In western Wayne County, there was an effort underway to recruit school candidates, provide training, and raise funding to defeat incumbent school board Trustees, to undercut the true meaning of the original public school.

Reina Vendramini, Pamela Morgan, and Jeffrey Ferguson were recruited participating in a Livonia rally with Tudor Dixon, the governor candidate supported by Betsy Devos with an agenda to shift millions of dollars to for-profit charter schools. 

The threat to public schools begins right here in Livonia and all of us who value democracy have a role to play in defeating the attempt to destroy and in essence weaken our community.

We all must vote, in every race and realize that the election for our Livonia board of education is critical to defining our Livonia quality of life.

This election for the school board is the single most critical election on the ballot this year. Let us return to the partnership between our schools and city and build on quality, the same quality that saw Livonia be the pride of education statewide. 

Three candidates are being supported by those who want to expand their choice in our schools. Read that as wanting more for-profit schools, with money going into the pockets of wealthy families with money being used to build charter schools in other states. With our money.

Livonia has seven candidates seeking election to the Board of Education. We have four outstanding individuals from whom to choose three.

Liz Jarvis, Colleen Burton, Emily Keith, or Mark Johnson.

Each of these four will stand up for our original public school systems without siphoning off money to the for-profit schools.

Liz Jarvis has a track record of community visibility, accessibility, and support for our schools as an integral part of the community.

Liz Jarvis deserves our top vote.

Emily Keith believes that "A school is a place where childhood happens. A safe place where children of different origins and backgrounds learn from the past, make sense of the present, and prepare for the future. Our children deserve the freedom to develop the knowledge and skills to reckon with our past, shape a better future, and pursue their dreams."

Keith is a graduate of Livonia Public Schools. She is the mother of two children, and aunt of two children, who are all currently attending LPS in lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school, and high school. She was the PTA Vice President for 2 years and coached a Livonia Soccer Club team.

Emily Keith deserves our second vote.

A difficult decision has to be made between Mark Johnson and Colleen Burton. Both have served admirably even with my objections to the closing of schools and the sale of school property. The genesis of this however rests not with them but with the State of Michigan.

Colleen Burton deserves our third vote. Over the years she has reached out, answered questions directly, and has been consistent in her support for the original public school system.

Mark Johnson could very well be re-elected and that would not be all bad as he is a conscientious board member who has been a leader for many years. But with 4 solid candidates, a choice had to be made for the three votes that we each have.

FridayMusings endorses Liz Jarvis, Emily Keith, and Colleen Burton for the Livonia Board of Education.

Your vote is the only one that counts. So make it count.