2014 YCS Board Candidate: Maria Sheler-Edwards (6-Year Term)

Read more about Maria Sheler-Edwards at http://www.ycsfirstchoice.com/.

Aside from the budget, what are your two top priorities for the Ypsilanti schools?

As a board member and a district parent, I’m very focused on implementing programs that will help all students learn and achieve. In the first year of the consolidated district, the current board approved a number of programs that are supported by research to improve achievement (expanded preschool, balanced calendar, IB program, small learning communities). In addition, I’m committed to continuing our investment in restorative practices and cultural competency. Together these practices are helping create an environment for learning that is safe and supportive for every student.

Also, as a parent of two high school graduates who were heavily involved in fine arts and sports programs, I am committed to providing exemplary co-curricular opportunities for our students. These experiences benefit students by nurturing teamwork, discipline, confidence, creativity—characteristics that help students achieve in the classroom as well.

What ideas do you have for reducing students' out-of-school days (unexcused absences)?

There is no single solution to truancy. It’s also not unique to our district—nor a problem we will solve in isolation. Our staff is reaching out and building relationships with our families and we need to continue to do this. It’s also important to build partnerships with others on the county level who have the same goal of eliminating truancy and interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. I am committed continuing to work with the county’s School-Justice Partnership, which includes representatives from all area school districts, the legal system, and non-profits, who are working together on strategies to reduce truancy.

Staff morale has been an issue in the school district. How do you think the board should monitor and respond to staff morale issues, if at all?  What ideas do you have for reducing staff turnover in the coming year?

We have phenomenal and dedicated staff working with our kids in many capacities every day. It’s my goal that YCS would be the first choice for families and parents, as well as the first choice for our staff. We need to retain our high-quality teachers and attract new teachers who want the reward of teaching in our community. This means listening to our teachers, investing in them with professional development opportunities, and providing competitive salaries. I would like to see processes put into place that would help us collect data, such as regular “pulse surveys” and exit interviews, to help us understand and address issues in a timely manner.

Are you satisfied with the district’s openness and transparency to parents, employees, and community members/taxpayers? If yes, why? If no, what changes would you propose?

As a board member and communications professional, I am personally invested in regular and open communication with our community, and I look for opportunities to hear from people. Along with my fellow trustees, I have met with Parent Advisory Boards, PTOs, and Neighborhood Watch groups, to provide an update on the consolidation and our first year as a combined district, and more importantly, to listen. We need to continue this type of work, as well as implement a strategic plan for regular communications. Replacing the automatic system for calling district families was a small step in the right direction. But we need to do more to reach families, alumni, business owners, retirees, taxpayers, and all of the folks who have a vested interest in the success of YCS.

5.             Hindsight is perfect, but: whether you are an incumbent, or not: Name one decision that the YCS school board made in the last six months that you think was a very good decision; and name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you wish had been decided differently.

I am very proud of the work we did with the community and the ISD in planning for the reconfiguration of the elementary schools last spring—the process was thoughtful, robust, and transparent. I came away with an understanding of the many different perspectives that were shared, and together the group created a configuration that makes sense for our kids and our community.

Regarding what we could have done differently:  we used a small part of the consolidation grant to hire a communications professional to help out at the beginning of the consolidation. I think we need to continue to focus resources on communication and community engagement, in order to share the steady stream of news—both the successes and challenges—that have come out of this process. The word-of-mouth network in Ypsilanti is strong, but like a game of telephone, it’s not always entirely correct. We need to do a better job of providing accurate and timely information for our community.

Former board members from Willow Run, Ypsilanti Schools, or Ypsilanti Community Schools: When were you a former board member? Were you appointed or elected? What did you learn from your experience on the WR, YS, or YCS board that you think would be helpful on the board now?

I was appointed to serve on the board in 2012. I had no formal affiliation with either district, outside of being a parent of a YPS graduate. Being a new board member, the learning curve was steep, so I have worked diligently to educate myself and understand issues that pertain to our district, as well as educational issues at the county, state, national level that affect us. I’m grateful that as a new board in an unprecedented situation, both districts and the ISD invested in our success with professional development opportunities, board workshops, and good counsel. These experiences—combined with the hundreds of hours spent meeting and talking with various YCS stakeholders and constituencies on a wide variety of topics—have helped prepare me to serve another term.

Assuming that you are elected, name one or two other board candidates that you would like to see serve beside you, and explain why.

I respect all of my fellow community members who are willing to step forward as board members and volunteers to serve the children and families of Ypsilanti. I have enjoyed serving with the board members who were appointed with me in 2012, who have each been professional, respectful, and dedicated. To name a single person is difficult, but I will say that in my 6-year race [Ed. Note: There are four candidates for the six-year term, and three open positions], the person I would like to serve with is Greg Myers. He is the father of four young children (three who are students in our district, and a toddler). He has proven himself to be a thoughtful and hard-working trustee who is dedicated to the success of all students. Also, as a resident (and board trustee) of the former Willow Run district, he brings a historical perspective that is very valuable as we continue to build community in our new district.

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2014 YCS Board Candidate: Meredith Schindler (2-Year Term)

Read more about Meredith Schindler at: https://sites.google.com/site/meredithlschindler/

Aside from the budget, what are your two top priorities for the Ypsilanti schools?

My top two priorities are to a) get systems in place to fulfill the mission of the district on a fundamental level - accountability regarding delivery of services, supplies, etc., as well as a system designed to enable effective communication between the district and its constituents, and, b) to empower the teachers to develop and implement a curriculum and teaching and mentoring systems based on best practices. The administration's primary job is to support the teachers and students. 

What ideas do you have for reducing students' out-of-school days (unexcused absences)?

It's about student engagement, given that there are always going to be some factors that we can't control. Students who feel valued and who see a path forward, and who feel safe and respected, will come to school. 

Staff morale has been an issue in the school district. How do you think the board should monitor and respond to staff morale issues, if at all?  What ideas do you have for reducing staff turnover in the coming year?

This answer is the same for teachers as it is for students. Humans are social beings, and we need praise and to feel successful, and it really helps if we know we're an integral part of something larger than ourselves. Put this in place, and pay fair wages, and the staff turnover problem will improve. 

Are you satisfied with the district’s openness and transparency to parents, employees, and community members/taxpayers? If yes, why? If no, what changes would you propose?

I don't know whether the board has tried to be transparent or not. I strongly suspect that they have. However, it's a matter of stating what's going on and then following up on it in a manner that is able to be followed. Also, not having a curriculum or even class guide published at the secondary level means there's by definition no transparency on that level. 

Hindsight is perfect, but: whether you are an incumbent, or not: Name one decision that the YCS school board made in the last six months that you think was a very good decision; and name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you wish had been decided differently.

All decisions will have their advocates and detractors. I'm interested in going forward, not looking back. 


Assuming that you are elected, name one other board candidate that you would like to see serve beside you, and explain why.

I'm running as part of a slate, and I'd really like to see us all elected.  [Ed. Note: The slate is Ellen Champagne, Meredith Schindler, Sharon Irvine, Bill Kurkjian, and K.J. Miller.]


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2014 YCS Board Candidate: Djeneba (D.J.) Cherif (4-Year Term)

Read more about Djeneba Cherif at www.electcherif.com

Aside from the budget, what are your two top priorities for the Ypsilanti schools?

- Giving the Community a Voice in Our Schools: Our school system must be an integral part our community. As a community, we need to work alongside our teachers and leaders so that we can once again make our schools the schools of choice.

-Making Schools Safe for Kids and Teachers: Climate and safety are essential to improving the educational achievement of students. Our children can’t learn and teachers can’t teach when school life is disrupted. We need to work to create a school culture and climate that will help our kids be academically successful as well as--eliminating to the greatest extent possible—concerns about individual respect and personal safety.   

What ideas do you have for reducing students' out-of-school days (unexcused absences)?

- Increasing Parental Involvement: Teachers can’t teach our children without help. Students have to be IN school.  Getting parents involved with the academic success of their kids is imperative to the success of our schools. We need to work towards encouraging parent/teacher/district relationships for the benefit of every student in our school district. We must hold students and their parents accountable while fostering a collaborative/collective environment.

Staff morale has been an issue in the school district. How do you think the board should monitor and respond to staff morale issues, if at all?  What ideas do you have for reducing staff turnover in the coming year?

Turnover causes a shortage and affects the quality of talent. It is proven that schools that successfully retain the best and brightest talent save money and protect their intellectual capital. Turnover is formulated by dissatisfaction, lack of collaboration, poor culture and compensation.  The talent in the district has to believe and feel that their voice has validity. We have to begin to implement innovative strategies that will allow flexibility in the budget to provide attractive packages to our staff. We cannot attract students without a sustainable/powerful talent base (including support staff). As we continue to lose students, we will lose community teachers, causes parents to remove their students; a continuous cycle. Ypsilanti is unique because of the strong relationships built with families. Therefore, we must keep that base robust. I know for a fact that when teachers feel VALUED and APPRECIATED, they will work like crazy. And the sense of value and appreciation can’t just come from our students and parents; it has to be top down.

Are you satisfied with the district’s openness and transparency to parents, employees, and community members/taxpayers? If yes, why? If no, what changes would you propose?

Before moving forward in making important decisions, it is important to ensure that all of the appropriate information is collected/provided that is first reflective of the voices of the affected parties. Education in general must be collaborative and inclusive of all stakeholders in order to be effective. That is the only way to ensure that everyone is driving towards the same goals while keeping the vision of the district in mind. Then, use that input, use your principles of academic excellence, positive culture and decency to make the best decisions. Being approachable and listening has to become a non-negotiable. Ypsilanti Parent, employees, and community members/taxpayers desire that.

Hindsight is perfect, but: whether you are an incumbent, or not: Name one decision that the YCS school board made in the last six months that you think was a very good decision; and name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you wish had been decided differently.

-Area of strength: I appreciate/excited about the work of learning and one day becoming a culturally proficient district.

- Area of growth: This is not limited to the last six months. Ensuring that everyone is invested in the mission and vision created for the district (by the board) to ensure that everyone is moving forward collectively as one in the name of our children.

Former staff/former students (e.g. Sharon Irvine, DJ Cherif...): What lessons did you learn from being a staff person or student that you think you would bring to the board and be able to apply?

As a former student, I learned the value of relationships and the importance of HIGH expectations despite external factors which convicted me to act while demonstrating humility. As a first-generation college graduate, I stand on the shoulders of educators and community members who refused to lower expectations.  It was the power of the relationships I shared with my teachers that compelled my mother to bring her children to school every day (We must bring back that conviction to our district.) And to this day, those educators continue to mentor and guide me, even as a candidate. As a proud graduate of Ypsilanti Public Schools, I am no different than the students YCS serves; in fact, I am those students.  I have and will continue to partner with students, parents and teachers to ensure that the opportunities I've experienced are not only unique to me, but are available for every student in Ypsilanti. My hope is to serve not only as board member but a mentor. I want our students to unapologetically believe in the impossible.

Assuming that you are elected, name one or two other board candidates that you would like to see serve beside you, and explain why.

There are 18 candidates total; 7 of which are candidates seeking seats for the same term as myself. The pool is comprised of urgent/dedicated community members, Ypsilanti parents, my former teacher, board members in which I served with as student representative and so many more. It would be difficult for me to select one person to serve beside.

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2014 YCS Board Candidate: Linda Snedacar-Horne (4-Year Term)

Aside from the budget, what are your two top priorities for the Ypsilanti schools?
 
 My two top priorities are: 

A. To focus on implementing the new initiative designed from the Consolidation, during the Summer of 2012. This priority can be accomplished by supporting teachers creative approaches to teaching and learning.
 
B. To ensure safe teaching and learning environments and restore public confidence in the school system. This can be accomplished by encouraging a strong and vibrant community schools. Promoting the positive things that are happening in the school and cultivating safe and inviting schools.

What ideas do you have for reducing students' out-of-school days (unexcused absences)?

 First, we need to survey students to find out why they are absent from school. Once that information is gathered, there will be a better idea of what needs to be done. However, I think if we had a more active approach to learning, students would be more engaged in their learning, thus it would lead to less absences.

Staff morale has been an issue in the school district. How do you think the board should monitor and respond to staff morale issues, if at all?  What ideas do you have for reducing staff turnover in the coming year?  

To monitor staff morale issues, I think a survey should be given to the staff after each semester in a school year. After this information is gathered, have a discussion with Administration to see what ideas or support is needed to boost morale.

One idea to reduce staff turnover is being more supportive of the staff and ensuring a safe teaching and learning environment.


Are you satisfied with the district’s openness and transparency to parents, employees, and community members/taxpayers? If yes, why? If no, what changes would you propose? 

I'm not satisfied with the district's openness and transparency. I would propose that the district have town hall meetings in the community more often. Also, the district should set aside time in the school year to get feedback from parents, employees and students on how things are going and issues they are experiencing in the district.


Hindsight is perfect, but: whether you are an incumbent, or not: Name one decision that the YCS school board made in the last six months that you think was a very good decision; and name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you wish had been decided differently. 

A very good decision that the board made in the last six months was the support of the Ypsilanti Promise Program. 
A decision that the board made in the last six months that I wish had been decided differently is the Truancy Ordinance.


Former board members from Willow Run, Ypsilanti Schools, or Ypsilanti Community Schools: When were you a former board member? Were you appointed or elected? What did you learn from your experience on the WR, YS, or YCS board that you think would be helpful on the board now? 

I was a former board member from 2006 - 2010 and again in 2012 [Ed. Note: For Ypsilanti Public Schools]. I was elected each term. What I have learned from my experience on the school board is that you must communicate often with the community and all board members. Always be prepared at the board meetings (review board packet, beforehand), so that you have intelligent input in discussions.


Assuming that you are elected, name one or two other board candidates that you would like to see serve beside you, and explain why.

One board candidate that I would like to see serve beside me is Djeneba Cherif. I think that Djeneba can bring a fresh prospective to the board. She is a young woman who attended Ypsilanti schools in the last seven to eight years and has been success in her endeavors.

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2014 YCS Board Candidate: David Bates (4-Year Term)

Read more about David Bates at http://www.ycsfirstchoice.com/.

Aside from the budget, what are your two top priorities for the Ypsilanti schools?

The top priority needs to be to increase achievement for all students and to close the achievement gap for by supporting those students that are struggling so that they also can achieve at high levels.  When we have a comprehensive strategy in place to address the needs of all learners other concerns like enrollment will take care of themselves.  Parents want and deserve to have their children in the best schools possible.  We need to fulfill our promise to the community to be the first choice for a great cradle to career education.

What ideas do you have for reducing students' out-of-school days (unexcused absences)?

I talked with a parent recently who told me that every day her daughter can hardly wait to get to school.  As we increase our capacity to address the unique needs of every student, students, like this woman’s daughter, will experience greater success and they will be more inclined to attend and the problem with absenteeism will diminish.  Another approach that will increase our success is to build stronger partnerships with our parents.  

Staff morale has been an issue in the school district. How do you think the board should monitor and respond to staff morale issues, if at all?  What ideas do you have for reducing staff turnover in the coming year?

Teachers want to have success, student’s want to have success.  Providing teachers with the support they need to be successful, in a supportive, collegial environment will go a long way towards improving moral.  We have great teachers and our teachers love our students and want them to be successful.  We need to continue to provide the professional development and tools necessary for teachers to be able to meet the learning needs of our students.

Are you satisfied with the district’s openness and transparency to parents, employees, and community members/taxpayers? If yes, why? If no, what changes would you propose?

The district web site continues to improve as a way to communicate with parents and community members alike with information about the District’s goals and points of achievement.  I would like to see the site become interactive with opportunities to complete surveys, provide feedback and ask questions.  Board members are visiting every school and a lot of neighborhood associations to report out on what happened in year 1, “YCS 1.0” and those presentations have been well received.  

Hindsight is perfect, but: whether you are an incumbent, or not: Name one decision that the YCS school board made in the last six months that you think was a very good decision; and name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you wish had been decided differently.

Both of my considerations have to do with improving our communications with our community.  I think that it has been a good approach to visit our schools and neighborhood associations with an update on the past year “YCS 1.0” and information about our direction moving forward.  I do think that we need to redouble our efforts at communicating the great things that are happening in our district and I wish that we had hired someone with expertise in that area 6 months ago to guide that work.

Former board members from Willow Run, Ypsilanti Schools, or Ypsilanti Community Schools: When were you a former board member? Were you appointed or elected? What did you learn from your experience on the WR, YS, or YCS board that you think would be helpful on the board now?

I served on the School District of Ypsilanti Board of Education for two terms by election in 2006 and 2010.  I was appointed to the Ypsilanti Community Schools by the WISD Board in 2012.  It would not be possible in the space here to describe all the valuable lessons that I have learned in 8 years of service.  School Board service entails so much activity that is not commonly observed by the public, from student discipline hearings to staff matters, advocating for public policy to forging relationships with community partners.  

Above all else I have learned that every decision you make will have an affect on someone.  You need to have a very clear sense of your responsibility and obligation to the whole community, not just your friends or your neighborhood.  When you are faced with a difficult decision, you must do what is best for the children.  It is the only defensible decision!  


Assuming that you are elected, name one or two other board candidates that you would like to see serve beside you, and explain why.

I often tell people that there is a reason why there are 7 members on the Board of Education.  A Board should represent a cross section of the community.  In Ypsilanti that means diversity of race, gender, age, and socioeconomic circumstances.  I would be proud to serve with any member who is present to represent the community in making decisions for the benefit of all children.

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2014 YCS Board Candidate: Mark Wilde (4-Year Term)

Read more about Mark Wilde at www.electmarkwilde.com. 

Aside from the budget, what are your two top priorities for the Ypsilanti schools?

Student achievement, and increasing enrollment, and that will help solve the budget issue. Which in turn will help with teacher retention.
 
What ideas do you have for reducing students' out-of-school days (unexcused absences)?

Students have to want to learn and they have to want to be there.  Back in the old days we used to give students incentives for good attendance and behavior and grades. Perhaps it is time to revisit those practices.
 
Staff morale has been an issue in the school district. How do you think the board should monitor and respond to staff morale issues, if at all?  What ideas do you have for reducing staff turnover in the coming year?

A school board is supposed to oversee what the Superintendent is doing, it is not supposed to control anyone in the district, as such the school board needs to put measurable and enforceable milestones in place to make sure the superintendent is offering the best possible conditions available. And the board needs to make sure that the resources are available to achieve those goals.

Are you satisfied with the district’s openness and transparency to parents, employees, and community members/taxpayers? If yes, why? If no, what changes would you propose?

I have probably been to more meetings as a non-board member than almost anyone else. When you take the time and make the effort to become and remain involved then you see that the board is being open.  You have to have your own eyes open.  If you do not attend the meetings then of course you will not what see is going on.

Hindsight is perfect, but: whether you are an incumbent, or not: Name one decision that the YCS school board made in the last six months that you think was a very good decision; and name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you wish had been decided differently.

My answer to both parts of this involve the same action.  Balanced school year.  We are no longer, and have not been for a very long time, been an agricultural society, so we no longer need the kids to be at home helping on the farm. The students have one quarter of the year off, all in a row, that is a lot of time to forget what you learned last year.  We should have longer semesters and come even closer to full year school years.  But a detractor to this is teachers need time for their own professional career development that would have to be factored in for this to be successful. And now that our schools all have functioning air conditioning it’s probably more comfortable at school than at home.
 
Former board members from Willow Run, Ypsilanti Schools, or Ypsilanti Community Schools: When were you a former board member? Were you appointed or elected? What did you learn from your experience on the WR, YS, or YCS board that you think would be helpful on the board now?

I was appointed to WR in November of 2001. I successfully ran to retain my uncontested seat in June of 2002. In 2006 I ran and did retain my seat. I waited until 2008 to run again and was elected. In the same vote in 2012 that I approved consolidation, some 5,000 voters said to keep me if the consolidation was not approved.  I went through some tough times cleaning up form a superintendent that was hired in 2007. I have learned about making sure you thoroughly investigate before you hire, and I have learned some of the warning signs when things start to go bad. I attended many of the professional development courses offed by the MASB Michigan Association of School Boards, effective boardsmenship like effective teachers need professional development. 

Assuming that you are elected, name one or two other board candidates that you would like to see serve beside you, and explain why.

I’m going to name two.  Don Garrett and Maria Sheler-Edwards. [Ed. Note: Maria is running for a six-year term and Don is running for a two-year term.] When Don and I were on the Willow Run board, we worked very closely together, and I learned a lot about his honesty and sincerity.  Now Maria on the other hand, when I first learned of her I was very disappointed that she had her own children in a different district, she has since corrected that, and she is has been seen actively involved in many the district events.

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2014 AAPS Board Candidate: Jeffery Harrold

Read more about Jeffery Harrold at http://votejefferyharrold.org/.

Staff morale has been an issue in the school district. How do you think the board should monitor and respond to staff morale issues, if at all? Given that the majority of district staff are teachers, should teachers be treated differently (better OR worse) than other staff people in the district?

I think that all district employees should be treated with dignity and respect. Where there are still bargaining units, I would like to see someone in central administration with the responsibility to regularly meet with the union representatives to get feedback and work together to address mutual concerns and opportunities. Where bargaining units are not in place, there should be a regular system of receiving feedback from employees and a defined process for responding to problems and ideas submitted by employees for improvement and innovation in their work area and the district at large.

What is your position on the amount of standardized testing currently conducted by AAPS (Too much, just right, too little)? What is your attitude toward parents opting out their students from standardized tests that are not state-mandated? What is your attitude toward parents opting out their students from standardized tests that are state-mandated?
Currently AAPS may be engaging in too much standardized testing.  Students are being asked to take multiple standardized tests, but it seems so much testing is going on that teachers do not have time to make good use of the information from the tests to positively impact student learning.  They take away a lot of time from classroom instruction and for many children (and adults) they are a source of anxiety. Parents have the right to opt their students out of standardized tests, whether state mandated or not.  It is important for parents to talk with their child's teacher about their decision to do so.  It is also important for parents to understand the impact their decisions have on schools.  Ultimately, parents must make the decision they think best for their children, especially if they feel their children are being harmed by the testing.

Aside from the budget, what are your two top priorities for the Ann Arbor schools?

I want to focus renewed attention to the achievement gap. This will involve listening to students, and parents about their experiences, successes and failures in our schools,. It will also require that we engage in dialogue with teachers, administrators, and support staff to gain their perception of the barriers to student success. Utilizing this feedback and research on best practices for achieving student success, we can then engage in courageous conversations between all parties to find a solution that fits our community.


I would also like to see us adopt the “Solutions not Suspension” pledge advocated by the Student Advocacy Center and adopt the Model Code of Conduct passed this summer by the State Board of Education. The policy "strongly urges school districts to review existing zero tolerance policies and to adopt practices that allow educators to address disciplinary matters as opportunities for learning instead of punishment." (http://everyvoicecountsmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Model-Student-Code-of-Conduct.pdf) 


What is your opinion regarding the annexation by AAPS of the Whitmore Lake school system? If you had to vote today, how would you vote? What's good about the annexation and what challenges do you anticipate if the annexation is approved?

I am opposed to the annexation of Whitmore Lake. I do not think we have guarantees from the state to match the current projection for per pupil allowance nor do we know we will receive reimbursement for the complete cost of the transition. If the Whitmore Lake student population is not growing, annexing it will not provide new revenue. In addition, there has not been sufficient time to discuss what will be done to bring the Whitmore Lake schools in line with the racial balance we seek for our current schools.

Hindsight is perfect, but whether you are an incumbent, or not: Name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you think was a very good decision; and name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you wish had been decided differently. (Incumbents may wish to say how they voted on that issue. It's ok if you changed your mind after the fact...)

I think the District made very good decisions in closing schools in a timely manner in response to the extreme cold weather this past winter. I think it made a poor decision in the decision to privatize custodial services. 

Assuming that you are elected, name one or two other board candidates that you would like to see serve beside you, and explain why.

The field has a variety of talented candidates. It would be difficult for me to narrow my answer to two.

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2014 AAPS Board Candidate: Don Wilkerson

Read more about Don Wilkerson at: https://www.facebook.com/votedonwilkerson.

Staff morale has been an issue in the school district. How do you think the board should monitor and respond to staff morale issues, if at all? Given that the majority of district staff are teachers, should teachers be treated differently (better OR worse) than other staff people in the district?

Staff morale is extremely important and has a direct impact on our students.  I’ve seen the impact it can have on our students, while experiencing the reinvigoration of Northside as A2 STEAM.  Based on the way teachers have been treated, one can understand why morale has been an issue.  We need to ensure that our staff doesn’t experience morale issues going forward, and I think the first step to doing so is improving communication.  Moving forward, neither the board, nor administration can make promises they can’t ensure they can keep, nor can they continue to make forced decisions that don’t even allow for input beforehand.  Our teachers are our biggest asset, they need to be valued, treated with dignity and respect, and need to have a chance to express their opinion and provide valuable input prior to a decision being made.  

We need to uphold that every group that our district impacts, is respected, valued, and treated as such.  Whether you’re a custodian, bus driver, teacher, parent, administrator, student, or hold some other role in our community, you need to be treated in a manner that exemplifies the values of Ann Arbor.  Finally, I think a community wide climate survey, and an annual employee survey should be performed, to hold the district accountable, and provide a measurement and target for future improvement.

What is your position on the amount of standardized testing currently conducted by AAPS (Too much, just right, too little)? What is your attitude toward parents opting out their students from standardized tests that are not state-mandated? What is your attitude toward parents opting out their students from standardized tests that are state-mandated?

I believe standardized testing doesn’t always add value, or provide an accurate assessment of student achievement.  For that reason, I believe we need to continue to evaluate our use of standardized testing and the value it provides to our community.  As it currently stands, we are using the MEAP and NWEA tests in our schools.  While the MEAP is state mandated, we’ve opted to add the NWEA tests as an additional measure.  I’m not against having one additional tool to measure our student growth and achievement, as state required tests do not necessarily provide valuable, timely, information to our teachers, parents, and students.  However, the NWEA testing doesn’t seem to be the answer our community needs.  We need a teacher identified assessment tool that can interact directly with instruction and improve the trajectory of our students.  We also need a test that can be administered efficiently, and one that has a proven track record of effectiveness without the issues that we’ve experienced in delivering the testing to our children.

Aside from the budget, what are your two top priorities for the Ann Arbor schools?

The other two most important priorities for Ann Arbor public schools are increased innovative programming/options for ALL of our students across the district, and a broader stakeholder approach to leadership. 

We need to ensure that every area of our district has the opportunity to identify programming that is important to them.  At the same time, we need to ensure that everyone in the district has access to better innovative programming.  This all needs to be approached with a long-term focus that doesn’t allow programming to continually switch, rather it builds and improves upon it.  We currently have great programs, such as the STEAM school, Community High School, etc., but we also need to keep in mind that these programs do not fit the needs of each student.  For this reason, we can’t just duplicate our programs across the district as others have proposed, and instead, each community should have input on the programming that is most impactful for their students. 

The stakeholder approach is something that as a community we value, but have missed the opportunity to exemplify in our schools.  We need an approach that digs into the details, and identifies more alternatives when making decisions, yet one that respectfully incorporates the needs/ideas of our whole community.  If elected this is something I will continue to work hard to accomplish, without compromising the educational priority that our students need to hold at all times.

What is your opinion regarding the annexation by AAPS of the Whitmore Lake school system? If you had to vote today, how would you vote? What's good about the annexation and what challenges do you anticipate if the annexation is approved?

To be honest I still haven’t made a full decision as to how I will vote on annexation.  I’m continuing the discussion with our community, and I’m looking forward to hearing from the Whitmore Lake community next week. Setting taxes aside, I think two things are good about annexation - the benefit and stability we can deliver to “our new students” (if annexation passes), and the growth potential offered in the future.  The value we can add to Whitmore Lake students is very cut and dry, but the growth potential is based upon a set of assumptions that I do not believe we can necessarily count on holding true.  At the end of the day, we as candidates need to spread the factual information and engage community members, so they can make an informed vote.  

If annexation does not pass, I will continue to work on revenue generation within the constraints of our own district to utilize our assets more effectively, and fill our schools to appropriate capacity levels.  If annexation is approved, I think the biggest challenge is ensuring that Whitmore Lake still feels that they have a voice in their children’s education, while the broader community identifies how to make Whitmore Lake fit attractively into the overall strategic vision for AAPS in order to deliver on the potential growth that has been identified.

Hindsight is perfect, but whether you are an incumbent, or not: Name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you think was a very good decision; and name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you wish had been decided differently. (Incumbents may wish to say how they voted on that issue. It's ok if you changed your mind after the fact...)

One decision that was truly exceptional was the reinvigoration of Northside as A2 STEAM.  As a member of the Northside community, and a leader of the PTO over the last three years, I personally watched as families continued to leave, resources dwindled, and the impact we could have on our children’s education diminished.  Dr. Swift listened to our community and took action.  What was once a struggling school with 187 students has since grown to an exceptional, innovative choice for education in our district.  Our community has been restored, we have a new sense of energy, our children come home excited to share all they’ve learned in class each day, and our school has doubled in size to 403 students.  We now have the resources and support to make the impact that we were trying so hard to make in the past!

One decision that I wish was made differently is the privatization of our custodial staff.  I fully understand the budget constraints that the district was facing, and will continue to face, but this was a decision that lacked the stakeholder approach to education that we need.  We finally had a third option on the table, beyond just keeping the current operating model and outsourcing – we had identified a Co-Op.  Given the constraints I would have at least liked to see a short-term extension of the custodial contract and more time given for the Co-Op alternative to be fully developed.  My hopes are that custodial staff will look at this as a lost battle in the war, and will continue to develop the idea, so when the opportunity presents itself at a later time, there will be full consideration.

Assuming that you are elected, name one or two other board candidates that you would like to see serve beside you, and explain why.

If I am elected, I would be pleased to serve with Donna Lasinski.  I believe she is truly dedicated herself to our children and community, and would prove to be a valuable asset into the future of education in Ann Arbor.

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2014 AAPS Board Candidate: Susan Baskett

Read more about Susan Baskett at: http://susanforschools.ruck.us/.

Staff morale has been an issue in the school district. How do you think the board should monitor and respond to staff morale issues, if at all? Given that the majority of district staff are teachers, should teachers be treated differently (better OR worse) than other staff people in the district?

Working with the superintendent, the Board should absolutely monitor and respond to staff morale issues.  Board members should encourage engagement with staff, welcome invitations to speak with the staff when and wherever possible.  For example, I have attended the teachers’ elementary and secondary caucus meetings.  The teachers have been very frank about their feelings.  They have provided clear feedback and their desires.
All of our staff members should be treated equally.  The teachers are the best organized in terms of knowing who represents them and how to gain their feedback.  However, I have attended meetings of all of the bargaining units who have invited me.  For those bargaining units who have not invited me, I communicate to their members via informal channels.  I get to know who’s who, where.  I make it known that I am accessible and that I want to learn from those on the front lines.

What is your position on the amount of standardized testing currently conducted by AAPS (Too much, just right, too little)? What is your attitude toward parents opting out their students from standardized tests that are not state-mandated? What is your attitude toward parents opting out their students from standardized tests that are state-mandated?

Parents are their students’ first teachers.  I do not feel that parents or students should be made uncomfortable for taking or NOT taking any tests.  Parental wishes should be respected.

The superintendent’s task force on testing revealed that the administration did not do its best when it rolled out the NWEA testing.  This caused mistrust, confusion and anger.  This year, the administration will make more of an effort to communicate why tests are given and their purpose.

Aside from the budget, what are your two top priorities for the Ann Arbor schools?

1.  Student Achievement and supporting the new initiatives towards addressing this.
2.  Minimizing the district’s participation in the school to prison pipeline.

What is your opinion regarding the annexation by AAPS of the Whitmore Lake school system? If you had to vote today, how would you vote? What's good about the annexation and what challenges do you anticipate if the annexation is approved?

The proposed plan to annex the WLCS is not in the best interest of the students attending the AAPS.   I voted “no” at the Board table and I will vote “no” at the polling place.  I have actively worked to inform voters and to encourage them to vote “NO”. At this time, the proposed plan to annex the WLCS is not in the best interest of AAPS.  While the plan is proactive on WLCS’s part, it is too premature for the AAPS BoE to have endorsed it.

I have spent a lot of time weighing the pros and cons of this proposal.  I have printed my thoughts for distribution to the voting public.  You can read my notes here.


Hindsight is perfect, but whether you are an incumbent, or not: Name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you think was a very good decision; and name one decision that the school board made in the last six months that you wish had been decided differently. (Incumbents may wish to say how they voted on that issue. It's ok if you changed your mind after the fact...) [Ed. Note: Susan Baskett is an incumbent.]

Good decision:  Adopt the superintendent’s initiatives to balance and grow our district through enhancements, not cuts.  The launch of these new initiatives like:  expanding world languages, STEAM at Northside, initiating the developing the IB Programme in southeast Ann Arbor, etc., have created a new excitement among everyone inside and outside the district. 

Bad decision(s):  1) Outsourcing the custodial staff and 2) placing the annexation of WLCS on November’s ballot.

I voted against both of these decisions.  I now hear of at least three former custodians seeking legal help to prevent their families from becoming homeless.  I have only heard of one custodian receiving at least their former pay wages and that’s because she landed a key managerial position with the new company.  

Regarding the annexation question, well, it’s simply not clear how the students of AAPS will immediately benefit from this plan that is not well vetted.  For the long term benefits for to be realized for AAPS, the plan is full of hope and not much substance.

Assuming that you are elected, name one or two other board candidates that you would like to see serve beside you, and explain why.

I would be proud to serve with any of the other candidates.  They each bring talents that can quickly serve the current Board.  We have had and in some cases, still do have former teachers, lawyers, business people, consultants, etc. 
The voters of AAPS will have an opportunity to select up to 4 candidates who will serve as their team to lead the direction of the AAPS.  I am asking for a spot on the team.  I believe I have earned it.  I do my prep work.  I come prepared to advocate for the best for our students.  My experience is unmatched by any of the other candidates.
The families of AAPS are lucky to have such a diverse and impressive group of candidates to choose from.

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