Dearborn School Supt. Says ‘Task Ahead Not Easy’
Dearborn Schools Supt. Brian Whiston took to the local papers this weekend, the latest school official submitting a column on the difficult changes the Dearborn School district is facing because of massive cuts in state funding.
Supt. Brian Whiston
His column comes weeks after a “he said, she said” column appeared in the paper from Aimee Blackburn, president of the Dearborn Board of Education and Chris Sipperley, president of the Dearborn Federation of Teachers, Local 681. The column writing has been criticized by some in our city but no one can deny it is an effective way to present the issues facing our district and reach people who may not otherwise attend or watch school board meetings.
Whiston raises some valid points in his column, namely that the school district cannot go back and start over.
“We can’t pretend the $12 million in cuts from Lansing didn’t happen,” Whiston writes in his column that appears in the Sunday issue of the Dearborn Press & Guide. “We are faced with a new beginning that looks different than the beginning we had in September. Our new beginning, although not ideal or the one that we want, can have a successful ending, an ending that is even more meaningful than the one that we planned when the school year started.”
While Whiston spends too much time in his column quoting others to make his points (Woodrow Wilson, Maria Robinson, John Maxwell), he does at least admit the obvious: what lies ahead is going to be extremely difficult for our school district.
“. . . Not only are schools facing the possible loss of a teacher, parapro, or other vital staff member, but they are facing the difficult task of changing the way we meet the educational needs of children or how we deliver instruction. The task ahead will not be easy but it is vitally important to the success of the students in our classrooms. . .”
Indeed. And everyone working in the Dearborn School District will need to come together to successfully navigate the rough waters our schools and students will soon face.
January 24th, 2010 at 9:29 am
Nice to see Whiston finally commenting on the record after MONTHS of avoidance. Not surprising that he says nothing of substance, and like mentioned about, quotes everyone else to avoid his own opinion. DPS employees have been pushed around these last few months, and quotes from Woodrow Wilson won’t change that. Honesty is the best policy, and DPS screwed the pooch on this one. Other districts in the same situation as DPS have handled this far better. Why is Dearborn the only district cutting this many employees mid-year?
January 24th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Why cannot Whiston admit to his errors in this budget mess? He promised the Education Foundation $70,000 a year for their Director. He pledged this amount for the next 2 years. The Director kept his full time job with a Marketing company and took the $70,000 from the District. This group has raised $1,000,000.00 and should be paying for their own Director. Wastefully spending like this lead to the loss of Teachers to our District and hurts our students. Maybe this budget crunch will teach him that the tax payer money is precious and should not be given away wastefully.
January 24th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
A sad point I want to make, I have many friends in the district and whenever I bring up the topic of what is going on with their children school they seem clueless. They have NO IDEA who is in the front office or what teachers are being let go. Considering that changes have been made and looks like more to come why do they not care or notice? I loved the school my children use to attend and it gives me a heavy heart knowing that it is suffering so much. I hope things will turn arnd for DPS.
January 24th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Confused you are so right on with your statement — I hope little Brian hasn’t sold out to Mossolam and his boys as Mossolam has privately told people.
January 24th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Does anyone know which teachers are being laid off, and which teachers are going where? The people I have asked at the schools say the plans have not been finalized.
We need to know more about what is going on with that Education Foundation, from what is printed above. Can ‘rick’ provide any details?
January 24th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
I think Whiston was trying to play off all the finger pointing by using a bunch of quotes relevant to the situation. Perhaps the district’s PR guy gave some bad advice or did his usual mediocre job of writing. Agreed, not a strong opinion. However, everybody (administration and employees) in the schools need to make sure they are paying attention to the kids and not spending all their time wrapped up in finding someone to blame. Remember, despite all that is going on, their job is to educate kids. I would like to blame someone for this as well but I find it hard to throw Whiston under the bus when the state cut $12 million in October.
I don’t think Dearborn is in this alone. I saw on the news the other night Southgate is going through the same thing, as is a bunch of other districts.
As far as the Foundation guy, I was at one of the meetings where Whiston explained the cost. $50,000 (not $70,000) this year and no promise for next year. The guy is paid by the Foundation not the district, no benefits. If the Foundation guy doesn’t bring in more money than the Foundation has collected in previous years the district doesn’t give the Foundation the additional 50 g’s. The Foundation throws around that million dollar figure a lot but that has come over many years. The Foundation board evaluates the director not the district. As far as the other job goes I have no idea if that is true or not it appears others on this site know more.
January 25th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Jim it is 70, 000 with the 20,000 bonus given recently and it is a two deal. Waste not want not.
January 25th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Jim,
Whiston GAVE the money to the Foundation, and the Foundation gave it to their Director. Yes, the Foundation paid the Director but with the money Whiston gave the Foundation. Don’t be fooled by the spin. District funds paid the Director.
January 27th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
If Whiston really wants to get the word out … here’s a thought, send a note home with the kids! Most parents are sadly unaware that all this is happening.
January 27th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
If people have any interest in their children at all they know what is happening in the schools. It’s been in the paper, TV and on the web-site.
January 28th, 2010 at 8:59 am
Donna Hay – people are busy, people are struggling in other parts of their lives … we don’t have Comcast, so don’t get the Dearborn station, I am fortunate to be able to afford the paper, but many of my neighbors are not able to afford that right now, and the website doesn’t explain the specifics of what is happening at each school. As much as I agree with you that people should try to be more informed, I really believe that it’s the responsibility of the school to send a note home.
On another note, my child’s class will be dissolved at the end of today … no official word on who his new teacher will be because the district is still juggling the teachers around. How is this fair to the kids?
January 28th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Happy – I do realize that people are busy but even if they don’t have access to cable or the newspapers there is always the PTA in their local schools. I know the kids in my neighborhood have been bringing home rumors for weeks now. If you go on the school website you can watch the school board meetings and some of the special meetings that were held. In fact channel 7 has had a few pieces on the school system. My grandson’s math teacher has been rehired so that’s a plus and my granddaughter is switching classes but they know who the teacher will be. My g/daughter brought home a note from school explaining what was going to be happening and when, I just assumed that all the schools did this.
There is always the public library where people can go to read papers and use the internet.
January 29th, 2010 at 7:27 am
If your school sent home a note explaining what would happen prior to this week, that information was based on speculation and hopes because changes to staffing were made as late as Thursday morning.
PTA, in many schools, is a glorified sorority … not a place that is welcoming to most parents. As employees of the taxpayers, I feel that a note home is not too much to ask.