Oak Park Schools

Three candidates eye two school board seats.

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR

'

Special to the JeWish News

•

T

e Oak Park Schools are fac-
* rig major challenges.

KA

6/9

2000

16

For ape, the dropout rate for the
district's, 3,500 students has increased
from 5.43 percent in 1995-96 to 7.3
percent in 1996-97 (the last year for
which statistics were available). Parent
participation dropped during the same
years, from 74.4 percent to 70.9 per-
cent. A little more than half of the resi-
dents gave the schools an A or B grade.
In 1998, district students did worse on
the MEAD tests in reading, math and
writing than they have in previous
years.
On the other hand, the Oak Park
district, which includes six schools,
began an initiative to expand Internet
access for the teachers and offered
training for the parents. Also, a
move to reduce class size was imple-
mented for children in kindergarten
through third grade.
Now, three individuals are vying
for two seats on the district's board
of education. They are Shirley
Slaughter, LeJune Travis and
Rochelle Ward. Slaughter and Travis
returned Jewish News questionnaires
soliciting their opinions on Holocaust .
education and school vouchers. Ward
could not be reached for comment.
The school board position, a four-year
term, pays $50 per meeting attended.
Election day is Monday, June 12.
A major enclave for Jewish students
in the 1950s and '60s, the Oak Park
district is now 78 percent African
American, 20 percent Chaldean and
two percent Vietnamese.
Holocaust education, according to
the candidates, is seen as one of many
historical events that need to be exam-
ined, like slavery and other tragedies in
history.
"Our district devotes equal time to
all ethnic injustices: the Holocaust, the
effects of slavery, the American Indians
and °th-groups as well," Slaughter
wrote in her reply to the questionnaire.
"We need to incorporate all of our sto-

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Candidates agree on
Holocaust education but
differ on school vouchers.

4 ,1

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Herewith is a partial list of school
board elections taking place on
Monday, June 12. Call your local
school board office to find out who
the candidates are in other districts.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8
p.m. Incumbents are listed by (I)

Berkley

One seat, four-year term
Pay $30 per meeting attended

Mark Benner (I)
Martin Klemet

Birmingham

ries into the American curriculum so
that all of us can share and understand
each other's background."
Travis said she feels more time
needs to be devoted to the study of the
Holocaust. "It should be much more
extensive," she said.
On the voucher issue, there is no
consensus. The candidates who
responded to the questionnaire dis-
agreed on the impact vouchers would
have on the community.

"I'm opposed to anything that
threatens communities. Vouchers are a
threat!" Slaughter said.
But Travis said she felt vouchers
would be good for the student. "I
believe that parents should be able to
have a say in whether their child is
achieving at a particular school, and if
not, have the resources and choice to
move his/her child to a place where
they can achieve at the highest level,"
Travis said. El

Two seats, four-year terms
No pay

•

Dr. Peter Muller
Geraldine Rinschler (I)
Daniel Share (I)

Bloomfield Hills

Two seats, four-year terms
No pay

Linda Kinkel (I)
Martha Raphelson

Farmington

Two seats, four-year terms
Pay $30 per meeting attended

Priscilla Brouillette (I)
Gary Sharp (I)

411

HOW EXTENSIVE IS HOLOCAUST EDUCATION IN YOUR
SCHOOL DISTRICT? HOW EXTENSIVE SHOULD IT BE?

Q2

DO -YOU FAVOR OR OPPOSE SCHOOL VOUCHERS? WHY?

Oak Park

Two seats, ftur-year terms
Pay $50 per meeting attended

Shirley Slaughter (I)
LaJun.e Travis
Rochelle Ward (I)

Smithfield

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Our district devotes equal
time to all ethnic injustices:
the Holocaust, the effects of
slavery, the American Indians
1:;i3,4 •
and other groups as
need to incorporate alk . '•
.ies into the American c
.Clilum so that all of us can
4 understand
each
,

t that it is
e complete
story is not presented in the his-
tory books extensively enough.
This is why- time is devoted on
history that is irnportant to an
ethnic group.
"The only Nvay that we will
ever be tolerant of each other's

LS

Not very extensive. It should
be much more extensive.
Much of what has been learned
about the Holocaust has been
learned privately.

Q2

PD

statewide ball ot
ents should be
whether their ch i ld
. at a particular school, and i
have the resources and choice to
move his/her child to a place
where they can achieve at the
highest level. I believe this will
force learning institutions to pay
more attention t vhether their
programs are geared towards the
success of the student.

•

Two seats, four-year terms
No pay

Ann Dillon (I)
Doris Edwards
Alvin Harris
Matthew Kamins
William Seikaly (I)

Walled Lake

Two seats, four-year terms
Pay $15 per meeting attended

Alp Onder (I)
Mary Ellen Trott

West Bloomfield

Two seats, four-year terms
Pay $30 per meeting attended

Dr. Avery Murav (I)
Bruce Tobin (I)

—Jill Davidson Sklar

