Longtime - No post. But we are back. We would sure love it if people can fill us in on the following items. Joyce: Maybe you can send out a Rumor Control e-mail informing people what the truth is.
Charlie McDonald - MPS Head of Technology
It is "rumored" that in the past 4 years he has received a total raise of close to $20,000. He is "rumored" to be making in the low $80,000 range.
Joyce Phillips - Superintendent
3% raise and buying of years at the past board meeting. Also MANY perks in her contract - We wish we knew what her "perks" are.
Custodial Staff
They are on the chopping block. The board is currently looking into privatizing our Custodial Staff.
It is hard to believe that people at the top keep getting FAT POCKETS, and the ones towards the bottom keep getting things taken away. Please fill us in on any information you may have.
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1 – 200 of 387 Newer› Newest»As a parent I am also very concerned about the many things I am hearing that are quite disturbing. The staff tell me what a poor job many of these top administrators are doing as they seemingly keep rewarding themselves with big pay and many perks. The school board does not seem to hold anyone at the top accountable for anything. No matter how bad Phillips' performance is they still allowed her to get her big raises and stay another two years, at her demand! NO new computers are ever bought from the regular school budget, yet the tech director keeps getting big raises. What gives? The suspected corruption at the top is proven more true with each passing week as new information comes available. Now they want to punish the custodians? Our kids and staff have suffered enough already!
Everyone who actually works in the Marshall schools knows what a corrupt leadership we are burdened with. The schools are simply rotten at the head and that is causing many problems at all lower levels, and yes it is hurting the kids!
the board directed amy jones at the Mon. pm workshop to write a proposal to place a bid in the media to privatize 20 custodians at Marshall Schools. Each of these 52 week employees have a contracted wage of $24,477 per year. Amy Jones told the two leaders of that group that the building administrators had suggested the outsourcing of these local family jobs. When questioned 3 of those building administrators said no statement like that was ever made at any of the workshops by building admin. This is just another amy jones, mike walbeck, brian metcalf brainstorm. It is quite certain that mike walbeck has suggested once a private company comes in to our district, and bill armstrong, director of maintenance/custodial retires in a year of so...mike walbeck is more than willing, at a great pay increase, which will still save this district 1/2 an admin salary...will do both the bus supervisor job and the main. director job. He will oversee the private company to make sure the work appears to be getting done. Mike Walbeck has been with a district that did this, yes, there were approx. 3 custodians and 5 bus drivers. He would love to have the CISD do all special ed busing so he will then have time to be maintenance director, which is the job he really wants, not bussing.
I beg the board to look into all the facts. Don't just listen to the pretty figures amy promises. Yes, private companies do make it look better than sliced bread - but ask what happens within three years. The cost will most guaranteeably be much higher than projected this year. It has been the case in 95% of the outsourcing of school employee jobs. Once they buy your school equipment - your school will not be able to replace it. And they have you by the you know what!
There is data that needs to be looked at. This data will not be accessed through Amy Jones.
Has anyone cared to ask how many of these 20 custodians have children in MPS that bring in big state aid dollars. Have they asked how many of these custodians own homes in this school district, vote here, pay taxes here. Well people, your private company will bring employees from Kalamazoo. Is this what our small town school district wants? Do our realtors want to see even more houses go on the market? How about the banks? Do they really want to have foreclosures on school employees homes, cars, etc. just because Amy Jones, who has not been entirely competent to date, gives some pretty figures.
Is there a problem when at the same board workshop, Mon. May 21st, Charlie Macdonald, Tech Director got weeks added to his contract equalling an $8,000 raise. How about at the same workshop, Joyce Phillips got a 3% salary increase, one year bought for Michigan retirement, and many inflated perks? I for one see a problem with this. I see it as a real problem. Lies need to be exposed for what they are....LIES. Marshall Schools cannot take this damage back. Our Schools are not for sale. When you outsource local jobs, that affect local familes, with children in these familes going to our school....can we do this and not affect our kids. Is this somehow Putting Kids First. No - this is letting joyce, amy, mike and yes Brian and his doctorate degree be put first. This is just wrong. I beg you to ask questions. Make calls. Ask administrators if they have issues with our custodial work. I did. I found out Amy lied about it in front of Vic Potter. I do not wish to be lied to anymore.
Does Brian Metcalf have a vested interest in our school. No - he owns a home in Coldwater Schools. Mike Walbeck - No - he owns a home in Tekonska Schools. Amy Jones - Olivet. How dare these people that do not pay Marshall School taxes - dare to push our local residents from our school jobs. Years ago you had to live in Marshall School district to be an administrator here. Guess what - then you did a personal vested interest in the decisions being made that do affect the community of Marshall.
I beg the board to look much further into this issue. Especially when you have consented to financial gain for some and cut the livelihoods of the lowest paid employees.
So no top administrators have any real vested interest in Marshall? That makes sense! How much more bad news, lies and corruption will the people of Marshall tolerate? Will there be a recall as a first step toward cleaning up this mess? Can the staff trust any school board member besides John Coulter? Who is next on Joyce's hit list? Are Joyce and her supporters celebrating forcing Ron Behrenwald out at MHS? Will the weekly bad news ever end? Is Marshall doomed to be the county's laughingstock, as it has become under the current school board and Joyce? Is "excellence" history in Marshall? Stay tuned...
As a verteran MPS teacher this is another example of rewarding bad performance!
Even before they passed bonds and built new high schools, Lakeview, Harper Creek and Pennfield were way ahead of Marshall in technology. The Marshall schools have had very poor leadership in the area of technology and Mr. MacDonald has not served us very well in the ten years or so he has been our tech director. He is known for delegating a lot of his job to others and at best has done a very mediocre job as a sort of glorified "tech support" supervisor, not a true leader pushing Marshall forward along the lines of the schools mentioned above.
How often is Mr. MacDonald seen pushing and leading initiatives at school board meetings like the tech leaders in other CISD schools do? Almost never! How often does he play a lead role in the community pushing for updating and improving Marshall's antiquated technology? Almost never. He is very bad at getting back with staff on almost any issue and has been very ineffective to get the Superintendent and school board to back technology improvements that are not financed by a bond or outside donations. I have sent him numerous e-mails and most he simply ignored. His raises are not deserved. It looks like he is being rewarded for his loyalty to Mrs. Phillips. The neglected Marshall teachers and students deserve much better tech leadership if we are to catch up with other better schools.
Just another example that no matter how bad your performance is at MPS, as long as you are loyal to JP and she puts in a good word for you with her board cronies, there is always money to lavish undeserved pay raises and other perks. Why waste general school fund money on technology for teaching the kids? Isn't that what bonds and the Chronin Foundation is for?
Remember when the Marshall schools were looked up to in this area? Now the MPS are increasingly viewed as a district in decline bogged down due to bad leadership and petty politics.
With Phillips as a lame-duck Superintendent for two more years (Oh no!), and a board that takes orders from her, expect very dark days ahead for the Marshall Schools. She will be busy maing revenge, carrying out her hit list, rewarding her few loyalists (who betray the kids) and enjoying her many perks and pay increases. Also I heard that school districts have to pay towards the retirement of employees AFTER they retire, so we will be paying Phillips for decades to come if she is allowed to stay two more years.
Expect Janice, Vic, Paul, Dan, Ali and Chris to keep protecting her. They know the truth and refuse to take leadership or action against this very bad Superintendent. So they must accept the blame and responsibility for her many bad actions.
Looky here, quit yer gripin'! If our beloved Dr. J. wants to hand out big raises to fine loyal employees of her, I says let her! She is doing one dandy job scaring the bejesus out of the staff and ordering the school board around. Why should she waste school money on buying new computers for staff and students?
There is one misconception that keeps appearing on this blog: that the Marshall taxpayers will have to pay for Phillips retirement years after she leaves. Now I do not think she deserves a Michigan retirement, but that view is somewhat inaccurate. School districts must pay into the retirement system a certain percentage (it is currently just under 18%) on an employee's earnings each year. Once a person retires, that district no longer contributes for that individual. However the retiree draws a pension from the retirement system for the rest of their life, and if the retirement system does not have enough money to fund the pensions, they raise the percentage charged on currently working employees. (Just a few years ago the percentage was about 12.9%, and next year it is expected to get close to 20%.)
This is where the real savings from privatization comes from. As long as an employee works for the Marshall school district, the district must pay that 18% to the retirement system. Lets say the average custodian makes $25,000 a year. That will cost the Marshall schools an additional $4,500 a year in payments to MPSERS. But if the employee works for a private company that the school contracts with to clean the schools, the employee is no longer in the retirement system and that money does not have to be paid. The private company only pays salary and social security for the employees. Thus they can offer to do the job for less than it is currently costing the district. But of course the real losers are the custodidans, who, if they are hired by the private company, no longer have pension benefits, and possibly will have a lower salary.
So what appears to the be the case here is that this district does not mind buying years of service credit for the superintendent, who at most will serve Marshall for five years; but will reward the loyal support staff employees for their years of service by privatizing their jobs.
It is very sad to see what the priorities are coming to. Save money on the backs of your lower-paid employeess, while providing extra benefits to the top!
The worst part is that Metcalf, Jones, Phillips and Walbeck all have loyalties elsewhere. So while they damage the Marshall schools and milk everything they can scam from us, they will all leave and not care one hoot over the damage they have done or the costs they have incurred. Wait until the one or more expected lawsuits kick in over Phillips illegal actions.
I, for one, am disgraced beyond all measure to be represented by someone such as Dr. Joyce Phillips. It is absolutely ridiculous to be cutting down on custodial staff! Oh, but don't worry, it makes complete sense to give more money to people who are "higher on the chain" than to those who are "lower" than them. Because of these easily avoided mistakes, our custodial staff has to be cut! Everybody has an equal part. This needs to be understood in something as fragile as a school board. It's about time that everybody wakes up and realizes that Phillips needs to be "impeached" before she does any other damage!
Since I have been following this web site, I am shocked at all of the bad things that were reported predicted that turned out to be true!
At first I thought it was just some disgrunteld people as Beardslee, Potter and Darling kept telling everyone. I have since confirmed through many other sources that this web site, overall, has been very accurate reporting the huge problems and angry MPS staff (justifiably so!). Almost everyone in town I talk to would like to see a new Superintendent in place and the current one fired. The problems are growing and getting worse! Something significant needs to be done to reverse this disturbing trend. We need to do something, we cannot tolerate what is happening to our schools!
Shelly makes an excellent point in the Chronicle out this weekend (May 26). The salaries of the top three alone is greater than any savings derived from firing over 20 loyal school employees and outsourcing their jobs. Or to put it another way, the $250,000-$300,000 spent on the unjust MHS teacher Jody Foreman tenure charges (remember he is the victim of a false allegation and the charges were dropped over a year ago) could have covered a big gap in the school budget too. How much did Amy cost the district when she forgot to cancel an insurance policy? About $20,000-$40,000? How big are Phillips. Metcalf, Jones, Walbeck and MacDonald's pay raises, 2nd retirements and other perks for poor performance? The custodians are the latest group of victims on the Phillips' regime's hit list! Another hit list employee attempted suicide this past year due to extreme unjust and unfair actions by Phillips and her few radical supporters. How much more will the people of Marshall tolerate? This is not who the good people of Marshall are or what we are about!
The infamous "Joyce Phillips Hit List" is alive and well and back into action. After a mountain of criticism for forcing Ron Behrenwald out, and with the pending bond vote, Phillips was likely forced to back off for a little while. During that time she was renewed to stay as long as she wants (2 more years!) and her undeserved large new raise and ultra-generous perks went into effect.
Now Joyce Phillips is lusting for more revenge and the poor custodians are her latest targets. Why wasn't Joyce Phillips fired? Who is backing her? Marsha Haring-Franke? Paul Beardslee, Victor Potter and Janice Darling are fully responsible for ALL of Phillips actions as her biggest supporters. Are Stulberg, Webb and Varvatos just as guilty for always voting for her and not doing anything to stop her? Is recall fever spreading? Has a community-wide desire for positive change begun to find new leadership?
What this board needs to understand is very simple. Of course the privatization of custodial services will look absolutely wonderful in cost savings the first year. Once WE HAVE ALLOWED THIS BOARD TO SELL OUT OUR LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM, and yes, this will affect the local doctors, realtors, pharmacies, eateries, etc. and our local workers have been SOLD OUT it will be too late to do anything. The second and at least by the third year the prices of these private companies will be sky rocketed. AND YOU THE PUBLIC WILL NOT SEE THOSE COSTS....JONES WILL SEE THEM AND KNOW HER NEWEST MISTAKE BUT YOU WILL NOT. These private cleaning companies will give wonderful bids to get into our school buildings. The first year - we may be quite happy. But hold onto your pants because once all of our taxpayer, school owned equipment is sold out with our local residents jobs - these private companies know your district is in a no win situation and their costs will eat this district up alive. Mike Walbeck knows what happens. He has told many people how in Tekonsha he came into buildings at night and found private cleaners sleeping under desks, or found trash not emptied, or room that looked totally untouched. He is going to have a personal gain as I am sure he has a personal plan to get himself a pay raise by being the overseer of this outfit. If he oversees it as inadquately as he does the bus garage - we are all in for a plummet downward. If he can't even administer more than one of the six required emergency bus drills in two years (which is advised by the Michigan Department of Education) why are we taking anything he has to say in to consideration. Is this not the same person that Tekonsha was VERY HAPPY TO GET RID OF? Isn't this the person that ran or school board in Tekonsha a year ago, didn't get this way, and quit in 3 months?
I am very upset that our board is so easily led by this schools top leadership. The facts in the state of michigan regarding outsourcing of support staff jobs has VERY NEGATIVE FEEDBACK. Once past the first year - you are virtually sunk! And all those years of experience are gone. And your children, who currently know the names of their custodians in their day buildings are affected. Some of these support custodians are grand-dad like people in these young peoples lives. Before you place any blame on them look to AMY JONES, WHO HAS REFUSED TO GIVE THIS DISTRICT CONTINUITY IN REPLACEMENT OF CUSTODIANS IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS. She refuses to post job openings on time, fills them with subs - some of which are still subs after 1 1/2 years....SHE IS THE REASON IF THERE IS TO BE ANY BLAME PLACED.
How long is this board going to believe poor amy jones is too over worked. That girl needs to go along with metcalf, philly and walbeck. Let's get the imcompetent ones out of this district. It is time to take our schools back. People who vote here, pay taxes here, work here. That will bring excellence back to Marshall Schools.
Amy's continued lies and mistakes are costing us dearly. You may ask - why does she still have a job. I have no answer except - with enough deception and stories of overwork...she is here. If she were compentent she would have been doing a much better job. Folks, she just does not have the experience to do it. I am tired of her answers of 'the other person did it, she doesn't believe their figures could be true, etc'. Her lastest is - how much did she under budget with her push to save the district money and rob people of their insurance. Well, I heard 23 - 27% over budget on costs of the new HSA and HRA insurance. How long are we going to let these errors cost US THE TAX PAYERS?
Our local custodians are doing work most of us, including me, would not fill out an application to do. My hats are off to them. Cleaning up vomit, crap, and generally tossed about rubbage is not my cup of tea. Instead of taking their local livlihoods away perhaps we should be thanking them for trying to fight all of amy jones counter work and still making these buildings look as well as they do. Get rid of amy, philly and metcalf and keep our local workers!
I will quote the Editor's Corner May 28, 2007: "Yes, Dr. Joyce Philips, Dr. Brian Metcalf and Finance director Amy Jones make a combined $283,471 in SALARIES ALONE. - about $70,000 more than the outsourcing of janitorial work would save the district."
Let me just add: That savings will only be seen the first year. By year three, according to all studies I have read, there will be virtually no savings and this district will not be able to get these local school employees back doing what the rest of us do not want to do.
If the savings, according to amy jones is in 'not having to pay their retirements' then someone please tell me how fair it is that local workers will not get retirements (under 10 years of service) but THIS BOARD IS WILLING TO KEEP BUYING A PERSON FROM INDIANA MICHIGAN RETIREMENT YEARS? Marshall citizens it is time to take a stand. this board does not think you will resist this latest effort. Please stand up for our local workers!
We are truly in the worst era of the Marshall Public Schools. We have clearly fallen behind Lakeview, Harper Creek and soon Pennfield. We had bad leadership in the 90s and it is far worse now! The hidden agendas, "revenge politics," bickering, incompetence, foolishness and mean-spiritedness that reign on our school board and in the top leaders (Phillips, Jones, Metcalf and Walbeck) needs to come to an end!
If the Marshall School Board members are truly decent people who want what is best for the Marshall schools, they better stand up and do something NOW! They keep making excuses for their inaction and their support for the "Joyce Phillips Regime." Well enough is enough! The JP regime has clearly failed and is currently a huge liability for the Marshall schools. If they truly do are and want what is best for the Marshall schools, they need to start by getting a new Superintendent. This is about their last chance to take the leadership role we all hope they will take and "save our schools" as the yard signs said last fall. The coverups and excuses are only making things worse each passing day.
Let us not forget that Hitler had all of his supporters buffaloed to his beliefs as well.
The problems in the schools are affecting property values and the ability to attract business and jobs to Marshall. Every week we keep Joyce Phillips and allow the problems to fester, it is costing every Marshall citizen money and our reputation. The school problems could easily cost at least ten percent in the value of your home if you are trying to sell it in this negative environment. The hospital will have more trouble attracting doctors and other employees to move to Marshall when there are superior options nearby. We cannot afford leaving the major problems unresolved. We cannot afford two more years of the bad leadership of Dr. Phillips!
You aren't kidding, selling a house in Marshall is much more difficult now. I think many people are simply looking elsewhere. Marshall has a bad reputation caused by nasty school and city politics.
Besides Joyce, how about firing and not replacing Brian Metcalf? He proved last year when he did darn close to absolutely nothing that we do not need him. For those who do not know, he took a whopping 24 grad credits (full-time) while allegedly working for the Marshall schools full-time. How was this accomplished? Joyce gave him permission to come and go as he pleases (Amy has the same priviliges) and he was often gone. When he was in his office he was usually doing his heavy load of grad class work. Oh yeah, we also paid for all of his tuition! How generous we are in the Marshall school. So we now know that the Marshall schools can easily get by without him or hsi position! With pay, benefits and retirement cutting him and his job may save $140,000 per year or so. How many janitors does it take to make that much, 5 or 6?
I think when the school board fires all of the custodians and other support staff that they want to "contract out," that they should have to vote on it with all of these custodians in the room with their families present. I know that Phillips would enjoy it, she takes great pleasure in harming others. But the school board members should have to look them in the eye as they fire them so they can save money to pay for Phillips, Metcalf, MacDonald, Jones's mistakes, screwups, big pay increases, tenure charges, perks, tuition, time off for classes, second retirements, etc etc. This revenge hit list must be brought to an end.
Someone in the community needs to ask that the Proposed Budget Draft for the 2007-08 school year be put on the district website in pdf format. Harper Creek has theirs on their webiste. Right now all Marshall has is the summary section. If the entire documnet were there, then it would be easy to see what the salaries and benefits of all the district administrators are. It is a matter of public record, and I think any taxpayer can request a copy of the budget and the draft of the proposed budget.
But someone has to have the guts to stand up at a board meeting and make the request. Venting on this website is good for only one thing, venting on this website! Nothing will change unless people stop being so afraid to ask the tough questions.
I do not live in the Marshall school district; nor do I work there. I am a teacher in another district in the area, and I have many friends who work in Marshall. I have been reading this blog since it first started, and I believe most of the comments about the current administration are accurate. What I cannot fully comprehend is how this situation has continued for so long?
I found it incredulous that no one ran against the incumbant board members. The "party-line", which I have heard from some administrators who support the current superintendent, is that most people are happy with the way the schools are being run. It is just a few disgrunted Foreman supporters who are doing all the complaining."
I don't think that is an accurate view, but then again why isn't more being done to bring about change if so many people are unhappy? I would think that the newspaper would be full of letters to the editor demanding some changes; I would expect board meetings to be packed with parents and taxpayers demanding answers. There have been many comments and accusations of incompetance made on this website about the superintendent, assistance superintendent and finance director. Why doesn't someone have the nerve to stand up a board meeting and ask, "It is true that you are buying the superintendent years of retirement service credit, and if so how much does that cost per year?" "Is it true that the assistant superintendent was paid his full salary last year while taking 24 graduate credits? " "Is it true that the Technology Director has received raises that averaged 8% over the past four years?"
There is a saying that something like, "You get the government you will accept."
Your board of education is ultimately responsible for the administration of your schools. They seem to be in full support of the current administration. The Marshall community seems to be content to accept this school board. If you don't like the "government" they are providing, then you have to have the courage to step up and do something.
A few highly public cases may shed some light on the magnitide of the problems:
1. Former school board members Sam Ramon and Bob Lyng spoke out publicly about the problems when they were on the school board. They asked questions that caught Phillips lying and Bob exposed the sandal of the school board members being asked to lie about the insurance scandal. They were treated very badly by the other board members who voted as a block against them. There is a well-financed clique that used all of its power to force these two off the school board through various enethical means, mostly coming from their fellow school board members.
2. In the Jody Foreman case, Phillips used questionable and likely illegal tactics to get false information into the newspaper to ruin Mr. Foreman's career. His friends and supporters looked into the facts and publicly spoke out about how the case was mishandled and how the charges are false. Phillips ordered the board to not consider any evidence that did not come from her (she blocked much evidence in Mr. Foreman's favor). The union felt that Phillips was not fair or trustworthy and that the board would only do what she said, so they did not bother to defend the false charges at the board level. The assumption was that the charges would simply be dropped and the case dropped in turn by the school district. As expected the false charges were dropped before even a pretrial took place, as the Foreman supporters knew would happen. Everyone expected that Mr. Foreman would be restored. But because Phillips dishonest and unethical (illegal maybe?) methods had been exposed by those who supported justice and fairness, they decided to carry out a personal vendetta against Mr. Foreman and his family and filed tenure charges anyway (costing maybe $300,000 to the Marshall schools). They falsely thought that Mr. Foreman had orchestrated his defense and public criticism of Phillips, but they were wrong. His friends, parents adn teachers did this. Either way they were out for revenge (again) and this time Mr. Foreman and his supporters were targeted.
3. Mr. Behrenwald and the MHS staff have been mistreated by the Marshall school board (not all but the Phillips supporters) and Joyce Phillips since she arrived. Without repeating the long story we all know that Mr. Behrenwald, an excellent and highly respected Principal, spoke out in a very civil manner about the bizzarre hiring scheme Phillips set up last year to hire a new MHS asst. Principal. Phillips was already trying to fire Mr. Behrenwald, perhaps because if the excellent job he did and the fact he did not take the bad behvior she engaged in sitting down. As we now know, he was forced out this year with full school board support.
4. Mr. Hulkow has been targeted by Joyce Phillips and the school board, but may be too powerful for them to just force him out. She did try to suspend him last fall but it backfired as again she may have been acting in a dishonest and illegal manner.
The stories go on and on, union leaders have been targeted, community members, etc. Even the Marshall Chronicle was supposedly threatened with legal actions for publishing true stories about the problems in the Marshall schools. That may be why so many have turned to this web site, it is the only source many trust in this awful environment. Why isn't there more of a backlash? Good question! Some say that Marshall has "battle fatigue" from all of the school and city fights in the last decade. Some say that only one or two new board members cannot do much, as Sam and Bob can tell you. Some have given up on the Marshall school and are now sending their kids elsewhere. I am disappointed too! You are right to criticize Marshall for not taking more action. Us teachers have done what we could with our surveys and speaking out. Our union leadership is weak and scared now after being targeted and threatened with a lawsuit this past year. Morale is very low and the problems are much bigger now. Excellent staff are looking to leave or retire. The Phillips supporters view this as a victory! The situation is very bad and will get worse until the school board reverses course or gets recalled. Hopefully something good will start happening soon!
As another MPS staffer I can confirm that the above is true as far as I know. I have yet to understand why there is so much animaosity targeted at the teachers, support staff and building Principals. School board meetings have become PR spectacles. Dozens have complained privately that I know of to no avail. There have been many letters to the editor over two years, but they have dropped off as people realized they did not do much good. The Chronicle has reported scandal after scandal and the board backed Phillips in threatening the Chronicle. Vic and Janice have made many comments in support of Phillips and hostile towards the staff. The school board largely avoids the staff and seems to like it that way (John, Ali and Chris are somewhat the exceptions- but still support Phillips, sorry to say that Dan largely avoids us and supports Phillips too!). What did we do to deserve such treatment?
To the Marshall school board members...
We know that at least a few of you read this blog. You can pretend it is only a few dozen people but the views are widely held across the board. One way or another can you explain to the staff and the community what is really going on? If something on this blog is inaccurate or untrue, why not log in and refute it publicly?
The teachers and support staff want to work hard, make big improvements, and work well with a good Superintendent and a school board that cares and cooperates with the staff. We need leadership and cooperation from the school board. We need an end to conflict, secrecy and hostility. It is up to the school board to take these problems seriously and to take positive actions toward resolving them. So far little or nothing has been accomplished this past year. In many ways things are much worse.
I think I can safely say that this is how most, if not all, of the staff feel more or less!
I totally agree with the above viewpoint. I too urge the board to take this blog seriously and not just brush it off as a few malcontents.
I have begged the board to act on some of these issues. We cannot afford to have these non school taxpayers, living outside of Marshall district, shove inaccurate stats down the throats of our board. I BEG THE BOARD TO RECONSIDER SELLING OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. Once you outsource sub teachers, the sub caller, custodians, etc. you never take your school district back. Joyce Must Go.
I would say about 95% of what is blogged on this site - since the beginning - is accurate and true. Why is it being dismissed? If action does not happen really soon by this board we will truly be beyond repair.
It totally stinks that Amy Jones has been looking into outsourcing our local custodians for months but has not had the decency to be up front and honest. Most groups are given a chance to make concessions. Although, the custodian pay rate of $11 per hour doesn't give much room to make concessions. These people make $24,000+ per year. But they spend their money in this town. They own homes in this town. They vote for SCHOOL BONDS in this town. They go to the local doctors and eat out in local eateries.
Now - does Amy Jones, Brian Metcalf, Mike Walbeck? NO. How about any administrator that does not live in Marshall district and have any vesting interest in how their decisions affect our town and school.....Let's oursource them!!!!! I will GUARANTEE YOU that things will be much better. It is a fact that you work harder when you have a vesting interest in how your work will affect your surroundings.
Phillis must go! For months I have read this web site. That is the overall concensus. Why the heck is this board lavishing raises on her, buying years for her? BAD BEHAVIOR IS BEING REWARDED AT THE TOP. Now to keep things fair all the way through this school system....If the good doctor is rewarded for her bad behavior why not reward those students that get caught doing something illegal or just unethical? We are trying to teach our young people one thing and they are watching this board do the opposite for this superintendent. Don't kid yourselves....these students do know. Did anyone notice the COLD reception philly, jones and metcalf got at one of the high school assemblies? I sure did. Hardly even polite clapping. In fact all day I heard in the halls 'what were they doing here?' 'who invited them'
This double standard is now very visible to our school aged children. This should tell the board that families are talking about the problems. THIS IS NOT JUST A COUPLE MALCONTENTS! HOW DARE ANYONE AT THE TOP TALK ABOUT PUTTING KIDS FIRST. THIS BOARD HAS NOT DONE ONE THING IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS TO PUT KIDS FIRST. This community supported the board bond FOR THE KIDS. Then you smack the face of all these familes who make an income working as custodians. Something stinks here!
The facts are very clear. Unfortunately Amy Jones has not provided the actual facts to the board. There is data available that proves how the outsourcing of your support people is just a plain NO BRAINER. Cuts should start at the top - but no - this board gives raises to the top and CUTS THE JUGLAR VEINS OF THOSE PEOPLE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS, IN THE BUILDINGS, ROLE MODELING, CLEANING UP PUKE, CLEANING UP MESSES.
HOW ABOUT THE BOARD CLEANING UP SOME MESSES????? The residents and employees of this district have presented MESSES to the board for 13 months and they have yet to do anything. Break joyces contract. Watch the funds pour in to get her out of here before this wildfire ruins our district. I for one am ready to send my children to Harper. That would be 3 minus state aid!!!!! Get it done now!
Prediction: Phillips will fire the custodians and contract out their jobs before the summer is over. She likes to do sneaky things in the summer months. With rubber stamp support from the school board expect it to be a slam dunk. If custodians lose their jobs they should send their kids to other schools. Others may want to thnk about this too, especially since so many things are better elsewhere in the area. The Marshall schools are in decline and will be at least until there is new leadership.
There is some good news. The tennis courts project has begun. This will be awesome to get ten courts and a small building. Of course there is no school funds, it is a private effort by Marshall citizens. Can we let these citizens take over the Marshall schools? They seem to do more on the side for free than Phillips, Jones and Metcalf have accomplished in three years.
Can you imagine if we had people with the integrity, honesty and decency as Tom Tarchewicz running our schools? Great job on the tennis project Tom and others helping out. We have a great community, great teachers, great support staff, great parents and now we need a great Superintendent to match!
There is a board meeting going on right now. How many people are there? You need to pack board meetings, even if no one speaks, just the presence of many people sends a message.
The costs of outsourcing far exceed the savings. Some may not understand that on the chopping block is also the one school mechanic that maintains approx. 25 school owned vehicles. This one person single-handedly received a 100% State Inspection a year ago. He does an awesome job with no help. In the past the retired Bus Supervisor would lend a hand on bigger mechanical repairs. The new bus supervisor does not have mechanical capabilities. Do you realize this one bus mechanic keeps your children's busses in the top, safest running condition. When you outsource a job like that, once again, there is no vested interest. This outsource person/company will not be a resident of Marshall. How much money is this district going to save at the expense of our children's safety? How long will this community sit back and watch the top administration sell your schools to agencies that have no vested interest other than taking the 'your' taxpayer dollars into their own communities. I am quite alarmed that Marshall would even consider this privatization effort without looking into the actual data that has been gathered in these school districts that thought a quick band-aid process of budgeting would help them. It will only help out for perhaps a year, maybe two. Then what will the finance director do? There will be no local workers to cut benefits/retirements from. And, more importantly, trying to get fair contracts out of businesses that are not local will be much more difficult that trying to get fair concessions out of your local workers unions. Which, I must remind people, these local workers have made tremendous concessions since Bob Currie was superintendent. They are paying for insurance, have taken 'no salary increases' and when given salary increases these have been far below the cost of living increases. Does anyone in their right mind think a company from Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Tekonsha is going to work with your district administration striving to help this district remain in the black? I hope citizens encourage our board to look into the facts and not just accept what amy jones is frosting up for them or we, this district, will be in for a virtual 'state take over' - and your property values will reflect what you have allowed your school officials to do to your school. It is time to take back ownership of our Marshall Public Schools. While we have something left to take back.
Pick your sacred cows carefully because there has to be a net cut to the budget.
Saving one thing puts another on the block.
As taxpayers have been downsized and outsourced, I doubt they'd ultimately want someone else protected absolutely.
The world has changed. Deal with it.
I agree! We should outsorce custodians, cut bussing, outsource all teachers, hire an outside management company- heck let them run the schools, outsource the leadership, change the name of the Principal to a "headmaster," get rid of technology and other "frills," slash athletics down to maybe one sport, cut counselors, social workers, special ed, reading specialists, extracurricular activities, etc etc. If all goes well we can teach students for about $3,000 per year and pocket a tidy profit of about $4,000 per student. Oh, that is how Charter Schools in Michigan work. Now I see where Phillips and the school board is headed! Did they start one of these Charter School companies that we don't know about?
Marshall Public Charter Schools!!! Well it does have a ring to it. We could then erect a beautiful statue of Phillips/Jones to sit next to the Education Oak in the lobby.
It's busing. Bussing is kissing.
School management hasn't changed in 250 years. Businesses are adapting, why not schools?
Now that you mention it, transporting children to schools is not a part of our educational mission. It's a parental responsibility.
We should eliminate busing.
The fact is the Marshall schools have very bad leadership. This has caused an array of other problems. There is very little trust in the Superintendent and the school board. There is little hope that things will improve anytime soon.
Amen, to that. But, it just means that we have idiots dealing with real problems.
The problems will stay even if we get rid of the idiots.
Mrs. Phillips and the school board have an agenda. They choose when, how and where they will reveal it piece by piece. The real discussions, maybe debates, happen far from the public eye and likely included a select few working behind the scenes. Some may be well-meaning, some may have sinister motives, but they do work together and do carry out whatever they want for the Marshall schools. Does a hit list exist? You can be sure that Behrenwald and others were targeted long ago most likely for very narrow reasons. Is revenge a motive? For some involved, certainly yes! Is Phillips just the pitbull sent to do the dirty work of others in return for generous pay and perks? Many believe this theory, as no other logical theory has been offered for her bizzarre "leadership" and the fact she has not been fired.
Here we all are after 8 months of posting our feelings on this blog and things just keep getting worse and the worse they get the "leaders" just get more and more arrogant and self-serving. We all know there are hundreds of us who feel this way and yet we seem so powerless. What will it take for a real movement to begin? Would a handful of good citizens/parents/staff willing to go public lead the rest of us to step out of the shadows and be heard? I know the fear of reprisal is very real but what does it take for the groundswell to go public and demand real change? Just asking in case anyone else may have some insight into what we can do other than just repeating the same old same old on this blog everyday.
Expect a summer of bad news! Followed by a fall of more bad news! We have had three years now of bad news, scandals, lies and coverups. Expect more of the same for two more years!
oh wow...anonymous up above said that we should eliminate bussing. I wish I knew who you were so I could talk to you. Do you realize that there are people out in the district that can not afford to have 2 cars on the road? One is with the working parent and the other stays at home to get the kids off to school. How are these kids going to get to school if we don't have buses? I'll tell you how it is called SCHOOL OF CHOICE! Other districts will be happy to come so far to get kids if that means that they are gaining kids in their school district. More money for them. Marshall loses money. Also not good. I am a bus driver and I would put my name except that I could be reprimanded for doing so. Maybe we we should talk to other bus drivers to see what they have to say. Or better yet how about the people who can't get their kids to school and rely on the buses.
During the upcoming graduation on June 9th, when Phillips gets up to give a few brief words or any of her strong supporters feel free to clear your throats, sneeze, cough, put your head down or other mild form of civil protest to show yoour strong displeasure with Phillips (and her supporters) forcing the excellent MHS Principal Ron Behrenwald out!
By contrast when Mr. Behrenwald speaks, how about a standing ovation! Spread the word with e-mails, postings, MySpace, word-of-mouth, signs, etc.
Enough is enough! It is time to take back our schools and turn them around for the better!
The only program in Marshall Public Schools that actually makes money is the Alternative High School. Their graduation is on Friday...let's applaud Mr. Vaught and his staff.That is a group of wonderful people that get treated like dirt by JKP and her sidekick, Metcalf. It seems that all quality employees get shabby treatment. Possibly it makes Joyce feel better about herself by trying to put others down. What a travesty!
Congratulations to my colleague MHS English teacher Dan Luciani, the "Educator of the Year" for the Marshall schools (see new Advisor 5-30-07).
Dan has always done a great job (school improvement, etc)! I know he is sad that Mr. Behrenwald was forced out. I am sure he is upset with the bad leadership on top, especially Joyce Phillips (as are 99 percent of all Marshall teachers). And of course we will be losing Dan as he leaves MHS to take a new position at the CISD. I am sure the numerous problems caused by Joyce and her supporters contributed greatly to this huge loss. More "excellence" out the door!
To the post above at 7:37 am....regarding 'pick your sacred cow'. I will say this to your face if you reflect your identity. How dare this district cut student programs, take away local jobs, while at the same meeting give quite possibly the worse superintendent in the history of Marshall Schools a 3% raise. When cuts are made that directly affect my children, as a taxpayer that pays those salaries and supports those programs, I say this board is financially irresponsible by giving Charlie MacDonald an $8,000 raise and the supt. a 3% salary increase with many beefed up perks - how dare any responsible adult that has been elected to serve the public of that system do such an insane thing.
Cuts to programs and elimination of custodian jobs was not talked about before this community voted to extend the bond and voted (with a close margin) to go into Proposal 1. When you ask the taxpayer for Proposal 2 - and the queen super. is long gone....don't ask this community why they are not willing to support your bond proposals. This is underhanded management. Thank God you have so many employees so intimidated - but as I read the harrassment policy - let me tell you you are allowing this supt. to get way to close to legal charges in many cases - and if not her - her direct underlings.
To Vic Potter I say this: How to heck do you come up with some of the insane things you say to the media. You were elected to serve this community. "we are not in the janitorial business". Look around you - are we in the food service business, are we in the bussing business, are we in the sports business, how about counseling, how about financial business? Do you understand how a public school system runs? This is a people business and Vic, if you are willing to cut the people out of a people business - what do you have left? Who cleans up after your child? Who gives her personal products when needed? Who hands her a lunch with a smile? I am sure your child is just as important as all of ours are to us - When she is not able to get into her locker what do you suppose we should do? Let her attend classes without her book? or will this become the task of the principal? How about when a toilet is stopped up - do you suggest we just let her walk through that mess all day? Are you aware of all the people that live in this town that are a contributing factor in raising your daughter through education each day? You should be supportive of these hands on people. How often does amy jones help her out? How about Brian? Maybe jpk? The support people at MPS willingly, with smiles and words of encouragement help each student out all day long and you know what Vic, they feel good about doing it. Why would you want to take that away from your child as well as all the citizens in this district. Without all these local workers, who give of themselves while doing their jobs - you have a building....that Vic would be a people business without the people. I am very sure a building cannot raise your child.
I would fear who may enter these buildings to 'do the janitorial business' and be roaming around your child - once you take away the jobs of your local fellow citizens. These outside groups are not going to go through background checks - as they do not have to by law - but they will be working, watching your child. If this alone does not help you understand why cutting local citizen jobs does not balance with giving jpk a 3% increase in salary alone - maybe we should get some education on the types of individuals that come into your community, enter your school buildings, stop at your gas stations, eat at Mac's, and you know nothing about them. At least in a small town - that gossip element in addition to the state mandated background checks gives you a 100% stamp of approval on who is working around your child!!!! Are we willing to let
'just anyone' into your educational atmosphere. Do you remember Jessica Londs in Florida. Was that terrible guy not working as a contractor in her school building? Of course - she is not here anymore to tell us her story. Let's protect the kids in this community. Wouldn't that be a responsible decision on the part of each board member. I wouldn't want something like that laying on my pillow each night and I doubt our board members do either.
If board members must live within the school district why does Marshall allows mostly new hires to live in other school districts. This is a 'no brainer'. Without workers livings within the district, voting here, paying taxes here, there is no vested interest. Therefore, decisions can be made that they could care less about the impact of. Years ago - all administrators had to at least agree to move into Marshall School district. This policy should be changed ASAP. Then maybe the decisions being made will be sound decisions.
To the cut busing post: Are you aware that other districts drive through our school district daily. They would be more than willing to pick up Marshall district students and take them to school in their district "school of choice". Used to be a 'gentleman's agreement' that district would not rob each other of students=state aid. Due to state budget issues this is no longer the case. Try to post with facts that will help our district not harm them. Thanks
Harper Creek is starting all day kindergarten in the fall. Wattles is only 10 min from Marshall. With the current school political mess here in Marshall, I am giving it thought for my son in the fall.
The fact that everyone is so touchy is probably evidence that the board and administration have lost control of the situation.
But, know this, nothing can change the fact that schools have to either adapt voluntarily or be forced to change. The choice is yours; be a part of the change or sit on the sidelines and bitch.
Yes, administration is bloated. The CISDs need to be dssbanded and district administrations need to be downsized.
But, we have too many school buildings, too. Just wait for the next super and board to suggest consolidating elementary schools. It will come. Ask the Gull Lake people how much fun that is.
BTW, bussing is kissing.
Now that Phillips forced Behrenwald out with full board support, and the custodians are on the chopping block, who next?
Why does it feel that we have surrendered our formerly excellent Marshall schools to a bunch of incompetent self-serving outsiders who are plundering our schools, enriching themselves and soon will be gone leaving us with a huge mess to clean up?
It looks like the school board is busy planning the next bond. A new or remodeled MHS auditorium is being discussed. Normally I would be very interested and excited about such an idea, but with all of the bad things that Phillips and the board have done to MHS I would rather see other changes first. Until there is new leadership at the top, no building changes will mean very much. The bigger problems are with the bad leaders that cause our district so much harm. If the school board truly cares about the Marshall schools they will get us a new Superintendent before they go for another bond. How about a staff survey? I am sure Phillips would get much lower marks than last fall. That would be justifiable grounds for firing!
We will miss you Mr. Behrenwald and Dan Luciani!
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If Phillips were merely a bad boss she would have been fired by now. But something far more disturbing is obviously going on. The board, or at least a cliquy majority, has worked hand and hand with Phillips in all of her bad deeds. They back her no matter what, so the problems are far deeper and far more serious. What is really going on?
To the board I ask: If the state is not making the $122 per pupil cuts why would anyone be losing their jobs. Are you aware of how many of these custodians live in Marshall, vote in Marshall, pay school taxes in Marshall. In comparison to the many administrators hired of late that make decisions that harm Marshall residents while living in Coldwater, Olivet, Tekonsha, etc. Who is really 'keeping the main thing the main thing' here? Now with all the cuts to programs, the students not being allowed to go into the classes they have selected, how are we backing joyce's 'putting kids first'. This is getting too ridiculous for my well being. It is alot like - let's let the bus supervisor, who lives in Tekonsha school system, cut the only school mechanic who makes around $15 per hour, and has received the only 100% State Bus Inspection in the history of this school system so he can put one of his buddys from Tekonsha as the outsource bus mechanic. Now, in Joyce's 'early hours' (regarding calling of school due to weather) chronicle article did she not end the article with "we will continue to keep our students safety the main thing".
Well, when you put unknown people from another city, far away, into your buildings around your kids doing the cleaning work of our local taxpayer workers, then you outsource the one bus mechanic ==== all so you don't have to pay towards their retirements ==== how are we now keeping our kids safety the main thing? I don't care who gives me the answer here. But I am one taxpayer of this district that is appalled that anyone working at MPS would not stand up against this. Are we wearing blindfolds here in Marshall? I would like to know that in our students education - safety would be on the top of the list. Whether it be at a sporting event, with outside cleaning people roaming around, or whether it be on one of my tax dollar buses. This guy that got a 100% by the Michigan State Police inspection deserves to keep his job. It is confusing to me that the people making all the mistakes that cost this district money are not on the chopping block - but the people that do the jobs none of the rest of us want to do - and are not being called up on errors all the time - would be losing their jobs. Isn't this backwards from the rest of the free world?
Its not about the money, the Marshall schools likely have hidden much money. There is always plenty fo money when Phillips wants perks, raises, years bought etc. Since her performance is awful, and the school board knows this well, she is not getting money for doing a good job. There is always money to cover Amy's mistakes, Brian's year off, big undeserved raises for Charlie, unjustified Foreman tenure charges and on and on.
Is there money in the school budget to buy technology? No, of course not. That is what bonds and old business computer donations are for. Fix bathrooms? No, that is saved for bonds. Fix bad tennis courts? No, that is saved for private citizens who are disgusted with the administration ignoring major needs. The priorities are all backwards! Money can be found for anything the top administration and the school board wants. Everything else is on the cutting block or left to denigrate until some private money or a bond money comes along to fix it. The classrooms and buildings fall into disrepair and the Marshall schools lag further behind. But none of this is given priority by our "Kids Last" leaders. The "Joyce, Brian, Amy, Charlie and Mike First" mentality always seems to win out.
Good luck Ron, be careful Tom, Susan, Bob and Rich! You are all way too good to be valued and supported by Phillips and the board.
I thought the MPS school board last fall said they were taking the teacher surveys and other criticisms seriously and would be finding a solution to the numerous problems related to the Superintendent. Here we are at the end of the school year and things are much worse than last fall. I used to think this web site and other critics were too extreme and making stuff up. Now I realize it is mostly all true!
www.schoolmatters.com shows that, for 2004, Marshall's General Administration expenditure per pupil was higher than that of both the state and county averages.
The School Administration expenditure, which adds in building principals is lower than both the state and county averages.
One conclusion is that we are fat at the top, but below average for middle management (principals).
I assume the site has no newer information than 2004.
John Bedient
That doesn't count what Phillips hides, covers up and wastes!
Simmering anger is getting hotter each day across the Marshall community about the bad management of the Marshall schools. The people are sick and tired of the lies, bad Superintendent, harrassment of good people and greed. It will take very little for this anger to spread into a peaceful revolution to take back the school. Recall talk is already spreading. Some form of protest may occur at the MHS graduation. Civil action is needed for positive change. The people need to take back the Marshall schools from hostile outsiders for the good of the kids and the community! Spread the word ...
Lets take a vote 22 custodians with family's in marshall = $210,000 in savings - loss of children that the custodians have ( I sure wouldn't send my kids to the school that fired me) $70,000 which equals $140,000 in saving's.
Now say we get rid of 1 of 3 very poor administrator's who do not even live here with no children in the system = $140,000 + in savings.
To me its a no brainer, but hey I have common sense unlike a few board members
to the comment of the 22 custodians: why just get rid of 1 of the 3 poor administrators...none of the 3 have kids in the Marshall School System. And Mike Walbeck's kid goes to Tekonsha so why not let them go also???
In the teachers' paychecks today was an "Employee Compensation Information" sheet, telling them their total cost to the district including social security, retirement, insurance costs etc. I assume the support employees got the same. My queston--did the top three administrators also receive this information. If so, I wonder what their "totals" for the past three years were; and how much was the "Average increase for all central office administrators" over that same period?
Maybe the Chronicle will cover this in an upcoming newspaper. I would guess that Shelley reads this blog and that is public information.
My company does that too, and I find it insulting. They add in the employer's share of FICA as "compensation." It's the govt, not me that makes them pay that amount.
Reminding employees of their total compensation cost is paternalistic and insulting.
I didn't recieve anything with my paycheck.
To anonymous above:
Are you a teacher or a support employee? Maybe only teachers got them; this is the third year in a row that they have received this "information." It always appeared to me to be a negotiations ploy, "Look at how much each of you cost us, you can't possibly expect a pay raise when you make so much now!"
I am curious as to why only some employees got them.
There is an excellent letter in the Chronicle today (June 2) about the problems in the Marshall schools. This may be the start of more caring citizens taking a public stand.
I work in the transportation department. I don't remember ever recieving anything about compensation.
No but in the transportation department nothing you hear is anywhere near the truth. I suggest you people in transportation start talking to 'real' administrators and get some truthful answers. Believe me there are many people that tell the same story about budget meetings, cutbacks, etc. . . . and guess what all their stories match and all their recountings of actual things being said are about 360 degree from what Walbeck, Jones and Phillips will tell you straight to your face. I wonder if Amy Jones knows how often Walbeck plays her for a fool all summer. Everyone in the district knows how he stops in first thing each morning telling her how terribly busy he is for the day then packs up to golf clubs and heads out or sometimes just goes home and cuts fire wood or mows. As long as he has that school nextel with him in case his boss phones he is home free. If you don't have only the one bus going to Doris Klaussen every other week during the summer why would you need a supervisor to be paid all summer while he is out of the district. Of course Amy does about the same thing. There seems to be alot of big work stories to account for the absences of those making the big money. Just someone at the custodial level be 2 minutes late and adios to your job.
I sure wish someone would ask me where the waste is. I could tell them it isn't the custodians, nor the drivers, or secretaries, bus drivers or aids. Any guesses here?
I think every employee that works all summer should carry a copy of the school harrassment policy with them at all times. I have already witnessed joyce harrassing a group at their lunch table the day after she made the rounds telling the custodians they would probably be losing their jobs - what a shame the only place cuts can be made is in our school retirements. This should tell every board member that everything else has already been taken from the employees. The retirements are the only thing left. Problem is without jobs, you can't pay for those school bonds - so who is going to support the MPS system if we all get privatized. The custodians are only the first. The only school mechanic is with them. We will see counselors, secretaries and food service....within 12 months. Gamble on it. Then we no longer own our schools especially if we can't pay our taxes with jobs, and with homes being foreclosed. Unless someone knows a secret that there are jobs to be had somewhere in marshall. If so, please let us know.
If the custodians are cut I will never vote for any school bond again! I do not work for the schools nor am a relative or close friend of any custodian. I just hate the concept that good low paid veteran employees would suffer severely when there is such bad leadership that keeps getting pay raises and other generous benefits for bad performance. Fire them first- Joyce, Brian, Amy, etc!
To the above poster; please go to a board meeting and say publically what you just said. The citizens of Marshall must speak up and tell the board they do not want the budget of this distirct balanced on the backs of loyal support employees.
The school bus mechanic has not lost his job as of Friday. I have been told he will know more later.
There is a rumor that MHS Spanish teacher Mr. DelMotte is either leaving or has been forced out. Does anyone know any facts?
Has anyone heard that there is a planned protest at the MHS graduation next week? I guess those who disagree with the bad polcies of Phillips should look away when she speaks. Others plan to couch, sneeze, etc. Whether you do this or not, Mr. Behrenwald deserves a standing ovation for his courage working in the best interests of the Marshall schools and the kids. For these bold efforts he was forced out. He refused to tolerate bad orders and leadership without at least addressing the school board of his concerns on many occasions. His being more or less unjust removal is a huge loss for the Marshall schools. Phillips deserves to be fired, I hope her departure is coming soon!
I have been trying to get school board members to reply to emails regarding the selling out of our schools. So far the only one that has bothered is John. I can see the corrupt board has wore even John down. I hope he remembers how important school employees. When it comes down to the facts I do not believe any board member will be able to vote for privatization. If the 'true, fact based, scenarios' are presented you can not with good conscience vote strangers into our school buildings. I believe anyone with financial savvy will find other means that eliminating our local workers.
Much more pressure is needed on the school board. Teachers, parents, support staff, friends, relatives, neighbors, students, etc are needed! The biggest turnout this past year was when around 100 Mr. Foreman supporters showed up on two different occasions. The board and Phillips are still feeling enormous heat for their mishandling of the ongoing Foreman case.
There were about also 20 supporters of the teacher known as the "felony guy" because he had been convicted of a felony before he was hired and could have been fired for it. Due in part to other teachers rallying for him, Phillips and the school board decided to keep him. This web site and other forms of public pressure has caused the board to possibily back off from forcing other administrators out, force Phillips to drop lawsuit plans against the teachers, force Phillips to back off some from Hulkow and Townsend, and the school board had to mark Phillips down at least a token amount due to all of the pressure and publicity. Let's keep it up and make it stronger! For the kids!!!
Any ideas here. If you email concerns to all but Janice and Vic (we all know why we wouldn't bother emailing them) and can only get John to communicate back. You do not want to virtually tattoo a bullseye on your own forehead by talking at a board meeting, or putting your name on a letter to editor, what is left? I now know why there appears to be nothing but action on this website. We are being intimidated into not speaking up. I feel helpless in trying to address safety concerns as well as outsourcing concerns. If this is the way our board members are operating then my only recourse would be to find a district that operates with KIDS FIRST. I know this board feels like they are banging their heads on a concrete wall with dealing with Joyce. Let's just buy her out and stop this madness.
I have been active in a PCO this past year. Several school board members told me that they are very unhappy with Joyce and feel they are stuck with her. They do know that Joyce is hateful towards Marshall and will sue in a minute of they try to fire her. Joyce also has a few very wealthy friends. I think the board members fear Joyce's friends and they are lacking in the courage needed to take action to remove her.
Apparently Joyce and her few "citizen" supporters convinced the school board soon after Joyce arrived that the Middle School, MHS and Walters were "rats nests" of problems (as several board members called it). Apparently Joyce was going to be the savior of the Marshall schools by going after anyone and everyone that ended up on her hit list. In reality this clique had their own hidden agenda and hit list, largely connected to anti-Lou and anti-Redskin prejudices, other personal vendettas, along with a desire for power.
The hit list was started by the small clique that backs and runs Joyce. The unions are at the top of the target list. The administrators that Joyce did not hire are high on that list. Hulkow and Behrenwald were main targets from the start, but Hulkow so far has been too powerful to remove. Also anyone this clique ever even heard a rumor about that they do not like are on the hit list to.
We have seen a huge amount of evidence of this the last three years. Many have been fired, forced out, threatened or have been marginalized until they leave. Joyce never made any attempt whatsoever to work with the staff, get to know the staff, or do anything positive as Superintendent. If we have had three very bad years already, wait until we see what Joyce and her supporters do during her last two lame-duck years. She is already on the warpath of revenge! If anyone doubts this scenario, then how much more evidence do you need?
Will the good people of Marshall rise up and quit tolerating this? Are there brave souls willing to stand up to Joyce and her radical supporters? Some have already, many more are needed! Joyce's support among the staff and community is near zero.
The PCO members tend to be very knowledgeable about what happens in the schools. I know several and I have heard many of the same things from them.
To the PCO poster. Ibelieve you are outraged, but your comments are too vague. Who has been fired, forced or marginalized?
They are probably referring to Mr. Behrenwald, Mr. Cable, Mr. Hulkow (almost), Elaine Huggest Coats (not sure if this name is spelled right), pressuring Sam and Bob off the board, Terry Lambert (?), and a few others I have heard about. This does not count the numerous cases of bad treatment and threats. As of last winter the teachers were preparing for a lawsuit from Joyce Phillips. The board must have pressured her to back down, and obviously the union was pressured (forced?) to make conciliatory statements about Joyce and the board. There is a lot of shady things happening behind the scenes. I have heard way too many stories to make me think otherwise. The situation is very bad.
Don't forget the targeted custodians and now it appears that JP may be targeting teachers that she blames for the surveys. Since the bond vote there has been nothing but bad news.
It looks like for the month leading up to the bond the board hid Dr. J away and kept her on a tight leash so she would not cause too much trouble. Now that the bond is passed they have let go of the leash and Dr. J is back in business-- look out!
I like the protest idea at graduation. I will not look at Joyce Phillips when she speaks. I will give a standing ovation to Mr. Behrenwald!
I would suggest a new article: Leadership is about....working with the state legislature towards school funding reform. Previous superintendents at MPS have been very involved at the state level. While - joyce - has time to write emails like "Rumor Control" and her 'fact lacking leadership articles'. Well - jp - if it weren't for rumors all we would have is the damage you are bombarding this small community school district with each and every day. You know it - we know it! You will definitely go down in the Marshall School History as the most damaging superintendent ever! Your bar is set so very low - I believe almost anyone will be able to come into Marshall and far exceed any of your visions! (without effort).
If the employees think they are going to go on summer break and return to anything good - I believe they will be in for many more, very damaging, extreme changes. Since when and how does a board decide there is no other option but to cut the pensions of the on-hands workers while padding joyce's purse! I am outraged that a bond was pushed through (by a very small margin) only to read about amy and joyces latest scheme to get rid of 20+ of the lowest paid, hardest working employees. Brian you ask: why don't people like the transportation guy? Are you that dense that you do not know the guy is a cronic liar. Watch that nervous tick of his (pulling at his shirt) and you will know he is lying. This isn't Tekonsha. There is no comparison. He has an agenda...and it is going to pad his pocket...when he accomplishes convincing the board that he has the master plan. Ask him how that outsourcing of custodians went for him in Tekonsha? How often did he find one of the private company workers sleeping under a desk? How often did it appear they had done nothing. Actually, the 1 1/2 custodial position at Tekonsha is hardly a comparison to Marshall with 20+...but then how many buildings and busses do they have in Tekonsha? 2 buildings and 5 busses?
Many times in Marshall I have been in school buildings at off hours where the custodians were the only "supervisors" around. They were always very helpful, took pride in the buildings, helped others in many ways, played a security role for both people and property and helped many with everything from emergency phone calls to fixing a tire. To save a little money why would we wan tto severaly hurt these people while ruining a great resources for the schools and the community? We will NOT get the same quality and caring in return from a highturnover for-profit company. I would be nervous if I had to be in the buildings at strange hours where the only school employee was a rent-a-custodian-of-the-week on duty. I am sure some of these may be fine people, but many others who knows?
The real waste of money and problems are with the bad administrators- Phillips, Metcalf, Jones, Walbeck, and MacDonald. We need new and much better leadership first! Keep the custodians, they are low-paid to begin with! For the record, I have no personal connections to any custodians other than being a parent who is often in the schools.
Many times in Marshall I have been in school buildings at off hours where the custodians were the only "supervisors" around. They were always very helpful, took pride in the buildings, helped others in many ways, played a security role for both people and property and helped many with everything from emergency phone calls to fixing a tire. To save a little money why would we wan tto severaly hurt these people while ruining a great resources for the schools and the community? We will NOT get the same quality and caring in return from a highturnover for-profit company. I would be nervous if I had to be in the buildings at strange hours where the only school employee was a rent-a-custodian-of-the-week on duty. I am sure some of these may be fine people, but many others who knows?
The real waste of money and problems are with the bad administrators- Phillips, Metcalf, Jones, Walbeck, and MacDonald. We need new and much better leadership first! Keep the custodians, they are low-paid to begin with! For the record, I have no personal connections to any custodians other than being a parent who is often in the schools.
I don't know anyone anymore who wants to keep Phillips around. Everyone wants to see her fired! What gives?
For all those who want JP gone you need to take charge of the people you voted into school board positions. The Teachers only represent a small portion of votes and voices! If enough people say it is time only then will change happen! So is everyone ready to face the board and tell them your thoughts before there is a real tragedy in the School?
Who is Ron Behrenwald's replacement? Who hired him?
I think it is a guy named Bryan Klochack from Owosso. He was hired by Joyce Phillips.
He will have a tough act to follow in Mr. Behrenwald. This new guy better be one outstanding Principal after the enormous price that was paid to hire him!
I am one of the custodians that will be loseing her job,my name is JOHNNIE.It seems like all of us that were here with the good old boys ,will be gone befor Joycs is!When this takes place, I will lose my house, my insurance,my retirement, WE ALL LOSE EVERYTHING!!!!! I HOPE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS SATISFIED!We've been told that our schools are dirty,BUT that the new company would like to hire us, NOW AINT THAT A CROC OF CRAP!!!!!!! How stupid do they really think ue are? For just one day, i would like any one of the board members to do our jobs!I DARE YOU!!! We are not uneducated !!!!! Besides,Potters on the bord,when was he educated!!!! Maby he can go when he fires all of us!
To Johnnie: You forgot to point out that Amy Jones started purchasing less products, products that our custodians said were not adequate, did not add any employees when Walters was built and Sherman was retained - but had full time people starting spending partial evenings running between buildings, etc. Now, if anyones would like to challenge me on this one. How can anyone do their jobs up to expectation when an inept top administrator does not buy the proper equipment, makes you haul floor buffers around the district in the truck of your car, and does not properly put a team in place that can humanly do what they were hired to do? I believe this is called: SETTING YOU UP FOR FAILURE! I understand the emotion that employees are faced with. What a prospect. You grew up in Marshall, raised a family here, bought a home here, pay taxes here, vote here and work here. I for one have great concern for Marshall if they are willing to bring in 'just anyone' from Amy's choice company through Tom Hillyard, be promised background checks, which we all know no one in this school system will have legal access to seeing (if they even take place), and watch these cleaning companies get the products our local employees were entitled to. Shame on Amy Jones. She will have to live with what she has allowed to happen, very calculatedly, to our local citizens. To the school custodians I say: GREAT JOB TO ALL OF YOUR. YOU HAVE DONE AN AWESOME JOB WITH AMY TYING YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACKS BY NOT GETTING YOU THE PRODUCTS NOR THE RESOURCES TO PROPERLY DO THE JOBS YOU WERE HIRED TO DO. AND YOU STILL HAVE DONE AWESOME JOBS. In the real world you would be receiving praises for continuing to get the job done, without breaks, without proper products, without enough employees to cover the district. I wish I could give you all raises - please accept my praises and thanks. Each of you - I pray to God the board will see the issues and help you!
The custodians have been set up for failure. Cuts have been made over the years and the staff is too small, spread too thin, and the equipment inadequate. It would be like if Joyce had to do Amy's job, Metcalfs job and her secretary's job in the same time period by herself. That would never be allowed!
If the school board follows through with firing all of the custodians after supporting such awful top administrators and lavishing them with pay and perks, then they deserved to be recalled immediately! Maybe that will be the litmus test. Each one that votes for the firings is targeted. This school board is fully responsible for all of the terrible, incompetent and corrupt actions of Joyce Phillips, Amy Jones, Brian Metcalf and a few others. How they can do that adn then fire the good Marshall people who have served our schools and students so well I do not know. I could not live with myself in this town if I was responsible for the bad leaders and causing so much harm to our schools.
The community needs to pack the next board meeting to show their displeasure with what is about to happen to the custodians. And people, even school employees,have to get the courage to speak up in opposition to the privatization. It may still happen anyway; but why are people still so intimidated? What more do you have to lose?
If above is true then savings would be more than stated. I Have talked to some board members including vic. This idea was presented to board by admin team. That includes building principles.If you say they are short handed as they may be then cost would be greater to clean buildings.In particular vic said he knows some of the custodial employees, worked with one, grew up with one, his son hung around with brother of one ect.I Did not get impression from any of them that they are out to get anyone, rather reacting to recommendation from admin.
It is no surprise that Joyce Phillips is bent on revenge and would love to fired all of the custodians. I know many of the school board members and I am guessing they are not too quick to want to fire the custodains, especially after all of the criticism they have received for supporting Joyce. Politically it may be suicide for them to fire the custodians with their very low support in the community at this time. Some say they have nothing to lose, as everyone is mad at them either way. I feel the school politics are approaching the boiling point where something big has to happen. There is so much anger targeted at Phillips, and therefore the school board for supporting her, that a recall is a very real possibility soon.
The building admin DID NOT want to cut custodians....that was what joyce said they wanted. Many of them were not even asked about it!!!! The custodian thing has come directly from the top 3!!!
That makes sense! Joyce is rarely honest and open about anything. I am sure she will try the blame game. She tried to get Ron Behrenwald to do shady, dishonest, mean and plain stupid things. He refused to do and take the blame for bad and stupid things that were not his decisions or did not somehow reasonably make sense to do. He was fully willing to take orders and do as he was told, as long as it was by someone trying to do the best thing for the Marshall schools. Joyce was NOT trying to do the best things for the MPS, just what was best or desired by JP for who knows what sinister reasons.
MHS Graduation update: Keep it positive, give Mr. Behrenwald a standing ovation! If Joyce speaks, feel free to look away or down but no booing, we want to keep it nice for the grads.
I hope everyone remembers the board meeting on june 11, we need your support.Community leaders need to help get our schools back! When we go, so does all the revenue that we bring in by living here.The kids at Hughes have been asking me if I'm going to be their custodian next year, what do I tell them? They ask questions about the school shootings that have taken place , and now they worrie about the strangers that will be there instead of the custodians that they trust.This school system can take our jobs away,BUT they will never take away the love and respect that these little kids have for all the custodial staff.
MY prediction, the school board will hold off action until July or August when interest in school affairs are at their lowest. If Joyce has her way the custodians will be fired without mercy or much consideration. This is political! This is typical of Joyce and her board supporters. Amy is working hard for this too! Expect the worse out of this regime.
Then each of you employees should be at that meeting. Teachers, support people, bus drivers, and everyone should bring someone. But, as in the past - it just has not transpired. I will be there. I may speak...a couple short words of support. I truly hope there is a turnout that will show the board that there are other options rather than cut local school workers jobs. I read the above and was very touched regarding the students at Hughes. I know this is true. My children went through MPS system. Sometimes they talked more about their day custodian than anyother employee. They also loved their bus drivers and their food service ladies. Maybe that just speaks for my children but it is this level of support people that greet our children each morning, speak to them in the halls and yes hand them what their tummies are begging for. I 100% support keeping all of the support type workers. I do have great concern why we are giving the supt. 3% raise and buying her retirement years (spending our dollars here to go to Oklahoma retirement) while I see No Cuts At The Top but attacks on those workers that impressed my children the most. My adult daughter stills refers to "bus driver Bob" and shares heartfelt stories of those rides to and from school. In comparison my kids have never even known who the supt. is. Why are we not looking into a CPA business (who would b held accountable for errors made) and why does this district have the funds to have an Asst. Supt.?
Thanks for reading my concerns. I applaude all the school support staff. I hope you can keep 'putting kids first'.
And how about 'Barlow' who retired as day custodian at high school or 'the Stepper' now hs custodian. These gentlemen help Mr. Palmer's students to learn job related skills that will stay with them through life. They guide them in learning the processes of washing windows, delivering mail, picking up trash but while doing these mentor type jobs they are affecting lives. Helping to produce productive young people that will go out and seek this type of employment. This is similar to the students that are assigned to the food service ladies. They learn about bakery, cleaning up, general kitchen tasks...but they are being guided and taught by support persons. Support Persons that will remain someone very special to these students. Let's do the right thing and 'put kids first'.
The role modeling does not start at the high school level. My kids think Mr. Coats at Gordon is their grandpa while at school. They love him. We hear their school talk at the dinner table and it usually has Grandpa Coats in the conversation. I give Mr. Coats and all his fellow custodians my salute of honor. You have and are touching lives in a positive way that goes outside the classroom. Thanks for bringing smiles to my kids while they are in their learning day. I think they love you alot! I pray the board will see this type of contrast in local citizens doing the jobs they are in comparison to strangers from out of town just 'doing janitorial business'. There is a great difference in 'janitor' and custodian. Thanks to all of you that have become a part of our family dinner conversation. You delight my kids Mr. Coats
Looky here, I wuz talkin' to Amy and she was enlighten me about the good idee-ers that our beloved Dr. J and her are comin' up with. Dr. J said in Indiana they can save big money hiring paroles to come and do many school jobs like custodial, security, maintenance, curriculum, and tech support. The Indiana company that Dr J's cousin runs that she wants to hire is "Excontemps." Dr. J says people should get a second chance, and at subminimum wage, it leaves plenty of money for insurance mistakes, buyin' years of retirement, pay increases for people like her with these good idee-ers and so good loyal employees can take a year off for college. What's all the fuss about?
Remember that when it comes to Marshall residents opinions, a handful of very wealthy Joyce Phillips friends have a far bigger say than--well- than everyone else combined!
Befor I became a custodian, I was the head cook at the high school, I did this job for 6 yrs.We enjoyed teaching our special kids, and taking the time to get to know them.Our administration cares only for themselves. Joyce , Brian,and Amy would'nt give them the time of day.I've been working here for 7 yrs.,and at the loose our job meeting with Brian, he said to me "hi, my name is Brian M. i dont think we've met yet."So much for getting to know your employes.
Can someone remind Brian Metcalf, er the other doctor, to remember to order textbooks this year before he goes on another Safari. Does he do anything else?
As the spouse of a veteran Marshall teacher I have never seen things so bad and out of control in the Marshall schools. The school board seems to have lost control of the administration. The administration is dominated by clueless outsiders who care little to nothing about the Marshall schools, the kids or the community. They are out of touch, not trusted and widely disliked. Even in the worst days of the Gianunnzio administration everything was far better! If the people of Marshall knew how bad things were I think there would be a recall and revolt in no time.
As a Marshall resident and MHS alum I feel that I have been misled by the school board. After a friendly and positive bond campaign and much talk about how they have been busy working with the staff to resolve problems and differences, I now learn I have been lied to and deceived all along. There never was any real working with the staff, just phony acts to try to cover up the huge unresolved problems. Mr. Duffey and the teachers had been partly duped and partly threatened to act as if things were better, when in fact things are much worse now than last fall. Now out of right field comes a proposal to fire all the custodians from our less-than-trusted business manager Amy Jones and "the good doctor" Joyce Phillips. How gullible do they think we are? Does their cruelty towards the staff know no bounds?
Any good school district would have fired these two long ago. I wish Marshall were a good school district at the school board level. The harm from the top down is increasing, not decreasing, each week. I am sick and tired of being deceived by our board and school leaders!
To the above post....could you please send that to the Chronicle and the Enquirer? Even though we know the Enquirer is pro Joyce maybe they'll print something from a citizen.
Thanks for your comments...pass them along to everyone you know.
I am an employee also and I would like to ask the same of you. I am 99% sure that the mass majority of MPS employees will give similar yet differing situations that would be enough volume to write a short book. Please consider just emailing the above posting to the BC Enquirer, Chronicle and possibly send a copy to Channel 3 news. I think they will be willing to research and get the facts out there for all of us. Thank you for the treat post.
It has been said that one of the board members stated: 'this community would be outraged if they knew we could save $300,000 by outsourcing and didn't do it'.
I would like to add: I know they will be outraged when you make a move like the outsourcing of local jobs to save money to build better facilities....and you have something happen because you have convicted felones in your buildings not just with out local students but all those schools that bring thousands of students to our properties for events. What a shame. Give out a 3% salary increase for Dr. P, cut 20+ jobs, only to find out in 2-3 years what other districts have found out. BAD MOVE TO MAKE. Let's think before we do something we are going to want to take back and change. This district has no more time or energy to waste backsliding. We must take back our schools. Take control. Move forward. Now - that would be a change and yes, Dr. P, we like changes like that.
It is very nice to know that the almighty dollar is more important than all the safety issues that are present when you start the process of letting complete strangers into your buildings. Why did the state mandate background checks on all employees (which MPS did and everyone passed)only to have districts get around that student safety law under the guise of 'saving money'? There must have been enough concern to get the law passed requiring all school employees to have background checks. Perhaps it is time for the state to explain that law to school districts that claim they need to save dollars on local employee retirements to build and upgrade buildings. Got to wonder where this district is heading?
The 20+ custodians are a big asset to the Marshall Public Schools on many levels. Phillips, Jones, Metcalf, and Walbeck are a drain and a liability to the Marshall Public Schools on many levels. Should we be cutting assets or liabilities? The school board has grounds to fire Sup. Phillips, and they can also simply slash her compensation as a "cut." Say her pay for the next two years is equal to that of a custodian? That would save the equivalent of four or five other custodian jobs. Do the same with Jones and Metcalf and you will have cut most of the money you want to "save" and kept everyone around. If Phillips, Jones and Metcalf all quit, then you will have solved the three biggest problems in the Marshall schools at the same time!
Since when does the school board care what the community thinks? As far as I can tell the entire community is very angry with them for all of their bad decisions, lies and poor leadership they have been engaging in this past year to support Phillips.
I am still waiting for them to take any kind of action regarding the union groups and the survey tool that was done in an effort to get the board to understand the damage that is happening to our school district.
Why on earth are we sending our $$$$ out of state to buy years of service towards jp's retirement from I believe Oklahoma? This is actually more insane than the previous thought that we were buying her Michigan retirement. Anyway you look at it how does the board plan to justify buying out of state retirement years for a VISITOR TO MARSHALL while in the same breath saying "we can no longer afford to pay the retirements of our local workers"? This insanity has to end hopefully this summer. This district will be looking at student lose if we start outsourcing jobs of Marshall employees. I have heard the custodial group now has 9 children in the school system and approx. 11 grandchildren. I am guessing the board does not think people that lose their jobs will take thier family students to Harper or Pennfield. This is a gamble that this board should not be making.
It is called "corruption," pure and simple. When one or more people are given perks, money and supported despite bad performance while simultaneously punishing good, hardworking and honest people, that is corrupt. When people get a lot of undeserved money and benefits for doing bad things it is clearly corrupt!
The board is not simply stupid and foolish, though some of that may exist. It is far worse! The school board is pushing one or more hidden agendas and that is the only logical explanation why they do the many bad things they do. So many, myself included, have lost complete trust and faith in them. Yes John, Ali and Chris are nice but have not done anything publicly against what the board does, like Bob and Sam bravely did! We have a corrupt school board that gives and gives as a "payoff" to a few very bad administrators, including Phillips, while taking away from everyone else (or worse).
I hoped and waited for the board to do something good and positive all year. I hoped they would work with the staff and make the needed changes to turn things around. Instead they just keep getting worse and worse! The surveys were brushed aside and the staff have been ignored, lied to and even threatened. Revenge is the main motive of Phillips now. Like most everyone else, I have given up any hope in the top leadership of the Marshall schools.
I got called out for this before, but it's still the truth. They will cut the custodians. Public outcry will not save them.
If you want to save them, find equal dollars elsewhere.
The board has bungled the Joyce situation. They are now offically afraid of what she will do if they fire her. They were warned not to do her emergency evaluation because now it's on record that they were OK with her then. If they fire her now she'll sue and say nothing she did since the evaluation would warrant termination.
If they can't fix her, they'll at least keep the budget balanced.
In the Chronicle interview neither Vic or Janice could name a reason families should send their kids to Marshall. We won't be getting Choice students, so we have to spend less.
A good first step for the school board would be to start marginalizing Joyce, giving her lesser jobs to do and take away as much of her power as they can. There are many ways to pressure her to leave. This is not to mention all of the lies she has told where there is a mountain of evidence (just watch board meeting videos). If the board wants to do anything good, they have many options. So far I have not seen them do anything the least bit against JP except mark her down a little on her last evaluation.
Let's all keep the pressure on JP to leave! Any civil forms of protest at the MHS graduation on Saturday would be helpful (look away, cough, clear your throat, put your head down, etc ) when she speaks. About 99 percent of Marshall wants her gone- this summer! Letters to the editor are very helpful too!
LATEST NEWS REGARDING OUR UPSTANDING SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS!
WHAT KIND OF A EXAMPLE IS OUR SCHOOL BOARD PRESENTING WHEN ONE OF ITS MEMBERS (JANICE DARLILNG) DECIDES TO EXPOSE THE WHOLE CROWD, INCLUDING CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, TO HER BRIGHT PINK BRA! THIS OCCURED AT THE COMMUNITY BALL FIELD WEDNESDAY NIGHT. I DON'T REALLY THINK ANYONE WANTED TO SEE THAT DISPLAY.
They should analyze the bad performance reviews that JP falsely put together to force out Mr. Behrenwald. If they can show she was devious, lied and used them improperly for sleazy political reasons (as everyone thinks she did), then they should have very valid grounds to fire her!
I work for Harper Creek. Today, after the students left, there was a recognition luncheon put on by the Central Office Administration. Among the many activities that help create a "total school team" that really does put kids first, the entire group was entertained by one of our custodians, who is also a very talented singer and guitar player. He works in an elementary school. As he was performing, I was thinking how much the kids must love him. The reason the superintendent has asked him to perform each year is that he knows that Emzy frequently goes into to the classrooms and sings with the students. What a great loss it would be if we ever decided to privatize our custodians. Mr. Collins, and all the other custodians are viewed as valued employees, not just "janitors." Harper Creek has many openings for schools of choice, and we would welcome the children or grandchildren of any of the Marshall custodians.
Also at the Harper Creek recognition luncheon, for a donation to a good cause the staff could throw a cream pie in the face of either the Superintendent or the Assistant Superintendent. Imagine how much money that could raise in Marshall? We wouldn't have to privatize the custodians, with much money to spare.
I have heard that so many people are mad at Phillips and the school board that they plan to look down or look away when any of them speak at graduation on Satuday June 9th night (except maybe John and Ali).
I have also heard that we are to show our appreciation for the excellent job that Mr. Ron Behrenwald did for the last 8-9 years at MHS.
It should be another hot summer in the Marshall schools, and I don't mean that as a good thing.
Let's remember and honor Mr. Ron Behrenwald tonight (Sat 6-9) at the MHS graduation. He was always a caring, hardworking, professional and a great Principal for the past 9 years. He will be missed greatly!
It is horrendous the way he was treated and forced out. An investigation by an independent outside agency should be conducted. It is sleazy politics at its worst! To satisfy whom? A former coach with an axe to grind? A former interim Supt. who was not hired? To punish an excellent Principal for not being a JP loyalist that would carry out her dirty work without question? All of the above? Another victim of this Superintendent and her school board supporters! Actually the kids and the community are victims too!
It is outrageous the way that Mr. Behrenwald has been treated these past few years. Shame on you Marshall school board for allowing or supporting this! Another dark day in the history of the Marshall schools.
As an MHS teacher it will be very difficult to be at graduation tonight Saturday June 9th with Phillips, Metcalf and Jones. They have been a disaster for MHS and we will never forgive them for what they have done to Ron and others.
As far as the school board goes, if they truly care at all about the Marshall schools we will need to see some major changes this summer. First we will need to see a real working relationship with the staff, not just phony meetings, threats and false promises. And secondly they do need to replace Mrs. Phillips before things keep getting much worse. There is no good option that involves keeping Mrs. Phillips beyond this summer.
Let's have a return to "excellence" and let's start that sooner rather than later.
I hope that someday our school system will be one that we can all be proud of again,but right now thats not the case.JP will not stop until she gets rid of all of us, just like she did the REDSKINS!!! How can any of our administrators or schoolboard sleep at nite! This is Johnnie, and i'm still a redskin,and so are my ancestors.( remember, this is when our school system went to hell !!!!).
I did hear some boos when Phillips took the stage at commencement. Others were looking away or complaining openly about how bad she is. Some complained about Potter and the shcool board too. The atmosphere was cold and awkward between Phillips. Potter and their friends and everybody else. I think they could tell they were not well liked by most people.
Mr. Behrenwald as always was a class act. I am still quite saddened at the loss of such a fine Principal. The great weather for graduation and the excitement was overshadowed by our awful leadership. I hope the leaders, mainly the school board, can get their act together for next year. I was proud of my daughter's graduation either way! Maybe next year the seniors and the community will have a much better situation to celebrate in. Maybe, hopefully, Phillips will be long gone!!!
I was there too. The presence of Joyce Phillips partly ruined what would normally be a joyous occasion. RB will be missed greatly at MHS! Has anyone heard about Joyce's new pick for MHS? I would not have mind if Vic had skipped, he is just as guilty for forcing Ron out. The board members looked nervous, cold and isolated. What a sad situation in Marshall. Will trust in the board ever return?
There is a Marshall School Board meeting on Monday June 11th at 7 pm. Anyone interested in saving the custodian jobs or any other issues should be there. If there is not a good turnout and people speaking up, then the school board will have free reign to do as they please. The MTA neeeds to get much more aggressive too! The future of the Marshall schools are at risk here!
Not just the custodians heads are on the block but our wonderful swim program at Marshall. In 1988 our job moved us to Post Cereal but we were unsure where to buy a home. We looked in the Gull Lake area alot. My realtor from Battle Creek said I would not be happy in marshall, clicky town. Well, I decided to see for myself before buying a house so I wnet into Gordon Ele. and was met by a custodian. He talked with me showed me around and introduced me to the secretary. AT this meeting I heard there is a movie theatre and a community swim pool. We were leaving a home that had an inground pool so I thought I'd go check out the high school community pool. When I entered that building I was greeted by several custodians doing their summer work but they took a minute to show me their building and ended our tour at the pool where my daughter, son and I met Mr. John Hamlin. Mr. Hamlin spoke directly to my daughter and the warmth he showed my two kids left me with a feeling that I knew where we needed to move.
I didn't need to see the superintendent, business manager or have anyone tell me what type of finances, accredidation or any of the other politics. I knew from the people that some board members refer to as 'janitors' that these were some very caring, local people that truly had pride in their buildings.
I strongly recommend this board to think this plan out very carefully when making the decision to take your local workers out of the taxpayers buildings. I will predict this will damage your schools for years to come.
I bought a home here. My two kids went through this system and have both completed their degrees and guess what they have both bought homes in Marshall School district and each have little sons now. Believe me if they had not had the wonderfully positive experiences, role modeling, caring and nurturing that their BUS DRIVERS, CUSTODIANS, SECRETARIES, PRINCIPALS AND YEAH POOL COACH/COORDINATOR ALL GAVE THEM they would not have made that decision.
My daughter and son joined the Summer Community Swim Program. My daughter was 9 yr old. She continued to swim for John in the Swim Club until 14 when she joined the high school girls swim team where she received 4 varsity letters. I venture to say without much for kids to do in this small town the option of shutting down the pool seems to me NOT PUTTING KIDS FIRST.
Doesn't matter how beautiful and uptodate your buildings are - It takes all these people in your buildings to help you raise your child. Thank you John Hamlin for the life model you set for both my kids. Awesome.
What a nice tribute to John. He is very well deserving. This whole talk of giving our local jobs to outside people is looking like a cowards way out. School employees do not make much money. Well, let me correct that statement. The people below the top administration do not make much money. They are working for retirements. If you take that away from school employees what do you suppose is going to happen to the already low morale? Don't you think this will affect the financial status of the district. What double standard signal is being sent to your taxpayers? Beef up this superintendent, pay for doctorate degrees yet cut local jobs because you don't want to contribute to retirements. I think this state of Michigan should pass a law prohibitting taking the retirements of school employees at the bottom if that district is not doing the same at all levels including the superintendents. The further damage here is: Marshall is sending money out of state to purchase more Oklahoma (I believe) years of retirement for Joyce Phillips. NOW SOMEONE ON THE BOARD EXPLAIN HOW SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ARE SUPPOSED TO FEEL? I KNOW MOST CUSTODIANS MUST FEEL LIKE THEY WORK HARD AND HAVE NO VALUE TO THE ADMINSTRATION OR SUPT.
You are fooling yourself if you think this community believes actions like this are 'PUTTING KIDS FIRST' Let's move forward together. First on the block is Joyce Phillips. Then pay freezes for adminstrators for one year. Then look around for the waste and it will most assuredly not be your custodians, pool manager, or bus mechanic. These people work directly helping kids to be put first, whether it is in this daily routine or their safety.
This management style has got to stop. It will damage this school district beyond repair. Look around us. No other districts are suffering like MPS in our area. They are working together. But then, they know what to do when they get just one bad apple at the top. They pick it out before it causes the apples around it to rot.
I hope Joyce,Brian and board members plug in this web address in their browsers. It is Wikipedia's definition of "Being a good Boss" NONE of the things in the article apply to JKP or BM. Hellooo...
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Boss
That was a great article...I really like the following quote...
If you are on a tight budget, becoming a good boss can save you a ton of money. Many studies show how a staff that feels you care for them and value them will be far less motivated by money, and far more motivated by their sense of empowerment, value to you and the company, and the feeling that they have significant responsibilities.
How difficult is it, Joyce and Vic, to grasp the significance of this idea?
Marshall Public Schools needs to get to the business at hand, THE KIDS! The students, they are what this district is about and I think that there are many administrators that need to be reminded of that!I have read some very good comments here and most if not all are true! I would hope that MPS administrators are reading these! Our administrators need to get back to the kids and not worrying about whether they need new carpet in their office, using school time to get our degree, sleeping on school time. I could go on and on. The School Board needs to stop padding the administrators pockets and do what it right by these students. Our district is becoming a joke! I for one would love to pull my kids out of here, the drama alone is ridiculous.
Let get real and get back to what is important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
When most school districts are vying for students by lowering class size and offering a wide variety of classes, Marshall Public is canceling any class UNDER 20 such as advanced language classes (French 3 for example). After dropping many classes that have long made Marshall a great place to send students for college prep, we are letting experienced teachers go (because it is less expensive) to give raises to Phillips, Metcalf and MacDonald. Class size is larger than ever, experience and loyalty from long standing Marshall residents is not appreciated and morale is gone completely. Way to go Joyce, Brian, Amy, Vic, Janice, Dan, Paul and you too Chris. Thanks for nothing!
how did the board meeting go last night?
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070612/NEWS01/706120316
That's a great start! Getting 70 to turn out on a June night is a great start! There needs to be a much larger grass roots movement to work for positive changes in the Marshall schools. Yes, some personnel will need to be replaced, but they are all at the top.
Be prepared for Phillips to let things die down somewhat by early July and then in a sneaky manner do bad stuff in July and August. You can be sure she will not back down on firing the custodians or taking out revenge on the teaching and support staff. The best hope is if the school board would intervene and stop her. For those who care about the Marshall schools, it is very important to keep up the pressure all summer. Call board members, speak up or attend meetings, write letters to the paper and spread the word in the community. If we are real fortunate Phillips will be justifiably fired this summer so we can finally move forward and make some real progress.
I'm hearing that staf are afraid to support the custodians publicly,because they aer afraid for their jobe! We all need to support each other, no matter what JP tries to do to us!budget meeting monday nite 7:00 , be there.
I am friends with at least one school board member and at least one custodian. To save the custodian jobs and put the brakes on any other bad things, much more pressure is needed. Last Monday was a good start. More pressure will be needed all summer.
If the custodians can muster 50-100 community supporters who will attend board meetings, write letters to the editor and call board members, they can save their jobs. If not, they will likely lose them.
Support won't be enough. You'll need money. You have to show them it's not good financially
Most districts the size of Marshall do not have an Assistant Superintendent. God knows, ours sure doesn't do much of anything so the position wouldn't even be missed. Also, most Tech Directors don't even make close to $85,000.00 a year and we all know how much he does! Neither of these people have kids in our district so, I say, cut out the pork first and then look at options from there.
Amen! These two "administrators" are worthless to our students and schools. We paid Metcalfe for a year to get his degree and now that he is a "Dr" he only pretends to do anything other than be JKPs henchman. An outrage! Then there is Charlie, a nice guy, but 85,000? Come on any of us in the district know how little he does. His helpers know all and do all the tech stuff and anything complicated he brings in experts to do it for him. Double outrage!! We are talking well over 200,000 for these positions and they add nothing to the district in reality. Cut them and their unnecessary positions especially in a "Kids First" system like ours.
Metcalf and MacDonald are well-known to be perhaps the two worst in their jobs in the area! They along with Phillips are an embarrassment to Marshall. They are way overpaid and could easily be cut! We have a bad assistant Superintendent and a bad tech director. Those of us in the Marshall schools know this very well! Their high pay and support is ALL political! Payoff for loyalty to Phillips and her board friends. This is corruption and the suffering cutstodians may have to pay the price to keep these very bad and overpaid top administrators on the job.
In over 30 years of following the Marshall schools closely I have never seen such bad leadership as we have now. The worst of the Lou years was far better than anything we have had these past two years. I think we have hit rock bottom!
I am sure that Mrs. Joyce Phillips is very capable of sinking even lower.
I have worked with both Brian Metcalf, oops Dr. Metcalf (we paid for his degree, time off paid too!) and Charlie MacDonald. Metcalf is at best very unimpressive and at worst just plain lazy and dimwitted. Charlie's most impressive skills seem to be in the areas of not returning e-mails or phone calls, keeping a low profile, hiding when needed, and not asking the school board for any money for new computers for teaching and learning. I guess in that sense the board and Phillips like him for NOT spending money on such frivolous things as new computers from the school funds. Unless of course the school passes a bond or gets some Marshall foundation money, then they can get new computers. Why waste school money on the kids anyway? Hey Brian, don't forget to order textbooks this year! It may take you an hour or so of your summer but please fit this in.
I have been told to my face, that the tech department "has no money". Cathy V. is paid as an "aide"....yes and "aide". The other guy, I'm sorry I don't remember your name, is very good and is always available if I have a problem. He doesn't get paid much either, I'm told; certainly not $85,000.00. Right after that Mac Donald got ANOTHER raise! Just another look at the top padding the pockets of supporters and screwing those who are known not to be "fond" of the top of the heap.JP will try to put pressure on anyone who does not grovel at her feet.
When I talk to my teacher friends at Pennfield, Harper Creek and Lakeview, there was always a huge difference as far as technology long before they passed their current bonds. Marshall was way behind for years and the only time the top admins care or talk much about technology is when they want a bond passed or when they are looking for a handout from some private donors.I feel as they we are in a district where either the top admins are either clueless or could care less. Marshall's reputation in the county has been rapidly on the decline due to this. We have become second rate as the fools and corrupt leaders on top lavish each others with pay raises and benefits for a job poorly done. And the board members are fools for supporting this!
Someone has to have the courage to ask that copies of the entire proposed budget be made available to the public. Harper Creek has its entire proposed budget on its website. A person can look at it and see the salaries of all the administrator this year, and what is proposed for them next year. Harper Creek's tech director (who was named Tech Director of the Year by MACUL this year and is worth twice her salary) made about $75,000 last year. She is getting a proposed raise of 1.5%. The two technicians at Harper Creek make about $35,000 a year, and are worth much more. If Cathy Vaught is paid at an aide rate she must make considerably less than the Harper Creek technicians. And if it is accurate, as reported here, that Charlie MacDonald makes $85,000 a year, or 11% more than HC's director, then something is very wrong. Someone needs to get the courage to ask some of these tough questions. What is the justification for paying Mr. MacDonald so much more than his counterpart at Harper Creek, who has a state-wide reputation for excellence? What has Mr. MacDonald done to merit an $8,000 a year raise (if that is indeed what he got)?
If the board is considering outsourcing its custodial services to save money, they need to be able to justify some of the things in the budget that have not been cut. BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO ASK THE QUIESTIONS.
By being afraid of Phillip's retritubion, you are letting her win. Good Luck
Thanks for the above info mike. It can be useful.
The above post was NOT from Mike Rio. He is not the only person who works in another school that is upset about the mess in Marshall
I know Mike Rio, I think he is in Italy for a month. Many Marshall teachers have spouses, friends and relatives that work in other area school districts.
Everyone who can, please come out on Monday June 18 at 7 pm for a Marshall School Board budget meeting. Please support our custodians and ultimately our kids! We need your support to do what is best in the long run for the Marshall schools. Please call board members too.
Don't be deceived by any school board members who claim they want to fire the custodians to 'save money" or to "pay for other programs." They have wasted and squandered hundreds of thousands of dollars at the top! If anyone should be fired to "save money" or "for the kids" it should be the top 3 or 4 administrators.
I would like to publicly thank all of those involved in the efforts to build new tennis courts with 100% private donations. The courts were not properly maintained in the last few years and were negleted by the teh Superintendent.
While lavishing money and praises on each other, our top leaders and some school board members have failed to properly maintain school facilities. This lead to private cisitzens leading the way to get something done. The neglect was also used to pressure the citizens to pass a bond. Some of the bond items are legitimate, some should have been covered through routine care and maintenance over the years. Instead of giving each other false praise and undeserved pay raises, our school leaders should try doing their jobs for a change. They should also end all of their nasty petty politics or the board should replace them with far better leaders, which we need now. Also support our loyal employees (custodians) who are already underpaid to begin with. Fire the poor-performing out-of-town disloyal employees who bring us nothing buy shame, problems and embarrassment.
Overall the Marshall schools has a very good staff, great students and awesome parents! Despite the problems caused by Joyce, Brian, Amy, Vic and Janice, many great things are happening in the Marshall schools. We can move on despite the many obstacles and hostility forced our way. If we can fix the problems at the top we can really be doing great!
Marshall School Board budget meeting Monday June 18th at 7 pm. If you care about the future of the Marshall schools please attend. You can ask questions and share your views. Accountability is needed and now is the time to speak up before any big, possibly foolish, changes are made.
Shelley, can you look into the budget, raises, etc and run a story in the near future in the Chronicle? I know JP is hard to get information and honest answers from, but if you could do this I know that many Marshall citizens are very interested in knowling the facts.
The way to get rid of dr frankstein. Is to drop her down to be a janitor. She not worthy to be custidain.
Phillips has never been a Principal but saw it fit to run one of our best building Principals out of the district. As more information emerges, it appears that Joyce Phillips wanted Ron Behrenwald early on to start giving false bad performance reviews for MHS staff she wanted to force out. Ron apparently refused to carry out such dishonest, illegal and unethical actions as Phillips ordered him to do, and their relationship went downhill from there. By refusing to engage in such bad and unethical behavior, Mr. Behrenwald got himself put on the top of Mrs. Phillips' hit list. In other words he was fored out for being an excellent, honest, fair and professional Principal by a Superintendent who is dishonest, unfair, unethical and immoral. Why does our shool board support this? Do we need a recall to send a message that this is wrong?
I hope everyone read the excellent letter in the Monday, June 18 Enquirer by Mary Brownell. People have got to start speaking out publically.
Check out the Battle Creek Enquirer. In the Roses and Raspberries section there is a wonderful compliment,for Bob Vaught, from a parent, speaking about the wonderful job he has done at the alternative High School. What a shame that the top three are trying to get rid of him too the very same way they did to Behrenwald. Read the paper and ask JKP and Brian why Bob is not paid as an administrator. That's right, they are trying to push him out through his meager pay. What a loss to the district that would be...let's get rid of the real fat, starting with Metcalf.
"Dr." Metcalfe is by far the most grossly overpaid administrator in the history of any public school. It is an outrage that he gets paid anything. Dont believe? Check into what he does. Or doesnt.
It appears Charlie in Tech dept has been bought and paid for. At the meeting on June 11 when the TV wouldn't transmit the board meeting into the overflow room all it appeared Charlie did was push the power button. He sat until 10:30 (sorta looked like he wanted to make sure no one went into the community room and plugged the monitor cord in). Is this what we are paying him $86,000 for. This was supposed to be an open meeting - there were students attending and I am sure their impression of how democracy and open meetings acts work was very distorted. But hey - why would we care as long as we are saying we are putting kids first! Giannunzio would have had that meeting moved to a larger room to accomodate the crowd. What does philly have to hide? Why does the board allow this type of engagement?
Boards of Education are suppose to hold their meetings IN PUBLIC. That means moving to accodomodate the public in attendance. I have been to hundreds of BOE meetings in Harper Creek and Lakeview, and they are always moved to accomodate the crowd, even at the last minute. Isn't there an auditorium in the Middle School? The June 11th meeting should have been moved there; but you let them get away with not moving. Someone should check and see if they have violated any state laws by forcing people to stand in the halls, and file a complaint. They will continue these types of tactics ass long as they get away with them.
Phillips and her board use every sneaky tactic they can think of to stop criticism or make it difficult for the public to observe or participate in board meetings. You know they have some shady things planned for this summer. Now lets see when and how they will pull them off.
Well they have begun thier summer harm of employees. Now that the buildings are virtually only custodians and a couple secretaries the attacks have begun. But - who is there to witness the attacks? Why would board members care? There have been at least 3 of the less than 28 employees working to get the schools ready for fall being treated just this past week. But does anyone really care? I am guessing not - if this board cared for it's employees they would not allow joyce to work out 2 more years. The direct attack in retaliation for the survey last fall is in full swing. The ax is swinging and the loyalists are very busy collecting brownie points. Anyone in their right minds knows that is never a good situation to leave a lame duck in charge especially when they are left alone without protection of administrators. You do not, in any good conscience, leave a manager with no vested interest in the company to run willy nilly around causing havoc and ruin. I realize the board members have full time jobs but MPS since June 10th has plunged to the depths. It is now an officially broken system. Who would have thought the attacks would begin as soon as principals, teachers, aids, etc are all gone for the summer. I know I knew it would and I am guessing I was not alone. Please board members can you replace her now. This summer. Before something tragic happens. Something worse than people going into hospitals with chest pains, stress tests, as well as other mental well being services. What are we waiting for? Does this community understand the value of life? This is life or death to many livlihoods. Why can people just turn their heads and pretend nothing bad is happening. These are not disgruntled people here. These are your neighbors and fellow community members. What does it take to get an interim superintendent here so this district can find a new superintendent. One that has a vested interest in the future of MPS. The supt. is leaving in 2 years. That is not good enough.
As a parent I am really upset that my son can't take a class he needs because it was canceled due to the fact that there weren't 20 kids in the class. I mean there were 17 or 18 and a class he needs for college was canceled "to save money" yet the superintendent took a raise this year AND last year. I am seriously thinking of sending him to Harper Creek where "keeping the kids first" seems to be more than rhetoric. This district is really going downhill and I am saddened. I have another student in the district and I think switching her now would be better than waiting for the Phillips regime to end. I am furious at the school board for being impotent concerning the well being of the students of Marshall. Shame on you!!! And, Joyce Phillips, I don't know how you sleep at night! I certainly haven't been sleeping well..I guess pathological liars can do that.
Dark days in the Marshall schools will only get darker in the foreseeable future. The school board had this past year to turn things around and failed at every opportunity. The harm that has been done, and is being done, is very great. There is no hope in sight for at least two more years, unless a successful recall and firing of Phillips and her radical lyalists can be accomplished.
as we near the next board meeting,i urge all of you that have posted concerns about the issues at hand, and any others you may have,to attend july 9'th meeting.the only way to acomplish these things is to face them!we can no longer stand by and let 2 or 3 people carry the load! the time to act is now! hope to see you at the meeting .
thanks,johnnie
To the above. Where were all of you when i lost my job at eatons. Grow up,times are changing
Eatons is different than a school employee. We can make a difference by showing the school board that we will stand for one another. Eatons is or was a company. Run by MONEY AND ONLY MONEY.
Did Eatons try to get support from this community or did they all get $$$$ buy outs? There are no compensations being offered if this board fires their local custodians. They will be lucky to get more than a 10 day notice. Eatons closing, was in my opinion, due to supply and demand - ie the manufacturing world. I do not see the comparison of this type of company. You are entitled to your opinion though. My opinion is this: Marshall will remain having a community school as long as there are children to be educated. Does anyone want total strangers in and around their school buildings? Outsourcing work that is in such close proximity to our small children by those that may or may not ever have had background checks is taking too much of a safety chance with our local children. I do not know how the job loss at Eaton's happened but only remember it has been closing plants all over this area for a couple years now. It would be nice if no one had to lose their jobs. If will be a tragedy waiting to happen if the board allows total strangers to work along side our little kids. I question why this district needs an assistant superintendent at over $100,000 in addition to a superintendent whose actual money is never quoted the same any time you ask....but far exceeds $115,000 with all the perks. This is probably near $250,000 including the perks for just 2 employees. It is time for a TIME STUDY of these top administrators so we can find out if our money is being spent wisely. These types of wastes are budget cuts that should be made if this time study shows a district this size does not need both positions. Cuts at Eatons didn't just start at the bottom. I know a couple guys because of seniority that were there almost until the buildings started coming down. So, I also know cuts were happening at the top at the very beginning.
The reason eatons closed was they found people to do our jobs cheaper, bottom line.I have three kids at home. I know how it feels.You want community support, but your union didnt support any business that closed in this town, where was our support from community.
To the above poster from Eatons:
1. You did not work for the community, you worked for a private corporation, exactly what "support from the community" do you think could have saved your job?
2. Because you lost your job to cheaper labor, then you think it is okay for everyone else in Marshall to suffer the same fate? Exactly how would that benefit the total Marshall Community in the long run.
This community has suffered some tremendous manufacturing job losses; and the ripple effect on the local housing market and on local business has also been tremendous. Marshall Public Schools is probably one of the major employers in the community, after the hospital; so how in the world will the loss of jobs from the school district benefit the community in any way? I can understand your bitterness, but that is part of the problem. Everyone only looks at things from their own personal perspective, not in a "broad, what is best for everyone in the long-run" way.
To above. You are right. You are out for your self also. The district seems to be tyring not to cut programs or teachers that directly affect students. Stae funding is out of whack. Eatons could raise prices but could not compete. Look at whole picture.Anybody can clean, not every one can teach.
To above,
I am a teacher. I think school custodians are more than "people who can clean." I think they are part of the total school family and should be employed by the district, just like secretaries, recess aids etc. Everyone who works in the school should be employed by the school. Custodians do a lot more than just clean, by the way.
Fact..In this "buget crisis" Joyce Phillips took a 9% raise and then wanted to cut or harass people who are not supporters, like the custodians, Sue Stacy, Karls Bivens, Ron Behrenwald, Rich Hulkow, Bob Vaught,to name a few . Teachers took a 1.5% raise....building admin got no raise. Fact..Metcalf had his education paid for by the district and went to class on school time....this perk was changed immediately after he was finished so no other teachers could benefit from the same deal. Fact...Ron Behrenwald was chased out of the district for questioning the hiring process at MHS. Fact..Charlie MacDonald got a big raise AFTER the other two people in the tech department were told there was absolutely no more money...both of the other people in the tech department are not "pro Phillips". Fact....a long time employee in the central office, was given a poor eval because she was not a Phillips supporter. She had previously been given "employee of the year". The school nurse was awarded the school nurse of the year award....she was told, by Metcalf, how poorly she did her job....she is not a Phillips supporter. Fact...Bob Vaught is not a Phillips supporter....he is being harrassed and not paid as an administrator even though he has the only program in the district that makes money. Fact...There are two union officers...they are not Phillips supporters...they are having hours cut and suddenly being moved around the district just to be harrassed. Get the picture???
Yes i get the picture. Eatons big guys made a lot more than your big wigs. Yours has a lot more responsability. Dont get me wrong, i dont totally agree with set up but it is the same in private industry as in school district but your admin has more people per administrate than private industry.
30yr.support staff only make $12.00 plus change,so its not about the money. less than any eatons employ made. i had family and friends that lost there jobs too.do you want child molesters around your kids when their at practice in the evenings?or other school functions?there will be no one there in the daytime to take care of the trash in the cafitera after lunch,clean up puke , blood , pee and poop from our little ones that have accidents,or anything ealse that the children need, we do more than clean these schools ! look up the word custodian! when jobs are lost we all lose, no matter if your big buisness,or public schools.we have lost tones of familes due to factory closings.do you think we should sacrifice what we have left? if your spouce was a school employ, would you think any diffrent?albion is a ghost town, are we next, or do we fight!
have a good day.
johnnie
Bottom line: Do you want your community members that work in your community schools FIRED and replaced with people from outside this area. We need the money to stay in this town in order for Marshall to remain a town.
I do not recall anyone canvassing the people of Marshall to help keep State Farm, Eatons, Lear here working in marshall. Did I miss something? I sure would have helped as this would have kept some students in our schools which would have brought more state aid which would have helped our district. Sorry I couldn't help - I did not hear a call for help. I was under the impression even with Collins & Aikens it was more a problem with Marshall utilities costing too much to keep the business here. You can't help if no one informs the community on a need to get involved. The school employees are voicing their concern and asking for support. That is what a team effort should be. Employees in that group are being attacked right and left because they are standing up against outsourcing. It would be nice, if while people are sacrificing their careers by speaking their opinions, that others would join the forces and help save what is left of this district. I can speak from experience here. When they are done with me - I will let the BC Enquirer write my story. Until then - I must fight the battle. I was taught to stand up for what is right. This administration is somewhat like, in my opinion, some kind of prisoner of war interrogation group. Someday - the story will really get told.
One of the MPS supervisors has said from day one "Divide and Concur". This is what they are doing! Don't let them win. Everyone should join together UNITE DON'T LET THEM DIVIDE THIS DISTRICT!
To Eaton above,
Our bigwigs definately should have more responsibility, but Phillips and Metcalf don't do the jobs they were hired to do. The Marshall district is too small to have an assistant sup. and could surely get by just as well without a tech director. If you asked Metcalf about what cirriculum is available for a particular grade level, he could not tell you. I do have compassion for your job loss...I too am feeling the pinch and am sympathetic to your concerns. It is God's truth that joyce phillips is malicious, self-serving and thrives on the misfortunes of others. Trust is earned by accepting the responsibilities you are paid to do, Joyce Phillips needs to be fired or demoted because she has lied, connived, mislead and shmoozed her way to the top of the proverbial heap. There are some board members who are finally seeing the light, but it is too little too late.
The problems in the Marshall schools have been growing all year. No one ran against Vic or Janice and no one is doing a recall for their support of bad leadership. So we get one we deserve in Marshall. We tolerate bad leadership and bad performance. We tolerate waste and lies. As a community we must accept responsibility for the mess we have allowed and tolerated. Marshall's decline will continue until the people step up and say enough is enough!
It is looking like joyce has heard our complaints that this district is not large enough for an Asst. Supt. People have asked for a time study to be done to see what these three actually do.
Metcalf is now getting assigned jobs that Jones would have always done. So would this make his the Asst. to Operations? It is virtually pitiful how the board allows joyce to operate, coverup, and deceive all of us, including the board members. Thank goodness a couple of the board members seem to be on to her.
I would very much appreciate a time study of the Dr. Metcalf position of Asst. Supt. All of us who have worked for the MPS for yrs have marveled at how little he does and how incompetent he is. For us to have paid for his doctorate during school time after he had only been here a yr or less is a true outrage. It would have been different if he was a dynamic and innovative leader but he is for all intents and purposes worthless. I urge anyone who can tell me what positive things he brings to the MPS to please do so because from my vantage point it is clear he is a waste of money. Please help me understand if I am wrong.
why dr. metcalf brings a positivly unique way to almost always wear a turtleneck and the best of fashion that goes with!
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