Up North Progressive
Politics and commentary for Northern MichiganState Superintendent Brian Whiston Wants Public Input On How To Make Michigan Public Education Rank in the Top Ten Nationwide in Ten Years: You Know What To Do
Wednesday , 23, September 2015 Section 16 4 Comments
Michigan’s new superintendent, Brian Whiston, once again is asking for public comment on how to improve Michigan’s public schools. This time he needs input because:
State Supt. Brian Whiston is seeking input on making Michigan a Top 10 education state over the next ten years. In the Superintendent’s ‘Back to School’ podcast, he announced that the MDE has set up both a web page and email account to accept submissions/suggestions from anyone who would like to give input on what it will take to make Michigan a Top Ten State for Education in the next ten years.
Superintendent Whiston, we thought you would never ask!
There are so many things that could be done to improve public education in Michigan. We’re fighting funding cuts, for-profit charter schools leeching students and funding from real public schools while for-profit charter school managers embezzle and defraud taxpayers. Now we have another cry for school vouchers, which are illegal in the state and have proven to be devastating in other states.
Most of all, Superintendent Whiston needs to take the time to listen to teachers. Our education professionals are not being heard with the many concerns and frustrations they have working in public schools. The same people pushing for more for-profit charters and vouchers that are designed solely to eliminate real public education are behind the teacher bashing going on in this country, and especially in Michigan. Teachers want to do the best they can for their students, but they can’t when they’re constantly barraged with unnecessary high-stakes standardized testing and unfair evaluations that don’t begin to truly show the great work they’re doing in the classroom. Kids are more than data.
Here are the four questions the superintendent would like addressed:
- What are the top two or three goals that Michigan should focus on?
- What current policies get in the way of that goal?
- What policies are needed to expedite our progress toward that goal?
- If you were the State Supt, what are the first three things that you would do?
The deadline to complete the online survey is November 1, 2015. You can either go to the website and fill out the form, or email your suggestions at top10in10@michigan.gov
Here is your chance to let the new superintendent know what he needs to do to help public education stay public.
Pat Wolf says: PLEASE remove Common Core.. We cannot help our grandson with his homework, and I’ve asked people in college now and working as engineers, and they see zero benefits to Common Core. Unlike what I’ve been told, it is not used in college.
My grandson LOVED math, and now it’s so complicated he cannot remember it from his morning math to after school with his homework. He’s very discouraged now.
Laura Berishaj says: Simply put, get rid of all common core standards. Standardized testing, common core math, reading etc.. It is more then obvious that the system is set up for failure on all accounts. Students and educators do not have a chance to succeed. Greed has gone too far!! Our children’s confidence is shattered by an unfair system.
Kelly Conwell says: I work in a District where 95% of my students speak English as a second language, 1/3 of my students do not have any academic English, most of them have not set foot in a school until they come to America, English is not the primary language spoken in the home and all of them are held to the same academic standards as students from more developed countries. I teach six subjects 6-8 Science and Social Studies. We just came out of a pay freeze and the government is doing this to education not the Districts. I would love to be paid a living wage and stop seeing districts suffer because of failing for profit Charter Schools. How many failing Charters are there in Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, etc.?
Dawn Lewkowicz says: Started the year out pretty good 3/8th% of a raise after 7 years freeze – what a joke and doesn’t start till 121 days into the school year. Then we have our second staff meeting all teachers are divided – divide and conquer and our administration introduced us to our new 38 page evaluation – what a kick in the teeth! We were told it was an informational meeting but we were not allowed to ask any questions – we were allowed to write them down. How degrading to a staff who is really working hard and being disrespected in such a way and less than a week into school – don’t even know my students names yet and we administer the NWEA! Our evaluation is based on NWEA and special Ed students who legally entitled to have accommodations are given none! And then if they fail this places them into remedial classes where there is no curriculum and even when parents and students ask yo get out of these classes their request is denied. Please please help us, our profession and our students! I love my kids but I hate how our district treats and disrespects our excellent staff and disregards the experts who teach these kids and treat us like crap! This has got to stop! Please please I am begging you to help our educators! We are stressed and not liking our jobs anymore. We are struggling and nobody cares.