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terrybankert
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GREAT SCHOOLS in Flint MI USA , HELD BACK! “train wreck” in September?
FLINT CITIZEN- By: Terry Bankert
Date:05/02/2006
GREAT SCHOOLS in Flint MI USA , HELD BACK!....... “train wreck” in September?
Last year I was a minor part of the best community involvement program I have ever seen. It was called the Great Schools Initiative.
Hundreds of citizens were involved in a dozen or more community meeting where you the Flint Citizens were asked about your school system.
A report was generated and taken to the Flint Board of Education. This board of education has ignored its recommendation and is recklessly racing to reform.
Recently the Great Schools met and decide to ask to present its concerns to the Board of Education. That meeting was granted then was cancelled.
Below you will find 3 documents.
#1 An email from Dick Ramsdell telling the Great Schools group of the cancelled presentation. #2 The letter Great Schools sent to the Flint Board of Education.
#3 The report that was to be made to the Flint Board of Education on May 3 2006.
The Committee listed the “community leaders” who received the hard copy of the Great Schools report. I am emailing the report to you.
Now is the time to let the Flint Board of Education , media, community groups and institutions , neighbor hood leaders and our friends know what we think about the Flint School reforms and to hold each member of the Flint Board of Education accountable.
Flint Citizens have strength in numbers, to be seen show up, to be heard speak up, do not wait to follow just lead!
Terry Bankert 05/01/2006
***#1
Hello,
Attached are two documents. The first, our group's letter to the Board. The second, our report. You will note on the last page the names of the individual's to whom we have mailed hard copies.
We had intended to meet with board members this Wednesday, May 3, to outline the report and respond to questions. Apparently the agenda is full, so we have been asked to meet at a future time, yet to be determined.
I will notify you as soon as I know. I will also notify you if our P.O box receives any responses.
Dick
***#2
April 26, 2006
Members of the Board of Education
Flint Community Schools
923 E. Kearsley St.
Flint, MI 48502
Dear Board Member,
The mission of the Great Schools Initiative is to “build a community vision for great schools in Flint. Engage community members in generating that vision, owning it, and helping it move forward.” We are fulfilling this mission by monitoring the development of the current plan for change in the Flint Schools.
With you, we continue to advocate for change that is consistent with “The People’s Vision” you accepted from us in April 2005 and holds promise for making Great Schools in Flint. We fear that the current reform effort is at risk of not fulfilling the people’s vision. The strength of community disaffection has convinced us that we cannot keep it to ourselves. As responsible citizens, we must notify you of the developments that are putting the plan at risk.
The attached report outlines both the risk factors and the corrective actions we believe are needed. We hope that this report is taken in its intended spirit: a constructive method for helping the Vision for Great Schools to move forward. As always, we are willing to meet with you if you determine that we can assist in additional ways.
Because all citizens of Flint have a stake in the success of the Flint Schools, we are informing other civic leaders of our concerns. Their names are found at the end of the report.
Sincerely,
Karen Wilkinson
Ella Moore
Richard Ramsdell
Great Schools Initiative
P.O. Box 828
Flint, MI 48501
****#3
DEVELOPING GREAT SCHOOLS IN FLINT
A Progress Report to the Flint Board of Education
from concerned citizens of the Great Schools Initiative
May 1, 2006
Background
Last spring (April 8, 2005) the Great Schools Initiative presented to the Flint Board of Education a 9-point vision for Great Schools in Flint. You adopted the Vision, courageously hired a superintendent with the desire to implement changes that would fulfill the Vision, and supported his goals for dramatic, systemic change in the schools. Our support for significant improvements in our schools is obvious and our February 27, 2006, report to you identified specific elements of Superintendent Milton’s plan that we like.
At the time of that report, we had learned enough to worry about the plan’s probability of success. We shared these concerns with you. We urged you to move slowly and selectively in phasing in Superintendent Milton’s reform plan. In the ensuing weeks, instead of finding reasons for hope, we have found more evidence that the plan is at risk of failure. We have heard from innumerable citizens who believe that the Great Schools Initiative is a credible group, which might be able to influence the school board and administration to fix the problems before it is too late. Their messages have come from both inside and outside the school system, via e-mail and telephone, at our meetings, and in private conversations. It is our responsibility to share what we have heard and identify constructive actions to take.
Evidence that the Plan is At-Risk
What we have heard is that the plan for reform has serious flaws, particularly in the plan development process and the time line for implementation. This is particularly important because, if the details and the specifics are not worked out before implementation, what might otherwise be a good plan has a significant chance of failure. This should be troubling to the designers and advocates of the plan, but much more is riding on the outcome of the implementation: the real losers will be Flint’s children. That is an outcome that none of us wants.
Risk Factors
1. Lack of ownership and engagement
A key problem is that there is a lack of ownership and engagement among those who must implement the plan. The people who need to own the plan and engage enthusiastically in its development are the teachers, students, and parents, but they have been left out of the planning process. They have been asked simply to trust the expertise of Mr. Milton and Mr. Anthony whose plan is “research based,” but they have not been invited to learn about the research showing how effective the reforms have been elsewhere or explore how they would work here.
The imposition of the reform plan from the top contradicts Mr. Milton’s own stated intentions for the process of reform in Flint. At Mr. Milton’s first meeting with the Great Schools Initiative (November 22, 2005), he used a pyramid outlining the structure of the school system he would lead. He placed students and parents at the top and the Board of Education and the Superintendent at the bottom. He assured us that he would listen to and work with parents and the community, encouraging us to have more and larger meetings with him; that the strategic plan would develop over several months, as he sifted through all of the input from teachers, parents, the Board, and others; and that the plan would be a collective one, not the Superintendent’s plan.
That goal, of insuring participation and reflecting the wishes of those involved, has never materialized. Instead, the plan was developed by a closed design team and presented to the community and staff in the form of reports, with the expectation only that they be informed and limit their reactions to questions permitting further clarification of the plan.
The exclusion of the community and school staff from the plan’s development has disenfranchised them and lowered morale. You have witnessed some of this disaffection at the long public comment hearings at board meetings. Having been a part of this process ourselves, and listening to the reaction of others throughout the community, the Great Schools Initiative is deeply disappointed; for by these actions the inclusionary values that guided our collection of the Vision for Great Schools have been violated. The people want their leaders’ actions to be affected by their wishes and they want to be included in making decisions that affect their children.
Even more troubling is that the process appears to have been disingenuous from the outset. A more honest approach would have been for Mr. Milton to indicate at the very beginning that he was arriving in Flint with a preconceived framework for reform, and that Mr. Anthony’s role was to implement it as quickly as possible.
We understand that strong leadership is needed to bring about the ambitious change that we need. We also know that a great deal of fear and resistance accompanies any effort at radical systemic change. Nonetheless, this top-down approach does more to aggravate these fears than alleviate them. The plan has little chance of success as long as it is perceived as being handed down from above. Students, parents and teachers have invested nothing in its development, lack confidence that it is an improvement and lack enthusiasm for making it work.
2. Loss of successful programs
In our public forums in February, 2005, we asked the community “What are the good things you see happening in the schools right now?” In every one of our meetings, we heard that people like the HOSTS Program, Challenge Program, Magnet Program, Bridges to the Future, the Theatre and Model U.N. Programs at Central, and the Band Program at Northern.
And yet, the reform plan eliminates or at least significantly compromises all of the
following:
HOSTS Program.
Challenge Program.
Magnet Program at both high school and elementary level.
Bilingual education.
STAR computerized reading program.
Bridges to the Future.
Instrumental music at all elementary schools
If we believe that the district should be responsive to students and parents and that the voice of the community is important, how can we so blatantly disregard their wishes by eliminating programs that they value? One person commented to us, “All those programs were the glue that held the system together. They have eliminated everything that we had that was positive.”
Missing details, undermining confidence
Besides failing to foster a sense of ownership, the lack of consultation of school staff and teachers has another consequence that puts the plan at risk: too many important program details and implementation processes have been overlooked. A few examples: (1) the decision to close two middle schools was certainly not based on any input from the community; (2) the lack of data on how 7-12 graders will be housed safely and conveniently at the city’s four high schools; (3) no information for high school counselors about which students will be in next fall’s classes (normally they have this information by now for programming purposes); (4) vague outlines of the programs for the gender-based Holmes Academy and the Whittier Classical Academy.
The plan is an ambitious one and as such has layers and layers of details that must be perfected. Apparently, no effort is being made to include or consult with those who understand those details and could contribute their expertise to perfecting the plan. Even if the administration is confident that all of this will be done before the start of the school year, too many people are not. Their lack of confidence puts the plan at risk because parents are not willing to have the district experiment with their children. They have alternatives and will use them to safeguard their children. We cannot afford to lose more families, both for revenue purposes and for the sake of the reputation of the district.
4. Excessive regimentation
Particularly at the elementary level, the plan seems overly regimented and leaves little flexibility for creative teaching. It reminds some of the lock-step factory model of education of fifty years ago. Students are not parts of an automobile to be built uniformly day by day. Teachers are not simply facilitators, they are professionals educated to make judgments about what students need and how to satisfy those needs. If there are some teachers who fall short of this standard, they should be assisted to develop appropriately, but all teachers should not be treated according to this lower standard. Regimentation is also apparent in what teachers perceive to be their new place in the system. They believe that they cannot raise questions about these changes because if they do, there will be negative personal consequences.
We have heard repeatedly from Mr. Milton and Mr. Anthony that all teachers can teach any subject to all students, whether special needs, second language, or gifted, and that every successful program should be placed in every school. We, and those from whom we have heard, believe that this is both wrong and naïve. Teachers are individuals who have unique educational backgrounds and special talents. Successful special programs are not elitist as Mr. Milton and Mr. Anthony imply, rather they are valid matches between teachers with special talents and students with special needs.
We are hearing from all corners of the community that the “one size fits all” model of the reform plan is being carried to a counter productive extreme. Additional structure and some uniformity may well be necessary, but the new classroom model coupled with the lack of inclusion in the model’s development arouses fears that a deeper change is occurring, a change that will produce an authoritarian administration and a disempowered community.
5. More costs, endangering financial stability
While an ambitious, far-reaching plan is needed to create Great Schools in Flint, everyone recognizes that such a plan is expensive. Everyone is anxious about the costs of the reforms. How efficiently is this reform being put together? Where will the resources be found to pay for all of the proposed additions?
Everyone with whom we talk believes that the plan will have to be pared down because of the enormous costs. We are starting to see evidence that the problem will be aggravated by the decrease in revenue if more families than usual leave the system. Our contacts in parochial and charter schools indicate that enrollment requests for next year have increased significantly from previous years. Another concern, voiced by the well-informed, is that proposals are being made to use Title I funds to pay for non-Title I projects. If this is unsubstantiated rumor, it should be openly repudiated. Such proposals are illegal and must be rejected. The public needs to be convinced that the district has the financial capacity to support the reforms through new sources of revenue and/or greater efficiency.
Corrective Actions Needed
What do we ask of the Board of Education?
1. Insist that Mr. Milton and Mr. Anthony and their design team engage immediately in a dialogue with those within the system who will be responsible for carrying out the plan. This dialogue and consultation must result in improvements in the plan not simply further explanation. It is true that Mr. Milton and Mr. Anthony have had many meetings with people, but despite their describing these as consultations, they were not. From our own experience, we know that the Great Schools Initiative was not consulted even though Mr. Milton and Mr. Anthony claim that we were. If the current time line does not allow for thorough and thoughtful dialogue and engagement, then extend the timeline, or phase in only those elements of the plan which can be successful by next fall.
2. Require Mr. Milton to track whether buy-in of his plan is occurring. Collect data on satisfaction with the plan by surveying parents and students. Require a report on the number of students who have left the district as well as the enrollment of new students since the Board voted for the preliminary framework. Compare this data with prior years’ data. Thereafter, require bi-weekly reports. Compare the number of students entering and exiting the system next fall with previous years. Insist that Mr. Milton regularly report data on this factor, emphasizing that at this point in time confidence in his plan is just as important to the health of the district as test scores or anything else his administration chooses to track.
3. Immediately develop a communication plan.
To this point, the reform process has been hampered by poor communication with the
community. Informational meetings were held at each of the four high schools and other
meetings have taken place, but the answers to questions have been rudimentary,
incomplete, and uninformative. It is fair to say that no one, either in the community or
among the staff of the school system, has a clear idea of what will take place next fall. If
the Board is serious about following through on this plan, you need to quickly and
emphatically articulate its features to everyone, so that misunderstandings can be corrected
and confidence in the plan can increase.
The reform plan contains many strong points that we support. But from what we have
witnessed over the last five months, there are too many problems on the horizon. We have
had more than one person say to us that they fear a “train wreck” in September, as
the many overlooked details overwhelm the plan. We urge you to take action to solve the
problems that threaten the promise of reform.
We depend on you to be more assertive in directing the Superintendent’s plan. We want the Board and Superintendent to have a trusting and collaborative relationship and this can be achieved even while raising legitimate concerns. The time for leaving “hands off” has passed, for much depends on what is done in the coming weeks. If the plan fails, children will be hurt, but if it succeeds, we will all have so much to celebrate for we will be building Great Schools in Flint.
Civic leaders receiving copies of this report:
Dr. Susanne Chandler, Dean of Education and Human Services, University of Michigan-Flint
State Senator Deborah Cherry
Lieutenant Governor John Cherry, Jr.
State Representative Brenda Clack
Ms. Lenetta Coney, President, Mott Community College Foundation
Ms. Lenore Croudy, Chairperson, Mott Community College Board of Trustees
State Senator Robert Emerson
Ms. Frances Gilcreast, President, Flint Branch - NAACP
Dr. Susan Goering, Dean of Education and Human Services, Baker College of Flint
State Representative Lee Gonzales
Mr. Tim Herman, President, Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce
Ms. Kathi Horton, President, Community Foundation of Greater Flint
Ms. Rhetta Hunyady, Vice President, Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce
Rev. Marvin Jennings, Past President, Concerned Pastors for Social Action
Dr. Stanley Liberty, President, Kettering University
Ms. Pamela Loving, President, Career Alliance
Dr. Juan Mestas, Chancellor, University of Michigan-Flint
Mr. Walter Milton, Jr., Superintendent, Flint Community Schools
Mr. Lawrence Moon, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Community Foundation
Ms. Susan Pool, Director, Ruth Mott Foundation
Dr. Julianne Princinsky, President, Baker College of Flint
Rev. Lewis Randolph, President, Concerned Pastors for Social Action
Dr. Ira Rutherford, Former Interim Superintendent, Flint Community Schools
Dr. Richard Shank, President, Mott Community College
Mr. David Sharp, Publisher, The Flint Journal
Dr. Thomas Svitkovitch, Superintendent, Genesee Intermediate School District
Mr. William White, President, C.S. Mott Foundation
Pastor Sheldon Williams, Editor, CPSA Courier
Mr. Matt Zacks, Publisher, The Uncommon Sense
*****
The Flint Citizen is a publication of Attorney Terry R. Bankert (Family Law, divorce ) of Flint Michigan USA. See http://attorneybankert.com/.
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fax 234-5080
See http://attorneybankert.com/.
Ask a Flint divorce, child support, child custody question at http://attorneybankert.com/contact.php |
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Tue May 02, 2006 4:27 am |
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rapunzel
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This is a great document thank you for posting. The Great Schools intiative sought community input and will not let what the board promised to be a living document go quietly into file 13. To follow other community input documents with hundreds of volunteer hours of research ex: citizens committee I and II.
The teachers piloted all the new textbooks suggested formed a study committee. Each teacher on the committee tried each text and documented results. Much work on documentation in classroom environments. The teachers know what will work with our kids. These recommendations were discarded.
The HOST program has proven results and also brings in volunteers from the community. I can see the issue of not taking kids out of class during some important study times but if they need more one on one in reading how can they keep up with the class without it?
This is not a one size fits all district. Title I funds will be at risk. Dick Ramsdell and crew have very valid points. Hopefully someone will listen.
Milton said "Art, Music and Gym at all schools." He did not mean instrumental music in Elementary. Choral music is a waste of my childs time when she could be reading. Look forward to NO prospects for middle school band.
Enrollment is usually set, ready for the first day of school the following year. This is not the case. We may have empty buildings and some over capacity. Pupil personnel does not have the where withall to handle what 50 secretaries usually do. Train wreck!
Great schools do have a slightly veiled agenda but this document is on point. |
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Tue May 02, 2006 11:33 pm |
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terrybankert
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
rapunzel schreef:
This is a great document thank you for posting. The Great Schools intiative sought community input and will not let what the board promised to be a living document go quietly into file 13. To follow other community input documents with hundreds of volunteer hours of research ex: citizens committee I and II.
The teachers piloted all the new textbooks suggested formed a study committee. Each teacher on the committee tried each text and documented results. Much work on documentation in classroom environments. The teachers know what will work with our kids. These recommendations were discarded.
The HOST program has proven results and also brings in volunteers from the community. I can see the issue of not taking kids out of class during some important study times but if they need more one on one in reading how can they keep up with the class without it?
This is not a one size fits all district. Title I funds will be at risk. Dick Ramsdell and crew have very valid points. Hopefully someone will listen.
Milton said "Art, Music and Gym at all schools." He did not mean instrumental music in Elementary. Choral music is a waste of my childs time when she could be reading. Look forward to NO prospects for middle school band.
Enrollment is usually set, ready for the first day of school the following year. This is not the case. We may have empty buildings and some over capacity. Pupil personnel does not have the where withall to handle what 50 secretaries usually do. Train wreck!
Great schools do have a slightly veiled agenda but this document is on point.
What can we do to get the word out? I believe GS has moved beyond "Go Central". Most of us have a problem following educational theory and its reflection in the annual budget. We rely on people like you, the great schools people, unions and some institution like Mott. How do we get the educational leaders to inform the public and mobilize the public to engage in the Flint reforms?
Terry Bankert 5/3/06 |
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Wed May 03, 2006 3:21 am |
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Adam
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While I'm by no means an expert on Flint schools when I went to the meeting at Flint central for the plan it seemed like Miltton was countering the problems. For one I think the international baccalaureate program sounds a lot better than the honors programs we had. As for dialogue I felt there was open dialogue at the meetings. In addition I'd say school board meetings are about 10 times more open than Flint City council. I'd take Walter Milton running a meeting over Darryl Buchanan any day. The ROTC program is also continuing
I'm not that familiar with FLint schools though so I can only go from what I've seen. I think Rapunzel is pretty much the expert on Flint schools which is why I'll probably be constantly recruiting her for school board. 
Adam Ford |
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Wed May 03, 2006 12:08 pm |
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rapunzel
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I am open to change. It is obvious business as usual is NOT working. Still throwing out the baby with the bathwater is not the goal. We have programs that are getting great results.... keep what is working. Discard what is not.
Over the last 20 years we have tacked in the wind, thrown out programs that were blossoming and started new directions. In this way we can not reach our destination without the elusive STRATEGIC PLAN!
The baccalaurate (sp) is a wonderful, exceptional program. Should it be housed at Whittier? Whittier needs $2.3 million worth of improvements has approx. (old number) 820 students and a capacity of over 1100 students. Architectual deficiency costs (outdated) of 16 million. Past operating cost 374,000 (For arguements sake Central is listed as $1,409,000 operating cost..Central advocates complain part of operating costs due to shared boiler). My point only 200? students may qualify for this program. It would have made good sense to put this program in with the current academy at SW.
By changing SW to boundary school we will loose many for safety perception of parents. We will waste capacity and cost of operation not to mention enrollment at what $7200? per student.
Why?
To pack Central at 7-12? make alumni happy?
You tell me? Great Schools still has an agenda but they do make valid points. They want to close SW, first the public needs to be disuaded. Milton will want to go for a millage in the future and cannot do so without cultural alumni. politics and schools. |
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Thu May 04, 2006 2:20 am |
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Adam
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How many people are on the board? The problem with "not throwing the baby out with the bathwater" idea is that by not running you could actually help the school board loose. What I mean by this is that voters could vote against the school board for any idiot that ran. Instead of voting for a qualified candidate like you Flint voters could help some no name idiot that has no clue about schools get elected. Having someone like you on there could actually prevent s serious poblem if people irritated about Flint schools decided to throw Cleaves and the president off the board in favor of some no-name candidate.
I would never do this but I think it could be a possibiliy for someone that has no clue about Flint schools but is mad at the board for closing their school and wants to get on the board simply to wreak havoc and make a name for themselves.
In other words would you rather have someone that is less familiar with Flint schools than me getting on the board in place of say someone like Cleaves or the president or would you rahter have someone like yourself on it. I see it more of an insurance policy than you opposing the school board. Especially with some hostile voters out there that could be wlling to vote against the school board for anyone with their name on the ballot.
Think about it. Even if Walter Milton is the best superintendent in the country you could actually help him get ousted by not running as an insurance policy to preserve continuity against uneducated voters.
On another note having you on the board would make me feel better but don't worry if I do have kids and you're not on the board I can always move to Wyoming where they have jobs and great schools and give less revenue to Flint schools so more schools can close.
The way you talk makes you talk about Flint schools makes you seem like a superintendent almost. I think Milton could really use somone like you on the board. Why don't you talk to him about it.? I'm curious if he'd agree with me. |
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Fri May 05, 2006 11:44 am |
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pachucos
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| I will try to say this in the nicest way. Terry shove it up your ass. |
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Fri May 05, 2006 7:08 pm |
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rapunzel
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| Pachucos- totally uncalled for! Terry only posted information not his views and asked for input. your type of INPUT does not qualify! Speak facts, why you agree or disagree. NUFF SAID. |
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Fri May 05, 2006 7:29 pm |
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Guest
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Fri May 05, 2006 9:10 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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quote:
rapunzel schreef:
Pachucos- totally uncalled for! Terry only posted information not his views and asked for input. your type of INPUT does not qualify! Speak facts, why you agree or disagree. NUFF SAID.
He's always got some good stuff to think about to post. Not everybody appreciates it. I always read it. Some times in mutliple sittings. As I'm sure others have to do with some of my long winded posts. LOL
If you watch the Mlive group. We get some of thier idioitic flames from time to time. I'm not against heated or even lively debate. But, sometimes poeple are just plain stupid.
quote:
pachucos I will try to say this in the nicest way. Terry shove it up your ass.
I think this is one of those times. |
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Fri May 05, 2006 11:50 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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quote:
I think this is one of those times.
I doubt Terry would respond to such ignorance. I however, cannot resist calling it like see it. You, said it correct.
quote:
rapunzel Pachucos- totally uncalled for! Terry only posted information not his views and asked for input. your type of INPUT does not qualify! Speak facts, why you agree or disagree. NUFF SAID.
Hey, Rap, the next watch meeting is at that lady's house. I'm thinking of going. But I forgot the date. I'm still considering being a part of it. I just have got so many years of putting up with crappy, lackluster performance out of our police dept. I just don't know that I would be able to contribute without being a liability.
I still see that watch as being "look over their shoulder" rather than a help to catch or stop crime. I would be more inclined to help if I didn't see so much reinforcement of my beliefs of the police department on a daily basis. And I'm not talking about what I read in the paper. I'm talking about the information I keep obtaining. About what they actually do with the time they are on the job.
I had an interesting conversation with the Former Chief the other day. I can see now more than ever. The chiefs office is controlled by the Mayor more than I ever thought it was before. There was so much he had to fight against just to get people to do their jobs. I was surprised by how up to date he was on Flint's crime stats. And when I mentioned a few of the things, that have happened lately. He knew exactly who I was talking about. I think we really lost a good man when Don got rid of him. I'm betting he wouldn't play by Don's rules. Only we never did get that far in the conversation. After talking to him. I wouldn't mind seeing him run for Mayor. He seems to have a good understanding of what the Average citizen goes through. Dealing with Crime and the City government in Flint. He got me thinking in a few areas I hadn't thought of yet.
I guess I’ve been putting too much blame on the current chief. We need to get a Mayor that isn’t going to always be tying the hands of the chiefs in this town. |
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Sat May 06, 2006 12:06 am |
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rapunzel
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Ted, Erica may have to change the date of her next meeting. Conflicts with another intiative.
QUOTE:
"Hey, Rap, the next watch meeting is at that lady's house. I'm thinking of going. But I forgot the date. I'm still considering being a part of it. I just have got so many years of putting up with crappy, lackluster performance out of our police dept. I just don't know that I would be able to contribute without being a liability.
I still see that watch as being "look over their shoulder" rather than a help to catch or stop crime. I would be more inclined to help if I didn't see so much reinforcement of my beliefs of the police department on a daily basis. And I'm not talking about what I read in the paper. I'm talking about the information I keep obtaining. About what they actually do with the time they are on the job."
There is some thought to YOU being able to contribute W/O being a liability. I know you COULD be an asset but... Erica has worked diligently to build bridges and You have a tendancy to Burn them. 
Erica does more than "look over shoulder" she has found out which contacts will follow thru and provides info to help them do so. This is dangerous shit!
Did you read about Lynn in the uncommon sense? I think it's under red wagon heading. One person can get hurt, as a group or community we have strength. |
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Sat May 06, 2006 2:45 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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Out of curiosity? What bridge do you feel I've burned?
I just don't see anything changing when it comes to this police dept.
Within the last two months I've witnessed three different incidents where police have been called out. As I mentioned before. Their performance once they arrived. Gives one the impression we would have been just as well off if they had never showed up in the first place.
I would love to witness one time where when they showed up. They didn't make excuses for thier lack of action. It amazes me that similar situations are handled completely different in other departments in the Flint area. |
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Sat May 06, 2006 7:18 pm |
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rapunzel
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Well, I know gary hagler has read your posts any positive bridges built?
I agree there are many problems but we need the right approach to fix them. Even in a small way.
I understand we deserve it all fixed now but I am willing to settle for small growing progress. Rome was not built in a day. |
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Sat May 06, 2006 9:01 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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Well that sounds cool to me.
Positive bridges. I've got to think on that one.
How many messages left on his voice mail, without response would you consider too many? Two, Three Four? They must be using caller ID. Because, since I started the website. I finally get responses when I call. Maybe it was because I’ve made the Eric Mays show and Uncommonsense. After almost two years of calls, and leaving messages, it took only three months after posting my website. For my neighbor to finally gets some response from police about the criminal that broke into his house. So it must have created some type of bridge. One that finally got him some answers. Yet, they still haven't returned his stolen property. Which I'm sure they have. I personally wouldn't call it a “burnt bridge.” As it seems to have created a bridge that couldn’t be made using the positive approach. It worked to finally get some response from our police Dept. I think it's sad that I had to resort to the website to voice my concerns and point out some real solutions. We have collectively given them quite a few solutions. I was kind of Blown away talking to Barksdale about the things he wanted to do. I thought I was hearing myself speak, with some of his ideas.
I, we, my neighbor. should have been able to call and actually talk to someone (if not him, at least his secretary) about these problems with the lack of police response. Not be continually ignored while using the system in place that completely ignores the honest and law abiding citizens of Flint. I’ve done quite a few phone interviews with other departments in the area. I’m amazed at what they do to fight crime and find and arrest criminals. That when you talk to a Flint Officer all’s you’ll get is excuses as to why they cannot do anything in the same situations! It’s not a state procedure, It’s not a County procedure. It’s a Flint procedure to make excuses for not doing the bare minimum. Let alone doing anything over and above the call of duty.
Now, if someone was out there pointing out what I had been doing or my people that work for me where doing. I'd be all up in their Ass making them do their jobs. (The Marine in me) I'd be working to prove or show that past practice is no longer acceptable, and things are changing. However, things are not changing. I pay his salary!! You pay his salary! We should be able to get accountability for our money. But, we don't. So I guess as long as we take the arrogance of our police department, and their continued failure to treat their bosses (ie taxpayers) with respect. Why should we, continue to accept their lackluster performance, and continue to march along “building bridges” (positive bridges). That consist of, continually being screwed by a system that refuses to take an honest look at what they are doing. When they refuse to change their ways. (Ie The mayor’s fictional Crime reduction, and the “atta boys”, to the police, from city council about what a great job they are doing.)
Now, I will say. That after talking to the former chief the other day for about two hours. I am convinced, that the problem isn’t a majority Police Chief problem. I believe the chiefs’ hands are continually being tied by those in power above him. The Mayor and different committees and groups. That persuade in political ways and possibly even with threat of their job. That doesn’t allow them to do what they really need to do to fight crime in Flint. I’m not done absorbing everything I’ve picked up from my conversations with the former chief and some former District attorneys from Flint. I’m also still absorbing the current chief’s interview, trying to put it into perspective, with everything else I’ve been looking into. As my opinions change based on knowledge. So will my website. If you check it out on a regular basis as I notice many people do. (I do track visitors) The “City of Flint’s” IP the County’s IP and there are many return visits from Rochester hills and a few places outside Michigan I haven’t figured out why they keep coming back. (I even had Disney checking out my site. I thought I was going to get in trouble for the “Mickey Mayor” crack) I know the difference between a spider’s IP and Business or Government. SO I know they are watching. And I have changed some posts slightly from time to time. When I see things change. It’s not fair to anyone to continue to post something that is no longer true. So I do update regularly.
Considering, the website finally got me responses from the Chiefs office. I would consider that a bridge built. Not one burned. Since I couldn’t get one built by calling his office in the past. I had (some time ago) wanted to make an appointment to actually talk to him. But, after years of trying. I’m pretty happy now (I’ve settled for) finally getting responses. I’d have to credit that with the website and things I’ve posted. I do not see anything else that could have created this bridge, Positive or negative. It’s one that wasn’t there before. It’s just a shame you have to resort to ridicule and criticism to finally get someone to respond to you.
You wouldn’t happen to have any other examples of bridges burned? I really do appreciate people questioning my opinions and attitude. I don’t do well off the cuff. I like to mull things over for quite a while and reason it out. Thus why it took two years of being ignored before I resorted to creating the website. And it took 10 years of watching different incidents before speaking out. I have something else to add to our crime discussion. That I’ll post back in that topic. |
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Sat May 06, 2006 10:55 pm |
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