A GUEST OPINION
Editor’s
note: This was submitted to me by a
Pontiac School District resident and is reprinted with her approval. The writer has many excellent points and they
should be considered. At this point, we still believe the PSD can be saved if restructured
correctly to avoid dissolving.
Starting with fiscal measurements: Pontiac has 4,400 students to Detroit’s 52,000, yet has a $33 million deficit compared to Detroit’s $261 million. PSD’s debt/student ratio is a whopping $7,500/student, 50% higher than DPS’s $5,019/student!
Pontiac is also worse academically. PSD’s best school scores only in the 8th percentile on Michigan’s Top-To-Bottom School Rankings. DPS has high-scoring schools like Renaissance (98th) and Cass Tech (78th) while Pontiac’s High School has the lowest possible ranking: zero percentile.
District residents, victims of PSD’s 30-year downward spiral, beg for reform. Surrounding communities including Auburn Hills, Waterford, Orion, Bloomfield and West Bloomfield have areas within PSD. So here’s the kicker: PSD students have attractive alternatives – through assignment to successful adjacent districts -- if PSD were dissolved. Administrators (appointed, not elected) impede citizen inquiries.
Under state law, residents can petition for district reorganization. In 2013 Auburn Hills leaders requested petitions which had to be issued by Oakland Schools Superintendent, Vickie Markavitch. She flatly refused to issue petitions, violating citizens’ first amendment rights.
Around that time came calls to dissolve PSD, with Buena Vista and Inkster. Dr. Markavitch’s impassioned speech to Michigan’s Education Committee saved PSD. She proposed, and won, control through a consent order giving Oakland responsibility for PSD until it was fiscally sound, likely to take 12 years.
Subsequently Dr. Markavitch retired as Superintendent but took a lucrative new “Cost Recovery” position in Oakland Schools. Dr. Markavitch customized her new job overseeing PSD. Its lofty “Chief Executive Officer” title comes with an equally-grand paycheck of $158,920/year for a reduced work schedule (80% of a normal year.) Oakland Schools’ website lists the first responsibility as implementing PSD’s consent agreement.
Dr. Markavitch and PSD administrators guaranteed themselves employment by preserving Pontiac School District. Since then, PSD borrowed $20 million from the state and lost another 6% enrollment. Claims of deficit reduction are suspect. Beyond job security, one might ask: why retain this failing district in the middle of strong districts? Why block citizens from requesting state review? It’s time to take a hard look at Pontiac School District’s viability and the involvement of Oakland Intermediate Schools.
Pontiac is also worse academically. PSD’s best school scores only in the 8th percentile on Michigan’s Top-To-Bottom School Rankings. DPS has high-scoring schools like Renaissance (98th) and Cass Tech (78th) while Pontiac’s High School has the lowest possible ranking: zero percentile.
District residents, victims of PSD’s 30-year downward spiral, beg for reform. Surrounding communities including Auburn Hills, Waterford, Orion, Bloomfield and West Bloomfield have areas within PSD. So here’s the kicker: PSD students have attractive alternatives – through assignment to successful adjacent districts -- if PSD were dissolved. Administrators (appointed, not elected) impede citizen inquiries.
Under state law, residents can petition for district reorganization. In 2013 Auburn Hills leaders requested petitions which had to be issued by Oakland Schools Superintendent, Vickie Markavitch. She flatly refused to issue petitions, violating citizens’ first amendment rights.
Around that time came calls to dissolve PSD, with Buena Vista and Inkster. Dr. Markavitch’s impassioned speech to Michigan’s Education Committee saved PSD. She proposed, and won, control through a consent order giving Oakland responsibility for PSD until it was fiscally sound, likely to take 12 years.
Subsequently Dr. Markavitch retired as Superintendent but took a lucrative new “Cost Recovery” position in Oakland Schools. Dr. Markavitch customized her new job overseeing PSD. Its lofty “Chief Executive Officer” title comes with an equally-grand paycheck of $158,920/year for a reduced work schedule (80% of a normal year.) Oakland Schools’ website lists the first responsibility as implementing PSD’s consent agreement.
Dr. Markavitch and PSD administrators guaranteed themselves employment by preserving Pontiac School District. Since then, PSD borrowed $20 million from the state and lost another 6% enrollment. Claims of deficit reduction are suspect. Beyond job security, one might ask: why retain this failing district in the middle of strong districts? Why block citizens from requesting state review? It’s time to take a hard look at Pontiac School District’s viability and the involvement of Oakland Intermediate Schools.
Great article - VOTE NO!!!
ReplyDelete