After much deliberation, Support FHPS is endorsing the FHEA/MEA slate of Shawn Colley and Kelly Kermode for the 2024 FHPS Board of Education election. 

To our Forest Hills friends and neighbors,

When educators are respected, appreciated, heard, and have the resources they need, they can give students their very best. Today’s public education climate is tough. Our teachers are on the front lines every day dealing with the fall out from decades of disinvestment, lies being pushed by those who want to privatize education, and so much more. They are being asked to shoulder more responsibility than ever with less support in the classroom and with vocal detractors hanging threats over their heads. Teachers are the backbone of our schools and bear the brunt of decisions made by our Board of Education. 

Support FHPS’s Top Priorities in 2024:

1. As the “teacher shortage” becomes a reality, FHPS must continue to attract and retain quality educators in order to maintain our top-ranked schools. So when our teachers say they aren’t supported by their administration or board of education, it’s imperative we listen and work with them to help remedy the situation. We support our teachers by backing the FHEA (Forest Hills Education Association) endorsements for FHPS Board of Education.

2. Ensuring our schools have the proper funding to increase supports for things like paraprofessionals and special education. Through the work of our sister group, Support FHPS Action, a member of the Michigan Education Justice Coalition (MEJC), we have been advocating for school funding reform in Michigan. Forest Hills’ students are not immune to the real harms being done by inadequate funding from the state. As we support the work of MEJC, we used their School Board Candidate questionnaire to help vet the FHPS candidates. You can find responses here. It’s important to vote for school board candidates who support fully funding schools, equitable policies, and investing in students’ mental health. We need board members that are willing to put in the work, both locally and in Lansing, to get this accomplished.

This year, Support FHPS reviewed the outcomes of the diligent work by these groups and added the voices of plugged-in, pro-public schools families to recommend the strongest candidates for the Board of Education.

From the beginning, Support FHPS has been working towards a more inclusive and globally-focused district that provides support, safety, and success for ALL students. By endorsing these vetted Board of Education candidates, we forward our mission to protect and uplift students and teachers, and to increase district transparency. We feel Forest Hills Public Schools needs to prioritize listening to their families and creating ways for them to be heard, particularly families from marginalized and neurodiverse communities, and we are excited to work with Shawn Colley and Kelly Kermode to make this happen. We believe electing candidates who fully support inclusive education and Healthy and Healing Community Schools is vital to creating an FHPS that benefits all students.

Support FHPS Executive Board