Chapelle, East Middle School to be closed under proposed Ypsilanti Public Schools plan
Ypsilanti school district administrators presented a plan Thursday that would close Chapelle Elementary and East Middle School, despite the protests of many parents who have mobilized to oppose school closures.
The district’s proposal, presented at a special meeting, calls for redistributing students from the two schools and reconfiguring the grade structures at the remaining three elementary schools and West Middle School.
Chapelle teacher Nicole Raphael, Principal Joe Guillen and teacher Mary Collins listen to the administration's proposal to close their school. Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
The high school would not be affected.
The board will vote on the plan at its regular meeting Monday. If approved, the district will:
- Make Perry a pre-kindergarten through first grade school.
- Make Adams Elementary grades K-6.
- Make Estabrook and Erickson grades 2-6.
- Make West Middle School grades 7-8.
- Close Chapelle and East Middle School and "repurpose" those schools.
During a 30-minute slideshow presentation, Superintendent Dedrick Martin outlined what the administration considered to be the pros and cons of two options first presented to the public in January, of which the district chose the second.
Martin said efficiency and maximizing use of available space led to the proposal, which administrators estimate would save the district roughly $1.3 million. While the district’s K-8 buildings are currently 64 percent full, they are projected to be at 81 percent capacity under the proposal.
The district is attempting to trim $6.4 million from its budget before the next school year.
Martin said closing Chapelle makes sense because it is the oldest building, has the lowest capacity and is less than a mile from Estabrook. Chapelle and Estabrook have capacities of roughly 375 and 550 students, respectively.
“While we don’t want to close any buildings, we do have our largest capacity elementary within seven blocks of our smallest capacity elementary,” Martin said.
The district listed only one disadvantage to closing Chapelle - its strong sense of community - while four to five negatives were provided for closing each of the other schools.
Among other reasons, Martin argued the district shouldn’t close Estabrook because decommissioning the elementary school with the largest population would quickly fill the remaining three elementaries. He added it receives the most requests under the schools of choice program, indicating it’s highly valued by the community.
Martin said Adams should remain open because of its high capacity and designation as a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Academy with strong ties to the University of Michigan.
Adams, which is currently only half full, is projected to jump to 78 percent capacity under the proposal.
Martin added the K-6 arrangement would be a new offering and could prove attractive to parents with multiple students.
At the middle school level, Martin said keeping West Middle School open, housing grades 7-8, is advantageous instead of keeping East Middle School open because of West's proximity to the high school campus. That allows higher achieving students to take classes at the high school.
Only Trustee Kira Berman spoke out against the proposal. She acknowledged deep cuts must be made, but said the values guiding the decision-making process were missing from the proposal.
She questioned the administrators' rationale in their decision-making and asked for supporting data on a number of points and ideas, including; placing sixth graders in elementary schools, the savings other districts have achieved by closing elementary schools, the advantages of educating students in smaller schools and the concrete plans for using taxpayer money in the repurposed buildings.
“I have difficulty as a parent, an educator and a board member just trusting that we are going in a good direction,” she said. "If I don’t have a positive rationale … and if the administration is unwilling to ask parents what they might do before making this decision, then I can't support their plan.”
Addressing concerns about how schools of choice would be affected, Martin said the district will build off what it has learned from previous school closings. But he conceded all students wouldn't be able to attend their first choice.
“This is a challenge for us,” he said. “We realize not all of our families are going to be happy.”
Martin added the district enrolls a significant number of out-of-district students, but Chapelle students would be given priority.
“Under this scenario, we go to the Chapelle families first and try to get them in, then we keep our schools open for out of district kids,” he said.
Several parents pointed out Estabrook is the most popular school of choice among the remaining buildings, and the district’s projections listed it at 92 percent capacity. They questioned how there would be room to put their children at the school.
John Fulton, the district’s executive director of human resources, said evidence from the past closing of Ardis and George elementary schools shows a rush to Estabrook wouldn’t necessarily be the case.
“Back then, there was this notion they would all go to Estabrook, and they pretty much fanned out across the district,” he said. “Our estimation is everybody at Chapelle will not pick Estabrook.”
Several parents asked how teachers would be distributed, which district officials tied into questions on the sources of remaining $5.1 million in needed cuts.
Fulton said teachers would largely transition to different schools, but the district is hoping to achieve $2.3 million in reductions by cutting 23 teaching positions. He said the largest portion of the cuts would come at the middle and high school levels, and he's optimistic many of those would be through retirement and attrition.
“One of the things this district has been very successful at is not laying off teachers,” he said. “We don’t want to lay off our young teachers - if we do that, then it's minimal savings.”
The district is currently in negotiations with the union for this year’s contracts, but Fulton said only pay cuts are on the table.
Jason Wright, a member of the Chapelle Parent Advisory Board and Save Chapelle Community School, challenged the district on several points.
He contended the district’s figure of $1.3 million in savings is misleading because it doesn't take into account the number of students who would leave the district.
“It’s making closures looking better than they are,” he said. “It’s making it look like we will save more money than we actually are … research studies show any savings will be very short lived, and likely turning into losses.”
Wright also questioned whether the district had seriously considered any alternatives other than the two options presented to the public.
In his opening presentation, Martin outlined what he said were two publicly recommended options. He said the first option was closing Perry. The second option was to close East Middle School and create 5-6 and 7-8 buildings out of Estabrook and West Middle School. Martin estimated the savings at $445,00 and $825,000, respectively.
Martin said Perry should remain open based on its “internationally renowned reputation” as a pioneering school in the head start program and its high demand. He added it’s designed for early-age students, and retrofitting the facility to accommodate an older student population would be costly.
Martin said capacity issues and the building design at Estabrook to accommodate special needs students precluded considering the second option.
Wright further questioned the district's conclusions that “neighborhood schools” weren’t that important because data showed only 44 percent of Chapelle students live in the neighborhood.
He said the district took the definition of a “neighborhood school” too literally.
“It’s about having a small school that’s responsive to parents' needs and interests,” he said.
Martin underscored the two schools would not be shuttered, but would be repurposed and possibly accommodate programs, including adult education or Forest School program.
Trustee Sarah Devaney, Vice-President Linda Horne, Trustee Floyd Brumfield and Trustee Edward Jackson all spoke during board comments and made similar statements about their commitment to carefully weighing and considering the plan with due diligence.
“As elected officials we have the almost impossible task of balancing an enormous deficit," Devaney said, asking the public to keep that in mind as the board votes.
Berman said she will work with board members if they plan to vote for the cuts on Monday.
“In the meantime, you will be hearing from me because I will do my best to convince you that this plan is not strategic, and it may very well be harmful to the district,” she said.
Trustee Andy Fanta was the only other board member to publicly question school closures, but he did not state his position at the special meeting.
Martin said if the plan is approved, a special meeting will be held at Chapelle to provide parents with their options in April.
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
chapelle parent
Wed, Mar 24, 2010 : 10:37 a.m.
Actually Sandy, if you have recent experience with Ypsi schools, then you know that there has been significant white flight from both Chapelle and Adams elementary over the last decade or so. This may be connected with the combined effect of Ypsi's shift to a "school of choice" enrollment strategy and the melt-down of the Willow Run school district. Whatever the cause, Chapelle in particular has seen a very dramatic demographic shift. Ten years ago, 39 percent of the families at Chapelle were white. Today 13 percent are. When my partner and I made the transition from Perry to Chapelle, we were the only white parents in our child's classroom who made that choice. None of the other parents even visited Adams and Chapelle. We chose Chapelle because we loved the environment and the respectful attitude of the teachers and staff there. We also felt that it would offer us a chance to get to know families from all over Ypsi, not just our small circle of friends. You are right, all of the schools in Ypsi are racially diverse, but there are some very deep-seated and persistent issues around race in this city, and these do play out in school choice issues, and, sadly, I feel strongly that they have played out in the decision to close Chapelle. I don't think anyone was intentionally racist in coming to this decision, but when people (our board members and administration) argue, as they have, that closing Erikson and Estabrook is "off the table" because doing so would result in flight from the district, what they are implicitly invoking is a hierarchy that places the interests some children and families over the interests of others. Moreover, there has been an assumption all along that the majority of Chapelle children would simply be sent to Adams. There are big problems with this plan, because it creates a situation in which the only families without a "choice" in our "school of choice" district are those who have born the brunt of its recent economic difficulties. Do you think it is fair for children who live just south of Michigan ave to be bussed to Adams when the nearest school to them is Estabrook, and when white children from the Adams neighborhood are currently attending Estabrook as their school of choice because the see Adams as a "failing school"? Why should the most vulnerable children in our district be displaced, disrupted, and sent to a school that few parents in the surrounding neighborhood choose as their "school of choice." I don't expect you to answer this question in a civil or serious manner, because throughout this whole fiasco you have expressed disdain and disrespect for parents who are simply trying to insure that their children, who, again, are some of the most vulnerable children in this district, are treated fairly and equitably. Sadly, your intolerant attitude reflects what parents have experienced when dealing with the administration and the school board, which is why many of us are choosing to leave the district.
Sandy Castle
Mon, Mar 22, 2010 : 9:29 p.m.
You people from SaveYpsiSchools.com crack me up. Now you want to claim that closing Chapelle is RACIST???? Give me a break. This is Ypsilanti and every one of the the schools here is rich in diversity. AND having had children in four of them I do speak from experience, which you all seem to lack. Thank goodness we have a school board made up of individuals committed to making the tough choices that will get YPSD through this difficult economic period and not individuals with no common sense.
Dante Marcos
Mon, Mar 22, 2010 : 1:15 p.m.
Forest City: You bring up an interesting issue. Suffice it to say, just as there are uninspired white bureaucrats, there are uninspired black bureaucrats. I think that neither the African American members of the BoE nor the Superintendent are ignorant of the sociopolitical results of closing Chapelle, it's more a matter of them allowing themselves to believe that, above all else, "there was nothing else that could have been done."
Ypsi by Choice
Mon, Mar 22, 2010 : 11:06 a.m.
Forest City, to make the claim that the administration is orchestrating their change out of racially charged motivation is a strong statement, but to make decisions without the analysis of racial implications is no more innocent. There are major aspects of the situation that will change the dynamic of our community and directly alter the make up of our town. Accepting the administrations loose proposal, without any financial or culture implications is a crime. The subject of race is completely not the only element that they have glossed over. The cost of repurposing the schools, the changes in transportation costs, or even the process for priority placement for the children seems to be disregarded. As a parent who has a child right in the middle of both Chapelle and Estrabrook, scenarios of changing schools and the careful observance and planning that it would take for this to truly be cost effective is exhausting. The administration has given blanket statements for everything, so it is not a shock that race becomes mixed into the do it later pile. Personally, I am shocked that future neighborhood designations are not going to be drawn or disclosed yet. After they split the existing Chapelle student body up, there is no plan of sanction for the next year. Does the DEP have a segment for money lost from poorly calculating long term solutions?
Forest City
Mon, Mar 22, 2010 : 10:43 a.m.
So are people suggesting that the African American members of the school board and administration, including the Superintendent are ignorant of the racial aspects of the situation or are they racist for supporting the changes. This argument is a new low for the people that are opposing changes. Cuts had to be made. That is the reality. Schools throughout Michigan and the country are closing schools. Only in Ypsilanti does it have to become another Civil War.
independentmind
Sat, Mar 20, 2010 : 9:22 p.m.
"The extent to which mechanistic thinking is corrupting our culture might be illustrated in relation to any number of fields of activity. For instance, our educational system suffers disastrously from the dominion of the administrative mind, which is, by the very nature of modern administration, generally mechanistic in its thinking (and therefore unfitted to overlook strictly human affairs). It is a well-worn, but none the less just, joke among teachers that education is now a minor by-product of local authority administration. Classroom work is overlooked by superfluous local organizers. A countys schools will be run from the authoritys central office rather as a ring of chain-stores is run from headquarters. As the grip of the administrator tightens, the authority and influence of the teacher and [principal] are correspondingly reduced. The [principal] is increasingly prevented from regarding himself as the leader of a vital community of persons. The telephone stands on his desk to remind him that, like the manager of a branch-store, he is in charge of one among a network of mechanisms operated from headquarters. The [principal], who ought to be the link between school and parents, is now the link between the school and the local authoritys offices. The wheel has come full circle. Men of personal conviction, with vision and purpose, are often considered too dangerous to be appointed [principal]. Some appointing authorities seek safe, mediocre men [or women] who will sit meekly at the far end of the telephone wire and do what they are told." ---Harry Blamires (1963)
Dante Marcos
Sat, Mar 20, 2010 : 9:18 p.m.
For the record: Trustees Devaney, Brumfield, Horne, Jackson, and President Bates must know already the consequences of offering - without truly investigating its socio-political implications - support for this proposal.
chapelle parent
Sat, Mar 20, 2010 : 7:33 p.m.
I couldn't go to the meeting, and I just took a look at the administration's "reconfiguration" powerpoint, and I am beyond disgusted with it. I encourage our entire community to go to the YPSD website and download it. Take a close look at it for an excellent example of the heights and depths that a bureaucratic entity will go to impose its vision on the public through rhetoric. In the list of "pros" for keeping Perry open, a slide lists "community center for the district". Really? People who did attend Thursday's meeting, said that Sup. Martin argued that Perry was used for "weddings" and other kinds of receptions. Wow. So we are using a half empty building for WEDDINGS? And that makes it a "community center"??!!! Last time I checked our district spent 50 million dollars of our money to improve infrastructure and educational technology at our elementary schools. And we are closing a school that was just "improved" to the tune of 6 million (or thereabouts), and yet we are keeping open a school that we want to rent out for wedding receptions. It boggles the mind... Also, while the powerpoint lists 4 "cons" to closing all of the other schools, followed by 2 "pros." For Chapelle, there is just one "con" listed as "neighborhood school", and, surprise, surprise, 4 "pros" to CLOSING the school. So the fact that it is a "neighborhood school" is the only thing Chapelle has to offer? What about this as a "pro": even though Chapelle serves some of our most at-risk students, it still scores above our "blue-ribbon" school, Estabrook, in the number of students who "met or exceeded" the latest MEAP standards in math (4th and 5th grade). Oh, but that's just a measure of student success, it can't really compare to a school that can be rented out for weddings. That's a REAL reason to keep a school open. The only "con" I can see in all of this is the con job that the administration is trying to pull on us, a con job of the most obvious variety, which gives you a sense of how much they think of our intelligence. Mr. Martin, Ms. Jackson, Mr. Houle, Mr. Fulton, how dumb do you think we are? You tell us that the only "good" thing about Chapelle is that it is in a neighborhood? And then you show us a graph demonstrating that kids in the neighborhood don't really go to Chapelle, so its not really a "neighborhood school"? It would be funny, if the outcome of this kind of idiotic manipulation weren't so deadly serious.
localvoice
Sat, Mar 20, 2010 : 6:54 p.m.
It was a sad day for the Ypsilanti Public Schools when they announced the closing of Chapelle. As a community member sitting in the audience there were many instances for outrage. First, the amount of parents and other community members that attended the Thursday meeting was rather disgraceful. For such an important moment, I had hoped that more people attended. Those that did attend, you should be commended. Also, the teachers that attended to hear their school talked as if it was worthless should be commended. Next, the blatant propaganda displayed by the admin. was transparent. The fact that they could only come up with one Pro to keeping Chapelle open was sickening. Obviously, they are not educated on some of the outstanding programs operating within their own district. (Fly Art, America Reads, YMCA programs, free afterschool tutoring just to name a few). Finally, I fear for the future of YPS under the "leadership" of Mr. Martin. It is the worst kept secret that the only reason this Adams fiasco will occur is the fact that he wants to enroll his children in a K-6 program. Buckle up taxpayers, this is going to be a long, tumultuous ride at our children's expense.
Ypsi by Choice
Sat, Mar 20, 2010 : 6:01 p.m.
Southside, your comments have been the conversation for many Chapelle families. The numbers, a rough estimate to start, does show a greater disproportionate impact on our city. Assume that the demographic of Chapelle is equally broken up into thirds, the marginalization and institutionalized racism is exasperated. Besides the fact that this is a neutral projection, there can be dire consequences and institutionalized racism for our community. Another key factor that apparently the administration has failed to speak on, is the segregation that will occur if Adams is left alone into a K-6. The assumption that some parents desire a K-6 curriculum might be valid, but to pick Adams raises speculations. Insight into our current program has and equalized standard for all our Kindergartens in the community. Created a schism between the city will be paramount. Parents will continue to be drawn to the Perry program and fear that not participating in this proven educational track would be a detriment to their children. Hence, a large number of parents will completely by pass Adams completely, creating a dichotomy in the community. These and so many other vital elements have been brought up and asked to be further examined, but apparently the administration feels that they can get away with blanket statements, and pros and cons sheets that are "elementary" at best.
southside
Sat, Mar 20, 2010 : 2:14 p.m.
Alain, I have talked to other parents from Adams and Chapelle, and we believe that there is a racially-biased element to this plan. We will be contacting both the Save Ypsi Schools people and the NAACP asking them to run the numbers and to request that the district keep track of where minority students actually end up. If we find that a disproportionate number of the students impacted are a protected class under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, we will certainly pursue legal redress. Anyone who has kids in the Ypsi schools knows that there is white flight from Chapelle to Estabrook and Erikson, the superintendent knows this, and so he shouldn't act like Estabrook is simply more "popular". He knows what makes it "popular" and with which parents. I agree with MissYpsi that only the most privileged Chapelle parents will actually exercise their "right" to choose a school. The rest, the ones too busy or too stressed to get it together and demand this right will end up in Adams, the only K-6 school in the whole district. We believe that Adams will become a "dumping ground" for the city's children, OUR children, and we will not stand for that. We hope that the School Board, especially Linda Horne and Floyd Brunfield, start asking the hard questions that people like Berman and Fanta are asking. They need to speak up for the people they claim to represent.
Dante Marcos
Sat, Mar 20, 2010 : 6:52 a.m.
I'm still stunned at how very few people have touched on the racial implications of the choice of Chapelle for closing. Trustees Brumfield, Jackson, and Horne are African American - have any of them questioned this choice, in board meetings? Has superintendent Martin?
missypsi
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 11:31 p.m.
Dear Alms, unfortunately, even if they do transfer the principal of Chapelle to Estabrook, only a few of the Chapelle children, probably the most privileged, will be able to move with him. The sad truth is that the administration is guaranteeing all parents whose children currently attend Erikson and Estabrook, that their children will not be forced out, even if they don't live near the schools. So Chapelle students (who are, remember 87% minority and 91% school lunch) will most likely go to the new K-6 school, Adams. Guess what? That school currently has the lowest MEAP scores in the entire district. Chapelle children, who are currently doing great (despite major challenges) will be moved to a school that is desperately trying to repair itself after years of mismanagement. Many studies of the school "turn-around" movement in Illinois (where our superintendent is from), have demonstrated that whenever schools are "consolidated," poor and minority children end up in schools that are no better, and sometimes worse, than the schools they attended that were shut down. Apparently our heroic superintendent is trying to transfer that wonderful model to Ypsi schools. God help us....
hypsi
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 11:11 p.m.
Just a question, but won't repurposing these schools, still cost money? Money to mantain the building, staff, support staff? It will be less money sure, but money the district doesn't have, so can someone answer how they are planning to repurpose with it being cost effective and help decrease the budget? I have also heard the Martin wants to bring in consultants, how much is this going to cost the district?
CountyKate
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 1:28 p.m.
@Alain Danielou, where have you been when I have lambasted BoE members? There are exactly two members of that board I respect and one of those makes me leery now and again. It's a little hard to lambaste this administration, since it has only just come on board and is dealing with all this garbage in a very short amount of time. Once again, that goes back to the BoE, which dragged out its superintendent selection for an unconscionably long period of time. That said, however, I have spent enough of my life involved with this school district on several levels to know that this decision was hard for everyone involved in it. I don't like it, you don't like it and I'll bet no one, really, likes it. The reality,however, is that YPS, along with many other districts, have their backs to the wall and the wall is falling down around their ears. And that, Alain, is the state's fault.
Tom Perkins
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 1:07 p.m.
Schoolmuse, The district's projections on how much they'll save under their plan doesn't factor in how many students they estimate losing. In previous conversations, district officials have told me they expect to lose 50 students because of the proposed school closures.
Aims
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 12:52 p.m.
@wln15 - she has been. She's been with the district for I believe 40-some years. I hope the HR department is quick and dilligent in finding her replacement. I know that the principal at Chapelle is quite respected and loved. Maybe that could be the concession to the Chapelle community if their school is chosen to close in the end.
jns131
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 12:27 p.m.
When they closed Ardis over by Ellsworth they said when blank freezes will they sell to a charter school. Guess what? That school still stands empty and when a non school bid came in? They again said no, they wanted more. Well more is less and now they have three white elephants. Good luck Ypsi getting your more for less. This does not surprise me in the least. 24 teachers in Ypsi and 34 in Ann Arbor. This will probably include the huge lay off that will incur once the privatization occurs as well. Says a lot for Michigan.
wln15
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 12:23 p.m.
I believe that at least one of those principals has been at retirement age for quite some time.
Ypsi by Choice
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 12:21 p.m.
I am schocked and will be haunted by the lack of critical inquiry on behalf of the administration and majority of the board. If any individual was requested to present analytically information, laden with research and data to support their viewpoint, one would suspect it would be provided. I am not aware of any respectable circle of thought that would allow such subjective and shallow support. What strikes me to the core is the complacent attitude that so many individuals have to accept this shortsighted, quick fix. I am not saying at the end of the day the schools to close might change or not happen, but I am accountable for every ounce of information that I produce, they should be too.
Aims
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 12:01 p.m.
@Alain - Sup. Martin is "keeping" his wife and children in Illinois for the time being so that his children can finish out their school year - Mr. Martin made it very clear last night that come fall enrollment, his children would be YPS students. I was at the meeting last night and I have to say that the turnout was deplorable. It was held in the auditorium and it was less than 40% filled. The ones that were there were outspoken, and asked the Board hard questions, which I for one, am glad they did. I want to know that the Board has asked themselves these questions and have come up with answers. For some of the issues raised, they did. For some of them, they did not. I did, however, find it very interesting to discover that the three prinicpals who were asked to resign (Estabrook, East, and YHS) were the three who were contractors and yet the two Administrators who are contractors, were not asked to step down and they are two of the highest paid employees in the district. And yet the much beloved principals of the schools that are going to have a high influx of new students next year won't bethere to help them through their transistion.
Dante Marcos
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 11:18 a.m.
CountyKate, Your points about sins being at the state legislative level are correct, and well-taken. I believe one would be hardpressed to convey to the community how a person like CFO Houle is both longsighted and intelligent in his fiscal management of school districts; and that one would be equally hardpressed to see Superintendent Martin as being in Ypsilanti for more than a historical second (he is keeping his wife and children in Illinois). And yet, in many of your comments, you've been a very vocal apologist for this administration, and the retrograde members of the school board. You've even verbally chastised the activist members of the Ypsilanti parent community. One is left to wonder why that is.
cadmom
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 10:51 a.m.
SCHOOLS MUSE, the administration is assumming that the student numbers will reamin somewhat flat. They are budgeting for next year assuming a net loss of 50 students. However, according to their projections through 2014, they are projecting a slight turn around in the numbers and the district will start to gain students again.
CountyKate
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 10:44 a.m.
If you want to recall anyone, recall the legislators in Lansing who think the education of our children falls somewhere in the "we don't really need it" category. Honestly, I don't see how the state can improve at all if the people who dole out the money don't see education as a must and a high priority must, at that. Why don't they dump their large salaries into the education part of the budget? This is not just an Ypsilanti problem. If you read the stories here on annarbor.com, you know schools all over the region are being closed to save money. And what do our legislators send us? Less and less. The administrators at Ypsilanti - and, I'm sure, the administrators in all those other districts - have looked at everything and worked the numbers every way they can. There is just not enough money given to education in this state. Proposal A has proved to be a magician's sleight of hand trick that has hurt both cities and school districts. Next year, it will also hurt colleges and universities. In order to get a decent education, people are going to have to leave the state.
schoolsmuse
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 10:35 a.m.
Do the administration's projections assume that the Ypsilanti student population will remain the same, or that it will go down/up?
KWaugh
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 9:23 a.m.
Yay for Kira Berman and her fight!
Midtowner
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 9:20 a.m.
RECALL!!!
dading dont delete me bro
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 9:18 a.m.
with less schools, we can have less administration. anyone second this motion?
cadmom
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 8:44 a.m.
Well, this process has been going on since January. The Ypsi administration has always said don't jump to conclusions about which school(s) will be closed. We were always told that no final decisions have been made. Last night's presentation proves that Chapelle was always the target. The plan submitted last night does not deviate at all from the option originally submited in January. Its disappointing, but expected. The fact that the Chapelle community always turned out to voice its opposition at every opportunity, that the community at large did not embrace closing any school at all, never seemed to play a factor in the final decision. Lip service at best was given to the few public options that were submitted. In the end it seems that "The Plan" always remained the same. If "The Plan" passes on Monday then the best we can hope for is that the Chappelle family isn't submitted to a process that feels like a lottery when selecting their child's next school. A few trustees stated that their final decision hasn't been made, but with only four days to mull this presentation over and the administration saying the board must act now, well we only assume what the outcome will be.
Dante Marcos
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 8:30 a.m.
Or sold to for-profit charter companies.
E
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 8:14 a.m.
Close Chapelle and East Middle School and "repurpose" those schools. What does repurpose mean?
dading dont delete me bro
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 7:44 a.m.
sounds like the administration doesn't know what they want. just weeks ago, they were proposing to close adams, now not due to it's "...high capacity and designation as a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Academy with strong ties to the University of Michigan." hunh?!?