The budget forums are an opportunity for people *who want to* express disagreement–OR agreement–to come discuss it. I guess if you don’t want to show up, or send comments (emails should go to boe@aaps.k12.mi.us) then that is your right.

However, I think it’s important to have an open budget process, and half of life is about showing up. I want the details. Reagan said this about the weapons race (I think it was Reagan), but I believe it applies to public bodies in general: “Trust, but verify.”

The majority of the tax base expect AAPS administration to do their job and make the appropriate cuts. These public forums are interesting, but not everyone has the ability to make them.

These people are paid to make decisions they think are appropriate, not listen to whomever is complaining the loudest at the time.

Clague was not a match for my daughter. It wasn’t working. We paid for outside counseling for her and our family because we were at our wits end. Roberto Clemente was suggested as a school we might look into for our daughter. Because of her grades while attending Clague it was suggested that she go to summer school at Roberto Clemente. Not knowing anything about the school other than the fact that it had a reputation of being a school for “bad kids” we scheduled an appointment with the school and met with the principal, Dr. Edmondson. Our daughter was accepted and has been attending ever since. She is currently in 10th grade, has been on the honor roll for the past 2 years and just recently made a 4.0 in the last trimester.

The Roberto Clemente program works! They hold the kids accountable for their actions. One way of doing this is by the weekly “rap sessions”. This is a time when all the students, teachers and staff get together and talk “rap”. You will be called out if you have had any behavior issues or acknowledged for your achievements for the previous week. There have been times when my daughter was called out. Not a good thing to have happen to you in front of the whole school. But for my daughter, this is what she needed, a time to be held accountable in front of her peers for making poor decisions/actions.

At the end of each semester, Roberto acknowledges kids who have achieved a 2.7 or higher with awards. The kids gain self esteem for their good works, encouragement and hope that they can be just as successful as any other kid who tries. Today my daughter says she knew she could do the work but that she didn’t because of all the drama she endured while attending middle school. Since my daughter has attended Roberto Clemente she has been successful, not only with grades but also in being a responsible young woman. She has dreams, hopes and goals for her future. In fact, she has recently been accepted to attend WTMC (Washtenaw Technical Middle School). WTMC is a program located on the Washtenaw Community College campus. She will finish off her last 2 years of high school while being able to earn some college credit by the time she graduates from high school. She will graduate with her comprehensive school (Skyline) get her diploma and continue onto finishing off college.

The Roberto Clemente program has been a good decision for our family. It works! Robert Clemente is a program that should continue as an alternative for those kids who have been pushed aside because of their grades or behavior issues. For those of you who have struggled with their kids in school, I encourage you to visit the school, meet the staff and listen in on one of the rap sessions on Wednesday. There is no coddling at this school. The kids are treated with respect and encouraged to make themselves better people so that they can succeed in their future.

Leave Roberto Clemente’s program alone and choose to close one of the other schools, Community, Stone or AA Tech and combine them with one of the vacant floors at the new high school, Skyline. The kids at Roberto Clemente have every right to learn, achieve and be successful as any other kid only at a different level other than what the regular high school can offer. The Roberto Clemente program works! It’s not a school for bad kids. It’s a school of hope to parents that have struggled with their kids in school. Keep the Roberto Clemente program open……..it’s not just a school – it has become a part of our family as well.