Green added that she had not seen or heard any of harsh comments posted on social media by Smith about the board or superintendent. I could not emotionally continue, Green said. I believe the intent of the challenge was equality, but I think it did the opposite. Smith denied posting commentsabout the board or Herreraon social media. More:Livonia Chamber stickers program helps businesses highlight inclusive values, More:Comerica bank to sell Livonia office building, move to neighboring Farmington Hills, More:Henry Ford Health brings new emergency room, specialty services to western Wayne County. Weems said she and Smith are on good footing nowbut acknowledged the twohave faced issues in the past. This is a community with over 87 nationalities.. font-weight: bold; The district paid Herrera a $105,000 buyout,and the district continues to pay his six-figure salary through June as his replacement is hired. The adult behavior at the board has been horrible, and as a result, the children are suffering, Johnson said. .widget-row.Democratic { Smith: Offer a longer period of time for marketing and advertising. word-wrap: break-word; Johnson and Weems have gone as far as filing complaints against each other to the district. There are no incumbents among eight candidates for three Farmington school board seats: David Barr, Becky DeWilde, Joe Fritz, Melissa Gorman, Kelsey Jezierski, Maggie Storlie, Steven. $('span#sw-emailmask-156').replaceWith(''); Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. Take a sneak peek inside. background-color: grey; margin-bottom: 0; You have permission to edit this article. Describing his reasoning to the board, Johnson said the group "has just completely changed. Hometown Life obtained this complaint through a FOIA request. "It was like the queen bee and the wannabes. school board members. The meeting location is Maxfield Education Center, 32789 W. Ten Mile Rd., Farmington, MI 48336. Internal documents obtained by the Local 4 Defenders show that board member Angie Smith allegedly worked to create an intimidating and offensive work environment for the superintendent,. Farmington Public School District At-large, Angie Smith (Farmington Public School District, Michigan), Ballotpedia does not currently cover this office or maintain this page. Through tears, Green, a former elementary teacher, said Herrera's dedication to educationinspired her to want to return to the classroom. Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). I support schools of choice because it forces each school to consider how they must be constantly improving, to be a viable choice for those parents and caregivers. Angie Smith was elected in 2016. display: inline-block; Angie Smith is an at-large representative on the Farmington Public School District school board in Michigan. She has resided in Farmington Hills for over 20 years and was involved in her daughters' academics and extracurricular activities. They also accused everyone else of not seeing things that way. Her currently works for the Detroit School of Arts. Donald Walker was appointed to the board in 2021. FPS Board Secretary Angie Smith said DEI includes hard topics that have to be brought up., During the protest, Debbie Kraulidis, a Moms for America vice president, said the 21-day challenge and teaching CRT are racially dividing and anti-American., Our schools have drastically lost their way, and they must get back to the mission of education, Kraulidis said. Social issues, and not a Board Commitment to Academic Excellence & Improvement make up the stated goals of the current Board (Read Board Goals 2021-2022). Drawing upon current neuroscience about how the brain learns best, Dr. Blau specializes in creating highly engaging, interactive, experiential lessons designed to bring the curricular content to life for students so that they will connect meaningfully and deeply with what they learn. "I would never discredit any of my board members, past or present let alone the superintendent," she said. background-color: white; Cecile Richards, Former President of Planned Parenthood, Endorses Andy Levin . Smith: We should be focusing on the transition back to in person learning and the SEL initiatives for staff and students. 1. }. The Board is responsible for curricular and financial decision made by the District. It has been shown that strong student relationships can reduce the gaps that can sometimes occur, particularly in the area of racial inequalities as it relates to school discipline. Smith said she has talked to teachers at the high school level who want to move back to semesters from the current trimester scheduling, a move she would support. clear: both; Particularly long answers were shortened, which is indicated with an ellipsis. School Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month beginning at 5:30 p.m. The district serves about 9,100 students right now, a number that dropped over 300 students from the 2019-2020 school year. "So this is painful. For her part, Smith said this could have all been solved with a simple conversation.". If you look at our board meetings, all they say is Ms. Smith, you are out of line, and I am not out of line. "We had steps in place. I have the experience of providing leadership and direction in the hiring of a new superintendent and guiding our district through a pandemic, contract negotiations and threats of violence against our work. Also, we should focus on ways to encourage individuals to apply for open positions within our district (substitutes, bus drivers, and para pros for example). Email: }); A University of Detroit-Mercy graduate in Communications, with a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a two time graduate of Specs Howard School of Media Arts, Donald Walker has worked in media and education for 30 years. Angie Smith, Farmington School Board Vice President, Endorses Levin. I think it is a loss for the district, Green said. The Board of Education is a governing body which is independent of other municipal, elected governing bodies. "You can't be a parent who just stops (at school), drops (the child off) and rolls," Smith said. . That was obvious.. Under this boards leadership we have completed our audit and are now using it as one of our guides to create a safe and culturally respectful district. In the past, she's been involved with the Oakland County School Board of Directors and is a former employee of Farmington Public. Our schools also reflect the richly diverse community we live in. In public comments, some people called for the 21-day challenge to return, while others called to abolish it. This community has lost trust with the district.". Our priority should be delivering excellence in education. Angie Smith (Farmington Public School District, Michigan) - Google News. The Tuesday meeting displayed a deep divide of opinion among parents that immediately apparent upon entering the school's auditorium. Real history is flawed. She is a champion for children. font-weight: bold; We were founded on the Declaration of Independence.. }); Zach Rich was elected in November 2018. It is not clear what kind of safety measures will be in place due to the ongoing pandemic. Several board members said Hererra's not the first to administrative leader to leave the district because of strained relations, sayingformer Superintendent George Heitschs retirement was premature. Angie Smith is an at-large representative on the Farmington Public School District school board in Michigan. Carr: The very real challenge for the board of Farmington Public Schools is to gain the trust and confidence of parents and residents. Farmington Municipal Schools is seeking applicants to fill the District 4 Board position. It continues the cycle of negativity. $('span#sw-emailmask-4631').replaceWith(''); One individual sported a shirt that read: We do NOT CO-PARENT with the Government., Parents were protesting a 21-Day Equity Challenge held by the Farmington Public School District last fall. Minutes earlier, board vice president Terry Johnson, whose term expires next month, also resigned, effective Saturday. .top_disclaimer { Recruitment, vetting, and training are expensive propositions. We must concentrate on our literacy and math scores and closing the opportunity gap. We must create more academic challenges for our gifted students. We must also continue the work that has already been established within our schools.

} Michigan Association of School Boards Board of Directors Election, Section 8 Director for Birgit McQuiston of Lake Orion Community Schools as recommended. Those struggles, they said, happen because elected school boards aren't in agreement on all issues. Carr: The priorities of the district should be on excellence in education provided to all students. While this is not how or the time that I wanted to leave the district, I felt it was necessary to do what was in the best interest of our entire school community, Herrera said in the statement. Two other board members also resigned. Online learning requires a significant investment in teacher training, equipment, and curriculum delivery. 87 likes. It really does take a village. I would place myself in the position of the bargaining unit to understand their needs, but it must be extremely important that it is explained that the districts needs have to be met to clarify the board's decision-making. These results are automatically generated from Google. At the end of the meeting, Green then announced she also was resigning as ofFriday, saying "the dysfunctional behavior of two unnamed board members had interfered with further progress of district initiatives,as well as contributing to her health issues, ultimately requiring that she remove herself" from the board, district representatives said. I feel the role of a school board member is to be an advocate and voice for the community and to make sure we are serving our residents, staff, students, and stakeholders. $(document).ready(function () { Infighting wasfueled by big egos and big personalitiesandultimately pulled the board'sattention away from their primary focus: students, those critics say. Im not in trouble, Im in good trouble, Smith said Thursday. Following the creation of the committee, candidates have an additional 10 days to register the committee with the school district filing official by filing a statement of organization. He is the right man for the job.. I do have a strong personality, that is true, so I would have told him what I didnt like either. Smith and Weemshave had conflicts as well. Internal documents obtained by the Local 4 Defenders show that board member Angie Smith allegedly worked to create an intimidating and offensive work environment for the superintendent, making comments and social media posts accusing Herrera of trying to rid the district of any African American staff members. } All Dr. Herrera had to do was come to me and say, Angie I dont like how this is going. Herrera had filed a harassment claim against Smith,which she said citeda "hostile work environment." }); Terri Weems was appointed in September 2015 and elected in November 2016. Minnesota Parents Alliance identifies and endorses school board candidates across the state who are aligned with our mission of prioritizing academic achievement, equality and parental rights in their school district. Problems get created when members see their role differently than what MASB or their board sees as the appropriate role of a board member versus a superintendent, Wotruba said. Smith questions the need for three assistant superintendents, and wonders whether the district's could have waited for a time when more money was available. She is the mother of three young adults, products of Farmington and Detroit Public Schools. Before that, he attended Forest Elementary and Warner Middle School before being a Farmington District ambassador to the International Academy. Angie Smith, the Farmington Public Schools board secretary, wascensured for "conduct unbecoming a board member" after the panel said she made public comments and social media posts that caused disruptions to meetings and made it difficult for the superintendent "to perform his duties and provide leadership ,"a board resolution saidMonday night. Herrera had recently filed a complaint against board secretary Angie Smith for harassment, district officials said in a statement. The Board of Education consists of seven school district residents who will hold either four or six-year terms. margin-top: 1px; Post-election reports were due by December 8, 2016. Email: Walker: Two main priorities: safety and mental health and resources used to accelerate and supplement learning. All other races or nationalities make up the remaining 3.3%. Following his resignation, the school board censured Smith, and twoboard members followed Herrera's lead and resigned, as well. Notice Of Electronic Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Meeting - November 13, 2020, Notice Of Electronic Planning Meeting - May 10, 2021, Results Of The 2017 Water Quality Changes In The Rouge River Survey, Farmington Governor Warner Mansion Receives $85,000 State Grant. The Farmington School Board approved a "Communicable Disease Plan" Tuesday evening. Pam Green, a former board president who resigned last November, said she never knew the board without problems amongst itself. Voters will also choose one candidate for a two-year term. font-weight: bold; $(document).ready(function () { .widget-row.heading { Beathard signs 2-year extension with Jaguars Feb. 24, 2023 04:17 PM EST. Federal courts | background-color: green; In the past, she's been involved with the Oakland County School Board of Directors and is a former employee of Farmington Public Schools. That email, and dozens of others Hometown Life obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, highlight some of the behind-the-scenes rancor among the elected officials. Parents protest Farmington High school board meeting over CRT, 21-day equity challenge, How Police Department Spending in Michigan Compares to Other States, Home Buyers in Saginaw, MI Are Making Some of the Smallest Down Payment in the Country, Heres How Many Guns Were Sold in Michigan Last Month, Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs At Risk of Automation and AI Replacement in Michigan, Judge declares Illinois' gun ban unconstitutional, Report finds $860 million lost in homes seized by government, U.S Treasury sanctions cartel-run timeshare fraud network targeting Americans, Air Force leader's testimony on military vaccine mandates contradicts IG report, Gaetz says, Biden takes fire after vowing to ban assault weapons, Madigan asks judge to toss out 14 of 23 corruption counts. School board members agreed its roleis to manage the superintendent and let him or her run the day-to-day operations of the district. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. For example, the auditorium was divided into masked and non-masked sections. ", She felt the district should have gotten more than one bid and more than one appraisal before selling the property. Farmington public School board trustee. He wants to move the DEI program forward because "those words have meaning, acknowledging and celebrating the beautiful variety of cultures, religions, and abilities within our school community is diversity," he said. There is an opportunity to enhance outcomes for these learners. More: Tolonen Family Pet Shop one of downtown Farmington's newest businesses, More: Farmington school board offers superintendent job to Walled Lake administrator, More: The Hawk in Farmington Hills prepares for June opening. ", 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, 'Dysfunction' blamed for loss of Farmington's top three school officials. and holds the Superintendent and staff accountable for policy implementation. When the district establishes Excellence For All as its standard, then gaps in achievement can be eliminated. Personal conflicts, they say, also drew attention away from the schools. To help you prepare to cast your ballot, we've put together a handy collection of links to our candidate profiles, and those published by other organizations. Herrera will continue as superintendent until Jan. 22, which is the end of first semester. Angie Smith has had problems with every single person on that board, Terry Johnson, a former board vice president who alsoresignedin November, said. $('span#sw-emailmask-4633').replaceWith(''); Smith provided the following statement on his priorities for the district to the League of Women Voters Oakland Area: Our top 3 issues are, 1. width: 250px; display: inline-block; "His skill set was like nothing we have ever seen in this district," Green said Monday of Herrera. All Board Meeting videos can be found by searching or subscribing to Farmington Central 265 on YouTube. ", Smith is a self-admitted pot stirrer. color: white; Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. 61 South Main Street Farmington, Utah 84025 Phone Directory Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports. The district declined to elaborate on Herrera's claim. background-color: red; After the motion was requested, board president Pamela Green read a statement regarding "extraordinary developments" since the last meeting. Farmington Hills resident Angie Smith says she worked hard to help pass a 2004 Farmington Public Schools bond referendum. Herrera's resignation came after he filed a complaint against board member Angie Smith for harassment after she made posts online claiming he was racist toward students and staff. var encodedEmail = swrot13('mnpu.evpu@scfx12.arg'); Board of Veterinary Medicine 335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 215, St. Paul, MN 55102 Phone: (651) 201-2844 Fax: (651) 201-2842 Hearing/Speech Relay: 1-800-627-3529 I'm not going to treat anyone different from how I would treat a family member. FARMINGTON -- Farmington School Board voted Feb. 8 to amend the district's mask advisory policy so that masks are "highly recommended" instead of mandated. Counties | ROBERT DEAN Former MI State Representative, District 75 DORIS BURKS TAYLOR We have completed our strategic planning, identified the profile of a lifelong learner and negotiated long term contracts with our staff. The district should not differentiate between students. padding-left: 10px; Dr. Blau also serves as an Arts Commissioner for Farmington/Farmington Hills, Farmers Market volunteer, Mansion volunteer, and marches with both the Farmington Warnerettes Parasol Drill Team and the Rosie the Riveter Lunchbox Drill Team. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi. } A candidate committee that does not expect to receive or spend more than $1,000 during the election cycle is eligible to receive a reporting waiver, which allows that committee not to file pre-election, post-election, and annual campaign statements. Smith won the seat in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016 . $(document).ready(function () { Smith is unapologetic for her approach. Excellence for All in advanced placement courses, in technical courses, and throughout the curriculum is the appropriate response of the school board. You want to teach less reading, writing, and arithmetic so you can teach Critical Race Theory and DEI?. Don Wotruba,executive director of the Michigan Association of School Boards, said operating without a clear vision and culture can hold a board back. } In addition to teaching high school, Claudia taught mathematics at Oakland Community College and Schoolcraft College. Board president Pamela Green resigned following the meeting, as well as vice president Terry Johnson., citing frustrations with specifically two unnamed board members. In addition to white privilege checklists, the challenge asked participants to join a BLM or affiliated protest to bail out arrested protesters and rioters, and included a list of microaggressions to avoid, such as calling America the land of opportunity.. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. What they've done now is they've caused tension between the races. 

float:right; U.S. Congress | I chair the Communications/Community Engagement committee and work on the Legislation committee for our board. }); Angie Smith was elected in 2016. I want to hold the position because I love our district and know that we have a very strong program already, but passionately want to be a part of improving it even more  The Board is responsible for achieving aggressive education outcomes in Math, Reading, Writing, Science, and other areas that are required so that each student  has a chance to become a productive member of our society as we know it and can reasonably expect it to be. .widget-row.value-only.black { 	font-weight: bold; Dr. Blau currently holds Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees in Education as well as a second Masters degree in psychology. "I'm going to ask questions. The leadership shuffle. Backup QB C.J. Mable is a 24 year resident of Farmington Hills and a former member/president of the Timbercrest Homeowner Association. 	color: white; Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. She is co-founder of Calvary Education Center and provides enrichment and STEM summer experiences for Metro-Detroit children. Take a sneak peek inside, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 
 Sure," Macfarland said. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Terri earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Science degree in accounting from the Honors College at Ohio University. Parents manifested a concern that the district was not responding well to the pandemic. Dr. Herrera was appointed as superintendent in 2019. She has resided in Farmington Hills for over 20 years and was involved in her daughters academics and extracurricular activities. 	font-weight: bold; Upcoming Agenda: The next regular meeting is Monday, March 13, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.  The board firstpassed a resolution accepting the resignation of Superintendent Robert Herrera, who hasled the district since 2019.  It's not just former board members alleging conflicts. What is happening now is that it is showing and they need a scapegoat," she said. }); Mable Fox was elected in 2020. Elections are held bi-annually in November even years. }); Claudia Heinrich was elected in November 2020. Two other board members also resigned. When it comes down to the diversity in this community and being a people person, that was why I could not vote to put him in, Smith said regarding her dissenting vote when Herrera was initially hired. . It would require masks indoors and when social distancing is not possible "for all persons who are present on . She worked for Detroit Public Schools for 8  years in the Special Education Department as a trainable aide grade 1. Contacted by. "His skill set was like nothing we have ever seen in this district," she said. We have great programming, sustainability projects, state and national honors, and boast the largest CTE department in Oakland County. This year, our Town and School Elections will be held on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 . A former PTA Council president, co-chair of the and a state PTSA representative, Smith was motivated by contentious union negotiations with support staff that resulted in at . } This vote followed the Board of Education's decision in August to. EDUCATION COMMUNITY. Olson: The schools priorities need to be returning to the basics of good curriculum, without the distractions of other important, but secondary issues  especially social and political concerns. Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022; Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections; Trends in 2022 ballot measures; The Biden administration. Former board members Johnson, Green and Mukamal said problemsweren't limited to one person, arguingTerri Weems, the board's current president, has also fueled discord. Incumbent Terri Ann Weems ran against challengers Donald David, Clark Doughty, Bruce Lilley, William Lubaway, Tammy Luty, Ed Richardson, Tera Shamey, Angie Smith, and James Stark for the six-year terms. 	color: white; Walker: We have accomplished much. However, I am pleased with the direction the district is moving in, especially in the last year. Angie Smith (Farmington Public School District, Michigan) This disambiguation page lists articles with similar titles. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Weems, Smith, and Stark won these seats. Democrats and media have claimed CRT isnt taught in the state, despite in November Detroit Public Schools Community District General Superintendent Nikolai Vitti saying the 50,000-student district is teaching CRT. What I found is instead of being a cohesive, collaborative board, there was a lot of division and there was one common thread amongst it.. I have the utmost respect for Dr. Herrera.. border:1px solid #FFB81F; 
 .widget-row { Appointees Terri Weems and James Stark won six-year seats Tuesday on the Farmington Public Schools Board of Education, as did long-time district volunteer Angie Smith. Angie Smith is always in the middle of gossip and personnel issues, and I am so tired," she said. var encodedEmail = swrot13('natvr.fzvgu@scfx12.arg');
 Terri Weems is running for a second six-year term on the board and was appointed in 2015.  I am happy with our direction, but this is not a time to rest because there is still plenty to do. The protesters lined the street in front of North Farmington High School, holding signs and waving at . It was very clear there was a lot of disruption on the board, she said. Im frustrated and think we can do a lot better for equality.. 
  The closure of four elementary schools also has Smith concerned, both with the crowding of students into the remaining buildings and what happens as the district's population starts moving back up. It's like saying, 'Honey the house is in foreclosure, but there's a Bentley in the driveway.' . Tweets by C & G Newspapers journalists Reporters' opinions are their own and retweets do not equal endorsements. Herrera hadrecently filed a complaint against board secretaryAngie Smith for harassment, district officials said in a statement. Masks had been required when the district's residential population was classified as high risk for covid-19. We made a decision on (return to learn) in early January and, I think, the very next day some board members were questioning that decision, she said. SuperintendentBob Herrerafiled a harassment complaint against a school board member shortly before his resignation, which came just 18 months after the school board hired him. Copyright © 2002 - var currentTime = new Date();var year = currentTime.getFullYear();document.write(year); Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. "Dr. Robert Herrera indicated a desire to resign his employment with the district," Green said. A Certified Public Accountant, she has volunteered with parent groups at her children's schools and, She's been involved with the PTA, Women of Tomorrow and her homeowners association. I support in-house relations opposed to resourcing out, revisiting this would be major for me, so I would have a meeting of the minds of all stake holders, to keep from this happening again. I believe that by serving on the Board that I can help move the district in the right direction and correct shortcomings of the past. We do this by helping you register for the classes that you need, advising you on subjects such as testing, college readiness, career readiness and connecting you to the . } Follow Us. She earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a Master of Education from the University of Phoenix, and a Michigan teacher certification. Angie Smith Farmington School Board - 6 year term Donald Walker Farmington School Board - 6 year term Claudia Heinrich Farmington School Board - term ending 12/31/2024 Susie Muzbeck Crafton Walled Lake School Board Becky Spagnuolo Walled Lake School Board John Paul Torres Waterford School Board Angie Smith, Farmington School District Vice President Melanie Piana, Ferndale Mayor Brian Turnbull, Northville Mayor Barbara Morowski-Browne, Northville Pro Tem Brian Smith, Novi City Council Person Ericka Thomas, Novi City Council Person Tim Greimel, Pontiac Mayor Mike McGuinness, Pontiac City Council President "It's time for me," Smith said. Farmington public School board trustee Pastor Doug Jones, Welcome Missionary Baptist Church Pastor and Chair of the Oakland County Ministerial Alliance. I think we need to do some cutting at the top. We completed an equity audit and are working on our strategic plan in conjunction with the audit  We successfully negotiated contracts, became a fully certified board with engaged leadership  We still have a lot to do. 
  CBS Detroit - Farmington School Board Superintendant Robert Herrera resigned along with School board Vice President Terri Johnson and President Pamela Green, citing online, public, and.