As an educator, tax payer, and most importantly, mother, I believe this is absolutely ridiculous and unwarranted.
M
Matthew S Siegel
3 years ago
NIMBY
S
Sean Sickmund
3 years ago
Listen to the people and actually have a discussion before making big changes
S
Sam Westra
3 years ago
This is wrong on so many levels!
J
Joseph Kozma
3 years ago
We really need the board to spend time on our students education and not this political pandering. Live in town and my son attends the middle school.
J
Joe Schaffer
3 years ago
Please don't do this. Put people before politics.
D
Drake Buurstra
3 years ago
Allendale High School alum who is strongly against this organization.
S
Stu Greydanus
3 years ago
I am a retired award winning teacher certified in Michigan, Florida, and Guam. I have taught in Michigan, Guam, Florida, Nigeria, and Japan. I have always pushed myself to excel to the highest standards while teaching English, mathematics, physics, humanities, and gifted education. I have won awards including the MIT Inspirational Teacher Award, the Palm Beach County Dwyer Award for high school teaching, the Palm Beach County Teacher as Hero Award, the Calvin University Service Award, among other awards. I treasure my experiences teaching students of many backgrounds and abilities. Teaching is a challenging profession and established professional organizations that are strongly supportive of diversity and excellence in their history are essential in maintaining high standards and expectations for all students in an environment that reflects the 21st century. This perspective sets the culture of the school district as well as the individual classrooms. Attempting to move to a narrow perspective that appeals to a select portion of the population denies not only our founding motto of e pluribus unum but the need for students to broaden their perspectives and range of empathy. My values are those of those prescient founding fathers that recognized the need to prepare our students for their future--not our past. Our heritage is at best one of diversity and honesty. When adults move toward narrowing that perspective, not only our students but the very future and strength of our country as a leader in democracy and freedom suffers. Whether we as individuals feel threatened by "the other" who might challenge our personal perspectives, acting on those fears as a district policy eventually compromises those greater values and the quality of the education and future talents of all students. Do the right thing! Rise above the existential comfort of our adult past. We must promote an inclusive professional organization and not one like the NSBLC.
A
Amy Kettring
3 years ago
Segregation and non-acceptance of other abilities will not benefit anyone. The NSBLC is proposing things that will set our community back decades and will not be good for the community. Please do your research and present the research to the board members prior to making a decision. I have personally seen how integrating individuals of all abilities together has benefited the community as a whole and individuals' overall life.
M
Mary Brandt
3 years ago
NSBLC is NOT what Allendale kids need; if anything, they're going to make things worse for a huge chunk of our students.
A
Anonymous
3 years ago
Featured
Wow. Getting right after those pesky immigrants, aren't they? Direct quote from the NSBLC site in the "vision" section:
"Our public education system is overwhelmed by the mandate forcing them to teach its curriculum in multiple languages. Non-english speaking students provide an unacceptable cost for taxpayers to bear."
A
Anonymous
3 years ago
This is disappointing on so many levels. I don't see how this isn't in direct violation of Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
Those in support of this change should be ashamed of themselves. Families of those Allendale students who have disabilities will not take this lightly. They will FIGHT for their children's rights.
This is 2023, not 1923.
A
Anonymous
3 years ago
grow up, OC
H
Heidi Zuniga
3 years ago
Featured
This group wants to take away federal protection for students with any type of disability. FAPE isn't a suggestion, it's the law! Free and Appropriate Public Education does not include segregating students with different learning needs. If you think teachers are over burdened, try lowering class size...you don't sacrifice one group for the benefit of the other
R
Rachel Wilson-Ross
3 years ago
As a West Michigan resident and taxpayer, this is abhorrent and embarrassing.
B
Ben Siebert
3 years ago
Id rather not have this racist, antiquated idea of education present in my community.
K
Kasey Cheydleur
3 years ago
This is both bad educational practice and a lawsuit waiting to happen. Please get political think groups out of schools
E
Edmond Eisenhauer
3 years ago
As a tax paying resident of Allendale township I am disappointed that Allendales school board would even be considering voting for this organization.
H
Hannah
3 years ago
These people dont care about your kids!! They care about power & money. Disgusting.
As an educator, tax payer, and most importantly, mother, I believe this is absolutely ridiculous and unwarranted.
NIMBY
Listen to the people and actually have a discussion before making big changes
This is wrong on so many levels!
We really need the board to spend time on our students education and not this political pandering. Live in town and my son attends the middle school.
Please don't do this. Put people before politics.
Allendale High School alum who is strongly against this organization.
I am a retired award winning teacher certified in Michigan, Florida, and Guam. I have taught in Michigan, Guam, Florida, Nigeria, and Japan. I have always pushed myself to excel to the highest standards while teaching English, mathematics, physics, humanities, and gifted education. I have won awards including the MIT Inspirational Teacher Award, the Palm Beach County Dwyer Award for high school teaching, the Palm Beach County Teacher as Hero Award, the Calvin University Service Award, among other awards. I treasure my experiences teaching students of many backgrounds and abilities. Teaching is a challenging profession and established professional organizations that are strongly supportive of diversity and excellence in their history are essential in maintaining high standards and expectations for all students in an environment that reflects the 21st century. This perspective sets the culture of the school district as well as the individual classrooms. Attempting to move to a narrow perspective that appeals to a select portion of the population denies not only our founding motto of e pluribus unum but the need for students to broaden their perspectives and range of empathy. My values are those of those prescient founding fathers that recognized the need to prepare our students for their future--not our past. Our heritage is at best one of diversity and honesty. When adults move toward narrowing that perspective, not only our students but the very future and strength of our country as a leader in democracy and freedom suffers. Whether we as individuals feel threatened by "the other" who might challenge our personal perspectives, acting on those fears as a district policy eventually compromises those greater values and the quality of the education and future talents of all students. Do the right thing! Rise above the existential comfort of our adult past. We must promote an inclusive professional organization and not one like the NSBLC.
Segregation and non-acceptance of other abilities will not benefit anyone. The NSBLC is proposing things that will set our community back decades and will not be good for the community. Please do your research and present the research to the board members prior to making a decision. I have personally seen how integrating individuals of all abilities together has benefited the community as a whole and individuals' overall life.
NSBLC is NOT what Allendale kids need; if anything, they're going to make things worse for a huge chunk of our students.
Wow. Getting right after those pesky immigrants, aren't they? Direct quote from the NSBLC site in the "vision" section: "Our public education system is overwhelmed by the mandate forcing them to teach its curriculum in multiple languages. Non-english speaking students provide an unacceptable cost for taxpayers to bear."
This is disappointing on so many levels. I don't see how this isn't in direct violation of Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Those in support of this change should be ashamed of themselves. Families of those Allendale students who have disabilities will not take this lightly. They will FIGHT for their children's rights. This is 2023, not 1923.
grow up, OC
This group wants to take away federal protection for students with any type of disability. FAPE isn't a suggestion, it's the law! Free and Appropriate Public Education does not include segregating students with different learning needs. If you think teachers are over burdened, try lowering class size...you don't sacrifice one group for the benefit of the other
As a West Michigan resident and taxpayer, this is abhorrent and embarrassing.
Id rather not have this racist, antiquated idea of education present in my community.
This is both bad educational practice and a lawsuit waiting to happen. Please get political think groups out of schools
As a tax paying resident of Allendale township I am disappointed that Allendales school board would even be considering voting for this organization.
These people dont care about your kids!! They care about power & money. Disgusting.
Unbelievable