MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – Mount Clemens High School administrators have come up with a plan to address a growing budget deficit and diminishing academic scores.
Mount Clemens Schools Superintendent Deborah Wahlstrom said the time has come to take action to address both challenges.
"Now time has run out and we're really going to make it happen," Wahlstrom said.
One change getting attention is the setting up of learning centers that will include what's called blended learning.
Students will spend more time at computers in classrooms that resemble office space. The idea is to give students a better feel for the jobs they will have in the future.
But parents such as Chris Alger feel this approach denies students an opportunity to interact with teachers.
"Blended learning in the eyes of the school is an all-day cyber classroom where the kids will rotate between different academic areas all on computer with very little teacher interaction," Alger said.
Superintendent Wahlstrom refuted that allegation.
"We're not a cyber school. We don't want to be a cyber school . We want to have teachers working with children, with our students," Wahlstrom said.
The superintendent said students will spend no more than 30 percent of their time in the learning centers.
Many parents who have planned to attend a meeting Wednesday evening at the high school are upset that the school board approved the learning center program without parental input.