Ferndale Community Weighs in on Local, State Education Issues

More than 25 members of the Ferndale community chimed in on issues ranging from state funding of public schools, teacher accountability and school support needs on Tuesday evening at a .

The Center for Michigan, a think-tank based in Ann Arbor that helps citizens drive important changes in the state, has been leading conversations on education throughout Michigan.

The forum on Tuesday night at the was co-hosted by the along with the library, Ferndale Schools and education advocacy group.

Participants in the forum, which included parents, school board members, principals and other administrators, weighed in on education issues with hand-held voting devices. For example, when asked what letter grade they would give to the statewide public education system, 46 percent of participants offered a "C" rating, 26 percent said "B" and 29 percent chose "D." When asked to grade the local school district, 66 percent agreed on a "B" grade.

Julie Updyke, a Ferndale mother of two, said that because her kids aren't yet in school her only basis for grading the local schools is what she sees from the MEAP scores.

Board of Education President Keith Warnick said he rated the local schools a "B" and said he has never been a fan of MEAP scores as a main indicator of school performance.

"I've never considered those the right way to judge a school district," Warnick said after the event.

Another topic of discussion was school equity, with one parent expressing concerns about "two totally different experiences" depending on which school your child attends.

Jodi Berger, a Ferndale parent who works as a teacher at another school district, said at the meeting that she has been very happy with but she sympathizes that not all parents get their first-choice school placement.

"I love my son's school," she said. "I liked the variety of perspectives," Berger said after the meeting.

On the question of the importance of holding educators more accountable, 38 percent of participants said it was "somewhat important" and 38 percent more chose "important."

When asked about school funding, the group overwhelmingly felt the state needs to spend more to improve student success, with 86 percent voting for increased spending.

On state funding, Board of Education member Darcey McLaughlin said: "I don't think the state is funding the public schools properly and I think that they are changing course too often and not seeing things through."

Ferndale parent and volunteer Bradford Parks said a main thing he got out of Tuesday's conversation is that people agree the schools are doing a good job, "they just need more support to do what they do best."

"I thought it was a good discussion about issues facing both Michigan and Ferndale," he said.

Jennifer Roosenberg, executive director of the Ferndale chamber, said she believes the Center for Michigan did a good job making people feel comfortable sharing their opinions. "I think the flow of it went very well," she said.

Patch has been partnering with the Center for Michigan to continue these conversations with communities after the forums are over. We'll bring you the final data from the conversation when it becomes available. Do you have an education issue you want to see covered on Patch? Email jessica.schrader@patch.com.