Our Job: Teaching the New Superintendent

Still looking for a few more responses here!

At one of the "what should we look for in a new superintendent?" meetings, Susan Baskett (AAPS school board member) asked me if--after we hired a new superintendent--I could do some crowdsourcing of information from my readers.

Susan asked me to ask this question:

How would you recommend teaching the new superintendent about Ann Arbor?

It appears that we are in the process of hiring Dr. Jeanice Kerr Swift.

I like that she started out by immediately granting an interview with annarbor.com and I hope she will carry forward a culture of openness.

Let's welcome her with open arms, start out by giving her the benefit of the doubt (if you have any), and share information with her.

Below, I am providing a google form. Think of this as writing a letter to Jeanice Swift or to the school board about orienting Jeanice Swift. What is most important? How can she learn what she needs to know?

I, for instance, would recommend that she sit down with Steve Norton of Michigan Parents for Schools and John Austin of the state Board of Education for a crash course in Michigan education politics, and legislation past, present, and future.

I will a) publish your responses (presuming they are polite) and b) share them with Jeanice Swift and the school board.