu@scfx12.arg'); width: 250px; } At a glance, things appeared fine in public meetings, but board members say personal attacks amongst themselves plagued their lives outside the board room. Her currently works for the Detroit School of Arts. The leadership shuffle. }); Angie Smith was elected in 2016. Resumes should include past board experience, past managerial experience, and other related experience. Johnson, the board's vice president,told the panel he wasresigning 45 days before his term expiresbecause the group"has just completely changed.". The agenda can be found here at least 18 hours before the meeting. Carr currently chairs the Economic Development Corporation Board of Farmington Hills. The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Education will take place on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 6:00 pm. | text-align: center; She is the proud mother of two Farmington High graduates. Walker: IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funding. Carr: The district faces a number of significant challenges: decline in test scores in math, reading and other subjects, the loss of students to surrounding districts, loss of teachers and support staff (bus drivers among others). In addition to teaching high school, Claudia taught mathematics at Oakland Community College and Schoolcraft College. As a school board member, she said, she would first and foremost listen to parents, teachers and students. The Farmington Public Schools superintendent and two board of education members resigned Mondayfollowing infighting and an allegation of harassment involving another board member, the district announced. Bestselling author and popular speaker Angie Smith is grateful that Christians are finally doing "what the Lord has called us to" engaging in genuine dialogue about "hard subjects" otherwise considered taboo in some circles, such as same-sex marriage and a woman's role in the Church. 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. Walker: I was appointed to the Farmington Public School Board in 2021, so I have the confidence of the current board. [8], Oakland County outperformed Michigan as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. I believe the intent of the challenge was equality, but I think it did the opposite. Michigan Association of School Boards Board of Directors Election, Section 8 Director for Birgit McQuiston of Lake Orion Community Schools as recommended. She is the mother of three young adults, products of Farmington and Detroit Public Schools. 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. Vik Pandya (NBC, Dry Bar) LIVE at The Independent Comedy Club 3/4! width: 150px; Evidence seems to indicate that parents seek schools of choice or charter schools or home schooling when a district ceases to provide an excellent education to all students. Farmington Public Schools Board Election 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,. "We had steps in place. Federal courts | Bjorn Olson is looking to hold office for the first time. Donald Walker was appointed to the board in 2021. 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. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. While officials have alleged in meetings that some of the backlash over the sale has to do with bias against Muslims, Smith said, "It has nothing to do with race. } 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. After the motion was requested, board president Pamela Green read a statement regarding "extraordinary developments" since the last meeting. Claudia is currently active as a Farmington Area Goodfellows Volunteer and a member of the DKG International Society of Professional Women Educators. Its not currently being taught in K-12 schools anywhere in Michigan or the country.. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Real history is flawed. The superintendent of Farmington Public Schools as well as two members of the districts Board of Education cited allegations of harassment and dysfunctional behavior.. padding-left: 10px; "You cant tell a board member to keep quiet, but that is what they like to do.. School districts | Angie Smith was elected in 2016. The board called Smiths claims unfounded, but accepted Herreras resignation to avoid being sued by him. All rights reserved. Excellence for All in advanced placement courses, in technical courses, and throughout the curriculum is the appropriate response of the school board. border:1px solid #FFB81F; We can urgently move forward to improve outcomes for those in need. We have great programming, sustainability projects, state and national honors, and boast the largest CTE department in Oakland County. Inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies should be directed to: Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, 32500 Shiawassee, Farmington, MI 48336. Elections in 2023 | Welcome to the Counseling Center! She has resided in Farmington Hills for over 20 years and was involved in her daughters academics and extracurricular activities. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports. 1. Two other board members also resigned. Zach has worked for over a decade in a variety of public service roles at the local, county, and federal levels of government. You can watch Shawn Leys full story in the video posted above. Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Herrera resigned from his position, allegedly following allegations of racism toward Black students and staff in the district. We were founded on the Declaration of Independence.. Contact Shelby Tankersley at stankersle@hometownlife.com. He's held a variety of elected and volunteer positions in the past, including mayor, when he lived in Missouri. }); Dr. Cheryl Blau has taught all subjects in grades 1-8 for more than 30 years in public, private, parochial, and charter schools. This community has lost trust with the district.". Superintendent, leadership members resign from Farmington School Board Mattie McKinney-Hatchett Endorses Levin - Andy Levin Angie attended Wayne County Community College and Wayne State University with a major in Mortuary Science. 61 South Main Street Farmington, Utah 84025 Phone Directory Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Past members: Farmington school board infighting created toxic culture It continues the cycle of negativity. I have lived in this community. Jim Stark, a former board president,resigned in 2018 for similar reasons. Johnson and Weems have gone as far as filing complaints against each other to the district. We must concentrate on our literacy and math scores and closing the opportunity gap. We must create more academic challenges for our gifted students. He'll stay on as the superintendentthrough the end of the first semester of the2020-21 school year. On Thursday, Greensaid through tears thatshe was exhausted bythe drama on the board. var encodedEmail = swrot13('qbanyq.jnyxre@scfx12.arg'); Take a sneak peek inside. School board members agreed its roleis to manage the superintendent and let him or her run the day-to-day operations of the district. $(document).ready(function () { Following his resignation, the school board censured Smith, and twoboard members followed Herrera's lead and resigned, as well. I love these kids, and Farmington just lost an amazing superintendent.. background-color: red; All Dr. Herrera had to do was come to me and say, Angie I dont like how this is going. 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. Ayes: 4 Dr. Ruskin, Mr. Mena, Mr. Cook, and Mr. Smith . $(document).ready(function () { Post-election reports were due by December 8, 2016. The priority for ARPA dollars should be focusing on helping students recover academically and emotionally from losing a year in the classroom. As president, Weems worried the controversy could impact the district's superintendent search; the board voted May 13 to offer the job to Christopher Delgado, who has been serving in a deputy superintendent role for Walled Lake Consolidated Schools. 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. Student enrollment has had a nearly 25% reduction in less than a decade. This is painful, very painful, school board President Pamela Green said. Weems pointed to the boards decisions regarding in-person learning as evidence of that. I'm not going to treat anyone different from how I would treat a family member. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. Heitsch did not respond to multiple interview requests. Board members told Local 4 the issue is ugly. Former Farmington High Music Trustees, and Marching Band mom. The motion was requested by board vice president Terry Johnson. "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. At the board meeting, Terri Weems, the Farmington Public Schools (FPS) Board of Education president, said she was proud and had no plans to stop the DEI program. word-wrap: break-word; Angie Smith Talks Submitting to Her Husband, Women in Leadership and Please, 100 largest cities in America by population, Farmington Public School District elections (2016), List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2016, Farmington Public School District, Michigan, 2016 Farmington Public School District Elections, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Angie_Smith_(Farmington_Public_School_District,_Michigan)&oldid=8513620, Pages using DynamicPageList dplreplace parser function, 2016 United States school district candidates, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. font-weight: bold; Mable is a lifelong community advocate, co-founding the Littlefield Block Club at the age of 16. at bbanasik@masb.org or 517.327.5929. She is co-founder of Calvary Education Center and provides enrichment and STEM summer experiences for Metro-Detroit children. }); Terri Weems was appointed in September 2015 and elected in November 2016. margin: auto; } font-weight: bold; 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. display: inline-block; $('span#sw-emailmask-4632').replaceWith('' + encodedEmail + ''); font-weight: bold; Terri earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Science degree in accounting from the Honors College at Ohio University. Angie Smith | Facebook FEBRUARY 25, 2019, REGULAR MTG. Upcoming Agenda: The next regular meeting is Monday, March 13, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. She has resided in Farmington Hills for over 20 years and was involved in her daughters' academics and extracurricular activities. The issue was so upsetting to Green and board Vice President Terry Johnson that they resigned. 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.). The two boards members were not identified. Given the emergency timeframe, there were serious shortcomings in online education delivery. The district serves about 9,100 students right now, a number that dropped over 300 students from the 2019-2020 school year. Under this boards leadership we have completed our audit and are now using it as one of our guides to create a safe and culturally respectful district. Join Facebook to connect with Angie Smith and others you may know. "It's time for me," Smith said. Smith believes school officials have "lost touch" with the community, and as an example, cites the to the Islamic Cultural Association earlier this year. The protesters lined the street in front of North Farmington High School, holding signs and waving at . Carr: An issue that may not be on residents radar is the recruitment, training and retention of employees. "I'm not happy about this because of how it affects our district. Its the behavior of her overall. We have completed our strategic planning, identified the profile of a lifelong learner and negotiated long term contracts with our staff. The seven-member school board is relatively young withfour members elected or appointed in the past 6 months. Curricular transparency and accountability to parents remains on the public radar but has not received adequate support from the Board. Weems said she and Smith are on good footing nowbut acknowledged the twohave faced issues in the past.