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ALLIANCE BEACON Shining a light on Grosse Pointe Public Schools |
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| | Board of Education Meeting Highlights |
| | | Superintendent’s Report
South culinary arts instructors, Chef Lopez & Chef Tori, presented information about culinary students’ upcoming cooking competitions and provided food samples to the board: A three-person team will prepare sweet potato gnocchi stuffed with sage and pecan pesto (Maggie H.), roasted honey truffle ricotta (Elliot K.), pomegranate maple sauce (Reese L.) for the pasta competition.
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| A five-person team will prepare fried sweet potato risotto (Landon T.), rosemary gelato (Carla C.), agnolotti pasta (Josh S.), orange white chocolate mousse (Allie D.), and Anthony L. will serve as time and task keeper for the competition.
Last year, South won the ProStart state culinary competition, which challenges teams to prepare a 3-course meal with limited time, space, and resources. Go South! And good luck at the March competition!
Search continues for Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position
Bond update Dr. Tuttle and President Worden created an application for community members to apply to serve on the Bond Advisory Committee. The committee’s goal is to develop project recommendations to be included in the bond proposal. Ballot language is due by August 11th for the November ballot. President Worden, Dr. Tuttle, and Dr. Bishop will use a collaborative process to select the 25-30 member committee.
Special education update by Deputy Superintendent Bishop Dr. Lillie Loder, Executive Director of Student Services, is working with Wayne RESA to create a Special Education Parent Advisory Committee for the district. Administration is working on a Letter of Agreement for paraprofessionals to receive additional compensation from Wayne County Act 18 funds.
Closed session update After discussion in closed session, President Worden made a motion to waive attorney-client privilege and release the full investigative report about alleged misconduct by former school board trustee Ahmed Ismail. With a 4-2 vote, the board voted to release the “Sutton Report.” Read the full report here. Trustees Cotton and Jeup voted against release; Trustee St. John was absent. Watch the discussion before the closed session meeting here. President Worden provided a timeline of events leading to the Sutton report, which concluded that there was no evidence of gender bias against North administrators Dr. Kate Murray and Michelle Davis; however there was evidence of a plan to “push out” the administrators. The report also noted that there is a North/South divide within the community. President Worden provided a timeline of events leading to the Sutton report, which concluded that there was no evidence of gender bias against North administrators Kate Murray and Michelle Davis; however there was evidence of a plan to “push out” the administrators. The report also noted that there is a North/South divide within the community. President Worden concluded from the report that “there is really bad governance that goes on here,” and board members need to learn their role. Trustee Jeup disagreed that there is a North/South divide, as the report identified, and suggested that its release adds liability to the district. Trustee Hull voted in favor of release to help heal the community. Trustee Derringer voted in favor of its release for transparency and closure for the community. Trustee Cotton thinks it will increase liability to the district but did not say how.
Budget parameters were presented by Treasurer Klepp to guide administration in creating the budget. No objections were noted by trustees. Discussion
February 24, 2025
In celebration of Black History Month, 4th grade student leaders at Mason Elementary showcased their Black History Quilt, which featured influential and historical African Americans.
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|  | Each student identified and researched African American figures for the quilt project. The following students made excellent presentations, watch here: Josiah A. (Stephen Curry, NBA player) Lilla A. (Simone Biles, Olympic gymnast) Harper S. (Ruby Bridges, civil rights activist) Jackson W. (Muhammad Ali, boxing champion) Jeremiah F. (President Barack Obama) |
| March is National Reading Month Michelle Stackpoole, librarian at Monteith & Richard Elementary Schools, shared the mission and goals of the GPPSS library system. She stated that today’s libraries are “a hub of creativity and collaboration” and the “heart of the school.” There are 12 school libraries staffed by 8 certified & endorsed teacher librarians and 11 EdTech media paraprofessionals. In a video presentation, Ms. Stackpoole showed how students are encouraged to inquire, explore, and engage with books, technology, and media.
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|  | Bond Advisory Committee update There are 79 applications that represent a good cross-section of the community. President Worden, Dr. Tuttle, and Dr. Bishop will select members by Friday, February 28th. GPPSS employees and administrators will serve on the committee as well with a goal of 30 committee members.
Enrollment data update Deputy Superintendent Bishop provided a student mobility report based on data from the State of Michigan that tracks enrollment changes. The report showed that 54 students exited the district; 53 students entered the district. In a general overview, not including all categories: 13 moved out of state, 7 are homeschooled, 4 attend private schools, and 18 left the district and enrolled in other public schools.
Poupard deal closed The building has been sold and the district received $46,550. An additional $650K will be received when the building is demolished.
Trombly survey |
| Agenda Action Items
Only 4 board members were present: Derringer, Hull, St. John, and Worden. With 4-0 votes in favor, the following actions were approved:
‘25-’26 Budget parameters to begin budgeting process Permission to pursue Request for Proposal to replace Trombly windows to maintain building Elimination of online public comment sign-up forms; community members will be able to sign-up at the meeting and comment on both action and non-action agenda items
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| | The Michigan Department of Education: Guidance to local school districts in response to federal directives
The United States Supreme Court has explicitly ruled that “all children, regardless of citizenship and immigration status, have the right to equal access to a free public education.” Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982)
and
Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) expressly prohibits discrimination based on race or national origin and guarantees the full and equal enjoyment of public services and accommodations. Public education is a public service, and school-age children—all school-age children—have the right to this service.
We must all remain committed to ensuring that all students are protected and educated in our schools. |
|  | | “All means all, including LGBTQ+ students. We educate, protect, and support all our children. Students arrive with their own unique experiences, identities, and needs. We have a moral and professional responsibility to them all. We also have a legal responsibility…In 2023, the state legislature passed, and Governor Whitmer signed into law, an expansion of the ELCRA [Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act] …to prohibit discrimination on the additional bases of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Neither a presidential executive order nor federal regulations, whether related to federal funding or not, can supersede or otherwise set aside our obligation to comply with a validly enacted state anti-discrimination law. State civil rights law remains the law."
Memos available here: https://tinyurl.com/January-16th-memo https://tinyurl.com/January-23rd-memo https://tinyurl.com/mrurum55 |
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| | Alliance Responds to Investigative Report
The investigative report into the alleged misconduct by former Trustee Ahmed Ismail was released.
In Alliance's initial call for the report’s release, we believed that its release would provide the community with a full account of the investigative findings, put an end to speculation, and demonstrate responsible leadership.
After reading the report, we believe that the report serves a greater purpose and a call to action. As a community, there is much work to be done to ensure that the voices of our marginalized students, parents, and educators are heard and amplified. As the investigator astutely found:
"It is painfully evident that a significant divide exists between the North and South ends of the GPPSS community. While composition of the Board is left to the voters, it is quite clear that a toxic cocktail of demographics, socio-economic status, power, influence, and support – whether perceived or real – is harming large segments of the school community. And while it is possible that only those on the North end see an issue – very rarely do those holding all the cards perceive there to be any problem in the game – those on the North end clearly feel that they are treated as “less than” and that they have received a short end of the stick as it pertains to multiple budget and operational decisions. Efforts are recommended to bridge this divide in a manner that might dull or even negate the sentiments that were expressed by all of the witnesses in this matter."
The community spoke resoundingly with the re-election of Colleen Worden, and election of new school board trustees Clint Derringer, Laura Hull, and Tim Klepp. That was a rejection of the past board’s governance and practices. That is, however, only a start.
What can we all do to be bridge builders within the GPPSS community... so that all students, regardless of geography, feel valued, supported, and able to excel within our schools? |
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|  | Black history is American history. February provides an opportunity for focused reflection on the past and present contributions of African Americans. Black History Month reminds us to be intentional about learning the breadth of our nation’s history. It is an invitation to learn about people and events that are not centered in education curricula. Whether you have vast knowledge about Black history or just beginning your inquiry, the National Museum of African American History & Culture provides a wealth of online resources for your learning journey.
This month and beyond, we encourage you to explore the rich history and contributions of African Americans. |
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| The week of February 3rd-7th celebrated school counselors nationally. According to the American School Counselor Association, school counselors help students in many ways, including academic, career, and personal development. They can also help students manage stress, cope with difficult situations, and make informed college decisions. Thank you, counselors, for supporting our students! Learn more at www.schoolcounselor.org |
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| | | Grosse Pointe Public Schools 2024/25 Course Offerings: |
| | Television Production Marketing Culinary Arts Education General
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| For more information contact Andrea Gruenwald at gruenwa@gpschools.org |
| | Upcoming Board of Education Meetings
Click here for calendar
Regular board meetings will be held on Mondays at 7:00 pm unless otherwise noted. BoE committee meetings will also be on Monday evenings; times vary. |
| | | The Beacon team welcomes your thoughts and letters. All letters may be edited for content and length. We reserve the right to refuse any letter. Limit to 200 words Include your name, city of residence, and phone number Email to newsletter@alliancegpps.org
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| | Alliance Mission Statement
We seek to partner with the Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods communities in the collective effort to create a safe and inclusive learning environment where students can achieve academic success, maximize potential, and become engaged citizens in a vibrant democracy.
Alliance for GP Public Schools is not affiliated, associated, authorized or endorsed by Grosse Pointe Public School System. |
| | Alliance for GP Public Schools Board of Directors |
| | Policy Director LaKeytria W. Felder |
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| Communications Dir. Rosy Stefanatos-Knapp |
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