DeepSaidWhat.com welcomes your views and encourages lively -- but civil -- discussions. Comments are unedited, but submissions reported as abusive may be removed.

23 Responses to “Dearborn School Supt. Urges Letter Writing to Gov.”

1. Just Asking says:
   February 22nd, 2011 at 10:11 am

   After reading this morning’s Detroit Free Press about the miniscule percentage of Dearborn high school students who are ready for college, I definitely plan to write a letter to the governor asking that all bilingual funding and related programs be cut as they apparently are doing no good.

2. dowhat says:
   February 22nd, 2011 at 11:37 am

   So, what recommendations does Mr. Whiston have to solve the State budget situation beside trying to save the school dollars?

3. kay says:
   February 22nd, 2011 at 11:17 pm

   Unbelievable but predictable..if that makes sense. Let’s hope Dearborn teachers do not behave like those in Madison if things don’t go their way in Lansing. If the protesting teachers in Madison are an example of the teachers they have in Wisconsin, perhaps parents should start looking at home schooling. And I hear that the Wisonsin schools are some of the worst in the country. I, too, would like to know what Mr. Whiston would do to save some money. Perhaps he should compose a letter to those of who pay the bills. It seems they always forget the common thread…the taxpayer. So Mr. Deep, before you start promoting the wishes of Mr. Whiston and the school board, how about suggesting to Mr. Whiston that you would be more than happy to help him express his ideas for the future of this district to the people of Dearborn? Mr. Whiston, can you explain this? DEARBORN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
   Address: 18700 AUDETTE STREET, DEARBORN, 48124
   Phone: (313) 827-3022
   18,158 Students enrolled in District
   37 Schools in District
   DISTRICT RATING
   COMPARED TO STATE
   (10 is best) 3 !!!!
   Better than 27.1% of MI schools.
   DISTRICT RATING
   COMPARED TO U.S.
   (10 is best) 2 !!!!!
   Better than:
   of US school
   districts 19.8%
   Fewer students per classroom means smaller classes and more personal attention to each student.
   STUDENTS PER CLASSROOM
   17
   STATE AVERAGE 18
   Get full reports for any school in this district

   Public School Test Scores (No Child Left Behind)
   72% 74% 75% 78% 69% 69% DISTRICT
   STATE
   PROFICIENT IN
   READING & MATH PROFICIENT IN
   READING PROFICIENT IN
   MATH

4. Reality Bites says:
   February 22nd, 2011 at 11:57 pm

   Exactly what purpose does it serve to make cuts to education. These teachers are the people who produce the doctors, engineers , lawyers, and educated professionals that drive innovation. Either pay now for education or pay more latter for prison guards and private security. Seriously I have stated before that our public education system in this country is outmoded and in need of change, but these drastic cuts serve no purpose. Furthermore it is not mr Whiston’s job to balance the state budget. His job is to advocate for DPS school children. So I guess pensioners and school children, those who gave and those who will give are the ones to carry the governors water.

5. Reality Bites says:
   February 23rd, 2011 at 9:53 am

   The teachers in Wisconsin have already agreed to the pension and benefits cuts demanded by their governor. What the teachers in Wisconsin will not do is agree to is having their right to collectively bargain unilaterally terminated by executive fiat. If the governor of Wisconsin was only interested in cost savings, this boondoggle would be over today.These benefit reductions demanded by the governor and agreed to by the unions will save 160 million yearly. This very same governor just enacted 157 million in tax revenue cuts. This situation in Wisconsin is clearly a manufactured crisis. As a conservative and parent who pays to privately educate my child I find these neo liberal policies espoused by many republicans a threat to the common good. Last years teacher of the year in Wisconsin, yearly pay is $58,000. So this politics of personal resentment is really getting old.

6. Dearborn Observer says:
   February 23rd, 2011 at 11:24 am

   Reality Bites, I can see your point. Much like early childhood nutrition, if there is a lack of education early in a person’s life, it can’t be made up later. Will all public schools be reduced to the level of Detroit’s? Their ‘college ready’ score from CASS TECH was about 4%. The other schools had only 1%. I didn’t see Dearborn’s score. Hopefully it was much higher than that.

   Maybe, just maybe, those who cling to bilingual education will finally admit it doesn’t work. Maybe, achievement will become the only goal, as it should have been all along.

7. Michael D. Albano says:
   February 23rd, 2011 at 2:19 pm

   With a large number of DPS students not being proficient in English or non-English speaking, I’m wondering how we can expect to educate these children and mainstream them if we eliminate bi-lingual classes. If we send them home and tell them to come back when they know English, the most likely we’d lost over 1/2 of the students in our schools, as well as millions in funding and this would devastate our schools, as well as our city and it’s future.

   The goal and action taken by the DPS Board and Superintendent Whiston has been to immerse these children into English so that they can mainstream them, which was not happening under the previous administration. Now that DPS has been doing this, test scores on MEAP and MME tests have gone up significantly. EFHS which was down in the bottom 25% of high schools is now in the top 25-26% of high schools and almost equal to DHS. Fordson, which was down at the bottom even lower than EFHS is now in the top 60% of high schools in the state.

   While not all Dearborn public schools are doing well, far more now are doing well and/or significantly improving test scores compared to the past, mainly due to immersing children into English class aka bi-lingual classes.

8. kay says:
   February 23rd, 2011 at 6:03 pm

   Reality Bites…The teachers’ salary + their benefits were much HIGHER than the private sector. You must include benefits in their salary or you are misrepresenting. I too paid private education tuition for my children and although we were financially strapped throughout their school years, we were glad to be able to have some control over their education and we were not subjected to the waste and politcal correctness that is bogging down the public school system. It is clear that this is not a so-called ‘manufactured crisis’ in Wisconsin. Just because Rachel Maddow says it is, does not make it so. In fact, more often than not, you can bet that the exact opposite of her view is true. The numbers and facts of their situation are out there. She claimed that the budget in Wisconsin was balanced. Totally wrong and she does a disservice to her viewers when she misrepresents the facts. Dearborn needs to cut the crap, cut all of the expenses that make special provisions for cultural differences, return the grant money to teach Arabic in schools where a comparitively high percentage of kids come from Arabic speaking homes. Look at the class sizes? 17!!! Come on! I remember having 51 classmates in my 2nd grade class and we ALL were learning. Times are tough, teachers are no different thant he rest of us. I work longer hours and do more work now than I ever had. Staff has been cut, supplies have been cut, we are doing more with less. It separates the “boys from the men” to use an old not very p.c. phrase. Those of us who have not be let go, we are grateful to have jobs and we are working hard to prove that we are worth keeping. The unions seems to strive to make sure the opposite is accomplished. Private schools teachers make nothing compared to these union teachers. Yet look at the statitstics. Which schools produce the most NHS members, the most college graduates, etc? These teachers work in private schools, privately funded, private boards. NO UNIONS. No “collective bargaining”. Think about it.

9. MyTwoSenseToo says:
   February 23rd, 2011 at 7:25 pm

   Dear Governor Rick Snyder,

   Our Superintendent of Dearborn Public Schools Brian J Whiston wants the parents of his district to send you letters with broad statements. He wants us to “explain” to you things that he does not take the time to explain to us.

   1. Reductions in funding…..
   Mr. Whiston: What are these devastations to the classroom? Do you have a list?

   2. Dearborn students across….
   Mr. Whiston: How much of a reduction will the students see in staff, resources and services? Is someone making an educated guess?

   3. These budget reccomendations….
   Mr. Whiston: Why does our district have more “At Risk” children than any other district? Is there a reason for our higher numbers and the need for more funding? Is there a need for bilingual education other than providing more jobs for ESL teachers in our district?

   4. Reductions in funding…..
   Mr. Whiston: Don’t you think you covered most of this in statement 2? Do you really think that only money will make our students college ready?

   If I were a judge and you were a lawyer – I’d say you hardly proved your case Mr. Whiston. This is a pretty pathetic attempt.

10. dowhat says:
    February 24th, 2011 at 11:44 am

    I think all non english speaking students should be in a pre-school class to learn english and pass a proficiency test before they are admitted into the main stream school system. Perhaps this would save $ and increase learning without having bilingual education.

11. Reality Bites says:
    February 24th, 2011 at 9:53 pm

    First off the wage and benefit packages of government workers are less than the private sector when education level and years of service are comparable. The teacher of the year in Wisconsin made under $60 grand last year. Tell me where in the private sector the number one person in thier profession with ten years service and a master degree makes under $60 grand? Secondly comparing private schools to public is pointless. Private schools have the most involved parents and best students. If you compare the results between similar non union charters and union public schools the results clearly show public schools the superior choice.

    I don’t watch Rachel Maddow but if she says this is a manufactured crisis she is correct. The unions agreed to the wage and benefit concessions demanded by the governor. If public service unions are so disagreeable to this governor why are the state troopers, police, and fire departments excluded. Furthermore if the state is in such disarray why did he enact tax cuts exceeding $160 million dollars. So what we have in Wisconsin is a governor who excludes unions that supported his election from concessions and cuts taxes on the highest income earners all the while blaming snow plow drivers and social workers for a problem that he created.
    If capital is allowed the right to organize for special government preferences through hedge funds and limited liability corporations , and wealthy individuals can orginize through chambers of commerce, and unlimited donations to political action committees, why can’t middle class people collectively organize through unions. I guess it is ok for corporations and wealthy donors to elect republicans, and then bargain with them to privatize public resources but this right is denied to unions?
    And as this bogus argument that everyone is doing more with less is pure bs. My income has gone up 49% the last two years and my 401 k has exceeded it 2008 highs. So no the wealthiest Americans are making more money and paying less taxes then they ever have. So your resentment is aimed at the wrong people.

12. Waiting Better for Dearborn says:
    February 25th, 2011 at 8:12 am

    Ask Mr. Whiston how well our bilingual classes are work. When a child enters in preschool and is still enrolled at graduation time. Fifteen years later they still don’t know the language? These students then leave our high school and have to be enrolled in remedial classes at HFCC. I say it is NOT working and costing us a fortune.

13. butwhatdoiknow says:
    February 25th, 2011 at 11:22 am

    17 students on average per classroom? Somewhere here must be a lot of “classrooms” with 2 students because my boys have 27 (2nd grade) and 30 (5th grade) in their classroom at a west-end elementary. Also, I work with the schools and the only classrooms thare even close to that small are in the Pre-K programs. (And before bashing me for being a teacher. I am not a DPS employee.)

    Kay – Just beacuse teachers in private schools are paid tiny salaries doesn’t make it right. It is actually pretty sinful that private school teachers are so poorly paid. I have friends who teach in a private school and I know they are worth significantly more than they are paid.

14. kay says:
    February 27th, 2011 at 9:42 pm

    I never suggested that it is right. But they are paid with private funds, that’s the point here. No one is bashing anyone for being a teacher, that is a ridiculous accusation. We talking about facts, numbers, statistics. The point is that before the Mr. Whiston starts asking taxpayers to blindly implore upon the governor to not make cuts, perhaps the taxpayers should be asking questions of Mr. Whiston first. Why is this such a hard concept to understand? I think we have all so trusted our elected officials we have forgotten that it is their duty to explain to us where the money goes and why we should ask for more, which ultimatley mean we spend more. Perhpas someone can explaint to me where I am not understanding the process.

15. Dearborn Observer says:
    March 1st, 2011 at 10:29 pm

    I am not suggesting that non-English-speaking kids be refused education. Quite the opposite, Mr. Albano, I am suggesting that they be taught the English language, then put into the regular classrooms. That approach to education has been proven to be effective. Accomplishment should be the goal. The bi-lingual classroom approach has resulted in a lot of Arabic-speaking teachers being employed, but has not resulted in achievement by the students. Politics has kept us pursuing a failed method. The students deserve better.

    As for collective-bargaining rights, it is very easy for some to pretend that unions are the problem with our economy. Unions were formed to obtain simple human rights for workers, and that is mostly what they still do. As unions fade, the average worker in America will see their rights fade as well. It is already happening. Look around. This is not a good sign.

16. Math Teacher says:
    March 2nd, 2011 at 5:33 am

    In response to Dearborn’s published average class size of 17. If you take the total number of students in district and divide by the total number of adults employed as “teachers” you will indeed get an answer of approximately 17. However, when you take out all the counselors, social workers, interventionist, reading coaches, literacy specialists, etc. etc. etc. (those who do not have a class assigned to them but rather work with individuals or small groups pulled out of the regular classrooms) the average size of “real” classes soars to near 30 students in elementary, and closer to 35 in high schools. Remember the big stink about paying teachers for oversize classes last year?

17. Theeideaman says:
    March 3rd, 2011 at 10:20 am

    brian whiston is thee wrong person for the position of being anybody’s school superintendant. He is a whiner and in my opinion DISHONEST!!!

    PLEASE READ DOWN TO THE LIE DETECTOR TEST

    I POST A LETTER FROM A CALIFORNIA PRINCIPAL, WE NEED TO FIRE WHISTON TODAY ALONG WITH THE SCHOOLBOARD, AND HIRE THIS GUY AND LET HIM HAND PICK HIS BOARD…. THEN MAYBE THINGS CAN CHANGE HERE FOR THE BETTER. AND OUR PROPERTY VALUES RETURN!!!

    CALIFORNIA PRINCIPAL’S OPENING MESSAGE TO STUDENTS

    To the students and faculty of our high school:

    I am your new principal, and honored to be so. There is no greater calling than to teach young people.

    I would like to apprise you of some important changes coming to our school. I am making these changes because I am convinced that most of the ideas that have dominated public education in America have worked against you, against your teachers, and against our country.

    First, this school will no longer honor race or ethnicity. I could not care less if your racial makeup is black, brown, red, yellow, or white. I could not care less if your origins are African, Latin American, Asian, or European, or if your ancestors arrived here on the Mayflower or on slave ships.

    The only identity I care about, the only one this school will recognize, is your individual identity — your character, your scholarship, your humanity. And the only national identity this school will care about is American. This is an American public school, and American public schools were created to make better Americans.

    If you wish to affirm an ethnic, racial, or religious identity through school, you will have to go elsewhere. We will end all ethnicity-, race- and non-American-nationality-based celebrations. They undermine the motto of America , one of its three central values — E Pluribus Unum — “from many, one.” And this school will be guided by America ‘s values.

    That includes all after-school clubs. I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on any identities. This includes race, language, religion, sexual orientation, or whatever else may become in vogue in a society divided by political correctness.

    Your clubs will be based on interests and passions — not blood, ethnic, racial or other physically defined ties. Those clubs just cultivate narcissism — an unhealthy preoccupation with the self — while the purpose of education is to get you to think beyond yourself. So we will have clubs that transport you to the wonders and glories of art, music, astronomy, languages you do not already speak, carpentry, and more. If the only extracurricular activities you can imagine being interested in are those based on ethnic or racial or sexual identity, that means that little outside of yourself really interests you.

    Second, I am not interested in whether English is your native language. My only interest in terms of language is that you leave this school speaking and writing English as fluently as possible. The English language has united America’s citizens for more than 200 years, and it will unite us at this school. It is one of the indispensable reasons this country of immigrants has always come to be one country. And if you leave this school without excellent English-language skills, I will have been remiss in my duty to ensure that you are prepared to compete successfully in the American job market. We will learn other languages here — it is deplorable that most Americans only speak English. But if you want classes taught in your native language rather than in English, this is not your school.

    Third, because I regard learning as a sacred endeavor, everything in this school will reflect learning’s elevated status. This means, among other things, that you and your teachers will dress accordingly. Many people in our society dress more formally for a meal at a nice restaurant than they do for church or school. These people have their priorities backwards. Therefore, there will be a formal dress code at this school.

    Fourth, no obscene language will be tolerated anywhere on this school’s property — whether in class, in the hallways or at athletic events. If you can’t speak without using the “F-word,” you can’t speak. By obscene language I mean the words banned by the Federal Communications Commission plus epithets such as the “N-word,” even when used by one black student to address another, or “bitch,” even when addressed by a girl to a girlfriend. It is my intent that by the time you leave this school, you will be among the few of your age to distinguish instinctively between the elevated and the degraded, the holy and the obscene.

    Fifth, we will end all self-esteem programs. In this school self-esteem will be attained in only one way — the way people attained it until the state of California decided otherwise a generation ago — by earning it. One immediate consequence is that there will be one valedictorian, not eight.

    Sixth, and last, I am reorienting the school toward academics and away from politics and propaganda. No more time will be devoted to scaring you about smoking and caffeine, or terrifying you about sexual harassment or global warming. No more semesters will be devoted to condom-wearing and teaching you to regard sexual relations as only or primarily a health issue. There will be no more attempts to convince you that you are a victim because you are not white, or not male, or not heterosexual, or not Christian. We will have failed if any one of you graduates from this school and does not consider him or herself inordinately lucky — to be alive and to be an American.

    Now, please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of our country. As many of you do not know the words, your teachers will hand them out to you.

    THIS WAS CUT AND PASTED FROM http://WWW.RUSSGIBBATRANDOM.COM without permission.

    Now on to a particular problem i have with our schools. my wife and i have had up till now about 22 exchange students since 1992. without exception wonderful kids and are still our kids today.

    Last year out kid Manuela who was a super kid wanted to play sports so i trained her for a verrrrrry long time. I am a certified tennis pro as an avocation. she became verrry good. When i was preparing to go to Jamaica to do a visiting tennis pro appearance we wanted to take Manuela along. so we talked to the tennis coach Steve Behmlander he told us both yes no problem she can tryout when she returns. and again when Manuela and i saw him at the club some days later i said to him are you sure there is no problem he said we already discussed this and it’s no problem.

    Well when Manuela returned she found out before going back to school that she was on J varsity. she called me in Jamaica and in tears told me i said not to worry it is a mistake. the next day at school she went to her first practice and was told to go to j.v. by steve behmlander and if one of his girls quits or really goofs up she could move up. IN MY OPINION HE IS A DASTARDLY LIAR. I WROTE HIM AN EMAIL AND TOLD HIM TO MAN UP AND DO WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO TWICE, NO RESPONSE. I CALLED THE PRINCIPAL CHUCK (THE DOUBLE DASTARDLY LIAR IN MY OPINION) BAUGHMAN HE SAID WE WOULD TALK WHEN I RETURNED IN SOME DAYS.

    WELL TO CUT THIS SHORT IN MY OPINION NEVER TRUST CHUCK BAUGHMAN, STEVE BEHMLANDER, brian whiston, or the school board as i went to them also.

    brian said “maybe they remember it differently” brian i ask you JUST HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK WE ALL ARE???? YOU NEED TO GO

    NOW READ THE POLYGRAPH AND DETERMINE IF THE EXAMINER WHO WAS WITH THE DEARBORN POLICE AND STATE POLICE AND OF WHOM I HAD NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE BEFORE THIS TEST THINKS I AM LYING OR SOMELSE IS.

    IN MY OPINION NEVER TRUST GAIL SHENKMAN EITHER SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED NOT MOVED UP. AND GOD HELP ANY DISTRICT WHO WOULD TAKE HER AS A SUPERINTENDENT BUT GOOD RIDDANCE

    OUR SCHOOLS ARE ROTTEN IN THE ADMINISTRATION AND IF WE CHANGED THEM THE TEACHERS WOULD BE FREED UP TO HELP CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER BECAUSE AFTER HAVING 21 KIDS OR SO IN THE SCHOOLS I CAN SAY WE GOT GREAT TEACHERS…….

    ELLERBRAKE POLYGRAPH, LLC
    ______________________________________________________________
    75 East Henry Street – Saline, MI 48176 – ellerpoly@verizon.net
    734-944-1600 + cell 734-323-4552 + 734-429-4050

    Michael R Arabucki
    Dearborn MI 48124

    CONFIDENTIAL

    SUBJECT: Michael Arabucki w/m D.O.B.

    At your request you were examined in my office on May 18th 2010. this examination was directed at evaluating your truthfulness regarding details of conversations pertaining to your exchange student’s tryout.

    RELEVANT QUESTIONS:

    The examinee was asked the following relevant questions which he answered as indicated.

    1. Prior to taking your exchange student Manuela on a trip to Jamaica which would conflict with varsity tryouts, did ask Coach Behmlander if Manuela could be given a tryout after your return and did he agree? YES

    2. Did you have a second conversation with Coach Behmlander before you left on the Jamaican trip and did he again say Manuela could tryout for the Varsity team after you returned? YES

    3. After returning from Jamaica and learning Manuela was on the Junior Varsity without being given a Varsity tryout, did you have a face to face meeting with Principal Baughman which ended with him telling you Manuela would be given a fair tryout? YES

    4. In a second meeting with Principal Baughman did he deny telling you that Manuela would be given a Varsity tryout? YES

    DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION

    After careful examination of the Examinee’s polygrams based on the case facts available, it is the opinion of the undersigned that Michael Arabucki is being truthful.

18. Reality Bites says:
    March 3rd, 2011 at 10:24 pm

    Thanks math teacher. I was really scratching my head on that one. My sons third grade class had 34 students. Now I know how they got 17.

19. School Daze says:
    March 7th, 2011 at 5:12 pm

    Has anyone been reading the articles in the Freep about MEAP test cheating? I noticed at some schools in Dearborn, particulary from 2007-2008, there was a 70% INCREASE in test scores in some categories in one year. Other categories had similar increases. How is this possible without dishonesty? According to these stats, my child’s class went up 68% in writing. I don’t see it in his grades or those of several of his classmates an from what I can tell the curriculum hasn’t changed much if at all. What gives?

    http://www.education.com/schoolfinder/us/michigan/dearborn

20. Reality Bites says:
    March 8th, 2011 at 12:52 pm

    Who cares about MEAP testing anyways? The entire concept of strict standardized testing as the sole benchmark for academic quality is retarded. Really if MEAP scores went up 1000% it would prove nothing. Every major academic, scientific, and technological breakthrough achieved in this country precedes this stupid concept of basing the value of an education on test scores. The purpose of an education is to build and improve the critical thinking and judgement skills of the student. Obviously theses skills are not valued because look at the ridiculous comments on this board.

21. theeideaman says:
    March 8th, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    WE NEED TO TURN WHISTON AND HIS GANG OF ADMINISTRATORS. 1 OUT OF 5 WILL NOT GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, ON TIME IN DEARBORN. I SAY START A RECALL PETITION. I HAVE A LIST SO FAR OF 8 PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIED TO ME FROM THE SCHOOLS IN DEARBORN.

    WHAT DO WE WAIT FOR OUR PROPERTY VALUES TO RECEDE TO NOTHING. ASK YOURSELF WOULD YOU BUY IN DEARBORN TODAY OR LAST YEAR???

    SOON THEY WILL ASK FOR MORE MONEY, JUST A LITTLE MORE AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO REMAKE THE SCHOOLS.

22. Michael D. Albano says:
    March 10th, 2011 at 12:15 pm

    I have read the articles about MEAP and MME cheating by some school districts and nowhere have I read they are accusing Dearborn Public Schools of cheating.

    1 of 5 students failing may very well be due to the fact that we have a larger amount than many cities and states, except perhaps California, of non-English and English challenged students in our public schools.

    The test scores under Artis were terrible and put many Dearborn public schools in the middle and at the bottom, with the exception of the few. Since scores have increased significantly under Whiston, I prefer to praise him rather than scold him for a job well done.

23. Michael D. Albano says:
    March 10th, 2011 at 12:16 pm

    Let me also add in that because DPS is a magnet school district for handicapped students in Wayne County, we also have a larger amount of handicapped/special needs children than most other surrounding communities, which also may be impacting that 1 in 5 failing figure.