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ImageDear Editor,

I read Community Survey Will Determine School Goals with great interest. I even filled out the survey.

I'm writing because I'm annoyed. The survey was supposedly designed to get the community's view on the Lansing School District and what it thinks should happen in the future. The survey was extremely poorly designed and contained bias in the way the questions were worded.

Let's start with the message linked to your article. It opens, "Dear Parents, Guardians, and Lansing Business Owners." So, non-parents or non-business owners aren't supposed to take the survey? But wait! At the top of the message it does state that it's for Lansing residents and business owners. And in the survey, there is a question about whether or not you have a child in school in Lansing.

Many of the questions asked about the participant's view of what the community thinks. They often did not ask about what the individual thought on the same subject. So, the district wants to know what people think other people think? How is that useful?

It was biased by asking questions in a way that would likely support what the district appears to want to confirm. That is that the community supports the schools and the district and feels that they are doing what the people want and what is best for the students. By asking people questions about what they think the community thinks or wants, they are likely to get positive results. There was even a question about if the participant thought families move to Lansing for the school district. Another biased question. It asked someone's opinion about what families do. It did not ask the useful question, "Did you move to Lansing for the district?" So there's no concern about why individuals or couples move here? Or would that provide the response that wouldn't serve them, that not every resident is here for the school?

The survey had the potential for useful research. It failed. Aside of the poor design, it has a limited pool of participants. I happen to subscribe to the Lasning Star Online. I happen to have been interested in the article. I happen to have clicked on the survey. How else would anyone know that it was available? Perhaps if you have a child in school you'd have gotten some sort of notice? I don't know.

From: Vickey A. Beaver

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