Suzanne Callahan, the current school board president; Jessica Johns; Jackie Nickel; Justin Sheldon; and Brian Spratke. Going forward, the school board must find creative ways to interact with parents and others who are interested in the future of the district. To promote excellence in education where we celebrate our students differences and not marginalize them. I grew up in Forest Hills, graduated from FHN, and am now raising 4 young kids in the district. The Forest Hills race is among several highly contested school board races in Kent County this November. Board meetings have become one-sided platforms for anger, not representative of a community that wants to work together. For myself, I will do my homework between board meetings, think carefully about the issues and priorities, and speak truthfully about current conditions and future aspirations. Submit Question. They (Support FHPS) had added an unacceptable hold-harmless clause in the Media Release which I could not sign, Lee told MLive in a statement. Boston College has a 1-2 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Book banning, CRT, transgender student athletes and barring gender identity discussions from the classroom are all part of debates happening about 50 miles northwest of FHPS at Whitehall District Schools on the Lake Michigan coast. I am the only candidate who has communicated with over 1000 community members to address questions and concerns. It could also be beneficial to have a social media presence to showcase events and programs within our district as a part of our open communication effort. And putting them all on this YouTube channel!! I truly believe that humane conversation can bring us back together for the common good of our district. There are many programs in our district that have various peer group participation, and those would be platforms that the Board could use to be responsive to the community. I love our school system and our community as a whole. Education is the engine for individual and community success. Both people who are speaking at the podium and people who are listening. As president, I served as the voice of the board and worked with the board to coordinate responses to community questions and concerns related to board business. We are parents of diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, religious and political ideologies. Nine candidates, all cross-filed on the Democratic and Republican tickets, are seeking four at-large positions on the Greater Johnstown School Board. The forum, held in the Roselle Park Building in Ada, attracted an audience of about 50 and was streamed online. Here's a look into the region's most high-profile board of education races, and who's been elected to help lead those districts come January. Michaud: I believe our Board can do a better job communicating with the public. I recognize the tenets of good board service, including governance and accountability, and I am equipped to support our inexperienced board in mastering these skills as we support the districts vision, its students, and its staff. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Theyve expanded the attack to educators who talk about sexuality and gender identity in their classrooms or provide LGBTQ+ resources to students. The petition sought to remove five of the seven school board members over concerns about transparency and transportation issues. Looking at the wage imbalance; its no wonder why. Another candidate, and one of the people. As a graduate of Grand Valley State University, she has previous experience as a freelance researcher for USA Today and an intern with WOOD TV-8. Utilizing the Parent Advisory Council and Student Advisory Council or a town hall session similar to GRPS are additional tools. I wish it was student mental health, which has only been made worse by the social worker and counselor shortages. Forest Hills School Board approves CRT ban in schools. The Butler County district has been in the spotlight a couple of times this election season, when U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel was escorted out of a school board meeting for speaking out against mask mandates,and then again in an Enquirer investigation into two candidates' possible campaign finance law violations through the use of Venmo. Nickel: Students are facing an unprecedented level of distraction. 1.0 FTE Teacher - 5th or 6th Grade Spanish Immersion Northern Trails 5/6 Schedule: Beginning with 2023-2024 School YearImmersion teachers teach grade-level content in the target language. Gentile, who is endorsed by the MEA, echoed Moores concerns about the divisiveness impacting the community. As a manager in financial reporting, I have a unique skill set that I can bring to the Board during the budgeting process and to help others in our community understand where our funding is spent. 'Untrue and absurd' political mailer sent to Forest Hills Schools parents Justin Sheldon is the only publicly LGBTQ+ candidate for Forest Hills School Board. National and statewide political groups have gotten involved in local school board elections this season by leading candidate trainings, endorsing candidates, sharing talking points and providing resources and funding. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Like the other districts, there is an opposition group in Hartland: the Hartland Truth, which has shared support for Bugni, Gentile, Glabach and Hemeyer. Callahan: Public schools = students and teachers. Johns: As a school board member one of the roles I would play is helping parents and students to understand who they can connect with in order to get their questions answered. I believe that the success of our school moving forward will take a collaborative mindset in order to continue to pursue excellence in education. Many of the candidates alluded to the need for fiscal responsibility in their campaigns after voters passed the district's combined five-year operating levy and 30-year bond issue in May, costing the average homeownerabout $1,890 per year. Forest Hills is the second largest school district in Kent County, with just over 9,300 students. Lausten's two daughters, Khloe and Violet, are students at Wilson Elementary. Its unclear where the donations to this fund went. (http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-380-10). The JUST Education group has also pushed book bans, although they decline to refer to it as a ban, releasing a list of dozens of books to challenge. Corporate media arent cutting it. I will work with the board encouraging teachers to promote an inclusive and diverse learning experience for all students challenging students to perform to the best of their ability and not lower academic standards. This school district is my home, these students are my kids, and the teachers are my friends. He was one of five finalists competing for . I have heard from parents who believe information isnt always presented timely. Cloud Times in St. 2. There were seven candidates running for three open board seats. Parents, students and even just Anderson Township residents all seemingly want one thing, for . MEA would like to congratulate the hundreds of friends of public education who won their elections on Nov. 8. We must promote how parents and community members can be involved in their individual schools, PTOs, booster groups, etc as there does seem to be a lack of across-the-board participation. My goal is to help the district focus on reading, writing, history, science, and math by raising the education standards, not lowering them. Ballotpedia covers public school districts in the 100 largest cities in America by population, as well as the 200 largest public school districts by student enrollment. It was ranked as No. Callahan: Clear concise communication. The pandemic continues, and school boards need to continually monitor the risks. There were six candidates running for two open seats on the Lebanon school board. I will continue to push for respectful conversation and information transparency so we can rally around what we all agree on: helping our kids be successful. In October 2021, Forest Hills for JUST education launched an effort to recall five of the sitting school board members over a bus driver shortage and critical race theory, a college-level theory that examines the systemic effects of white supremacy in America and is not taught at FHPS. 2022 Elections Forest Hills Public Schools is a school district in Michigan . That makes for a total of 262 candidates running for local school. The unfortunate reality is that the school board and issues relating to public education have been weaponized for political objectives by vocal members of our community. The following MEA recommended candidates were successful in Election 2022 (* denotes MEA member): It saddens me to see school board races being done that way. The board is an elected body that meets monthly to conduct board business. "I am a parent of two children that live in the district and I am supporting Josh Wooley and Bill Laverty because I believe that they have the leadership experience that can make Sycamore Schools the best in the state.". Most of the candidates voted no, except for Cribbs and Jackie Nickel, who voted yes, and Donovan, who said he was neutral on that one. The candidates have largely been split into two groups in Forest Hills. Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology, is seeking an ENT. "There's a . As a college professor, I know the value of a quality education, and I will work hard to ensure our students are prepared for a lifetime of success. During most school board election seasons, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, candidates campaigned on specific issues within the district: the budget, transportation, test scores and more, Kogan noted that national and local interest in local school boards increased after former President Barack Obama adopted the Common Core st. ate standards for K-12 curriculum and when former President Donald Trump denounced the 1619 Project on the history of racism in the U.S. here are 10 candidates running for three open positions for a six-year term and three candidates running for one special election to fill a two-year term ending in 2024. Its different national players and local players, but I think its just the latest variant of things that have happened for a long time in local politics.. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Becky Olson, a spokesperson for Support FHPS, said Lee left the event before it started because he reportedly declined to fill out the groups media release form, which asked each candidate for permission to record the event. On Oct. 6, the group posted on Facebook: Sorry to burst your bubble, groomers, but we the parents are taking back our schools! with a link to a video titled when groomer school boards get confronted.. Twelve candidates who are running for the Forest Hills Board of Education in the Nov. 8 election participated in a forum discussion where they answered questions about their candidacy. Candidate Ed Aboufadel said the district needs to come up with a better way to facilitate conversation between parents and the school board. What strategies would you use to remain responsive and accountable to the public between elections? The other candidates include two incumbents, Mary Vonck and Suzanne Callahan, the current school board president; Jessica Johns; Jackie Nickel; Justin Sheldon; and Brian Spratke. Forest Hills School District provides an innovative curriculum, high expectations and total devotion to young people. Parents and the public heard from twelve of the thirteen candidates for the Forest Hills Public Schools Board on Wednesday. Spratke: The biggest challenge I see facing our district right now is that we are losing focus on what the schools need to provide. The candidates spoke during a two-hour forum hosted by a parent group. The event was hosted by Support FHPS, a parent-based political action committee that launched in 2021 in response to a recall effort against five members of the Forest Hills Board of Education. Twelve of the 13 candidates running for four open seats on the Forest Hills Board of Education in the Nov. 8 election participated in the Wednesday, Sept. 21 forum. He's the target of a. Gretchen Whitmer on Nov. 8. Last year, we had 636 bus routes canceled due to lack of bus drivers. At a personal level, I am committed to always being available for service which is why the phone number I publicly list is my personal cell phone. I will use my skills as a historian & educator to reach & render unbiased recommendations. What is the long term range of students when they graduate from Forest Hills?. June 22, 2022, 11:14 PM. Incumbents David Evans and John Mercurio came in last with 1,921 votes and 2,402 votes, respectively. Nearly half of the races for Lake County school boards go uncontested this year, while others will be fierce fights with as many as 14 candidates running for six seats in one district. I respond promptly and leverage district expertise to address stakeholder questions posed via phone or email or in person. One concern is the retention of our incredibly talented staff and the ability to attract new staff, as teachers and administrators leave the profession. student-led Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club. There are 13 candidates running for just four open seats on the Forest Hills Board of Education three of the open seats are for full, six-year terms, and one is a partial-term seat that would end Dec. 31, 2024. Eight candidates were on the Loveland City Schools ballot this year, running for three open seats. Forest Hills School District is governed by a five-member Board of Education that provides governance to the district on policy and financial matters. The parent group tried to keep things nonpartisan at the event and stayed away from getting into hot-button issues, instead focusing on questions about how each candidate would fulfill the role of a school board member. Illinois University ( SIU ) school of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology, is seeking an ENT and financial.. 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