Winter: An Update

Source: Winter: An Update

JANUARY 2, 2016

We have not had a lot of success in keeping bees alive these past winters. We’ve had struggles with nosema, starvation, and weather beyond our control.  Every year we vow to do something different, and we do, but then something else seems to kill them.

This year we were fairly aggressive in keeping the mite population in check as one of our theories was the bees were weaker than they looked going into the winter months.  We also only took 2-3 frames of honey total (from our then 6 hives), so there would be plenty of honey for the winter months.  Finally, we revamped our wind-block system.

In years past, we’ve seen record colds. One year there were too many cold days in a row for the bees to get out for cleansing flights. One year the well-below zero temps didn’t come until mid-February and the weak cluster just couldn’t sustain. So this year, we upgraded our plan of attack:

Scrooged: A Lansing Parable | From Michigan Parents for Schools

In what may well be the finest synopsis of the state of public education, including the ghosts of past, present and possibly the future as well, Steve Norton, Executive Director of Michigan Parents for Schools, has prepared very nearly everything parents, students, taxpayers, legislative leaders, elected officials (local and state) need to know about where we were – where we are – and where we all need to be – for the sake of our students of today and tomorrow.  Read it now. Read it again. And by all means then share, discuss and learn! – JLS

Scrooged: A Lansing Parable

Tue, 12/29/2015 – 5:58pm — Steven Norton

As Michigan Parents for Schools begins its tenth year, and since we’re in the holiday season, I thought it might be a good moment for a retrospective on what has been done to public education over the last decade.

Think of me as the “Ghost of Policy Present,” offering to introduce you to the “Ghost of Legislation Past” and a tour down memory lane. Please stay for the tour.

With the turnover of people in Lansing, it is shocking what gets forgotten. But we, the people and parents of Michigan, should not forget. Instead, we must resolve to shape the future in the interest of our children.

The warning flare that fizzled

Our journey starts in the fall of 2006,

Source: Scrooged: A Lansing Parable | Michigan Parents for Schools

After 16+ years under State of Michigan management the Detroit Public Schools debt payments mount to unsustainable levels

Based on a present-day observation, except for a brief period, DPS’ situation in the now can only be laid at the fee of three equally incompetent governors and 1 equally incompetent mayor. Why? Because with 16+ years of complete access to the full, faith, credit and authority of at least half-dozen State of Michigan departments – including experts and advisers from treasury, technology, management & budget, health, human services, three branches of government, both House and Senate fiscal agencies in addition to onsite management teams approved by State of Michigan overseers EACH and ALL have been unable to do anything but make the school district worse off that is was in 1999 when this fiasco was initially conceived. Now the question is what to do next? Would that the State of Michigan could go back in time and undo all the damage it’s done. However there simply is no way to turn back the calendar. That said, three former Michigan governors and one former mayor acting on behalf of one of those governors bear the responsibility and the buck(s) stop at their desks – figuratively and literally. And taxpayers are always responsible for the deeds and the misdeeds of their elected officials. Ultimately, the state legislature must make it all right by restoring (as much as possible) the Detroit Public Schools to where they were in 1999. – JLS

Lansing — The debt payments of Detroit Public Schools — already the highest of any school district in Michigan — are set to balloon in February to an amount nearly equal to the school district’s payroll and benefits as the city school system teeters on the edge of insolvency.

Detroit Public Schools has to begin making monthly $26 million payments starting in less than a month to chip away at the $121 million borrowed this school year for cash flow purposes and $139.8 million for operating debts incurred in prior years. The city school system’s total debt payments are 74 percent higher from last school year.

Source: DPS debt payments mount to unsustainable levels

State employees who intentionally distort data could face jail time under a proposed law | Michigan Radio

A state lawmaker wants to make it a felony for state employees to manipulate data in official reports.

State Representative Phil Phelps, D-Flushing, says there’s no law on the books to punish state employees who intentionally distort data to change the outcome of an official report.

Critics claim that’s what happened with state reports that downplayed problems with Flint’s drinking water after the 2014 switch to the city’s namesake river. If that’s what happened, Phelps says that should be against the law.

“If that was proven to be manipulation of data or removing data that changed the outcome, it could be subject to a five year felony,” says Phelps.

Source: State employees who intentionally distort data could face jail time under a proposed law | Michigan Radio

Time for Sens. Stabenow, Peters to urge federal investigations in Flint, Detroit

To: Office of Senator Debbie Stabenow – January 4, 2016

Senator Debbie Stabenow <senator@stabenow.senate.gov>

Dear Sen. Stabenow:

“issues of concern to me”

It seems to me you and Sen. Peters have been sadly silent on two important, impactful and quite literally life-threatening

 

1. As you know, the new Flint mayor and more recently the Genesee County Board of Commissioners have declared a state of emergency. Senator, the people of Flint (adults, children and students) including residential domiciles and business facilities are struggling to cope with poisoned water. This is a tragedy akin to Love Canal, New Jersey and Times Beach, Missouri and it calls for federal action. Something more than just an appearance or press conference would be a start and subsequent actions by yourself and Sen. Peters MUST include using pressure from your office to demand a full and complete EPA investigation into the Flint Water Crisis.  

2. As you also know the Detroit Public Schools have been (and continue to be) managed and operated by 3 consecutive Michigan governors and at least 1 mayor

Justice Department investigation into misuse and misappropriation and malfeasance of state and federal funds in the intervening 16+ years.

I am including a recent public statement by Herman Davis, whom you may likely have met, who is president of the Detroit Public Schools Board of Education.

 

I implore you Senator Stabenow, for the sake of the pat and present students and employees who’ve come and gone from the DPS and the countless number of students who will enroll in the school district in the future.

 

Here’s Mr. Davis’ press release below my signature. PLEASE follow up on all of the above Senator… your state needs you and Sen. Peters sincere and committed, involvement in these two serious matters.

 

Respectfully submitted,

​

Jeff Salisbury

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsalisbury

https://misterjournalism.wordpress.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyLSalisbury
535 N. Main St., Wayland, MI 49348-1042
Land – 269-792-2996   Cell – 616-644-0327

 

PRESS RELEASE – HERMAN DAVIS, PRESIDENT, DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Two groups, TRUE (Taxpaying Residents United for Education) and CUBE (Citizens United for Better Education) are working together to bring Detroit from under mismanaged and abusive State control, and out into the 21st Century. Here are our working goals and objectives. This is a working document. Like our Constitution, it is subject to amendment as necessary.

A 21st CENTURY EDUCATION FOR DETROIT STUDENTS

The mission of hundreds of tax payers was inspired in part by a mandate community leaders, voters, parents and friends. We demand a return of our schools to local control, to be overseen by a body representative that is elected by the people:

1. Provide the highest quality education to Detroit’s children by restoring music, art, science programs, physical education, smaller class sizes, wraparound support services, after school tutorial and recreation programs and transportation.

2. Restore the school budget by demanding the State repay Detroit taxpayers the $2.1 billion in damages which were caused by State authority, which we will do through a Headlee Adjustment and through restored adherence to the Michigan State Constitution.

3. Hire and retain experienced and qualified teachers and support staff by the full restoration of salary, competitive benefit packages and the step system.

4. Reverse, prohibit, and apologize to teachers for the State contracts which forced teachers to pay the state managed district from their own paychecks.

5. Repair and restore the positive and cohesive relationship with all our collective bargaining units and the community at large that was severally damaged by the Governor and his Emergency Managers.

6. Provide advanced technical training to insure competitive knowledge,
which will prepare Detroit student’s for future industries, including full restoration of Davis Aerospace FAA certification lost under State management.

7. Protect the safety of Detroit students by the full restoration of common sense principles which were relaxed and ignored under State control.

8. Immediately and directly grant the full restoration of the same democracy to Detroit citizens which other Americans enjoy by giving parents, students, taxpayers and neighborhoods a voice in their community again via restoration of a fully empowered, locally elected School Board.

9. To protect all persons with disabilities in compliance with the spirit and intent of the ADA, which includes following the IEP of special education students.

10. Restore community trust through transparency of the operation of the Detroit Public School District and re-establishment public schools as a cornerstone of our neighborhoods.

We, as a group of stakeholders in public education within the city of Detroit, and across the nation are united in the goal to re-establish public schools as a cornerstone of our neighborhood.

The working goals of this excellent group have been affirmed and approved by Detroit’s concerned citizens, parents, teachers, union officials and others including:

State Representative, Rose Mary Robinson
Isaac Robinson, Attorney
Tom Barrow, Citizens for Detroit’s Future
Melissa Love Light, of the National BATS
Tracy Leigh of the DFT Election Committee
Patricia Dowling, DPS Retired Teacher
Thomas C. Pedroni Wayne State University
Earl Rickman, Former President, National Association of School Boards
Tawanna Simpson, Detroit School Board
Elena Herrada, Detroit School Board
Teresa Kelly, Michigan Citizen
Cynthia A. Johnson Stand Up Now
Lewis M. Dickens III, Architect

& Many More Parents, Students and Citizens. If I left off anyone, of those I have seen, forgive me. Thank you for being TRUE to Detroit’s children.

On Mon, Jan 4, 2016 at 12:20 PM, Office of Senator Stabenow <newsletter@stabenow.senate.gov

A 21st CENTURY EDUCATION FOR DETROIT STUDENTS By Herman Davis, President DPS Board of Education

Two groups, TRUE (Taxpaying Residents United for Education) and CUBE (Citizens United for Better Education) are working together to bring Detroit from under mismanaged and abusive State control, and out into the 21st Century.

Here are our working goals and objectives. This is a working document. Like our Constitution, it is subject to amendment as necessary.

A 21st CENTURY EDUCATION FOR DETROIT STUDENTS

The mission of hundreds of tax payers was inspired in part by a mandate community leaders, voters, parents and friends. We demand a return of our schools to local control, to be overseen by a body representative that is elected by the people:

1. Provide the highest quality education to Detroit’s children by restoring music, art, science programs, physical education, smaller class sizes, wraparound support services, after school tutorial and recreation programs and transportation.

2. Restore the school budget by demanding the State repay Detroit taxpayers the $2.1 billion in damages which were caused by State authority, which we will do through a Headlee Adjustment and through restored adherence to the Michigan State Constitution.

3. Hire and retain experienced and qualified teachers and support staff by the full restoration of salary, competitive benefit packages and the step system.

4. Reverse, prohibit, and apologize to teachers for the State contracts which forced teachers to pay the state managed district from their own paychecks.

5. Repair and restore the positive and cohesive relationship with all our collective bargaining units and the community at large that was severally damaged by the Governor and his Emergency Managers.

6. Provide advanced technical training to insure competitive knowledge,
which will prepare Detroit student’s for future industries, including full restoration of Davis Aerospace FAA certification lost under State management.

7. Protect the safety of Detroit students by the full restoration of common sense principles which were relaxed and ignored under State control.

8. Immediately and directly grant the full restoration of the same democracy to Detroit citizens which other Americans enjoy by giving parents, students, taxpayers and neighborhoods a voice in their community again via restoration of a fully empowered, locally elected School Board.

9. To protect all persons with disabilities in compliance with the spirit and intent of the ADA, which includes following the IEP of special education students.

10. Restore community trust through transparency of the operation of the Detroit Public School District and re-establishment public schools as a cornerstone of our neighborhoods.

We, as a group of stakeholders in public education within the city of Detroit, and across the nation are united in the goal to re-establish public schools as a cornerstone of our neighborhood.

The working goals of this excellent group have been affirmed and approved by Detroit’s concerned citizens, parents, teachers, union officials and others including:

State Representative, Rose Mary Robinson
Isaac Robinson, Attorney
Tom Barrow, Citizens for Detroit’s Future
Melissa Love Light, of the National BATS
Tracy Leigh of the DFT Election Committee
Patricia Dowling, DPS Retired Teacher
Thomas C. Pedroni Wayne State University
Earl Rickman, Former President, National Association of School Boards
Tawanna Simpson, Detroit School Board
Elena Herrada, Detroit School Board
Teresa Kelly, Michigan Citizen
Cynthia A. Johnson Stand Up Now
Lewis M. Dickens III, Architect

& Many More Parents, Students and Citizens. If I left off anyone, of those I have seen, forgive me. Thank you for being TRUE to Detroit’s children.

• Herman Davis, President
• Detroit Public Schools Board of Education

Source: (4) Herman Davis – Two groups, TRUE (Taxpaying Residents United for…