roseville, Ed Gonzo Stross, Carrey Torrice, gonzo art studio Harold Haugh Mike switalski
These Are Some of the E-Mail I have Received
These are the thoughts and opinions of people that have read my website. I no longer accept anonymous e-mails for posting here. If you won't "put your name on it" I am not interested in anything you have to say. If you use your real name
(as best I can determine) your comments and opinions MAY be posted here, so please THINK before you press the send button.
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(I sent Roseville City Council Candidate Charles Frontera an email. I asked him two questions. 1. I asked him if he was the guy working at the Taco Bell
on Gratiot who asked me if I was "THE Matt Fletcher". 2. I also asked Charles Frontera why he thought Roseville Community Schools lost over 200 students this
year and Saint Clair Shores gained over 200. Below is the reply of City Council Candidate and Optimist Club member Charles Frontera.)
Mr. Fletcher, I will respond to you this one and only time.
You are exactly what people in Roseville DO NOT like. There is a reason "a 20 year old girl" beat you in the last election.
For starters, no I do not work at Taco Bell, so that wasn't me.
Next, I'm running for city council, not school board. The city has no power to reguate the schools, so even bringing that up is asinine. I didn't mention the schools because city council has nothing to do with the schools. (and I was strictly limited to 150 words). If you paid any attention to ANYTHING in the city, you would have remembered me from a city council meeting a few months ago calling your school board campaign offensive. Eliminating unions does not educate children. I won't deny that there is a degree of nepotism in the city, but let's be honest, Roseville isn't that large of a city, so of course people are going to be related to other people. You have so much energy and enthusiasm, yet you do NOTHING for the community. You don't belong to any clubs, organizations, or civic groups in the city. Start there. If you want to do something to better the community, get out and actually do it, don't sit at your desk and complain about it on your website, (which by the way is littered with spelling and gramatical errors. Ha! and you want to be on the school board?)
I will give you credit for this though: Taking on a Steenland isn't an easy task. But if you're going to challenge an incumbent, actually try. Being a challenger myself, I know that the establishment is very secure and very resistant to change. But I also know that people like you would only make the community a worse place than what it is.
So put this on your website: I am pro-union, pro-labor, pro-children, pro-family, pro-education. If you are not any of those, DON'T vote for me.
I intentionally did not send you a "vote for me" mailing piece. I didn't want to waste 28 cents on you, to be honest.
You compare apples to oranges, or really, apples to grapefruits, in almost all of your arguements. You are a well educated person, however it is apparent that you have never taken a basic English composition class (remember logical falacies?).
In conclusion, I'm sure you are a really nice guy and I do appriciate you E-mailing me, however, don't waste your time responding to me, because I will not respond to you again.
Charles Frontera
Charles,
Your e-mail to me seems a little schizophrenic. I'm a really nice guy who does nothing for his city and is a highly educated ass who can't spell and is offensive. I'm not sure if you hate me or love me. Allow me to reply...using my real name.
You said, "Eliminating unions does not educate children." Well, apparently you missed
this story describing how Lakeview Schools is expanding educational resources, has increased enrollment and cites outsourcing janitorial services as one of the major reasons for the money to improve the programs for students. Recently graduated RCS students should be mopping the floors, washing the windows and taking out the trash at our schools as part of an scholarship program while they work
their way through college.
Apparently you missed the Macomb Daily story on
October 4, 2009 page 7A
that Roseville Community Schools lost 214 students for the 2009-2010 school year. Lakeview gained 205 students.
Charles, did you miss the
Detroit News Story
which basically said the poorest school districts blow the most money on administrative costs?
Charles, I think you should go to the
Lakeview School Board meeting and tell them how "asinine" they all are and explain "logical falacies" to them. Tell them that their higher than Roseville MEAP scores
and increased enrollment are just a bunch of nonsense.
You say I compare apples to oranges but give no examples. I give dozens of examples on my site.
I did nothing for my community? I bought the worst house on my street and turned into one of the best.
We really busted our butts on this place.
I did such a good job, the City of Roseville raised my property taxes 24% in one year.
I guess they needed the money to pay all the union city workers who are relatives to people on the City Council and school board.
I was also an
award winning
employee of
Rosveill Community Schools. I also hired several Roseville High School students to help me fix up my house as well as another house. I paid them, fed them, taught them and helped one of them get his first job out of high school. And I didn't do anything inappropriate with them to embarrass myself, my family the school district or the city. That is more than I can say for some your friends in the Optimist Club who are convicted criminals. I think we did a lot for our community !
You will have to forgive me for not joining any
Roseville "clubs" like you did. Remember, I was going to graduate school, working two jobs and renovating a house. I worked
as a building trades paraprofessional, k-6 teacher, summer school teacher, after school teacher and substitute teacher. I was a little too busy for the Optimist Club.
But in retrospect, you are right. I should have joined the Optimist Club (like you did) and kissed the right butts and things probably would have worked out better for me. I will know better next time.
I also think that you were e-mailing last winter under a false name because you didn't have the guts to confont me directly. Instead, you made up
a fake e-mail account and took shots at me.
Then you ran up the city council meeting to get on TV and score brownie points at the same time.
Charles, you said:
"Next, I'm running for city council, not school board. The city has no power to reguate the schools, so even bringing that up is asinine."
If you don't think the City Council has influence over the School Board or
schools, then why did you run to the CITY COUNCIL meeting to criticize my website concerning the schools?
Did you just want to get on TV and needed something to talk about and picked my web-site?
Actually, The city Council has a great deal of influence over the school district. That is why
City Council Person McCarty helped get her husband appointed (not elected) to the Roseville school board instead of your friend Meriam Mirza. And after Meriam was passed over for
the postion, she ran to the Macomb Daily and said exactly what is on this website...cronyism,
favortism and nepotism. I guess she needed a taste of what happened to me to open her eyes.
After all, how did Harold Haugh's and Jere Diebold's kids get jobs in the school district? A Diebold got a job in Roseville Schools that I was FAR more qualified for. Our qualifications didn't even compare. The Haugh and Diebold hirings are just the two I know about and can promise you there are more.
So, I have made the claim that City Council has influence over the school distrtict and gave examples.
I can spell as well as most people with a Master's degree but I consider this site more of a blog than my best intellectual work.
I do not spend a great deal of time checking the several thousand words of text for errors. However, if you see an error let me know
where it is and I will fix it.
I do not use a lot of big flowerly words or compound sentences to impress anyone.
I just write the way I speak. I think my spelling and grammar are about 95% correct.
And since YOU brought it up....here are the words you spelled incorrectly in your SHORT and confused e-mail to me:
reguate (regulate)
gramatical (grammatical) You tell me I have "gramatical errors" and spell grammatical wrong? Are you kidding me?
arguements (arguments)
falacies (fallacies)
appriciate (appreciate)
I guess you can thank Joe Steenland for you spelling ability.
Charles, the simple truth is that you don't know what you are talking about on most issues.
You are just a kid who hasn't lived long enough to actually know anything.
You are one of the useful idiots that gets used by people in
positions of power in this little pond called Roseville. You were drawn to the Roseville Optimist Club like a moth to a very dim porch light because you thought
it might further your political aspirations but instead you got your butt kicked in the election. So, apparently Roseville voters
don't like you either. I know you probably mean well but you need to get your head out of your Democratic union loving ass and wake up.
-Matt Fletcher
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Steenland for Roseville City Clerk
I Get Letters
Nepotism in michigan schools
I received
This letter
from an obvious Steenland/White and union supporter WITH NO RETURN ADDRESS. After you click on the link, click it again to make it larger so you can read it. Most of the links
on this site work that way.
And, I received
This letter
from State Representative Fred Miller
nepotism in michigan schools
Just for the record, I am not a Republican. I am an independent. I voted for and thought Bill Clinton was a good president.
I voted for John McCain because I thought he was the most qualified and have a lot of respect for his proven courage. After Sarah Palin
turned out to be a dope I wished I had voted for Ron Paul. I have no party loayaity.
Just for the record, I am not anti-union. I am anti-stupid and corruption. Believe it or not, there is a difference. When Roseville is paying
more for its school janitors than Grosse Pointe and Birmingham, that is stupid. When several people on the school board have sons, daughters or other
relatives that are union janitors, that is at LEAST a conflict of interest. When the Roseville School Board votes to cut educational resources
for kids and keep the union janitors who take no cuts....that is CORRUPTION. If you disagree, please write it down, put your name on it and send it to me so I can post it here.
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Dr. Dennis Frendo special education
Mr. Fletcher,
Hello. My name is Katie and i came across your website while actually trying to find information about Studio Gonzo on Gratiot. Quickly about me: I am currently attending WSU and about to graduate with my bach in social work. I am doing a paper on community analysis. I did not grow up in roseville, but my husband graduated from RHS. We currently live here. I have to address an issue or problem that the community is experiencing. When i started reading all the information you posted, i was shocked.. I can't believe that this is going on. Well....I can. But it's too bad that it is. I have a 4 year old who is currently in a private school because i see the kids around the neighborhood and i think they look like trouble. I hear bad things about roseville schools all the time. It's hard to know who or what to believe. I would be interested to speak with you regarding this issue. I can't believe how much time the city wastes on things like art painted on the side of a building but they do not address things like our children's education. I printed the memo from lynn hutchison that you attached with all the cuts that were listed from may 2009. That is unbelievable. I would also like to hear the other side of the story but would not know who to contact. I would think you may know some names. Let me know if you would have some time to talk to me regarding this issue. My paper is due in 2 parts and the 1st is due 10/24. The 2nd is due 11/21. Thank you. Hope to hear from you soon.
Katie Teed
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Matt,
Has anyone ever suggested to you that 16 year School Board member Judy Hartwell suddenly resigned from her position a few months before the end of her term so that the board could appoint Brent White and therefore force you to run against an incumbent?
Bob Brown
Yes, it has been suggested by a couple of people. But I am sure our School Board and other city officials would deny that !!!
They also deny nepotism in the city and school district but, being drunk after they drive in the ditch up north and fail a sobriety test,
lie and tell the police they are not drunk and should find something better to do. They also drive and hit parked cars while legally drunk in Royal Oak and leave the scene only to be nabbed by police later. These same people call me a liar.
I have never been arrested in my entire life.
So you can be your own judge concerning who the liars are and the manipulation of a School Board election.
I was told that as a Master's Degree holder in teaching, I was the most qualified person to ever run for school board in Roseville. However, I lost because the last thing Joe Steenland wanted on the Board of Education was someone WHO ACTUALLY HAD AN EDUCATION because I would question their backward way of running the district.
I don't remember how many votes I received but Brent White, who claims to be an electrical engineer on his
Linkedin page
received quite a few more votes than I did. Brent White is NOT an Electrical Engineer and never will be since he is majoring in
Public Administration in night school.
If he wants to be an engineer, he will have to earn a degree in ENGINEERING from an accredited university.
But inspite of his outlandish claim of being an engineer, Joe Steenland endorsed Brent White and that is all it took to
get the needed votes for a win.
Catharine Steenland was able to get elected as a judge with no experience or even a law degree.
According to
this article in the Free Press. She was elected in 2002 and got her law
degree in 2006. This happens because people see a name on a ballot that they recognize and mindlessly vote for them. Qualifications seem to mean next
to nothing in Roseville. Then Judge Steenland thanked the voters of Roseville for her $138,000 per year job by getting herself arrested for drunk driving.
Most people in Roseville do not realize how dirty the political game is in their city.
During the election, I got a little support from the parents but not much. And about two weeks after Joe Steenland was re-elected for the 8th or 9th time,
he cut even more teaching resources for the kids so he could keep the union janitors on the job. A Roseville Schools employee sent me
this memo
outlining the cuts. Thank you Joe Steenland for all you do! Is it true you grandson (son to Richard Steenland) goes to a private school where the janitors or teachers do NOT have a union? Thanks for supporting the union, Joe!
I hate to say it but the parents of Roseville got exactly what they deserved. The apathy for the schools is astounding. This is what happens when only 10% of the Roseville population votes.
A few select people in the "inner circle" can control everything.
-Matt Fletcher
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Hi Matt,
Guess my sister Cathi [Humphreys] will be proud of me at this point as she's been hoping for me to drop a note your way. I grew up in Roseville and attended Eastland Elementary, Eastland JHS, and Carl Brablec HS (graduating in 1979). Certainly, problems in the school district existed in those days - even as they always have. However, not to the levels that they have come to today.
I had the privilege of being taught by some wonderful teachers in my time - names I can still remember: Eastland Elementary - Stock, Benedict, Enright, Ferrante, our principal, Mr. Conti. Eastland JHS: Wangrud, Huzarik. Carl Brablec HS: Nummer, DeHanau, Lynch, Jones - people who cared and you knew it. Yes, I even had a class or two with John Kment but never thought of him as a good teacher because he always seemed more impressed with himself and his liberal views.
When my sister told me that the elementary school I attended (Eastland) was being torn down (sad in and of itself) and would be renamed after John Kment - a man in the grand scheme of things who has really accomplished only the further degradation of the Roseville public school system, I became angry and extremely disappointed. You mean to tell me that there are no other people of distinction from our city whose names can be attached to these schools (I include the very marginal Steenland as well)? I can think of one - and I believe my former classmates would agree with me also. We had a legend - a man who served in many capacities from school teacher to principal in Roseville for many years who is highly deserving of having a school named after him. He also, to our knowledge, never engaged in the high politics and nepotism associated with the Steenland-Kment regime.
He was John McLeod - and all of us knew he cared and was there for us when we needed him. It was one of my saddest days in high school when he retired in December 1979 - only to be replaced by John Kment. John McLeod deserved to have more than a school theater to be named after him (which my class of '79 did). I would be proud to see his name on my former Eastland Elementary School - NOT Kment's. In fact, I will never acknowledge Kment's name on that new building as long as it remains there - AND if I were still living in Roseville, I would campaign strongly as long as I live to get it off and put John McLeod's name on it.
Though to some "It's only just a name," - there's more to it than that. A name is identity and has meaning. Attaching names like Kment and Steenland to our schools only causes the idea and legacy of nepotism and school failure to persist in the city of Roseville. It's amazing how cities right next door to Roseville like Fraser and St Clair Shores have always had sound school systems and Roseville's continues to suffer. Amazing after all these years. Though I remember this nonsense went on in Herron's days as well.
I'm a Navy chaplain now and have been doing this for nine years. I have great memories for the most part and appreciation for the teachers who put their efforts into my development. It is grieving to me to see the depths in which my former school system has sunk. I guess as a Sailor I can use that terminology! I wish you the best in your run for the school board. You have strong forces working against you. But I would be very grateful to see someone get this thing turned around so we can get our schools in line with where they need to be and not an eternal source of jobs and favors for a couple of marginal men and their marginal families as well. The kids deserve teachers like I named above - who care and will devote themselves to preparing them for the future. I had the privilege of having many teachers like that and the obstacles that are preventing these types of teachers from getting jobs and what they require to accomplish their tasks in the
RCS system need to be removed.
My best hopes and wishes for your success!
Rev. Ronald Rinaldi
Carl Brablec, Class of 1979
Wow! Thank you Chaplain. Say a prayer for me, I am going to need it! -Matt Fletcher
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Dear Sir:
After reading your site and after long and thoughtful consideration, I have decided to share this incident with you and with those who visit your web site. My hope is that anyone who has experienced a similar incident with this person will also find the courage to come forward.
On Monday, January 23, 2006 I reported to Arbor Elementary. My assignment that day was to work in the multiage classroom with a teacher and a student teacher. I stopped in the office to sign in, the principal came out and introduced himself, and told me two times to call him if I had any problems. I didn’t know at the time why he made that statement twice, but I assumed there was a reason for this and I told him I would call him with any problems that occur. I then reported to the classroom.
Not long after school started a fire alarm sounded. I was not informed of a fire drill and this was January and I believed that there was possibly a fire. The students followed the student teacher to the doorway and very quickly began exiting the classroom. I grabbed my bag and as I was just about to get behind the last student exiting the room, I heard this loud sound and the words, “OH NO YOU DON’T!” Susan LaFeve was upon me so quickly tugging on my sweater and pulling on the bag in my hand. I tried to free myself, but she wouldn’t let go. She was very angry and I was very frightened. I thought about the students and wondered if they were all safely outside because I still wasn’t sure if this was a drill or a real fire. As I struggled to break free of her grip, she told me I couldn’t take my bag with me. I continued to try to break free of her and told her my purse goes with me. She finally released me and I quickly exited the room.
Susan LaFeve pursued me down the hall and told me she was going to tell the principal that I took my bag with me. I told her that was fine and that she can do what she feels she needs to do. When we finally reached the playground where the students were lined up, she began again to loudly scold me in front of the students and I again moved away from her and she continued to come after me. When we were finally far enough away from the students’ watchful eyes and ears I told her that her behavior was hostile and if she did not stop I would call the police.
I wrote a letter about this incident and hand delivered it to John Kment and Becky Vasil. I felt it was important for the leadership in the district to know what happened and to talk to her. This wasn’t the first time I witnessed Susan LaFeve’s out of control anger, but this incident crossed the line.
I have worked in five school districts as a guest teacher and never have I ever experienced anything like this in any of these other school districts. Do I believe that nepotism influences the behavior of employees? Yes, I do. Especially if your husband is the Assistant Superintendent of Roseville Community Schools. Then, I believe, one can get away with most anything.
I want you to know that during my time with RCS I have heard teachers say that a teacher could get a job in the district if they were a relative to someone. I heard that comment made many times over the years. I think nepotism can have a negative impact upon the quality of education. It may discourage excellent teachers from applying. It gives the impression that the first priority is to give relatives jobs, and not give the jobs to the most qualified. I believe nepotism can have an affect on the morale of other employees. I wonder how accurately and honestly a supervisor can evaluate the employee if the employee's relative owns or runs the company. Lastly, in some instances such as the one I experienced, employees related to those in administrative positions can behave in an extremely aggressive manner and get away with it. I believe all of the above takes its toll on quality in the work place and over time erodes it.
Cathi Humphreys
Cathi, I posted your story because I believe you...and I think it is a good example of how badly some people can act and get away with it
because they are related to people in high places. People like you spend tens of thousands of dollars and years of your life to become an educator. Then you enter a school district with high hopes and good intentions, work like a dog for very little money then watch the relatives of school administrators
and city officials act like children and then get jobs and promotions! The whole situation stinks. Don't bother telling Roseville State Representative Mickey Switalski about your concerns. When I told Mickey Switalski about some of the nonsense going on in our school district, he called my concerns "wild and outlandish" and ran the other way. It is no wonder that Mickey Switalski sends his son to a private school and not Roseville Schools. Harold Haugh never even answered my e-mails.
I think if one employee puts their hands on another, they should be fired. -Matt Fletcher
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Matt,
The people in Roseville would vote for a retarded monkey on crack as long as it’s name is Steenland. That’s how stupid they are. Same crap over and over and over. Joe Steenland asks all the old people how their health is, pats them on the back and they all run out and vote for him. After 30 years on the board he has done nothing but tell jokes and run the district into the ground. I laughed like hell when I heard they named a school after him.
Bloomfield Hills custodians just took a pay cut and benefit concession to keep their jobs. Roseville custodians probably got raises.
Joe is a politician who knows how to get votes and you are a teacher. That is why Joe will win and you will probably lose. I moved out of Roseville or I would vote for you. I have my fingers crossed.
Tony Trimboli
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Thank you for getting the word out. I feel somewhat ashamed that I am a Roseville resident with school age children, and I had no idea how bad it was. I have had issues with certain teachers pushing their political values on my son, and it drives me crazy. My son came home back in the fall and said that I should vote for Obama because McCain believed that “Teachers should be paid based on how well they do their job.” He heard this in Project Challenge. I couldn’t believe my ears! I explained to my son that OF COURSE a person’s pay should be based on how well they do their job – what else would you base it on?!
Now I pay closer attention to what is being taught to my kids, especially history and social studies, because the teachers are interpreting history to promote their agenda.
You’ve got my vote!
Wendy Tabor
Roseville Resident
Wendy, Every union I know of is against pay for performance. Next time a teacher says something like that to your kids, tell the kids to ask the teacher if the clothes they are wearing was made by union labor. Have the kids ask it a union roofing company put the roof on the teacher's
house. Ask if a union company installed their furnace.
I can guarantee you it wasn't a union contractor because they charge far more than independent non-union contractors. -Matt Fletcher
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Hello,
A friend of mine linked me your page and I must say that I am wholeheartedly behind you, especially your comments about college preparation. I am currently finishing up a BA at Oakland University and I graduated from RHS in 2004.
Here is what I think: A great deal of the teachers at Roseville High School were real nice and helpful, but honestly that school did not prepare me adequately for college. Moreover, unless you are in the top percentile of your class, the school basically gives up on preparing you for college.
-No one ever told me what the ACT was. I had to figure that out for myself.
-No one ever told me how to apply for college, or where to apply to college. When I went to the counseling office I was just carelessly pushed into applying to Baker.
-No one ever told me what classes to take to prepare me for college. In fact, no counseling or authority figure ever told me what courses to take in high school. It is irresponsible to send 15 and 16 year old kids a registration sheet and expect them to make good choices.
My grades at Oakland University during my freshmen year suffered because of it. I went into college with zero knowledge on how to properly write a paper, how to properly form grammatically correct sentences, and so on. Many of my Roseville High School friends who have gone on to schools such as MSU and GVSU have had similar complaints. They went into their intro-level courses inadequately prepared as compared to other students from other high schools.
God help students of Roseville Community Schools.
I am behind you,
- From a 'disgruntled' former RHS student
Jonathan Fouch
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Matt,
"First before posting something on your website I think you should do
some research! Macomb does offer a nursing program to become an RN
and it is NOT a two year program! And second your website says what
you don't like about Roseville Community Schools and the board but it
DOESN'T say what you would do to improve it! And lastly it sounds
like you are looking to get revenge! I will spread the word NOT to
vote for you. We do not need someone like you in office!"
Kristin Ripari
Actually Kristin, it is a 2 year RN program. Actually, I do list what I would like to change...look again. -Matt Fletcher
Matt,
"I am in the program at MAcomb to become an RN and it is NOT a two year
program. The ysay it is but you still ahve all of your gen ed classes
to take! AND you have to be excepted into the program. I would know
first hand since I am currently in the program. How would you know if
you are not in the program?
Also there are 3 members on the school board that live in the city of
Roseville! MAybe you should do some more research before you post
something!"
Kristin Ripari
Kristin, ALL the school board members live in Roseville. You are REQUIRED to live in the city to run for public office there. Are you SURE you're in the nursing program at Macomb???? -Matt Fletcher
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Dear Mr. Fletcher,
I came across your webpage, Roseville Community Fools, and couldn't agree more with the information and opinions presented on there. I am a graduate of Roseville, class of 2003, and have suspected for years the nepotism that goes on there.. Any cursory glance through the employee directory will show the same last names appearing again and again.
What has always bothered me is with the recent staff hirings. There are so many experienced teachers out of work in the area right now. I am amazed how members of the Roseville elite families, the Roseville nobility as I like to refer to them, can just get jobs in the district straight out of college. People with no real working experience in education are getting jobs while there exists a plethora of experienced educators just chomping at the bit for any work at all? This doesn't seem right in the slightest.
It seems the district is spending a lot of money on "Math Coaches" for each of the schools. I will be very anxious to see the results of these coaches when it comes to the math scores on standardized tests. Of course it's only a conjecture, but it seems to me that the "math coach" system is just another way to let the Roseville nobility get their sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, friends and relatives nice easy jobs.
I am no longer a citizen of Roseville, so I cannot show my support for you on election day. I have linked your webpage on my Facebook account, though, so hopefully more people may become aware of the situation.
Best wishes for your in the election,
Adam D. McChesney
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I stumbled across your website while I was looking for some information on Dr. Frendo - someone I work with was concerned about one of her son's friends state of mind, and I thought Dr. Frendo would be a good person for them to talk to. But that's not why I'm writing.
We bought our first house in Roseville back in 1995. We have one child, and he has Down Syndrome. Having been raised in St. Clair Shores, it was never my intention to stay in Roseville, but at the time it was where we could afford to buy a nice house. Our son went into Pre-Primary Impaired when he was 3, and initially we were having a good experience. That was when the program was at Fountain, which was a good school, with good kids and an excellent principal. Because it was so good, it was the most popular school of choice and they were running out of room, so the program was moved to Guest. I had a major problem with that, as they were putting the most vulnerable children in a non-secure building which also housed the older children who were unable to conduct themselves in a manner acceptable for regular high school, for whatever reason. I complained long and hard, asking that they at least secure the building like the other buildings, where there was only one door that was unlocked for entry and had someone sitting there to monitor who was coming into the building. They were unwilling to do that. Shortly after school started, there was a bomb threat scrawled on the wall, right outside the door that led to the PPI classrooms. And, since they are so much smarter than us parents, they didn't see the need to notify us because they didn't feel it was a credible threat. It was relatively downhill from there for us. Upon leaving PPI, they offered us no choice but to send our son to a TMI classroom - he tested in the overlap between TMI and EMI, but they "didn't have anything to accommodate him" in RCS. At that point, I learned far more about the special education process than I'd ever hoped to, but I guess I'm glad it was earlier in my son's public school tenure rather than later. So, off to Lakeshore schools he went (to Rodgers), where they focused on his behavior but did not focus on ANY academics. The next time he was tested, he again tested in the overlap, and having developed a good relationship with Marty Kliebert, I was able to convince them that he deserved at least an opportunity to try in an EMI classroom, so back to RCS he went. Thankfully they had hired Dr. Frendo, so at least we had some support. It would take a lot of typing to go into that story, but suffice it to say it was at that point we decided we had to move out of Roseville.
There is far more to our story than this, but in the end, we have moved to St. Clair Shores, doubled our house payment and taxes, and are $8,000 in debt to the Sylvan Learning Center to help our son catch up to his peers, since Roseville schools failed him so terribly. However, we've learned a very valuable lesson on the subjectivity of special education (although I had an equal problem with the principal at Kaiser, as well, and the entire culture within the schools). Honestly, I feel for the children in Roseville, because it is very evident that no one is really interested in providing a quality education to them, only in collecting their own paychecks and failing to see that they act more like over-paid babysitters than they do educators. I do realize that there must be some good teachers in the district, I'm just very sorry we weren't fortunate enough to come across any of them.
And THAT is why, although I stumbled upon your website by accident, I read it with great interest. Keep fighting the fight!
Betsy Castro
Betsy, I couldn't believe it when they let Dr. Frendo go! He was a valuable asset and Saint Clair Shores snapped him up quickly before anyone
else did. The Rosevile board and Kment let Dr. Frendo go and they hired the son of Theresa Genest (who is on the school board) as an
audio visual technician
for the district. The slogan for Roseville Community Schools should be: "Roseville Community Schools, family owned and operated"
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Your website was real good at criticizing Roseville and the school district. However, you did not bother to say what you plan to do differently. As a concerned parent and resident of Roseville, I would rather hear how you plan to make a difference.
I am very active with Roseville schools and am not a hundred percent sure that nepotism is our problem.
I think having school of choice and some inadequate teachers and the economy plays a part in this.
I am not so sure slamming the city and the schools is the best way to get voted in.
You seem bitter or you are looking for revenge.
As for the 6 failing schools, the AYP unfortunately considers the special needs and ethnic groups that may not do as well. I am not so sure Kment can fix this by himself. I know there is a group called K-12 Coalition that has been trying to change the way they look at AYP and no child left behind. They have not been successful as of late.
If you were concerned you might try to organize a group that would try to find a resolution that would benefit Roseville schools and students. Instead you are looking to hurt individuals within the school district. You should move on and put all your energy into something more productive and rewarding.
My apologies for being so blunt.
Anna Anderson
Anna,
Anna, "The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who haven't got it." -George Bernard Shaw
At least you are involved and I applaud you for that. As for
"organizing a group that would try to find a resolution that would benefit Roseville Schools"......well, we ALREADY have such a group and it is called The Roseville Board of
Education but it has been hijacked by some self-serving individuals who think the school district is an employment agency for their kin folks; which is why I am running for school board. -Matt
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Matt,
Let’s just say I am extremely familiar with the inner workings of RCS and leave it at that.
Roseville has always had a poor reputation as far back as I can remember so you can’t lay all of that at the feet of Joe Steenland and John Kment. However, they have not lifted a finger to change things. Kment was not the most qualified person to be the district Superintendent. Instead, he was hand picked by Joe Steenland because Steenland knew he could count on Kment to maintain the status quo of nepotism and favoritism in the district and Kment did just that and took it to a new level. They knew each other from the Carl Brablic High School days if I remember correctly.
You certainly were treated unfairly by the system of nepotism and favoritism. There is a pecking order in RCS and it goes like this.
Family of top administrators and school board members.
Family of people on the city council.
Acquaintances of top administrators and school board members.
Friends and family of lesser administrators like Principals.
Wives, husbands sons and daughters of teachers in the district.
Minorities, so that Joe Steenland and John Kment don’t get into trouble with the federal government as they have in the past.
Everyone else.
Since you fell into the “Everyone else” category, you did not get hired into a teaching position and that was the luck of the draw
due to there being a lack of open positions. It didn’t matter how smart you were or how hard you worked. If you had been married to one of Kment’s daughters you would have been ushered in to the first open position regardless of qualifications. As a certified teacher, you would have been hailed as the greatest thing since Horace Mann and been made Principal in a year or two!
[In my opinion] Kment isn’t the brightest bulb but he is a good politician and people generally like him. He shot himself in the foot when he began allowing students from Detroit into the district through schools of choice. Kment wanted the extra money that came with the extra head count. However, there were some racial problems at some of the schools and parents complained.
When the parents found out that the school district where Kment lives in East Pointe, would NOT allow students in from Detroit, they HIT THE ROOF. In fact, Eastpointe Schools hired a private investigator to check on the residency of many students. The whole situation was awful and I have been in education long enough to remember when Detroit first started bussing. Hard to believe that over 30 years later we are dealing with the same issues. The dirty little secret to all of this is that African American parents from the suburbs do NOT want African American students from Detroit coming into the district EITHER. So this is an
economic/class issue as much as anything else. And NOW, like many districts, RCS is advertising on the radio and in the papers for students in Macomb County while keeping the Detroit kids out. My God, how do we look ourselves in the mirror in the morning?
Kment tried to pass off the situation as an opportunity to embrace diversity but in reality they just wanted the additional dollars for the additional head count. As you pointed out, the Roseville administrators do not live in Roseville and do not always have the best interests of the citizens in the forefront of their minds. Administrators are far too concerned circumventing the education laws so they can hire their friends or relatives into positions regardless of qualifications.
I hope you win the election but you probably won’t. I am sure the unionism among the custodians and their relatives will prevail over your credentials. You should keep quiet about getting rid of the union custodians, at least until after the election! You are right and paying the Union custodians really does take millions of dollars away from teaching kids. Grosse Pointe, Birmingham and Saint Clair Shores parents should send Kment and the rest of them a
dozen roses for giving their kids a further advantage over Roseville kids by retaining the union custodians and therefore reduce resources for teaching. The Grosse Pointe kids
will go to good universities and the Roseville kids will go to Macomb for a few semesters before most of them drop out. The Grosse Pointe kids will graduate from college and have fine homes and the Roseville kids will be cutting their grass and painting that house. I don't mean to be flip, it breaks my heart to see a lifetime of work mean so
little in the grand scheme of things and we do the best we can and changing one life for the better was payment enough for me.
The kids deserve better than what they are getting but I don’t think the parents are involved enough. Parents who truly care about education do not move into places like Roseville (they move out) and it is much easier to just move away than to fight the system. I can't say too much for fear of revealing who I am but, I know your website has already had a positive impact and you keep it up!
You need a few dozen parents to admonish the board and support you but don't hold your breath. Administrators massage the egos of the most active parents
who also happen to have the best performing kids so, they generally think the district is just fine because their kids are doing well. Oh well, I wish I had the answer.
Good luck.
Jane Doe-ski
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Matt,
Your website is a sight for sore eyes. I have told several people about rosevillecommunityfool.com and I will continue to spread the word. Hopefully, one day, there will be selfless leaders who can bring an improved learning environment to the students and parents in this district. They deserve so much better than what they are getting from the current leadership.
I would like to start by telling you that approximately ten years ago David Meyers, former superintendent of Lakeview Public Schools, got his wife a job in Roseville Community Schools. I believe she worked at Roseville Junior High. At the same time John Kment's daughter, Julie, got a job in one of the Lakeview elementary schools. What a coincidence! This practice of "trading" occurs often between school districts. A few years ago, all of John Kment's daughters were working for Roseville schools. I don't know if they are all currently employed at Roseville because I'm sure some, or all of them, have married and their last names have changed. However, I can tell you that Kment's wife works in the Roseville Administration building, his daughter Julie works at Huron Park Elementary, Matthew Komarowski, his son-in-law (Julie's husband), works at the high school and possibly Roseville Jr., and Brandon Komarowski, (I believe brother of Matthew) works at Eastland Elementary. Kment's wife works in Purchasing at the administration building. All orders have to go through her.
Rebecca Vasil loves to say that Roseville Community Schools is one big family. We can all agree with her comment. I have heard that she is Pete Hedemark's aunt. Pete has told high school staff that Rebecca Vasil is not his aunt. Some of the teachers believe Vasil is Pete's wife's aunt.....aunty-in-law. By the way, Pete Hedemark's wife was hired by Roseville one year ago. She is in charge of the day care at Guest. I can't say it any better than Rebecca, Roseville schools are all family.
Michael Lafeve, administrator, is married to Susan Lafeve. Susan is a special education teacher at Arbor Elementary. Approximately four or five years ago the Lefeve's daughter started her student teaching in special education at Lincoln Elementary. She wasn't very friendly and one day I heard she just stopped coming to work and said she didn't not want to do this kind of work anymore. So I assume her mother and father were pressuring her to take advantage of Roseville's hiring practices, but she wanted none of it.
Now Joseph Steenland (retire Roseville cop), who loves to talk about himself and his love for the Roseville kids, sure takes care of his family. Jon Steenland works at the administration building, Karen Steenland works in the bus garage, and Michael Steenland works at Fountain Elementary.
I have also HEARD the rumor that David Rice, assistant principal at RHS, got his job because his father and Joseph Steenland are close friends. David Rice was a teacher for a very brief time. Maybe three years. Then he was put into an administrative position, and he did not have an administration degree. I repeat he did not have the required degree. The last I heard, he was still going to school for it.
I'm sure you know that Joseph Steenland's son is the City Clerk and is married to Cathrine Bove Steenland the judge who was arrested for drunk driving. If you would like, I can send you the news articles about her. You can also google her name. There are many sites on her DUI, including an audio tape of her conversation with the arresting police officer. Don't you wonder how many times she was driving drunk in Roseville and got away with it?
I agree with you Matt, I believe that the self serving administrators and school board members are hurting this district. I know some parents are very unhappy about the nepotism in the district and in the city. Some have been very vocal, but it continues to fall on deaf ears. Maybe stressing the districts low test scores and posting them on your site and in the local newspaper's editorial sections may be the best way to begin to bring change. I hope this information helps you with your awesome website. I would like to remain anonymous for the time being. I can't reveal who I am at this time. I will probably have more information for you in the future. I do have a suggestion for you though. Please use spell check. People visiting your site will take you more seriously if you have less spelling errors.
The school board, Kment, and Vasil all agreed that Roseville employees are family and they would not out source custodial services. I think I mentioned this to you in past e-mails. Vasil said this at a school board meeting in September, 2007. They all agreed. This is probably why students don't have books in some of their classes or the books arrive in the middle of the school year....no money because they are paying their relatives too much money.
After I send this letter, maybe you and your wife could meet with me. I could also invite a couple of parents from the Roseville district. This couple is very unhappy with the education their children are receiving. The parents and the citizens of Roseville have to put pressure on the district and demand change. I know for a fact that there are many people in Roseville who are very unhappy with the nepotism in the school district and in the city.
Sincerely, "Tex Powers"
Tex, thanks for your comments and I heard most of those rumors too. After I was laid off from RCS, I went back to substitute teaching. One day I was called to sub for
one of Kment's daughters who was teaching special ed. at Lincoln Elementary. I checked on the teacher
certification website
and neither one of Kment's daughters had a special Education certification.
There is a shortage of Special Education teachers and administrators have to use whom ever they can...right? Well, several months later I ran into a woman named Kristy Killett who LIVED IN ROSEVILLE, had graduated from Wayne State with a major in Special Education and she told me that she had applied to RCS and
STRANGELY never heard back from them. Kristy found a job in another district teaching Special Education.
She said she had applied right about the time that Kment's daughter was put in the Special Education
position at Lincoln. I met Kristy as she was in the process of MOVING OUT OF ROSEVILLE. And our city council wonders why our city is in decline!
It is my opinion that Kment by-passes certified people so that he can put his uncertified friends and kin folks in those jobs. I am told that is illegal!
Furthermore, the day I substitute taught
John Kment's daughter had NINE students on her class roster and she had a teaching assistant who (according to her) made twice as much as the paraprofessionals. So, Kment's daughter gets nine students and needs a teaching assistant. The Vocational Education teachers had 25-30 students in their classes, their parprofessionals taken away in the lay-offs due to a "budget crisis." Any teacher knows that vocational classes are loaded with special education students and a typical vocational class has about 25%-50% special education students. Therefore, vocational teachers have to deal with the regular ed. students AND the special ed. students for a total of about 25-30 kids with no help in the classroom. Any fool can figure out that there isn't much learning going on in those classes. The teachers are doing all they can
to just survive. But again, if you are related to Mr. Kment, you get NINE kids and the teaching assistant.
I have always believed that John Kment laid the head of our Director of Special Education, Dr. Dennis Frendo because Dr. Frendo objected to letting uncertified teachers
into the special education classes.
This type of nepotism and favoritism needs to stop before John Kment does any more damage. -Matt
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Matt,
I have a question. It the Joe Steenland a school board member, the same Joe Steenland that used to be a Roseville Police Officer? Just curious as I used to be a Roseville POlice officer.
YES!
I guess you never know which way the dial will turn. That is sad. I have worked on the school board in my district. To date we have been lucky to be free of political and or member abuse. Hopefully the residents of Roseville will vote him out.
Sam Moceri
Sam, what Roseville residents really need to do is recall everyone on the school board and start fresh. -Matt Fletcher
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Matt,
Give it up! The people in Roseville are to busy watching the Jerry Springer show to care about the schools. All my kids went to private schools.
-Bob Clark
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Mr. Fletcher
I am certain that your website and complaints about the low math scores are the reason they hired all the new math teaching assistants in
RCS. Keep up the good work and you got my vote!
-Donna Conway
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Matt,
What a great website. Listen buddy, we like Roseville just the way it is. We like drinking the Steenland Kool-Aide, it is good! We like nepotism and we like paying more for our custodians than Grosse Pointe.
We like city clerk Rich Steenland making $80,000 per year with his associates degree in general studies from Macomb! LOL We like his DUI judge wife making over $138,000 per
year. I read in the paper that she got her law degree AFTER she was elected judge! That Steenland name got her voted in. Hey, $80,000 +$138,000 = $218,000 for their combined income. As you said, the average household income in Roseville is $43,000 which is five times the average! Must be nice!
Joe Steenland says he only makes $60 per month on the school board and he is in it "for the kids" but he forgets to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars all the
people he got jobs for in the city and school district, and we like that! We like Roseville the way it is and I know that because WE DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. They should change the name of the city to Steenland-tucky. You may have to move out of Roseville since you do not fit in here. You think too much.
I am glad you are telling it like it is. LOL
-Andy Zelrillo
Yes Andy, I heard Judge Steenland was arrested.
Andy, I am just glad she was caught outside of Roseville because, in my opinion, the Roseville Police would have just driven her home and we
never would have heard a word about it. I know from personal experience that the Steenlands, Kments and Haughs receive special treatment here in
Roseville. It is a shame that our "public servants" make so much more money than a typical resident. The judge is paid very well according to
this article in local papers.