Letter to the Editor: There is a Goal, There is a Plan, Vote Yes Now
Ferndale Board of Education Treasurer Jim Pfleger explains why he thinks people should vote yes on the proposed school bond Tuesday.
Jim Pfleger is a resident of Ferndale and treasurer of the Ferndale Schools Board of Education.
Provided by Jim Pfleger.
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Advocating the position that the Ferndale School District Voters should vote “NO” on the school bond issue on the ballot this Tuesday and that we should not invest in the maintenance of our school buildings UNTIL AFTER our students get better standardized test scores is as logical as saying "THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES"! This is an extension of an existing millage to raise money for building maintenance and new technology installations. If you believe that well maintained schools that offer smart boards, internet access, decent restrooms, reasonable temperatures and new, energy efficient lighting are somehow antiethical to supporting children learning, then can we at least agree that they can’t hurt?
As a member of the Ferndale School Board, I can tell you that no one involved in the Ferndale Public Schools thinks that all of our test scores are good enough or that there are not big improvements needed for some of our kids. Some of our kids do great, but some do not and that is our continued challenge. Yes — there is a goal. It is to provide ALL our students with quality educational programs while promoting the values of diversity and responsible citizenship!
Yes — there is a plan. There is a School Improvement Plan for every school in the district and each school's progress and curriculum changes aimed at increasing student performance are all reviewed by the Program/Technology Committee and by the full School Board. If you would like to familiarize yourself with the plans, the Program / Technology Committee has monthly meetings that are open to the public and which have Citizen Members participating in all reviews and approvals.
As for “Not Yet,” "maybe later,” the later means a loss of over $10 million dollars in our district’s bonding capacity. So, instead of $22.8 million for the identified projects, we could only get $13 million if we passed a bond “later.” Which of the itemized projects, of which over 85 percent goes to the schools that the kids who reside in the Ferndale District attend, should we not do?
This for me is a simple proposition. Do you want to try to help our kids by funding these capital maintenance and technology projects through this bond and leave the money the district receives from the state each year for teaching and normal operations? If so, VOTE YES!
Chris Johnston
10:00 am on Monday, February 27, 2012
I am one of the owners of a few Ferndale businesses. As a business owner, I always felt it would be ideal to send our daughter to schools in the community that we reside and work in. But mark my words, if that school system was in any way lacking we would take her out in a heartbeat. She is in the fourth grade and we couldn’t be happier with her years spent in FPS.
I couldn’t be more proud of my daughter. My daughter is not at the top of her class. She does not score well on standardized tests. She is probably the type of test scorer that might lead some people to say that FPS are failing. I couldn’t disagree more. Our daughter is getting a fantastic education. She is thriving in a diverse environment, in a diverse community. She loves going to school, and we have been actively involved in so much of her education. Through our years in FPS we’ve met many parents who are equally passionate about their children’s education too.
So am I to understand that because my daughter doesn’t test well she doesn’t deserve air conditioning in the warm months, and heating in the winter? Does she not deserve every tool possible to soar as high as she can? Does she not deserve every opportunity that she can get? She is no different than any other student, in any district.
Chris Johnston
10:00 am on Monday, February 27, 2012
I have no doubt that if all of those who support this bond issue come out and vote yes, and those that don’t vote no, the issue will pass handily. As someone who is voting YES, I strongly urge you to not only support the issue, but to find your way to the poll to officially go on record saying you do.
Voting YES gives us a future, while voting no gets us nowhere.
Debi
8:19 pm on Monday, February 27, 2012
Please explain why these improvements were not completed with the $62.5 million that has already been allocated from the last 2 bonds passed?
~ $47 million in 1995
~ $15.5 million in 2004
Many of these issues are presented when more money is supposedly "needed". FYI: Unless the food program has changed, the school kitchens are not used for food or meal preparation anyway. The food is prepared at the high school & delivered to each building. Why redo kitchens that aren't used for meal preparation?
Because there has not been responsible use of prior bond monies, I cannot support giving the district more money for improvements, that they may or may not get around to accomplishing. VOTE NO!