community A fundraiser event for golfer Shasta Avery- Activities will include a driving range clinic,


buffet lunch and cash bar, close to the pin, chipping, and putting contests (for prizes). There will also be photo pportunities with Av- eryhardt and nine holes of golf with her for the three most generous donations.


Averyhardt is a member of the Duramed Fu-


tures Tour, owned and operated by the LPGA. She is a Flint native who has won a multitude of junior events including the Michigan GAM Championship, the Michigan Powerbilt Cham- pionship and the Michigan Big-I Championship as well as placing second in the State of Michi- gan Amateur Championship.


During her collegiate career at Jackson


State University, Averyhardt shined while win- ning nine college tournaments and four Divi- sion–1 SWAC Conference Championships. Last month she qualified and played in the Women’s U.S. Open at Oakmont in Pittsburgh, Pa.


For more information, call (313)-345-4400. Shasta Averyhardt


Women to pursue successful living at upcoming conference


No Limits Outreach Min-


istries will host its “A Better You, A Better Me” Women’s Conference on Friday, Aug. 27, 7 p.m. The free event will be held at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, 17123 N. Laurel Park Drive in Livo- nia. Minister Patricia Gregory of Faith Christian Center in Smyrna, Ga., will be guest speaker, encouraging women to live successfully and vic- toriously. Minister Monique Smith will host the event.


For more information,


call (734) 272-2580 or e-mail office@nolimitsoutreach.org.


Minister Monique Smith


Haygood ‘Old School Picnic’ Haygood & Company,


known for cabarets, invites the public (the whole family) to the fourth annual Old School Picnic which will take place on Saturday, Sept. 11, noon to 6 p.m., at Belle Isle (shelter 1).


Great Lakes Chapter Links, Inc. hosts ‘Eve- ning of All Stars’ to renovate Ceciliaville Athletic Center


Meet Shasta


hardt will be held on Saturday, Sept. 4, at the Detroit Golf Club, 17911 Hamilton Rd. The tee- off starts at noon.


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE


August 25-31, 2010


Page D-6


The Great Lakes Chapter


There will be free food and soft drinks, old school music by DJ Rock ’n’ Roy, a 50/50 raffle, chess, bid whist and more.


For additional information,


call Raina Smith at (313) 933- 4335 or Kenneth Haygood at (313) 318-2301.


of the Links, Inc. will host an “Evening of All Stars” to raise funds for the historic Cecilia- ville Athletic Center, on Satur- day, Sept. 11 at Cobo Hall from 7 to 11 p.m. Mayor Bing will serve as honorary chair for the event. Legendary Piston announcer and former player Greg Kelser will serve as master of ceremonies. There is a cost to attend. The event will feature a strolling buffet, entertainment and dancing.


Proceeds will help renovate


the Ceciliaville Athletic Center on behalf of Detroit’s youth.


For more information, call (248) 633-2814.


By Dr. William Coale LESSON 1: “Don’t repeat


Let’s consider cooperative school districts first


past mistakes” — Ask any- body who has been through a school district consolidation (many of which occurred in the 1950s, and you’re more than likely to get a negative response. Indeed, more than half a century after the fact, many districts are still licking their wounds over a merger that was less than amicable.


LESSON 2: “Don’t throw the


baby out with the bath water” — Once school districts are consolidated, there’s no going back. Michigan’s financial problems are not going to go away quickly, so we need to save drastic actions for more dire times that lie ahead.


LESSON 3: “Think out of


the box” — Trite, yes, but true. Schools for the most part con- tinue to operate in a similar fashion to their precursors in the 1950s. It’s time to sacri- fice a little territorialism for a chance to continue to exist as an autonomous school dis- trict.


And now, for a few helpful


facts: FACT 1: Many school dis-


tricts, especially small ones, cannot offer a robust and varied curriculum due to their reduced size.


FACT 2: Even if the Michi-


gan legislature is able to avoid a mid-year proration for Mich- igan’s K-12 schools this year, the funding picture for next year is bleak. Even if “rev- enue enhancements” (politi- cally correct term for “taxes”) are approved, we will be back in exactly the same situation in short order, due to struc- tural deficits that currently exist. Added taxation would simply mask the underlying problem (and potentially work AGAINST striving for fiscally- prudent solutions and alterna- tives)…somewhat like putting a band-aid on a serious gash,


Dr. William Coale


only delaying the inevitable demise.


FACT 3: Schools must do


everything they can to sus- tain themselves with limited resources. This will impact how they do business, to what degree they remain (relatively) autonomous, as well as deter- mining what staffing levels, salaries, and benefits they can afford.


FACT 4: As I wrote recently,


teacher professional develop- ment could be offered outside of normal instructional time, saving a substantial amount of money. The ISD would be the logical place for handling the logistics and providing (not necessarily on-site) focused, excellent, and meaningful professional development ses- sions for teachers.


FACT 5: Technology re-


sources are vastly underuti- lized, when one considers how we can leverage online in- structional delivery. It’s time to aggressively move ahead on this front.


What do these lessons and


facts point to, in this time of economic and political chaos in Michigan?


Based upon the lessons


and facts presented, it makes sense that districts begin to seriously develop working re-


Still time for summer reading


Working to enhance the


reading levels of metro area students, the Detroit Public Library’s annual Summer Reading Activity Program con- tinues through August at all 24 library branches, Teen Cen- ters and the Main Children’s Library.


The Summer Reading Activity Program has three levels.


Read-To-Me: Preschool-K, participants earn credits by listening to books read by par- ents, teachers and librarians.


Make A Splash @ Your Library: First through seventh grade students read and participate in book discussions and other activities for credit.


Make Waves @ Your Library: Eighth through 12th grade teenagers engage in a variety of appropriate summer activi- ties program to enhance read- ing, listening and teamwork.


Call (313) 481-1409 or visit www.detroitpubliclibrary.org for general information and information on specific pro- grams.


lationships with surrounding districts and ISDs to become as “lean and mean” as they can be. In order to share instruc- tional/administrative/support staff (and perhaps students as well), instructional schedules would have to be coordinated. In order to share business office services, common soft- ware is helpful.


Cooperative transporta-


tion plans, especially at the ISD level for special education services, can be a tremendous money-saver…but once again, local districts and their unions must be willing to be flexible and cooperative in order for this concept to have a chance. They are many more areas, in- cluding food service, purchas- ing, and technology hardware/ software/help-desk support that can also be coordinated to great effect.


To its credit, the state of


Michigan is looking to provide financial support to school districts that develop plans to consolidate services.


Let’s hope that this effort is


taken seriously. It’s far from easy, but it’s the right thing to do, especially if it can avoid the drastic repercussions that often result from full-scale district consolidation.


It’s not time to go there…


just yet. I encourage local districts,


union leadership, local boards of education and superinten- dents, and our legislators to welcome the concept of coop- erative school districts. It’s a great place to start dealing with the challenging finan- cial picture facing Michigan’s schools.


Dr. William L. Coale, PhD,


is a retired Michigan teacher, school board member and su- perintendent who now coun- sels superintendents and their boards and serves as a licensed renewal coach. He can be reached at wmcoale@ CoaleGroup.com.


School’s Out


Kids Are Playing Please Drive Safely


(313) 633-5904 Cell • (313) 255-4653 Ask for Lindsey Mason III Head Golf Pro & GM


NEW ROGELL GOLF CLUB


Call Details: SEVERAL


PRIME SPOTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE Monday 4:00 PM (UP to 28 Players)


Tuesday 4:00 PM (UP to 32 Players) Wednesday 4:00 PM (UP to 28 Players) Thursday 4:00 PM (UP to 28 Players) 4:52 PM (UP to 20 Players)


Interested in morning leagues for seniors, ladies, teachers, shift workers, etc.?


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NEW ROGELL GOLF CLUB


2010 League Schedules Are Being Formed Now


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