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AUGUST 10, 2023 Vol. 42, No. 18
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Divided school Teachers and administrators board approves leaving Grosse Pointe schools as controversial new public contract talks remain unresolved comment policy BY K. MICHELLE MORAN
kmoran@candgnews.com
See CONTRACT on page 10A
Photo by K. Michelle Moran
Some teachers brought signs like this one to the July 25 Grosse Pointe Board of Education meeting at Brownell Middle School.
FARMS — Those wishing to comment during future Grosse Pointe Board of Education meetings might need to do some advance planning first. A divided board voted 4-3 July 25 in favor of a new public comment policy. Board President Ahmed Ismail, Vice President Lisa Papas and members Sean Cotton and Virginia “Ginny” Jeup voted in favor of the change, while board members David Brumbaugh, Colleen Worden and Valarie St. John voted against it. There will still be two public comment periods — one on action items, toward the beginning of the meeting and before the board votes on those items, and one on non-action items at the end of the meeting. However, the comment period for action items will now be limited to one hour to, as is now written into the policy, “assure that the actual Board See COMMENT on page 20A
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FARMS — With the school year fast approaching and no new contract in sight, teachers and administrators have been exiting the Grosse Pointe Public School System at what many local parents and educators say has been an alarming pace in recent weeks. Teachers, parents and students raised concerns about this exodus and the lack of a new contract during a July 25 Grosse Pointe Board of Education meeting at Brownell Middle School in Grosse Pointe Farms. The failure to settle a new deal comes at a time when there’s a teacher shortage, and GPPSS teachers say many of their colleagues have chosen to accept positions in other districts, where they’re getting better pay and feel more valued. “We’re at a point where neighboring districts are settling contracts with substantial (pay increases), and we have teachers that are jumping ship,” said Taryn
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com