Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: McCready Says Budgeting Isn't Glamorous But Important

"While the budget process might not be exciting for everyone, it is crucial to keeping our state on the right track and helping our economy continue to recover," Birmingham's newest representative, Mike McCready, writes.

This letter was received by Birmingham Patch Editor Laura Houser. As a state representative, I take my duty to represent the people of the 40th District very seriously and that includes keeping all of you informed about my work in Lansing. As you may know, I serve on the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for completing the state budget each year. This also includes serving on subcommittees for specific budget areas, including the Michigan State Police budget. I serve as chair of the MSP subcommittee and was tasked with coming up with an efficient and effective budget for the upcoming fiscal year. For those who aren't familiar with the budget process, here's a brief overview. Each year, the governor gives his budget …

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Nash Wants a Clean Environment For Future Generations

The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner plans additional oil drilling and fracking town hall meetings.

This letter was received by Birmingham Patch Editor Laura Houser. I want to thank the voters of Oakland County for their support of my candidacy for Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner. My time serving as Oakland County Commissioner was an honor and the most rewarding experience of my life. I have had the opportunity to serve with so many dedicated public servants and community volunteers, at the county, region, state and national levels. We can be truly proud of the people who work for us and those who volunteer in so many important capacities. From the beginning, I focused my efforts on green building and sustainability, both as county policies and in public/private planning and economic development efforts. I have worked with …

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Letters to the Editor

Superintendent Asks for Community Support During School Board Recognition Month

"For school districts to be governed well it requires the selfless sacrifice of individuals willing to serve on a local board of education," Birmingham Superintendent Daniel Nerad says.

This letter was received by Birmingham Patch Editor Laura Houser. Dear Editor, As a superintendent of schools, it truly is not difficult to recognize public schools as the great backbone of our democracy. The public schools are the one institution in our country that has its doors open for all children and represents, through our locally elected school boards, what our communities want for our children. Needless to say, this is very important work and the purpose of this letter is to recognize one important element of what makes public schools so special. We live and work in challenging times. For school districts to be governed well it requires the selfless sacrifice of individuals willing to serve on a local board of education. The men …

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Letters to the Editor

Birmingham Education Foundation Gives $150,000 Back to Students in 2012

"Through the generosity of our community, 2012 was our most successful year ever," the Birmingham Education Foundation Executive Director Laura Couger says.

This letter was received by Birmingham Patch Editor Laura Houser. The Birmingham Education Foundation (BEF) continued its mission of inspiring minds and expanding possibilities by deploying almost $150,000 to district teachers and staff who found innovative ways to reach students. BEF provides grants in support of teachers and administrators who want to offer their kids a deeper, more comprehensive experience in a particular subject area.     “Our teachers do a wonderful job bringing the curriculum to life and inspiring and challenging our kids,” said Laura Couger, BEF executive director.   “Through the generosity of our community, 2012 was our most successful year ever and we were able to support enriching experiences that both extend and…

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Birmingham Teachers Union Says Right-to-Work Undermines Education

Birmingam Education Association President Scott Warrow notes that states with Right-to-Work laws have some of the lowest performing schools in the country.

This letter was received by Birmingham Patch Editor Laura Houser. How incredulous for the governor and the radical Republican legislature to pass Right to Work (RTW) for less when it is clear that from this past election that Michigan politics have become so polarized. Now was not the time for more divisiveness.  Attacks against workers and the middle class in this state have been relentlessly destructive. Tuesday’s vote was a complete political reversal by the governor, who said for the last two years he opposed this bill. This was not about improving the economy of Michigan, but merely political payback for union supported collective bargaining. At least we had the democratic decency to put the proposition before a vote of the people, …

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Local Mom Asks State Lawmakers 'Are You Serious?' About Education Bills

Birmingham mom of two Courteney Gettel tells lawmakers in Lansing she plans on holding them accountable if educational reform bills pass.

This letter was received by Birmingham Patch Editor Laura Houser. The author sent it to all legislators representing the Birmingham Public Schools (BPS) district in the State House and State Senate. It is reprinted here with permission from the author. Good Afternoon Everyone! I thought about making this a BCC, but that would be rude and make it look like the normal, form letter. I am nowhere near boring and the words “form letter” don’t fit me. So, this is why I am taking MY time to write to you. I am a mother of two who has fought her husband CONTINUOUSLY to stay in BPS Schools. My husband has tried for years to get me to move closer to his work (he works in Walled Lake) and move our kids. In the last year, I have had three different …

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Birmingham Parent Wary of Education Legislation

One Birmingham parent says a series of bills being pushed through the Michigan legislature has "very serious flaws" — ones everyone should pay attention to.

This letter was received by Birmingham Patch Editor Laura Houser. Governor Snyder is proposing a major shift in public education and education funding. His idea, presented by the well-funded, private Oxford Foundation, is to remove all borders and boundaries between school districts. This would allow state per-pupil funding to follow the student to one or several districts of their choosing, relinquishing the home district's "ownership" of that student. In addition, this new shift also makes room for a state controlled, statewide school district composed of the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools managed by the very new EAA (Education Achievement Authority). While I don't think anyone would argue that there isn't a need for improvement …

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Jon Awbrey

4:16 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012

There are a couple of Facebook pages that are good for keeping up with education issues on the Michigan front: Michigan Parents For Schools • http://www.facebook.com/groups/42913373442/ Save Michigan's Public Schools • http://www.facebook.com/SaveMIPublicSchools   more ›

Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: State Education Legislation is 'Bad for Birmingham'

Birmingham Board of Education argues house bills 6004, 5923 and state bill 1358 "create a new Lansing bureaucracy that tells Birmingham and other high performing schools how to operate."

This letter was received by Birmingham Patch Editor Laura Houser. Kill HB 6004, 5923, and SB 1358 — It’s like a federal takeover of state’s rights Representative Moss and Senator Pappageorge, please do not support the school district ruining bills which are snaking their way through the lame duck legislative session. These bills will gut the competitive educational excellence our communities expect and undermine the very structure which supports strong property values. They create a new Lansing bureaucracy that tells Birmingham and other high performing schools how to operate. Please don’t support bills fueled by the mutation of a single interlocal agreement between Detroit Public Schools and Eastern Michigan University. From this single …

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Ken Jackson

9:46 am on Monday, November 26, 2012

It would be useful to circulate this letter to "other Patches" (Patched in?) like Bloomfield, Troy, etc.....as their districts are at risk from this lame duck legislation as well   more ›

Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Birmingham Teachers Union President Urges 'Yes' Vote on Prop 2

"It would be fair to conclude that during this time, collective bargaining has served the district very well," says Birmingham Education Association president Scott Warrow.

This letter was received by Birmingham Patch Editor Laura Houser. The current Birmingham Board of Education has said time and again to its teachers and other employees that it values collective bargaining and discussion as way to resolve issues and get things done in this district. Even past Birmingham Boards of Education have expressed similar sentiments, dating all the way back to 1928, almost 85 years ago, when the first contractual settlement took place between the newly formed Birmingham Education Association and the Birmingham Public School district.  Collective bargaining and cooperative negotiation has been a bedrock of Birmingham Public Schools since its inception. And in recent times, it has proven to be a peaceful and valuable …

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Letter to the Editor: 2 Area Attorneys Recommend Cooper for County Prosecutor

"Michael Bishop is a 12-year Lansing politician who has never tried or prosecuted a felony case," write attorneys Francis Hughes and Otis Underwood, who support Jessica Cooper for Oakland County Prosecutor.

Dear Editor: Who are we? We are two well-experienced Oakland County attorneys who are familiar with the qualifications of Jessica Cooper and Michael Bishop, the two candidates running for Oakland County Prosecutor. Jessica Cooper is a former District judge, Circuit judge, Court of Appeals judge, and a four-year term Oakland prosecutor who supervises a staff of 180 persons, icluding criminal trial lawyers, investigators, legal secretaries, etc. All in a county with a current population of 1.21 million persons. Michael Bishop is a 12-year Lansing politician who has never tried or prosecuted a felony case. He was term-limited out of office and one of his last acts was an attempt to reverse the term limits law. Thankfully, he failed to do so. …

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