FeedsIncumbent hopes for re-election
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Mark SlavensWhen Mark Slavens was first elected to the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Board of Education in 1999, he said he wanted to help make academic achievement the primary goal of the district.
More than eight years and two terms later, his reasons for seeking reelection have not changed.
“I am running in order to continue to make academic achievement the number one goal of the Plymouth-Canton School District,” said Slavens who is seeking a third term as a school board trustee.
Slavens said the district has grown substantially since he began his career on the board. During his tenure as a trustee, Slavens has seen the Plymouth-Canton schools become the fourth largest school districts in Michigan, raise its academic standing and build four schools “on time and on budget,” he said.
Using the results from the last Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) as a barometer, Slavens said the hard work of the students, teachers, administrators and school board is showing in the test scores.
“Our students have shown improvement in 24 out of 28 areas of the MEAP test plus all of our elementary schools and middle schools have received an A-plus rating from (Michigan State Department of Education), “ said Slavens, the board vice president, who is the founder and current president of the board curriculum committee.
“I believe that (the school board) has made a number of changes which have helped the district, including the implementation of LEAP (Kindergarten classroom aides program), the smaller learning communities at the high schools and the continuation of monitoring and seeking improvements in the quality of our students’ academic achievement,” he added.
In addition to his background in academic and curriculum development, Slavens said his personnel experience is needed as district superintendent Jim Ryan is expected to retire after the 2007-08 academic year.
“Myself, along with Judy Mardigian are the only members that have experience in selecting a superintendent; something the next school board must do,” he said.
Slavens, a 52-year old Canton Township resident, is a lawyer and the father of three.
He said experience is also needed in continuing the growth of the district despite its budget constraints.
“Lansing continues not to properly fund schools. The board of education should continue to advocate to Lansing to properly fund our children’s education,” said Slavens, the past chairperson for the Michigan Citizens for Fairness in Public School Funding.
Despite a budget crunch, Slavens realizes the board will not have the option of a bond proposal to add funds to the district.
Slavens said the current board has made tough budget decisions in order to keep the district afloat. He expects no less from the next.
He said the board has cut more than $8 million dollars from the budget in order to balance the books. “The board has been acting prudently with administration on developing a budget dealing with the financial crisis,” he said.
Slavens came close last fall to being on the other side of the school funding issue, as a legislator.
Slavens lost to incumbent Sen. Bruce Patterson (R-Canton Township) in a close election that showed political pundits and residents alike that Slavens can be a political force.
Despite being within percentage points of becoming a state senator, Slavens said his focus is on continuing his work on the Plymouth-Canton school board.
“I am not using the school board for a stepping stone,” he said.
