Volume 3, Issue 15 | September 20 - October 3, 2013 Spotlight How to Make School Better for Boys Start by acknowledging that boys are languishing while girls are succeeding. by: CHRISTINA HOFF SOMMERS A Positive News Source with a Local Flavor. (See Page 11) Pontiac’s Rough Road to Recovery Could Indicate Pontiac School District Detroit’s Path by Steven Yaccino Page 2 OKs consent agreement, When Gov. Rick Snyder Editorial: declared this city’s finan- avoids EM Frank Russell cial crisis “resolved” last The Pontiac Board of Education Page 2 month, officially end- has approved a consent agree- ment with the state to deal with Hispanic Heritage Month ing the tenure of the state-appointed emergen- a financial emergency in the by Cindy Y. Rodfiguez cy managers who have district, avoiding the appointment Page 4 controlled it for four of an emergency manager. Gov. Captain Crust years, elected municipal Rick Snyder last month confirmed A Local Success Story leaders thought they were that the Pontiac School District (Also see page 9) getting their jobs back. But they may not be in charge anytime soon. was in financial emergency. Page 5 (Continues on Page 4) Options included accepting a consent agreement, appointment Whats Happening in of an emergency manager, a neutral Oakland County? The story behind Hispanic Heritage Month by Cindy Y. Rodfiguez, CNN evaluation process or a Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing. Page 7 Every time Hispanic Heritage Month rolls around, I learn something new The district faces a roughly a AFRICA NEWS about the Latino footprint in the U.S. $38 million deficit. Interim All About Africa But until I spoke to Robert Lopez, I Superintendent Kelley Williams never knew how this celebration came Page 10 says she’ll follow the agreement’s to be. terms. In May of 1988, Lopez, former intern Five Jobs That Don’t Aimee McKeever, president of the for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Require A Bachelor’s Degree Robert Lopez pushed for Hispanic Heritage Month teachers union, says the consent when he was an intern on Capitol Hill in 1988. was asked to work on a bill that would Page 13 amend the 1968 federal law, authorized agreement equals a “dictatorship” SPORTS by President Lyndon B. Johnson, to change it from a week to a month-long by the state treasurer’s office. 2013-2014 celebration. (Story continues on Page 2) Piston Preview THE PONTIAC NEWS • SEPT. 20 - OCT. 3, 2013 EDITORIAL by R. Frank Russell, Publisher down a road that could only lead to irreparable harm to our City and School District. Well it is clear that we went In the first three issues of the TPN and retention plan that would stop the raiding of the and parent success program that could help our students down the wrong road and …the proverbial chickens have back in 2008, this writer suggested PSD by newly established charter schools and the various achieve and stimulate our parents to get involved. come home to roost. Our school district is in a mess and that Pontiac was at the crossroads nearby school of choice districts. In addition to the above, The very next week this writer personally presented a is now on the verge of being taken over by an Emergency and that several critical actions many other suggestions and specific proposals (based on comprehensive student success program and parental Manager, and we have no one to blame but ourselves. So steps must be taken in order to national and/or international best practices) have been involvement project (based on best practices that have where do we go from here? I have a suggestion, turn our School District and City presented (or we attempted to present) to every sitting worked in this community) to the new school Board perhaps…. just maybe… we ought to just stop electing around. The actions steps related to the school district School Board and Superintendant and Acting President. The new Board President reviewed the and appointing unqualified people to these critical included; 1) Establish and implement a district-wide Superintendant that this community has elected or information and declared “Frank..the programs that you positions of Serviceship (leadership). HEY…I’M JUST student success program; 2) Execute a comprehensive employed since the 1990’s. have here are exactly and precisely what this district SAYING. Please, let us know what you got to say … parent training and involvement program; 3) Initiate and need in order to address our critical student achievement You might ask what were the reactions of our elected and/ contact TPN at [email protected] implement a comprehensive teacher development and and parental involvement problem”, and then.....after a or appointed school officials when presented with ideas training program; 4) Perform an assessment/evaluation of briefpause this person looked up at me and declared, and I and proposals that could have saved this community? every school in the district to determine specific needs in quote “ But you are not the person to do it”. Needless to say order to create school improvement plans specific to each Let me give you just one example of the decision making it never got done! Page 1 processes of just one of these individuals (who will go school; 5) Conduct a community educational/workforce Again, in the very first issues of The Pontiac News in 2008, Pontiac ‘s Rough Road To Recovery • Hispanic nameless ..at this time). This person, the then newly needs assessment to define the business and workforce this writer clearly stated that Pontiac was at the Crossroads Heratige Month • Pontiac School Consent elected school Board President made an appeal to the needs for the next 5-20 years; and 6) Develop and and needed to take sensible action steps to avoid going Implement a 10 point comprehensive student recruitment community for help in devising a student achievement Page 2 Editorial • Hispanic Heratige (Continued) Join Movement to Empower Pontiac: Over the next few weeks and months we will be presenting a variety of projects that are designed to Empower the People of Pontiac Now! The name of the organization that will facilitate this change is New Pontiac, Inc. One of the main goals of New Pontiac is to provide job and/or business opportunities for our young adults and constructive character building Page 3 activities and programs for our children and youth! Please join this movement to Empower Pontiac… by sending your name, phone and address to New Pontiac – P.O. Box 431412 – Pontiac MI 48343, or We The People Have the Constitution 248-758-1411 email is [email protected] . Page 4 (Hispanic Heritage Continued from page 1 ) neglected accomplishments of black today,” said Lopez. Pontiac’s Rough Recovery (Continued) • Ask Elaine Americans in every area of endeavor The third-generation Mexican-American grew Today, Lopez is a veteran journalist who has throughout our history.” Page 5 helped produce award-winning investigative up in an English-dominant household. His What’s Happening in Oakland County? Lopez asked the Library of Congress to put parents were raised in an area of California and multimedia projects for the Los Angeles Page 6 Times, and a social-media expert who has together a list of notable Latino achieve- where you were punished for speaking taught reporters, students and academics in ments in order to better sell the bill to other Spanish, where Mexican immigrants were Remembering Our Community the United States, South America, the members. forced to be “American” and assimilate. So Page 7 Lopez didn’t grow up speaking Spanish at Caribbean and the Middle East. “To me it was a fascinating learning Africa News home. But that wasn’t the case for his two Lopez said Bettie Baca, executive director of experience. When I went to high school there wasn’t Latino studies or Chicano studies,” children, who attended Spanish-language Page 10 the caucus at the time, said a House version immersion schools. Careers had already been introduced in 1987 by Rep. Lopez said. “I knew of some history here Esteban Torres but was stalled by two and there, but was shocked to learn of all the Now, America dedicates a month, from Page 11 subcommittees. A similar bill passed the Latino history in this country from the September 15 to October 15, to celebrating How To Make School better For Boys Senate and there was support from all 13 Congressional Research Service, part of the the culture and traditions of those who trace Latino members of Congress in the House. Library of Congress. their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Page 13 “This bill became a lot about self-discovery,” Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, Sports • Mayweather • 2013-2014 Piston Preview Hearing this, Lopez thought getting enough South America and the Caribbean. supporters “would be a slam dunk” -- until he Lopez said. Page 14 received pushback from some quarters. He wrote in a piece for the L.A. Times that he After speaking to Lopez, I felt a surge of Health Matters urgency to keep sharing his story. I wonder “I got resistance at first. People didn’t just learned about such “notable figures as Page 15 Bernardo de Galvez, a military officer who what would have happened if he hadn’t been didn’t want to support commemorative 2013-2014 Piston Preview (Continued) aided American colonists in their fight against assigned this project during his internship. legislation. People said things like, ‘Well, why What if he hadn’t pushed for the bill with would we do that? Aren’t we all American? the British during the Revolutionary War. Then there was Luis Alvarez, who was born his “Dear Colleague” letter and phone calls, That’s not a thing we want to support,’” or even worse, what if the bill had been put Lopez said.