Ginsberg Feels Farmington School Board Needs Real Change

After living in Farmington Hills for 10 years, Irving Ginsberg, Ph.D., said he began noticing that the school district is in need of real change.

He decided to do something about it, by seeking a seat on the (FPS) Board of Education. He is among eight candidates vying for four open seats.

“We have been dropping in rank for the past five or six years,” Ginsberg said. “It’s not what it used to be. Some people moved here because of the school district, only to pull their kids out and put them in private schools.”

This, along with the controversy surrounding the recent , prompted Ginsberg, 77, to throw his hat in the ring.

In June, the district approved the sale of Eagle to the Islamic Cultural Center for $1.1 million.

“This is my first venture into public service. I did that because of what I consider is happening to our education system in our country and here,” Ginsberg said.

To that end, Ginsberg’s top priority if elected would be to bring more board decisions out into the open.

“The board deliberations have been in secret,” he said. “I want transparency and openness. They work for us and should answer to us.”

As a college professor, Ginsberg feels that many of the board's recent decisions were not favorable to students. Among them is the implementation of trimesters, replacing the traditional semesters in the school calendar.

Another item on Ginsberg’s agenda is ensuring that the district improves special education.

As the grandfather of a child with autism, Ginsberg feels that the district has not done enough to support students with special needs and their families.

When it comes to finances, Ginsberg believes that the administration should seek out-of-the-box solutions, and use existing resources more efficiently.

“FPS has either more income per student or very close to other surrounding districts,” Ginsberg said. “Yet performance is going downhill … money is being spent on administration.”

He said solutions could include privatizing some services and better utilizing existing resources.

A graduate of the Detroit Public School system, Ginsberg holds a doctorate in theoretical physics from Wayne State University and is eager to apply his experience to improving education in Farmington schools.

He also believes that measuring student performance should be left to local districts, not dictated by the federal government through initiatives such as Race to the Top or No Child Left Behind.

“The whole thing turned out to be a failure; more kids are dropping out of school and not achieving,” he said.

Ginsberg will be seeking one of two available six-year terms on the board. Other candidates include Samuel M. Ramsey, III and Angie Smith; and incumbents Karen Bolsen and Howard I. Wallach.

There will also be one four-year term vacancy on the board. Candidates for that seat are: Murray J. Kahn and David Sampson.

Voters will also be asked to vote for one partial term ending Dec. 31, 2015. The only candidate for that seat is George Gurrola.

Elections will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011.

Correction: The following corrections have been made to the original version of this story: Ginsberg is the grandfather of a child autism. He said solutions could include privatizing some services and better utilizing existing resources.