Getting Involved with
Our Government
As parents we have a daily impact on the lives of
our children and school. As citizens and community members we have the
responsibility to be aware of local, state, and national issues and policies
that affect our children and community. It's difficult and time-consuming
to be on top of every issue affecting education. This page is intended to
provide you information and links to key government and national resources that
will assist you in your efforts to stay informed. The web sites listed
below also provide email and postal addresses for you to contact your government
representatives.
Need a primer on how government works?
The Michigan PTSA provides the following documents to explain the
ins and outs of legislation. We have also included a contact sheet with
mailing and email addresses of our representatives.
Legislative
Alert - New House Bill Threatens FPS Funding
A new
bill is threatening to once again cut funding to
FPS. FPS funding was increased 0-2% over the last 5
years despite cost increases of 5% per year. This
proposal would potentially cut another 2.3 million
dollars from our annual allocation. FPS Board
of Education recently passed a resolution opposing
these cuts.
Why
Do We Care?
Our
school district has been cutting programs and
services to meet the decreasing funding. 20(j)
cuts could mean another $191 per pupil - elementary,
middle and high school - cut. We have already
cut elementary language programs and guidance
counselors. We have increased class sizes and
laid off 75 teaching positions. Do we want more of
this?
Contact House Speaker Andy Dillon and Governor
Granholm and let them know you are opposed to this
bill. We have compiled a sample Parent Letter
to get you started. Please include your
contact information and copy our State
Representative Aldo Vagnozzi. Contact can be made by
mail, e-mail or phone. You can also write a Letter to the
Editor to the Observer and Farmington's new paper,
The Farmington Press.
Information and
Contacts
Local Government
Farmington Public Schools (FPS) - FPS serves 12,000+ students
ranging in age from newborn to senior citizen living in Farmington,
Farmington Hills, and a portion of West Bloomfield. About 100,000
residents live in this suburban area.
FPS Board of Education (BOE) - The Board of Education serves as a
trustee for the Farmington Public School District. Board members express
and represent the views of the community in matters affecting education.
They set policy, approve educational goals and curriculum changes, and
act on recommendations of the Superintendent of Schools. T
Farmington Hills Government Overview
State Government
State of Michigan
Michigan
Department of Education: The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) offers a comprehension
parent guide on its web site. Click
here to see the
Parents and Family Resource directory. Be sure to check out the
new School District Parent Involvement Plan document. The
MDE home page is
also a great source for education-related issues such as "No Child Left
Behind" and school funding.
Gilda Jacobs - Michigan State Senator for the 14th District
Aldo
Vagnozzi - Michigan State Representative for the 37th District
Education Bills for 2007/2008 (Select "Education" for the category.)
Federal Government
US
Senator Carl Levin
US
Senator
Debbie Stabenow
Joe Knollenberg - US House of Representative - Michigan 9th District
US
Department of Education
No Child Left
Behind Legislation
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