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CrossSchoolBoard
F L I N T O I D
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Saturday, May 05, 2007
Spent a decent amount of time campaigning in 1st and 2nd ward today. As of today I have knocked on doors, sent literature and placed signs in every ward in the city. I feel pretty good about that.
Here’s the frustrating thing: Flint has such a terrible reputation across this nation and state. Some areas in Flint take their share of hits to their reputation. I’m not going to argue that these areas don’t have their share of crime and negative issues – but the first thing you notice when knocking door to door is that there really are some good people, good neighbors, good kids, good yards, good homes in all parts of the city. (I’m not saying this because it surprises me – I already knew this fact.) But a few hours of knocking on doors really reinforces this fact in your mind.
Peace,
Mike |
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Sun May 06, 2007 6:50 pm |
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CrossSchoolBoard
F L I N T O I D
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Sunday, May 06, 2007
Tried a different approach today. Instead of walking door to door, I just rode my bike around and if I saw an individual in their yard or on their porch, I’d stop by to say high, hand them some literature and encourage them to vote. In hindsight, this technique is not recommended!
When you walk up to a house in a suit and tie and knock on the door, most people figure you must be selling something, or campaigning or proselytizing. At the worst – they look at you like a nuisance that they can quickly shoo away.
But when you ride up in shorts, a t-shirt and a baseball hat, they don’t know what the heck to think of you so they’re immediately on guard and it takes a moment to get them to relax and realize you’re not a threat.
websites I'd enourage you to check out:
silentepidemic.org
citizensforequity.org
Home stretch………………….election day in 48 hours.
Peace,
Mike |
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Sun May 06, 2007 6:51 pm |
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CrossSchoolBoard
F L I N T O I D
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Monday, May 07, 2007
Some final thoughts before the election:
The worst part about campaigning:
1) Lost time with family and friends
2) No time to workout/run
3) No time for leisure reading
The best part about campaigning:
1) The people you meet
2) You’re so focused and busy you forget to eat- so you lose weight
I’ll have somebody from my committee at most of the polling locations tomorrow. If you have any last minute questions or concerns, let them know and they’ll contact me immediately so I can stop by and address your questions.
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Just a thought:
(I don’t define “success” as “wealth” but since many people do, for the sake of my argument, let’s continue with the premise that most people would consider a correlation between the degree of one’s wealth with the degree of their success – again………I don’t agree, but let’s get to the point….)
At the start of the 20th century (1900) the most successful people in American were people that were born into privilege, i.e., the proverbial “silverspoon in the mouth.” Wealth was not created, it was inherited. If you weren’t born to parents with a great deal of wealth, you had little chance (not impossible) but little chance of getting wealthy yourself.
Jump ahead to the 21st century (2000) the wealthiest and most successful people are people who are born to parents who valued and encouraged education.
The last 100 years has seen an incredible shift from what is called “Old Money” to “New Money.” Old money is that which is inherited. New money is that which is created. The key to new money is achieving an appropriate education – and the key to receiving an appropriate education is being born into an environment (parents or guardians) that VALUE education.
Regardless of what nationality, ethnicity, race, gender or religion you are: Think about the 5 most successful people you know and chances are they were born into an environment that placed a great deal of emphasis and value on education.
(yes, I know there are exceptions………there are exceptions to every trend when analyzing a large sample size - I too know people who are still “successful” only because they inherited Mommy or Daddy’s wealth……………….but we’re talking about trends here.)
So what’s my point? The only thing any school board, or school system can hope for is to offer the best possible educational opportunities for its students. Unfortunately for many students, they are born into situations in which education is not valued or emphasized as crucial. This is one of the biggest dilemmas facing the Flint Community Schools right now.
Now, I understand there are factors that have made it difficult for many parents to appreciate the significance of an education. General Motors, the global economy, racism…these are all contributing factors to why Flint is in its current situation………but placing blame does nothing productive.
It IS the job of the school system to provide the most effective, productive and advantageous educational opportunity to ALL of its students. It is NOT the job of the school system to instill in the students the value of education. We can try………..but it won’t be absorbed if it’s not being reinforced at home.
Just a thought.
Go Pistons, Go Red Wings, Go Lakisha!
Peace,
This log has been therapeutic if nothing else (more than 3000 hits since we started) Thanks for listening.
Mike |
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Mon May 07, 2007 9:36 pm |
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Eastsider
F L I N T O I D
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GOOD LUCK Dr. Cross! You've got my vote  |
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Mon May 07, 2007 10:20 pm |
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Biggie9
F L I N T O I D
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"Now, I understand there are factors that have made it difficult for many parents to appreciate the significance of an education. General Motors, the global economy, racism…these are all contributing factors to why Flint is in its current situation………but placing blame does nothing productive"
When you get a chance, re-evaluate your paragraph and explain to me how:
GM, global economy and especially RACISM have made it dificult for parents to appreciate the value of an education.
If anything, THOSE THREE ITEMS I use with my own kids to impress UPON them how IMPORTANT an education is to OVERCOME those three items that can suppress the quality of life for a community.
And I don't mean those three things are out there explicitly to prevent them from an education. They aren't.
I use the global economy to explain to my kids just who they must compete against.
GM hasn't supressed anyone's education, and the impact on our economy is just a reflection of what they aer going through...they are smaller, less profitable, thus less workforce. There is nothing they did that was specifically punitive against Flint. They sufferd, and all the communities they used to be in have also suffered.
Racism as an issue in the eye of the beholder. Guys like Bill Cosby have shown communities like Flint, how to effetively deal with it. Why give power over yourself to ignorant and small-minded people. This is the trap that people like AC and Herb fall into; they feel they must respond in kind to every slight real or imagined even from decades ago. Cosby says, you have the power to decide how you respond. Go around it, through it, over it, beyond it. Don't give it any influence over yourself, not for an instant. There lies the path to success. You want to stay in the mud and fight? Expect to get dirty, and nothing more. Want to move ahead? be a success? ignore it, and the naysayers, and keep your eyes on the prize.
The real problem is that we have generations of people here who don't value education because they didn't need it to have a reasonable middle-class existence in Flint. Coupled with a self-sustaining welfare state and you've got a recipe for disaster.
We've got to slowly build the penetration of generations who understand the necessity of education. Sorry to say, IMO, it won't happen overnight or even over a few years..... |
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Biggie |
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Mon May 07, 2007 11:08 pm |
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Biggie9
F L I N T O I D
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GOOD NEWS............................
DR Mike Cross won the election.
BAD NEWS..............................
Dr. Mike Cross WON the election...oh my. Now you truly have caught the tornado by the tail!!! Time to become accountable.
take a deep breath, get some rest, you're gonna need it. We are pulling for you.
Congratulations and best wishes. Hope you remember this when people are screaming at & about you wondering "whaddahellhedothatfor?"...and some of them undoubtedly will be your Board colleagues [perhaps you can give Ms Robber-Martin some pointers on controlling cell-phone usage, appropariate business expenses vs inappropriate etc].
Personally, I will miss the "Daily Log"....
and as someone who has experienced constipation due to medication, believe me, when I say how just inspiring the "daily LOG" can be.
so I would ask, in the brave new world you now go, please do keep a Blog as a device to let people know your thoughts and motives and perhaps a conduit for you get the sense of the people you now serve.
best wishes, and well done Doc. |
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Biggie |
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Tue May 08, 2007 11:33 pm |
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CrossSchoolBoard
F L I N T O I D
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Well that was certainly one of the longest days of my life.
Thank you to all who got out and voted!
Thank you to those who endorsed me.
Stopped by Fred's camp to congratulate him.
Stopped by Harold's camp to congratulate him
Congratulations to Jennifer Dillard (drove by but she wasn't home)
Congratulations to Stephanie Robb-Martin
I'm disappointed Donyele Darrough didn't get more votes. She's got a lot to contribute. I hope she doesn't go away.
12:30 am.
I'm going to bed.
I think I'll wake up on Thursday.
Peace,
Mike |
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Tue May 08, 2007 11:38 pm |
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Adam Ford
F L I N T O I D
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| Congratulations on the HUGE win!!! I also share some of Biggie's sentiments but I think as long as you maintain your strong support you will be fine. |
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Tue May 08, 2007 11:39 pm |
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CrossSchoolBoard
F L I N T O I D
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I note that my last post was May 9th at 12:38 am. So I have some catching up to do:
This posting will probably be lengthy and rambling:
Thank you Biggie and thank you Adam for the congratulatory posting. Thank you to everybody that emailed, called, text messaged, and sent letters of congratulations. I’m pleasantly surprised by the general feeling of “elation” coming from various members of the Greater Flint community. I have a feeling this has less to do with me winning, and more to do with the elimination of the divisive factor that has been present on the board for the last few years. Whatever the reason, I appreciate the support and encouragement from everybody.
Now the real challenge begins. But I’m looking forward to it. If nothing else, I’m confident the “new” board will be comprised of individuals who can take a step back- analyze the situations – and make objective decisions that are in the best interest of the long term success of the children of the district and therefore, the district in general.
Here’s something I never shared with you readers………………..Last Tuesday was an enjoyable culmination of weeks of hard work (campaigning). But I had about 60 seconds to enjoy it. On Wednesday morning I had to pick up a group of people flying in from various parts of the country who were coming to do a “site-visit analysis” of our vet tech program at Baker College. This occurs once every six years…it lasts for three intensive days, in which the site visit team puts you and your program on the “hot-seat” and you must defend the quality of your program…….all educational programs must undergo an accreditation process. A program lives or dies by their accreditation status, so to say that a site visit is important is truly an understatement.
So I got to follow up the most time consuming event of my adult life (the campaign) with the most stressful event of my academic life (site visit)………And after seeing the site team members off at the airport on Friday, I had to head up to Ludington for a wedding of a friend………………Got back last night.
I realize this is TMI…………..but tonight is the first night in months, that I’ve been able to relax, sit back, and enjoy the fact that I had nobody to answer to tonight (other than my two girls who were completely starving for Daddy’s attention, and understandably so!)
I noticed Rickey’s Hamptom’s article in the Journal yesterday “Learning Value of Education Starts at Home” http://www.mlive.com/columns/fljournal/rickey_hampton/index.ssf?/base/news-0/117904024450310.xml&coll=5.
He is 110% right when he says that the most important factor to the education of a child is the parental support they receive at home. However, I think he misses the point of what the true responsibility of a school board is when he suggests that the newly elected individuals (Fred Bashir, Jennifer Dillard, Harold Woodson and myself) are doomed to failure. I understand his point……..but failure or success is dependent upon how the goals are defined. I don’t think any of us have unrealistic delusions of grandeur.
Our job is not to “save” the school district and its children. Our job consists of three primary responsibilities: (1) Hire and retain an effective, committed, and qualified Superintendent (2) Approve and ensure a balanced budget (3) Establish effective policies and procedures for the district.
It’s up to the parent(s) to “save” their children. The school district, the teachers, and the school board can only reinforce the importance and significance of education. If the value of an education is not established/taught/modeled at home……….the effect that the school district, the teachers, the school board will have on this child’s life is limited. This is sad……but it’s reality.
And so it comes full circle. If we’re really concerned about the future of the children of Flint (and we are) And the key to educational success lies with role models at home who impress upon the student the value of education, then how do we ensure that the parent(s) appreciate and model the importance of education? This is the quarter Billion dollar question. If anybody has the solution, I’m all ears.
If you work in a Flint Community School, don’t be surprised if you see me walking down your hallway over the next few weeks. Like I said before, the next few weeks are information gathering time. Time to learn the intricacies, attitudes, philosophies of the district and its employees and parents.
Peace,
Mike |
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Mon May 14, 2007 6:12 pm |
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CrossSchoolBoard
F L I N T O I D
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May 16, 2007
I have this inner voice that is telling me that this daily log site is somewhat pretentious, i.e., it’s pretentious of me to think that people actually care what I have to say about things…………but I keep getting positive feedback from people I know - and strangers alike. So at the risk of sounding redundant, I’ll repeat myself: this blog is simply a chance for me to inform the reader of MY thoughts, impressions etc. I speak for nobody else but myself……….
Today’s events:
Showed up at a scheduled meeting in which the interim superintendent addressed all the building principals and central office. My gut instinct: the right person was chosen! I know a bit about leadership and management……and I must say….I was thoroughly impressed with the way she addressed the audience and the way the audience responded to her. She has the complete attention and respect of the building principals. This is consistent with what I’ve heard from various administrators/principals throughout the district…………..but it was good to see it first-hand. Again……my simple humble opinion……….but the concerned members (which includes everyone who lives in Genesee County!) should feel good about having this superintendent at the helm. It’s a move in the right direction.
I have it from a reputable source (NOT my wife . you’d be surprised how much she and I DON”T talk about work) that this morning’s time spent between the principals and the superintendent was MORE interaction then the previous superintendent ever spent with this group. So what we can conclude is that the new superintendent has the support and appreciation of the first-line of management (the building principals). If they’re on board, then it’s much easier for the principal’s first-line (the teachers) to be on board.
Yeah, yeah, yeah…….I know……..this is a long way from solving all our problems…….but at least it’s good to see some organizational cooperation and respect. This has been desperately lacking. So as mentioned, it’s at the very least, a step in the right direction.
Walked the halls of two elementary schools that I’ve never been in before this morning. I give credit to the principals at these schools (they know who they are.) Both were attending the meeting at Sarvis center when I arrived at their schools……………but in their absence, their schools were well managed and peaceful. That is a good reflection of their leadership and their support staff.
Please believe me that if I stop by your school, it is NOT to be judgmental. Like I said before, I‘m in the learning/absorption phase. I’m simply trying to put names with faces, and get a feel for what the “trenches” are like. It’s just my style, that’s all.
Went to the Board Meeting tonight. 45 para-pros were pinkslipped. Most of these were involved in bilingual education:
http://www.mlive.com/news/flintjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-43/1179410295132590.xml&coll=5
A good discussion was held regarding the need to take advantage of the public access stations to broadcast the board meetings, so concerned parents/citizens can be apprised. This definitely needs to occur. The city council meetings are broadcast on Channel 17 and as a result, I believe the council has begun to work more cooperatively. It’s amazing what being accountable to the public-at-large will do to foster cooperation.
I think the Board of Ed should follow suit.
Peace,
Mike
Last edited by CrossSchoolBoard on Thu May 17, 2007 6:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed May 16, 2007 9:20 pm |
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Eastsider
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Dear Dr. Cross,
I truly enjoy reading your daily log and don't find it "pretentious" at all. It is clear you speak "for no one but yourself." Your thoughts, opinions and ideas are all valuable. The FCS is fortunate to have you on board.
I especially like that you "walk the trenches" and allow schools to put a face with that new name....good idea. As your "reputable source" ( NOT your wife) shared, the new superintendent spent more time today with principals than the previous superintendent ever did with this group....priceless.
Lastly, regarding broadcasting board meetings. Why haven't we done this sooner? What a great way, as you say, to "foster cooperation." Can channel 17 broadcast school board meetings? This needs to occur sooner than later. The board needs to be proactive with this endevour. |
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Wed May 16, 2007 11:11 pm |
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CrossSchoolBoard
F L I N T O I D
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Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Today I received a congratulatory card from my third grade teacher at Neithercut. How cool is that? It was more than 30 years ago that I had her as my teacher. I remember her classroom and her teaching like it was yesterday (I specifically remember her love of Hans Christian Anderson) Educators should never underestimate the influence they have on their students.
Filled up my truck today - cost me $82. I think I'll start walking.
As I type this I'm watching some flake sing a song in an argyle sweater. This guy beat out Lakisha? I say send this chump back to where he came from.
Although the last thing I want to do is wish-away the summer.....I'm anxious for July 1st to get here.
Peace,
Mike |
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Tue May 22, 2007 7:47 pm |
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Eastsider
F L I N T O I D
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Nice to hear from you again Dr. Cross!
I couldn't agree with you more about the influence educators have on their students. I clearly remember my favorite math teacher, Mrs. Greene, fifth grade. Math never was and still isn't a strong subject for me and memorizing those multiplication problems was surely a challenge, but to this day I have vivid memories of struggling with 8 x 8. This was Mrs. Greene's "helpful hint"...."8 x 8 fell on the floor, when I picked it up, it was 64!" Thank you Mrs. Greene, I've never gotten it wrong since! ( : |
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Tue May 22, 2007 10:54 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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Congrats on the election, Good Work!! I look forward to working with you.
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_________________
Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Wed May 30, 2007 8:03 pm |
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Adam Ford
F L I N T O I D
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According to the invitation I received:
The Genesee County Humane Society's 5th Annual Ties and Tails event will be on:
Saturday September 13th 2008 at
The Humane Society G3325 S Dort Hwy
Hors' Dourves & Cocktails at 6pm and Dinner at 7pm
Black Tie for you and your dog is optional
Tickets are $100, Dinner by Fandangle's, champagne reception, live Premiu Wine and Liquor Auction and music by the "Steelheads"
This year they "will be honoring the memory of Dr. Michael Cross, an ardent supporter and Board Member of the Humane Society. His involvement went beyond being a member of a great team, he was truly a blessing to our world."
For tickets you may want to call (810) 744-0511
http://www.geneseehumane.org/category/events/ has very lmited details |
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Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:26 pm |
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