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NEWS "Save Our Schools" group advocates for preserving district structure
FARRAH FASSE COMMUNITY CONCERN| Lauren Nowicki, a concerned parent and the founder of the "Save Our Schools" initiative, expressed her concern at a rally, photographed above, outside the Board of Education meeting at Brownell Middle School. "My biggest concern is just that there's no benefit to doing this, this whole reconfiguration," Nowicki said.
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FARRAH FASSE YOUTH ADVOCACY| Several students attended the rally; junior Cordy Wettstein felt strongly about the lack of communication given to parents about the topic. "Relatively little information has been given to parents of whom this will affect, which is problematic," Wettstein said.
By Farrah Fasse & Abi Murray PAGE EDITORS
Stefanie Hayes, is overseeing many of the changes made to intellectually disabled children from their home schools, as special education programs during the reconfiguration process. Hayes claims there is no guarantee that those students will
On Feb. 10, Grosse Pointe Public Schools held one of its biweekly Hayes said that there will not be reductions in the types of attend the school located closest to their home. board meetings at Brownell Middle School. Outside the entrance, programs offered, such as Cognitive Impairment and Autism This is due to the district’s special education programs funding a group called “Save Our Schools” protested the impact district Spectrum Disorder classrooms. Rather, the locations of the through Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agencies. reconfiguration will have on special education programming. Founder Lauren Nowicki said "Save Our Schools" formed several months ago, before the board vote occurred. Since then, the group has expressed concern over reconfiguration regarding the impact on special education, the financial benefit and the movement of fifth grade to middle school. For these kids to transition is already going to be “ Hayes argues this funding is the basis for students not being promised attendance to their closest school, as several elements— aside from their residence—factor into students’ school placement. “(Special education) isn't a Grosse Pointe program to start with. We do try to have kids that are Grosse Pointe residents considered for their own school or the closest school possible, but it isn't “All of us, at one time or another, have written letters and/or met with both board members and administration,” hard. To then take them to necessarily a guarantee as we always have students that are also referred from Grosse Pointe, Harper Woods and Hamtramck,” Nowicki said. “Those have gotten us not very far, so we proceeded to start protesting at the board meetings because even after contacting them through various facets they still are not responding to us or not even open to listening to our ideas or answering our questions.” One major grievance expressed by "Save Our Schools" is that most of the special education programs will Hayes said. “...We do have to look at the numbers (and) the locations. And also, there are many variables to consider ... what grade kids are, what grade levels, what functioning levels, where their transportation will occur and how long of a ride.” As "Save Our Schools" concerns about reconfiguration stretch farther than just special education, they are continuing to protest outside before the start of board meetings. Their next protest is on a whole new school with none of their peers is going to be extremely traumatic. Lauren Nowicki “ be housed in schools on the North end of the district. FOUNDER OF "SAVE OUR SCHOOLS" March 9 regarding school closure savings. However, the group believes that programs should be Asserting that reconfiguration should not be happening spread evenly among schools. Nowicki is also worried programs will be shifted to other schools, but they will retain the in the first place, Nowicki is concerned that the changes about the effects that moving schools will have on students same number of classrooms throughout the district during the 2019- being made are regressive for the district. She believes that with intellectual disabilities. 20 and 2020-21 school years. reconfiguration should be looked at as an opportunity to
“The closest (program) to us will be housed either at Although junior Corrydon Wettstein understands the concerns improve the district, not save money. Richard or Kirby, so that's quite a ways away, and for those that special education may be disrupted by the transition, he sees “I think (in terms of reconfiguration) we should stop the current kids this transition is already going to be hard. To then take it as a necessary one, believing that the children will experience a plan, and take a step back and look at what is needed in the district, them to a whole new school with none (some) of their peers learning curve and adjust accordingly. and not only what is needed. But (we should also look at) what we is going to be extremely traumatic for them,” Nowicki said. “I think that it may not be distributed evenly, but I’m could do to make our districts better,” Nowicki said. “This current “(It will be) far more traumatic than (for) any of our (regular grateful there are still the same amount of classes,” Wettstein plan is not improving us at all. What it is (doing) is just shrinking education students) that are moving from one school to said. “The longer drive by 10 minutes is surely worth the same us, and allowing us no room for growth. With a plan that is perhaps another, but they are moving at least with their friends.” quality of education.” more innovative and more cutting edge, offering some programs
Grosse Pointe Public Schools Director of Student Services, "Save Our Schools" largely protests the displacement of to kids (that are) more 21st century rather than old school.”
Student starts petition to create homework clubEnglish curriculum evaluates minority inclusion
By Michael Hartt & Colin Duffy PAGE EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER
English department co-chairs, Kristen Alles and Jonathan Byrne, are currently leading the department through an intensive curriculum review, in which they hope to replace current text options with more diverse characters and authors.
“One of our main goals for this particular curriculum review (is) to include diverse voices,” Alles said, “Whether that’s through a diverse author or a diverse narrator.”
Alles said the routine curriculum normally takes a few years to complete. The process starts with the committee members — the English department chairs from both North and South, an administrator liaison from each high school and Maureen Burr, the district curriculum director — meeting to discuss where holes might be in the curriculum that they want to change. They then meet again to figure out the process for achieving their goals. Once they decide to amend something, the committee has to present the change to the Educational Programs Leadership Council, which is a group of teachers, community members and parents who serve as informed advocats of educational excellence. If the Council approves, then the curriculum change has to be taken to the school board, where it must be passed in order for it to go into effect.
One of the administrative liaisons, Assistant Principal Geoffrey Young, says that the review is moving efficiently, but is taking more time than usual because of the scope of changing the texts.
“This review is taking a little bit longer because we have a lot of work to do with selection of text which is not very easy to do. It demands the English teachers to, in many cases, read other texts while they are still teaching and doing full time work,” Young said.
Junior Annalise Thomas has long thought that the English curriculum has lacked diverse narratives even though she thinks English is one of the best classes to discuss diverse topics.
“We don’t discuss anything on racial diversity (and) sexual diversity,” Thomas said. “They could incorporate that, and I think it would be smart to weave those things in there, because that’s really one of the only classes they can do that with.”
However, Thomas said she is optimistic that this review will add more diversity to the curriculum and make it less eurocentric.
Young agrees and thinks that teaching students with a more diverse curriculum will benefit them tremendously long after high school ends.
“All kinds of differences are going to be part of what (students) experience in the world and so to be competent with those people, you have to know how to understand them, or how they use language, or how they communicate stories and their experiences,” Young said. “So we do want there to be enough experiences in our curriculum to allow for students to have that kind of competency.”
Benefits of text change
modern text
American dream
Diverse voices
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Sophomore Anaya Winesberry is proposing a club to offer a space for students who cannot leave immediately after school because they do not have a ride home. Winesberry thinks a club like this could offer a multifaceted solution to both students and the administration.
“I started to make this club for students who get kicked out of the school right after the bell rings because their parents have 9 to 5 jobs. They end up stuck (outside),” Winesberry said. “There are just so many ways to make (students) more productive after school than just sitting (and) waiting outside. They could (be) in an active learning space, (and) actually be productive until their parents come get them.”
Although this club is still in its planning stage, Winesberry has had serious conversations with administrators and she says that they are enthusiastic about the idea.
According to the current plan, the club would be set up as a focused learning space in a large room that could hold the number of students who usually have to wait for a ride after school. Students would be encouraged, and possibly even required to do homework. Other activities, such as playing on their phones and talking to others would be tolerated as long as they are mindful of others.
Winesberry thinks that in order for the administration to approve the club and in order to maintain a calm atmosphere, there would have to be rules about the type of behavior that is tolerated.
“Just to make sure that students don’t take advantage of it, there would have to be policies in place like no loud disruptions, if you’re here and you’re doing your work (then that is okay), but (the atmosphere would) not (be) like a jail,” Winesberry said.
Social studies teacher Brent Maynard, who will most likely be the advisor of the club, is enthusiastic about its ability to help students, but is concerned about the logistics.
“I think that with either the ability to find staffing through volunteers or through the staff here at North, that will be our biggest logistical challenge. Having the library or some other spaces big enough where that many kids could utilize it (would be a challenge too),” Maynard said.
Even though he sees organizing the club as a challenge, Maynard still thinks that it would be possible with hard work.
Junior Daniela Maros, who says that she would have been able to utilize a club like this as an underclassmen, says that it would be a great disservice to students if this club idea did not turn into reality.
“The Homework Club could be a game changer for so many students who normally can’t be productive because they have to sit around and wait for a ride for hours,” Maros said. “I think the school would be so much better off with a resource like this one.”
