Dear editor:
Not that long ago, it was this district’s and this state’s goal to add days (require a minimum of 180) to the school year. With the tough economic times Michigan is facing, some districts went to four day (longer day) school weeks in an effort to balance their budgets. To help them out, the state changed the 180 day requirement to a 1,098 instruction hours requirement (with the exception of snow days). Over the past couple of years, most of the rest of this state’s school districts have needed to use these changes to balance their budgets as well. Brandon Schools was using a portion of recess time as instructional time. This needed to be corrected as we were not in compliance with the state school code. We can have recess, just not count it as instruction time unless the teacher-to-student ratio is as stated in the school code.
Previous to the 2008-09 school year, the school calendar was a negotiated item; it is now a law passed by the legislature that all school districts within an ISD (Oakland Schools) must have the same winter (Christmas/New Year) and spring (Easter) breaks. These dates must also be set for a period of five years.
As for school of choice, yes, that can be a real dilemma. We are talking about children and about parents who have brought their students to Brandon Schools looking for a better education for them. There is a screening process and policy in place. All students need to apply no later than the last business day in July prior to the school year they would like to attend. They must also provide all academic and behavior records to be considered for application. Brandon Schools has 3,547 total students, of which 354 are school of choice students, 224 of which are returning school of choice, leaving 134 new school of choice students this school year. School of choice is not new to Brandon. If indeed just over 1 percent of the student population is causing such concern among the school staff, then there is a problem. The staff’s concerns do need to be investigated, addressed and supported whether these concerns pertain to school of choice students or students within our school district boundaries. Our zero tolerance policy needs to be enforced.
I have been an active parent in this school district since 1992; there has always been one group or another within our staff who have not been happy with the outcome of the negotiation process. Might I suggest that the process of negotiations be changed to allow the building representative from each building to be present during negotiations? This could facilitate better communication between the buildings and each building’s distinct needs.
Keeping students the priority and basing your decisions on the effect they will have on the district as a whole is the duty of a board member, and there is much to learn. Please remember, this community asked for change and in the past three years we have voted in four new board members. Three of these board trustees replaced board members who had served more than one term and thus had the education and experience that the four new board members are learning now.
Communication is essential; factual communication so as members of this community we are able to make up our own minds and vote to make the choices (local and state) that best reflect the values, needs and concerns of our community and school district. Gina Muzzarelli
Brandon School District