AAPS board member Christine Stead. Across the table from Stead (and Deb Mexicotte, who's seated to Stead's right out of the frame) are board members Glenn Nelson and Susan Baskett. (Photos by the writer.)

Contending that any increases would do little to rectify the compounding losses of funding since the passage of Proposal A, trustee Andy Thomas summarized the state’s budget plan as: “One hand giveth and the other hand taketh away.”

Trustees also agreed to move to a paperless system of board documents. In other business, the board agreed to change the district’s liability insurance carrier, and joined an emerging advocacy group – the Washtenaw Alliance for Education.

Also at the meeting, the board heard from two sets of students, after making a conscious effort recently to increase student engagement at the board level.

The board also engaged in an uncommon back-and-forth with members of the audience, which stemmed from public commentary about a Thurston Elementary School teacher who’s been placed on administrative leave. 

Budget Update

AAPS superintendent Patricia Green introduced deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen to discuss the potential for state funding increases, as well as possible changes to transportation services that would impact the budget. AAPS is in the process of crafting its 2012-13 budget, which is estimated to require another $14 million in budget reductions. The district has already cut nearly $50 million out of its budget over the past five years.

Budget Update: State Budget

At the Feb. 8 meeting, Allen reported that that Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed state budget for FY 2012-13 was anticipated to include an increase in funding to K-12 schools. Allen said he would welcome any increase in the per-pupil foundation allowance, and noted there might also be a state effort to mitigate the rising retirement costs faced by school districts across Michigan.

Trustees expressed concern that a slight increase in state education funding would do little to rectify the fact that schools are being funded at 2001 levels, even before adjusting for inflation. “Calling it an increase is disingenuous,” said trustee Christine Stead. She cited increased testing requirements, tenure reform, and all-day kindergarten as examples of new, unfunded state mandates. Those unfunded mandates, she argued, should counter any perception of a higher foundation allowance as an increase. Andy Thomas summarized his view of the state’s funding of K-12 education: “One hand giveth and the other hand taketh away.”

On Feb. 9, the governor did reveal his proposed budget to the state legislature. In general, it does not call for an increase in districts’ foundation allowances – the per-pupil amount that public schools receive from the state. Instead, the governor’s proposal would offer extra funding to districts that meet at least five of six best practices: (1) having a “dashboard” of statistics on their website; (2) being the policyholder for health insurance; (3) opening up seats in the district through “schools of choice”; (4) monitoring student growth in each subject at least twice a year; (5) offering dual enrollment (concurrent enrollment in high school and college) options; and (6) offering online or blended learning. A small amount of additional funding would also be available to defray pension costs faced by districts, as well as to reward districts that show student academic growth and/or are making efforts to consolidate services.

Budget Update: RFP for Transportation?

Allen reported that he had followed up on a board request to look into joining Ypsilanti and Willow Run schools in issuing an RFP (request for proposals) for transportation services. Ypsilanti and Willow Run currently participate in a transportation consortium with AAPS, which is managed by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. Allen said he found no opposition to AAPS joining in the RFP process.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot pointed out that joining the RFP process with Ypsilanti and Willow Run was only one of five suggestions the board had given administration to explore in terms of providing transportation services, and she confirmed that Allen was continuing to explore all options, including partnering with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA). Allen said all options are still being considered, and noted that participating in the joint RFP process might also yield data about how much it might cost AAPS to privatize transportation services on its own.

Stead added that AAPS should move efficiently to identify areas in the budget that are highly likely to be impacted by budget reductions. That way, the district will have as much time as possible to plan for the implementation of any reductions with the AAPS community and families. She also requested that Allen include an estimate of how much fund equity must be maintained so that the district will not have to borrow money to make payroll.

Beyond Lightfoot’s brief mention, the possibility of collaborating with the AATA to serve the school system’s transportation needs was hardly discussed at the board’s Feb. 8 meeting. The board had discussed the possibility of collaborating with the AATA in more detail at its committee-of-the-whole meeting on Jan. 25.

Since then, conversations between AAPS and the AATA have started. In his monthly written report for the upcoming Feb. 16 AATA board meeting, AATA CEO Michael Ford wrote to the AATA board:

Ron Copeland [operations manager], Phil Webb [controller], Chris White [manager of service development] and I [Ford] met with the AAPS Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and Director of Communications last week. This was our second meeting to explore how AATA service could assist in their efforts to reduce transportation costs. Since the first meeting, we have developed some opportunities for the 2012‐13 school year that would replace 2‐5 AAPS high school bus routes with students using existing AATA service. AATA and AAPS staff will be working in the next few weeks to develop the details.

The Superintendent expressed her pleasure with how this effort is proceeding. Later last week I met with AAPS Board Trustees Simone Lightfoot and Susan Baskett. I shared the details of our meeting with AAPS representatives and our coordination efforts. We also discussed opportunities to provide enhanced communication to parents regarding potential changes that could better help with their understanding of what public transit is, what it can do, and the ease of use.

We agreed to meet again and look at some longer term solutions such as identifying grant opportunities, raising local awareness and gathering data to pinpoint the needs of where high school student are in need of public transit, but don’t have a voice nor access to navigate public transit services to school.

During the agenda planning portion of the Feb. 8 meeting, trustees Irene Patalan and Simone Lightfoot each requested that a date be assigned to review the transportation options, including the WISD report of operational statistics. Board president Deb Mexicotte suggested that the board should bundle the WISD review with a discussion about the RFPs and conversations with AATA.

BoardDocs: Electronic Document Management

The board has been considering a move to paperless document management system for at least six months. BoardDocs, a paperless board documents system, was first introduced to the board at its July 2011 board retreat. The issue was on the Feb. 8 agenda for a second briefing and a board vote.

Board Docs: Description and Cost Information

Board secretary Amy Osinski made a brief presentation to the board highlighting the pros and cons of moving to BoardDocs. She also outlined the related cost information.

As benefits, Osinski noted ease of use, ease of access, and greater transparency. She explained how the public would be able to follow along with the agenda online, and how complete videos of each meeting would be uploaded to BoardDocs within a day of the meeting. The video capture would be done by Community Television Network, she said, which will also continue its livestreaming and replaying of the meetings on community access television. The video capture for BoardDocs would be uploaded as a YouTube video, and could have each section of the meeting tagged according to the agenda.

In addition, Osinski continued, using BoardDocs would allow all previous meeting documents to be scanned and searched by the public, from one central place. All documents would be formatted consistently, and agenda changes would be automatically e-mailed to everyone.

BoardDocs does allow for personal notes to be taken by board members during public meetings, and though they are only accessible through each trustee’s login, Dave Comsa – AAPS deputy superintendent for human resources and general counsel – pointed out that if notes are taken as part of a deliberative process, they could be made to be shared. He also counseled board members not to e-mail or text each other during a meeting.

Board president Deb Mexicotte responded, “It is not our intention to ever text or e-mail from the board table.” Trustees around the table nodded in agreement.

Osinski wrapped up the “pros” by noting efficiency and cost savings in staff time, ease of policy management, a “metasearch” capability that allows users to search board documents of other BoardDocs’ client-districts, the lack of need to maintain and pay for physical storage space, and BoardDocs “outstanding customer service.”

She then acknowledged that there are a few drawbacks to making the switch to a paperless system.

There would be a learning curve in terms of getting accustomed to everything being electronic, she said. Osinski also noted that access to a computer and the Internet would be required to access board documents, which could pose a limitation for some families. She also pointed out that the board might be limited in terms of meeting locations. However, she said she could mitigate constraints on location by creating a “hot spot” in her computer that could be used by all trustees to access the Internet during meetings. Finally, Osinski noted that confidentiality is not 100% guaranteed, though trustees countered that the same is true with paper documents.

Andy Thomas asked what would happen if Osinski’s computer was supposed to be the “hot spot” for Internet access, but she was not able to attend the meeting. Osinski replied that there would be redundancy training and that the district would have others who could sit in for her. She also noted that she has only missed three board meetings in eight years.

The annual cost for BoardDocs would be $9,000, a nearly $2,200 increase per year compared to creating paper board packets, Osinski said. The cost for the first year includes $1,000 in training and implementation costs. The product can be fully customized, comes with 24-hour tech support 365 days a year, allows the district to archive up to 10 years of data, and includes all upgrades. Also, the district maintains all ownership of its data.

Osinski presented a set of references to the board and opened the floor to discussion.

BoardDocs: Board Discussion

Christine Stead pointed out that BoardDocs would not save money – although it would significantly lighten Osinski’s workload, the district was not planning to decrease her position.

Trustees expressed gratitude to Osinski for her presentation and asked a few clarifying questions about hardware requirements, system capabilities, and confidentiality.

Osinski reiterated that using BoardDocs is as safe or safer than using paper. She noted that in 11 years of business, BoardDocs has never had a security breach, adding, “… but you can never say never.”

Deb Mexicotte told Osinski, “I think it is the right thing to do and we will all get used to it. But one of the most compelling things is how excited you are about it.” Simone Lightfoot agreed that Osinski had made a good case for the switch to BoardDocs, and had allowed it to grow on trustees who had been more reluctant.

Susan Baskett asked about the timing of implementation and training, and Osinski said it would be a six-week implementation, or until everyone is comfortable with it. Glenn Nelson suggested a target of having BoardDocs fully implemented at the board’s April 11 meeting.

Outcome: Trustees unanimously approved moving to BoardDocs, a paperless document management system, as part of the consent agenda.

Liability Insurance Renewal

Superintendent Patricia Green introduced deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen to explain the shift in the district’s insurance premium costs. The district’s liability insurance is renewed annually on Feb. 1.

Allen explained that the bids that came back from the district’s insurance agent, the Hylant Group, were significantly higher than last year. That led Allen to request that Hylant re-bid the district’s coverage with other insurance carriers. After examining a set of new bids, Allen said, he recommends switching insurance carriers from Zurich to Affiliated FM – not to lower the cost of insurance premiums, but in order to lower the amount of increase.

Allen also explained that it’s reasonable to have expected an increase in premium costs, given the district’s claim history over the past two years. As examples of claims made under the district’s coverage, Allen noted an increase in computer theft, a lightning strike at Northside Elementary, a flood in the boiler room at Forsythe Middle School, a transformer failure at Pioneer High School, and an exhaust fan fire at Ann Arbor Open.

Trustees asked if the coverage from the new carrier is equivalent. Allen explained that it’s actually a bit more extensive in terms of flood coverage and crime risk mitigation, but that everything else is pretty much consistent.

Simone Lightfoot asked if Affiliated FM is a known company, and Allen answered that yes, they are one of the biggest companies in school liability. Susan Baskett asked if the company was local, or was a historically-underutilized business (HUB). Allen said he would get back to the board about the firm’s location, and that he did not believe is was a HUB.

Outcome: Trustees approved the shift in liability insurance carriers as part of the consent agenda, which also included three sets of minutes approvals.

Washtenaw Alliance for Education

Deb Mexicotte asked Glenn Nelson to review a resolution he wrote for AAPS to join the Washtenaw Alliance for Education (WAE), a consortium of school districts in Washtenaw County focusing on legislative issues.

Nelson summarized the proposed resolution as having four themes: (1) closer coordination among the Washtenaw County school districts; (2) improved communication between board members and superintendents; (3) continued, more intense work on coordination and collaboration of service provision within the county, such as transportation and human resources; and (4) being a vehicle for advocacy on state legislation.

Christine Stead suggested that because the board had already discussed the WAE extensively during its organizational meeting on Jan. 18, the board should consider their Feb. 8 discussion as a second briefing. She also noted that approving the resolution to join WAE at the Feb. 8 meeting would allow AAPS to share the news at the legislative breakfast on Feb. 13. Trustees agreed to move the item to the consent agenda, but it was later pulled out for a full reading of the resolution.

Andy Thomas asked for clarification on who would be part of the WAE. Nelson explained that each district will have three seats on the WAE board – two district board members and the superintendent. For AAPS, Nelson, Stead, and Green would sit on the WAE as AAPS representatives. Thomas also asked Nelson to explain that this would not have any impact on taxpayers.

Nelson responded that there would be no increase in trustee salary for sitting on the WAE. “This will decrease our school board wages from 25 cents an hour to about 20 cents an hour,” he quipped. Mexicotte noted that 25 cents an hour is “not too far off,” and pointed out that trustees are paid $130 a month in total for their service.

Trustee Irene Patalan said this was “the exact right step,” and expressed her hopes that “better things will happen for our students with this kind of alliance.”

Nelson noted that the school districts in Washtenaw County are diverse, and that when the WAE takes a position on a piece of legislation, it would need to be with a consensus of the districts present. This means, he said, if the WAE finds ways to make things better for students in these diverse districts – representing rural, urban, small town, affluent, and distressed areas – it could be a model for the state.

Green added that she worked with a similar alliance in her previous position in Pennsylvania. She said that if a WAE were in place, it could provide a venue to discuss transportation and other regional issues. She also noted that as AAPS is embarking on professional development for social and emotional learning, the WAE could offer revenue enhancement opportunities. “That’s part of the richness this model can provide,” Green said.

Outcome: The resolution to join WAE was approved unanimously after being moved to the consent agenda, and then pulled out for a full reading of the associated resolution.

Length of Board Terms

Deb Mexicotte reviewed that new state legislation now requires the district to hold board elections every even-numbered November, which had caused the board to consider switching from four-year to six-year terms in order to prevent the possibility of a majority of the board turning over in one election. As it now stands, every other election will allow four seats to potentially turn over on the seven-member board.

However, Mexicotte continued, based on the board’s discussion at the previous meeting on Jan. 18, it seems that trustees feel that sticking with four-year terms is in the best interest of the district. She noted that in the past, large swings of the board membership have not been the norm, even when they have been possible.

Trustees expressed general agreement for four-year terms.

Christine Stead added that the amount of legislation passed on K-12 education last year, such as this law requiring even-numbered year elections, was “ridiculous… Who does this serve?” she asked.

Andy Thomas noted that moving to hold board elections in even-numbered years will make the cost of campaigning significantly higher, and moving to six-year terms could limit the candidate field even more by increasing the time of the required commitment.

Mexicotte agreed. “This is the right level of commitment. I don’t want to make the bar any higher than it already is.” She noted that by not approving a resolution to follow the new law, “We did what we could to register our displeasure.” At best, she said, this new election mandate does nothing to improve the education of students, and at worst, has made it more difficult for citizens to serve on the board.

Outcome: The board took no action, leaving their board terms at four years.

Student Engagement

The board often invites segments of the student population to perform at the beginning of board meetings. At the Feb. 8 meeting, board members heard from Riot Youth, a group for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning) students and their allies. In addition, the board has broadened its invited associations to include regular reports from a wider group of students. The Feb. 8 meeting saw the first installment of high-school-specific student reports, from Pioneer High School.

Student Engagement: Riot Youth “Gayrilla Theater Project” Presentation

Riot Youth, a group for LGBTQ students and their allies, explained that social support and social justice were the goals of their group. They reported that they had conducted a climate survey concerning sexual identification, race, appearance, and other items, covering 1,200 students in four schools. They explained that they had taken the survey results, along with personal stories, and woven them into the “Gayrilla Theater Project,” inspired by the name of the Guerilla Girls theater project.

Riot Youth representatives then noted that the state of Michigan has just passed an anti-bullying law that requires all districts to have an anti-bullying policy. Saying that they would be back the following week to talk to the board specifically about their suggestions of ways to add to the AAPS anti-bullying policy, they then performed a brief skit for the board.

The skit focused on the marginalization of queer youth in AAPS, and noted that 10.5% of students surveyed identified themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning. These students face a lack of queer sexual health information in health classes, regular verbal abuse, higher risks of physical harassment and suicide, and ongoing isolation, they said. According to the skit, only 62% of queer students feel safe in AAPS, and teachers, counselors and staff members rarely intervene when LGBTQ youth are harassed.

We tell our stories because we are good students not realizing our potential, they said. “We are an at-risk population.”

Deb Mexicotte and Glenn Nelson thanked the Riot Youth for performing and said they would be pleased to continue the conversation. “We really think we can make things better for you,” Mexicotte said.

Student Engagement: Report from Pioneer Students

Four students from Pioneer High School – Charlie Geronimus, Aidan Geronimus, Javon Williams, and Chelsea Racelis – gave a report to the board. The students began by explaining a new schoolwide communication system, which allows for greater student feedback to student council and administration. They noted that lunch time has been going well, and has brought the school together as a whole. They also reviewed a school-wide student council goal of sending Pioneer’s special education students to the Special Olympics. They said the whole student body has really backed the goal, which will require $6,000, but said that they hoped the board would choose to allocate money for Special Olympics in the future.

Pioneer High School student Charlie Geronimus addressed the board.

In terms of the budget, the Pioneer students noted that the arts programs in the district are incredibly rich, and noted that Pioneer students will be playing at Carnegie Hall later this year. “We have an incredible amount of talent in the music department, but we are faced with threats of our budgets being cut. We would like to ask when the budget cuts come around that you could keep in mind the excellence this district has had in the arts,” the students said.

The Pioneer representatives also praised their principal, Michael White. They said he is doing an amazing job, but that some kids still don’t care. “Classrooms are being run as if everyone is in the 10% [of students who don’t care]. The 90% that know what they’re doing – they don’t need to be disciplined so much.”

There is a level of respect that students are expected to give, they said, but they don’t feel like they are getting back the respect from some teachers that they deserve. Citing teachers who have no lesson plans, use tests printed off the Internet, or otherwise slack off, the representatives requested a mechanism, such as a drop box, where they could give direct input into teacher evaluations. “Teachers need to do their homework,” the Pioneer representatives said, “We would appreciate the ability to more easily bring it up to tell you when teachers are not doing their jobs.”

Multiple board members thanked the Pioneer students for their presentation, and for sharing their voices. Simone Lightfoot and Susan Baskett each noted appreciation for their attire – all four students were dressed in formal business clothes. “Image is important,” Lightfoot said, “and your bold diplomacy is great. I look forward to you holding us accountable.”

Baskett asked if they had had input into the school climate survey recently done at Pioneer. Student council president Charlie Geronimus answered that he believes the climate at Pioneer has improved since White was made principal. “I can’t speak to things like what Riot Youth was talking about,” he said. “But just because I haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean it’s not going on.”

Superintendent Patricia Green added that the board will be given a report on last year’s climate surveys at the next committee-of-the-whole meeting.

Administrative Leave for Thurston Teacher

Sherry Murphy, a teacher at Thurston Elementary School, was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 28, 2011. It prompted public commentary at the Feb. 8, 2012 board meeting.

Administrative Leave for Thurston Teacher: Public Commentary

Three parents spoke to the board about the placement of a Thurston 4th grade teacher on administrative leave, with no explanation given to parents or students.

Charlie Adams, mother of a 4th grader with dyslexia who was specifically placed in Murphy’s class due to her 30 years of experience, said that her child has been “thrown to the gallows” with the long-term substitute the class was given. Adams also pointed out that her daughter had numerous substitutes in her first two years at Haisley Elementary, and that she was finally stable academically. Adams said she has requested that her daughter be moved to another class to no avail, and said the current situation is unacceptable. Adams said the students miss Murphy desperately, and called her disappearance from the classroom “mysterious.”

Kristen Mogbo added that her 4th grader has the “math version of dyslexia,” and had also been placed in Murphy’s room specifically because of Murphy’s experience and skill set. Most troubling, Mogbo said, is the absolute lack of communication. She said she is not looking for personal details, and respects the need for confidentiality, but is requesting a timeline of when the situation might be resolved. “I don’t understand why administrative issues are being worked out in the midst of a school year,” Mogbo said. “I keep being assured that Dr. Murphy has done nothing wrong… I am extraordinarily distressed with the secrecy of the whole thing. Is there any form of response possible?”

Ben Colmery argued that his expectations have been crushed, after finally getting his daughter’s dyslexia addressed, to have Murphy removed from her classroom. He noted that he and his wife have their daughter tutored twice a week, and are doing their part to help, but he said that Murphy was critical to his daughter’s academic success. Colmery noted that Murphy was placed on administrative leave with 10 minutes’ notice, and was told not to discuss anything with anyone. But in this town, Colmery said, “There are no secrets.”

Before Colmery could continue, board president Deb Mexicotte interjected. She apologized for interrupting, but said she wanted to be sure that Colmery was “protected,” and warned, “If you make allegations, there are opportunities for people to allege illegality.”

Colmery asked, “Are you telling me I’m a risk for libel?” Mexicotte answered that the board was interested in what Colmery had to say on a macro level.

Colmery paused briefly, and then continued with his statement, saying that it appears to him that the district’s decision to remove Murphy was an economic consideration, not any other. “The thing you need to understand,” he said, “is my daughter is not a car on an assembly line … She is my daughter. I am her advocate.”

Administrative Leave for Thurston Teacher: Comment from AAPS

AAPS superintendent Patricia Green asked Dave Comsa, AAPS assistant superintendent for human resources and legal services, to address the public commentary about Murphy. Comsa said he could not get into specifics regarding personnel matters, but said that there is a certified, highly qualified substitute teacher in the classroom. He continued by saying that the reason for Murphy’s absence had nothing to do with economics, and that the district was working as fast as possible to resolve the situation. Mexicotte noted that the confidentiality rules are in place to protect not only the district, but also the employees.

A member of the audience then addressed the board, saying that Murphy had asked for the “gag rule” to be removed­­­­­­­.

The board does not typically respond to comments that are made from the audience. However, Mexicotte acknowledged the audience member’s comment, noting that the district is bound by legal and contractual circumstances.

Green invited Dawn Linden, AAPS assistant superintendent of elementary education, to comment. Linden said that although she understands parents’ frustration, the district “does not know about a return date [for Murphy]” and cannot share any additional information. Linden also reiterated Comsa’s statement that the long-term substitute in place is highly qualified.

A member of the audience again spoke, saying that Murphy’s substitute was not “highly qualified,” and again Mexicotte acknowledged the comment, saying that the term “highly qualified” is being used in the same sense as the state of Michigan uses it.

Mexicotte then asked Green to speak to one parent’s contention during public commentary that his daughter had experienced an excessive number of substitutes. Green answered that “the ripple effect of making the changes requested have been pondered, and there are implications that would create another situation if the requests are honored.”

An audience member again asked if the board could at least offer a timeline for resolution of the situation, and argued that if the children are not getting Murphy back as a teacher, they should be told so they can mourn that, and say goodbye. Mexicotte answered that she appreciated the speaker’s frustration, and directed administration to work through the process as efficiently as possible.

Trustee Christine Stead added that she would like to know if the families involved at Thurston could be walked through the process more, while still protecting confidentiality, saying “that might be helpful in this case.”

An audience member again said she was disappointed, and said that her requests to have her daughter moved were not unreasonable at all. Mexicotte then ended the somewhat rare discussion between the board and audience members, saying that the board appreciated her comments and had directed administration to respond as they are able. But Mexicotte concluded that the board needed to move on with the meeting.

Mexicotte then stood and gestured to the parents who had spoken about Murphy. Mexicotte and the parents left the board meeting room together. Mexicotte returned to the board table roughly five minutes later.

All-Day Kindergarten, Test Scores

AAPS is currently weighing the possibility of moving to an all-day kindergarten program district-wide instead of the combination of half-day, all-day, and extended-day options it currently offers. The impetus for possibly moving to all-day kindergarten is the apparent intention of the Michigan legislature to cut kindergarten per-pupil funding by half for all students enrolled in a half-day kindergarten program.

All-Day Kindergarten: Public Comment

Tina Richmond, parent of a first grader at Haisley Elementary School, addressed the board on a range of issues, saying she believed the district was operating at a bit of a “trust deficit.” She said she was dismayed to learn that the district has been accepting the full foundation allowance for kindergarten students, but not offering all-day kindergarten at all schools. Her options at Haisley, she said, had been to drive her daughter to another district school [one with all-day kindergarten] for six years, or to pay $4,000 for an all-day kindergarten option at Haisley. Richmond also noted that her daughter’s kindergarten class had 27 students, and that parents had had to beg for an aide.

Richmond also noted that she was pleased that the new MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) cut scores would more accurately reflect student achievement. But she was “disappointed that a district with such credentials would give such low achievement scores.” She urged administrators to be realistic in their communication with parents about the MEAP cut score changes. “I’m not a parent who is out there thinking we’re great,” she said. “What we’re doing is coming up to the national standards.”

“Cut scores” are defined in a FAQ posted on the Michigan Dept. of Education website: ”Scores for all state assessments are reported in ranges called performance levels. Both MEAP and MME [Michigan Merit Examination] use four performance levels: Advanced, Proficient, Partially Proficient, and Not Proficient. A cut score is the point on the scale that separates one performance level from the next. Cut scores were approved by the State Board of Education.”

All-Day Kindergarten: AAPS Discussion

Later in the meeting during agenda planning, Simone Lightfoot said she wanted to clarify some of Richmond’s comments on all-day kindergarten, saying “the sooner we can get [information on all-day kindergarten] out, the better.” Deb Mexicotte added that the way kindergarten funding has been used in the district was a “traditional structure that had been in place for a very long period of time.”

Superintendent Patricia Green asked deputy superintendent Alesia Flye to speak briefly about the communication being done with parents regarding the change in MEAP cut scores. Flye said communication has been sent at the building level and district-wide, and that all districts in the state of Michigan are being aligned.

Also during the agenda planning portion of the meeting, Glenn Nelson suggested that the board address the question of whether to move to all-day kindergarten as soon as possible. “I know that the administration has been working and I realize that work needs to get to a certain place, but let’s be conscious that that is an important issue that can be brought as soon as it’s ready,” he said. Green said a report on all-day kindergarten would be coming to the board “very shortly.”

Association Reports

At its January organizational meeting, the board named five associations to make regular reports to the board, and instituted a rotational system of student presentations. The board associations are: The Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee for Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent Teacher Organization Council (PTOC), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA). The BPSSG, AAPAC, and PTOC addressed the board at the Feb. 8 meeting. A presentation from Pioneer students is described above, in the “student engagement” section of this report.

Association Reports: Black Parents Student Support Group

Leslie McGraw reported for the BPSSG, saying that the group did not meet in January, but did collect dates and locations of various Martin Luther King Jr. Day events. She noted that many BPSSG members also attended “Beyond the Bricks,” an event sponsored by the Ann Arbor Links Inc. group.

McGraw shared the URL of the group’s new website – www.dwbpssg.org – and said the group will be working to share suspension data with the community and discuss how to improve the statistics. She noted that Bryan Johnson of the BPSSG was one of a group of advisors working with superintendent Patricia Green on addressing discipline disparities.

Finally, McGraw reported on the Huron High School Rising Scholars Saturday school, which served more than 300 students over two weekends, and was open to all schools. Upcoming next steps for the BPSSG include the possibility of establishing a 501(c)3, and programming for National African-American Parent Involvement Day.

Association Reports: Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee for Special Education

Scott Zeleznik addressed the board for the AAPAC, beginning with comments on the recent alleged sexual assault of a special education student by another special education student at Eberwhite Elementary.

He suggested first that AAPAC is concerned that special needs students will be “vilified and further isolated by this incident.” He urged everyone to remember that bullying and abuse issues affect all children, and that special needs children are more likely to be victims than perpetrators – because of their inability to effectively speak for themselves in many cases.

Secondly, Zeleznik said the incident has prompted many parents to question whether to trust AAPS to protect their children and to inform parents of what is really taking place in the classroom, as they are legally required to do. He argued that abusive behaviors among students need to be identified and prevented from recurring, and suggested to administration that the district hold forums with parents to discuss the issue and how it relates to their specific school environment. He also noted that change needs to come from the administration in terms of securing student safety and well-being over the protection of colleagues.

The AAPAC has continued to hold Disability Awareness Workshops, Zeleznik continued, and he invited trustees to attend.

Association Reports: Parent Teacher Organization Council

Amy Pachera reported for the PTOC, noting that PTO officer training took place on Feb 8. The training is given by the NEW Center, she said, and reviews the fiduciary and other legal responsibilities of PTOs.

Pachera noted that the PTOC is in full support of the district’s upcoming technology bond, and looks forward to educating the PTOs about the bond. She also noted that the PTOC will be reviewing the district’s budget in overview at its next meeting, and will look at how the state budget and taxes affect the local budget.

Awards and Accolades

The board unanimously supported two proclamations: National School Counseling Week from Feb 6-12, and Principals Week from Feb. 13-17.

As a part of her superintendent’s report, Patricia Green recognized a number of students who received awards from the Presidential Scholars program, as well as Knowledge Masters Open winners, forensics competition winners, and various student groups who have raised money for certain local causes. She also praised the district’s music and humanities programs. Finally, Green invited everyone to attend the district’s upcoming Orchestra Night on Feb. 16 at Hill Auditorium, a free performance by all AAPS middle and high school orchestras.

Agenda Planning

Several trustees proposed items that they’d like to see on the agenda for future meetings.

Susan Baskett requested an update on the Rising Scholars program.

Simone Lightfoot asked if the board could look into what supports the district has in place for math, particularly the algebra strand, as she has heard many concerns about good students having difficulty with math.

Christine Stead added she would appreciate hearing about classroom-specific “key investments” the district could make to address math, MEAP cut scores, or other things. Deb Mexicotte clarified that the board was interested in considering adjustments to support for classrooms that may have been cut in the past, in order to better meet the district’s academic goals, and superintendent Patricia Green said that administration was looking at that.

Stead said she read an article in a Michigan Association of School Boards publication about how Birmingham schools are charging tuition to out-of-district students instead of participating in Schools of Choice. She noted that it was interesting that they were able to do that, and she wanted to be sure AAPS was aware of that. Schools of Choice students are actually a loss for AAPS in terms of the foundation allowance, because students bring their foundation allowance from their home district to AAPS, and Ann Arbor’s foundation allowance is higher than that of other surrounding districts.

Lightfoot also noted the possibility of charging foreign students tuition as part of an exchange student program. Green responded that she had a breakfast meeting last week with the new president of Washtenaw Community College – Rose Bellanca – and that the potential for such an exchange student program had been briefly discussed.

Items from the Board

Christine Stead noted that the Forsythe Science Fair was coming up on Sunday, Feb. 12, and encouraged people to come by. Also, she reminded her fellow trustees, “You’re just making it harder on yourselves if you have not started training for the Ann Arbor marathon.” She added that she was happy to help do what she could in terms of supporting them through training.

Simone Lightfoot said she had spent time this week with the Rising Scholars program and looked forward to assessing how the district can continue to support and expand that program. She said the program’s success shows her that kids will take any assistance they can get, including a balanced calendar. [A balanced calendar  could feature a shorter summer break and optional "intersessions" – one or two-week long academic or enrichment activities held during breaks in regular instruction, for example.]

Glenn Nelson said he had been happy to see a number of groups in the community coming together to address issues of student discipline, and noted his involvement in a community panel for Skyline High School’s accreditation review.

Susan Baskett thanked the ACLU and Student Advocacy Center for their recent event, and noted that she and Nelson had participated in a meeting of the district’s minority hiring committee.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Christine Stead, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Susan Baskett, Simone Lightfoot, and Glenn Nelson.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, March 7, 2012, at 7 p.m. at the fourth-floor boardroom of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown branch, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

School bus operated for Ann Arbor Public Schools headed north on State Street on Jan 27, 2012. Changes to the way AAPS provides transportation services was a major theme of the AAPS board's Jan. 25 committee meeting.

That led to a vigorous discussion of the district’s immediate and longer-term options to continue to function in a challenging fiscal and political environment beyond 2012-13. “Everything has to be on the table … Education is not going to be the same,” said trustee Susan Baskett.

Mexicotte agreed, saying the time for incremental change has passed, and that the district “might need to make some bold moves.”

As options to consider for the following year, trustees listed the following: redistricting; eliminating 7th hour high school classes; closing schools; sharing principals; passing a countywide enhancement millage; changing high school start times; moving more athletics extracurricular activities to a “club sports” model; increasing the number of online class offerings; changing state law; working with the University of Michigan to allow AAPS students to earn credit hours there at a reduced rate; and moving to a balanced calendar district-wide.

In some detail, the board also evaluated its options for busing – in light of news that the Ypsilanti and Willow Run public schools are considering pulling out of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s transportation consortium. That would leave Ann Arbor as the sole participant in the consortium.

Trustees directed administration to examine and make a recommendation on the following transportation options: improving busing within the current framework of the WISD; consolidating busing with Ypsilanti and Willow Run outside the WISD consolidation; bringing busing back into the AAPS budget with bus drivers remaining public employees; bringing busing back into the AAPS budget but privatizing bus drivers; eliminating busing entirely; or collaborating with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) to transport AAPS students.

Several trustees also made plugs for protecting classrooms from the effect of budget cuts, and even suggested lowering class sizes. AAPS superintendent Patricia Green suggested it was also important to relieve some of the pressure and anxiety felt by teachers and other district staff. “We are at the tipping point,” she said, “Five years of budget cuts can take its toll.”

Also at the Jan 25 COTW meeting, trustees heard updates on the AAPS preschool and family center programs, including some discussion of the county’s relinquishing of its management of the federal Head Start grant. And, the board was briefed on the implementation of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), a new assessment tool the board approved for purchase last May.

Budget Update

Superintendent Patricia Green introduced the budget update by urging the board to consider a “balanced approach.” Later, she clarified, “We have fund equity for a rainy day – it’s pouring. It is my recommendation that we use fund equity this year.” Robert Allen, the district’s deputy superintendent of operations, said that in his view, the district was “past the tipping point” in terms of acceptable budget reductions. He noted that Gov. Rick Snyder will be proposing his budget on Feb. 9. That will give AAPS an idea of what its foundation allowance will be, but  Allen reiterated that AAPS is anticipating the need to reduce the FY 2012-13 budget by $14 to $16 million.

At the Jan. 25 COTW meeting the board discussed the 2012-13 budget mostly in broad strokes, rather than focusing on the evaluation of specific budget reduction suggestions. Trustees aligned themselves philosophically behind the idea of dipping into fund equity, a topic about which they have previously been quite split. They also discussed the budget-creation process – specifically how to engage community members most effectively and to make their input as useful as possible.

Budget Update: Using Fund Equity

Trustee Andy Thomas suggested that the board should try to meet half of its budget reduction target by reducing expenditures and enhancing revenue, but should meet the other half by taking the money out of fund equity. He noted the one-time funding AAPS received from the state to reward state-identified “best practices,” and Medicaid reimbursement as unanticipated sources of revenue that could be used to offset any budget cuts.

Thomas was clear that using fund equity would stave off the more difficult decisions only for one more year – due to the structural funding deficit facing the district. However, he said, that would give the district another year to have the kind of conversations in the community about what major things could be done, and a year to get any of those plans in motion. Optimistically, Thomas also said that there could be a change in the priorities of the governor or state legislature as Michigan’s economy continues to recover.

Trustees each expressed support for Thomas’ proposal, at least in theory. “I don’t know whether I buy into the ‘half’ formula, but I want to be supportive of using fund equity instead of trying to solve it all through revenue enhancement and expenditure cuts,” Nelson said.

Mexicotte agreed philosophically, she said, with using fund equity to give the district a “respite.” She argued, “It’s been hellacious the last couple of years and it’s just too much. Our people don’t deserve it. Our students don’t deserve it.”

Even Stead agreed, whose position on using fund equity has been among the most conservative of her colleagues. “I would be more comfortable using fund equity if we feel like we can get some political change … I’m certainly comfortable being a little more risky.” Lightfoot expressed support at Stead’s evolving position, to which Stead responded, “I’m not proud of myself.”

Budget Update: Budgeting Process

Trustee Christine Stead suggested that the board should spend the next few months working with the community to develop budget solutions specific to the areas most likely to be impacted. She noted that it would be more effective to engage the community sooner in forming partnerships rather than dealing with informing everyone over the summer of the impact of budget changes. “I think we need to fast-track [the process] and help people focus on areas we already know will be impacted,” she suggested.

Mexicotte went a step further, saying, “The community forums are not going to get us where we need to be at this point … I think we need to use to expertise we have.” She suggested that the administration was in a better position than the community to know what cuts have been made over the past few years, and to suggest how to proceed. She also suggested that it might be time to stop making incremental adjustments and instead to “make some bold moves.”

Baskett suggested changing elementary school boundaries [redistricting], or altering start times at high schools. “Everything has to be on the table,” she said. Education is not going to be the same.” Stead suggested making further cuts to athletics, and instituting a balanced calendar district-wide.

Mexicotte said she would be on board with any suggested changes that would provide a budget solution while strengthening educational outcomes. “Let’s be bold. Let’s put it all on the table – whatever it is,” she suggested. “I would like to know the very best thinking of our team … I would like to know what its worth to redistrict, to close a building … I don’t know if that’s what I want to do, but if it [leads to] better outcomes, I want to know the options.”

Mexicotte closed by asking Allen and Green if they felt they had received appropriate direction form the board, and they said they had.

Transportation

The one area in which the board did dive into budget specifics was busing. That was prompted by news that Ypsilanti and Willow Run public schools decided this week to consolidate transportation services in their districts, and put out a request for proposals (RFP) for transportation services.

Allen explained that if Ypsilanti and Willow Run quit the existing consortium of districts getting transportation services through WISD, that would would leave only AAPS in the WISD consortium.  That would significantly increase management costs that have, up to now, been shared by the members of the corsortium. He also noted that there has been a lot of talk at the state level about the possibility of consolidating school districts. Green suggested that merging transportation operations may be the first step toward a broader consolidation of Ypsilanti and Willow Run.

Transportation: Board Response to Ypsi/Willow

Trustees asked why Willow Run and Ypsilanti public schools made the decision to band together, with an eye to withdrawing from the WISD consortium. WISD assistant superintendent for business services Brian Marcel responded that both districts are under a lot of financial stress and are likely trying to be sure they do their due diligence. He noted that if the WISD responds to the joint RFP put out by Willow Run and Ypsilanti, it would be “competing against ourselves.”

Trustee Glenn Nelson added that he thought the Ypsilanti/Willow Run RFP was motivated by a desire to privatize services in order to get out from under the state retirement system mandate, which is rising to an employer contribute rate of 27% of total salaries. Nelson suggested that the board should explore whether AAPS could join the RFP process. Nelson said that privatizing transportation services – with or without Ypsilanti and Willow Run – would yield significant savings, though he said he was not necessarily advocating for that.

Mexicotte said that it distressed her that Willow Run and Ypsilanti “did not make a phone call to say they were going to do an RFP.” Trustee Susan Baskett agreed, likening the situation to AAPS “getting dumped at the prom.” Mexicotte reiterated how AAPS had decided to stay in the WISD consortium even when all but three districts pulled out because AAPS was the “linchpin” needed to make it work for the other districts. “I’m trying desperately to hang onto a top-drawer educational system, and I feel like at every turn we are being thwarted,” Mexicotte said. She suggested considering taking buses and drivers back within AAPS, or alternately, cutting busing entirely.

Marcel said the WISD has tried to be responsive to AAPS, and that it was not a fair assessment to say WISD had not addressed inefficiencies. When AAPS decided to change its overall transportation policy this year, Marcel said, “that changed everything.”

Transportation: Evaluation of WISD Transportation Services

Trustees Simone Lightfoot and Christine Stead expressed concerns that the board has not been given a requested update on operational statistics from the WISD. The operational stats would include a detailed breakdown of on-time arrivals and departures, and accidents/incidents. Marcel said the WISD has provided the board with a financial report, and will be undertaking a customer satisfaction survey of parents in the spring.

Stead said continuing to receive transportation services from the WISD wouldn’t be compelling if two of the three districts pulled out of the consortium. She added that the operational statistics were necessary to decide if AAPS should continue to work with the WISD on transportation. Lightfoot agreed, saying that the spring was too late to receive this information.

Mexicotte suggested to Marcel that he meet with trustees one-on-one to address their frustrations. She noted that the board has made “numerous” requests for information from the WISD that it has not received.

Transportation: Special Education Busing

Thomas wondered whether AAPS would leave special education busing in the hands of the WISD regardless of what it decides to do regarding general education busing. Allen said that was definitely a conversation that should happen, and noted that the fact that special education buses carry low numbers of students to central locations makes the consolidation of those services particularly appealing.

Transportation: AATA

Lightfoot strongly advocated subsidizing the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority to bus AAPS students rather than eliminating busing entirely. “AATA is thinking about its role,” she said. “We have a responsibility to work across government entities for the benefit of taxpayers.” [Lightfoot was one of 39 people who spoke at a public hearing on transportation held at a meeting of the Ann Arbor city council on Jan. 23. In her remarks, she encouraged increased collaboration between AAPS and AATA.]

Lightfoot also said she leaned toward supporting AATA rather than the WISD – because the AATA is in the business of providing transportation. She suggested that the AAPS could subsidize student bus passes, and that it’s important to give the community options, if AAPS eliminates busing entirely.

Baskett noted that if AAPS eliminates busing, many students will look to AATA to provide that transportation, and suggested that AAPS should give AATA a “heads up.”

Stead expressed concern with working with AATA while the transit authority is in the midst of a major transition to a countywide model. She noted that while Ann Arbor will still hold nearly half the seats on the restructured AATA board [7 of 15], it would not have a majority. Green agreed, saying that coordinating student transportation with AATA “is not as easy as it sounds, [and] … cannot happen on a short turnaround at all.”

Thomas noted that the basic problem with using AATA buses for students as he saw it was that AATA routes are “spokes of a wheel… intended to bring riders downtown, not to distribute people around the edge of the wheel.” Lightfoot said that AATA could be used to work in certain areas or at certain times of day, but Stead countered that AAPS cannot offer busing inequitably within student groups.

Nelson stated that there are models for this sort of cooperation, such as in Madison, Wisconsin. The strongest argument against the idea that it’s too hard, he said, is that this model works in other places.

Preschool/Headstart Update

Michelle Pogliano and Kecia Rorie – principal and vice-principal, respectively, of the district’s Preschool and Family Center – gave their annual report to the board outlining the various programs and services serving the youngest AAPS learners. The preschool serves children and their families from birth to five through four main programs – Head Start, the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), and Early On. Children can qualify for services in a variety of ways – based on low income, being “at-risk of school failure,” or having developmental delays or special needs.

Pogliano explained the impact on the preschool of Washtenaw County’s decision to relinquish management of the federal Head Start grant. At this time, she said, a request for proposals (RFP) has not yet been issued for another entity to take over Head Start, but it is anticipated that the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) will submit a proposal to become the new grantee. If local management of Head Start shifts to the WISD as anticipated, Pogliano said, AAPS preschool will remain a “delegate site” and the program’s structure will remain the same.

Nelson noted that Head Start’s grantee is required to make a 25% match of federal funding for program costs. He expressed concern about how that will play out. He questioned what the WISD would have to cut in order to provide the matching Head Start funds, which he estimated to be about $400,000.

Stead pointed out that federal funding is also likely to decrease over the next ten years, leading to a cumulative reduction that could have a serious impact on the ability of Head Start to be sustainable. Lightfoot agreed, saying that she feared the program might be phased out all together.

Trustees praised the preschool staff members for their dedication, and expressed their support for the preschool, regardless of what happens to federal Head Start funding. Pogliano said the new grantee should be in place by April.

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment

AAPS deputy superintendent of instruction Alesia Flye, director of instructional technology Anne Reader, and director of student accounting, testing, and administrative support Jane Landefeld updated the board on the implementation of the Northwest Evaluation Association’s (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment in the district this fall.

The board approved the purchase of the MAP in May 2011. It is an adaptive, computerized assessment of math and reading skills. The MAP is currently being administered to all AAPS students in grades K-5 and K-8 students at Ann Arbor Open at Mack and the Scarlett-Mitchell campus. It’s administered three times a year – in September, January, and May.

At the Jan. 25 COTW meeting, both Flye and superintendent Patricia Green acknowledged that the rollout of the new assessment tool had been rocky, but that staff is now more comfortable with it.

Green said there was a time this fall when the district had to decide whether to follow through with using the MAP. “There were complications with the implementation due to our archaic technology… It became a real nightmare,” Green said. She explained that after significant retooling of the product, by both the vendor and AAPS instructional technology department, “the glitches weren’t there this time around.”

Reader detailed how professional development has been used to teach AAPS staff how to administer the MAP, as well as how to use the data it provides. She walked the board through some examples of the reports and planning charts teachers can access, as well as how individual student data will be shared with parents. Use of student growth data among third grade teachers at Allen Elementary was highlighted.

Trustees expressed excitement about the uses of the growth-over-time data provided by the MAP, as well as the utility of looking at MAP data side-by-side with other information about students – such as classroom grades, other assessment scores, and demographic data.

Mexicotte noted that this work supports the “personalized curriculum” objective of the district’s strategic plan. Nelson and Thomas noted how MAP data can aid the district in closing the achievement gap.

Baskett requested that the information sent to parents about individual student data should be written in more user-friendly language and include suggestions on available resources for helping struggling students. Nelson agreed, saying, “If you tell someone they’ve got a problem, and don’t tell them what to do about it, you just cause stress and anxiety.” Green said that Flye has “tremendous talent” in communicating with families about student data, and that she was currently working on that.

Trustees also suggested there might be a need to increase the student accounting support staff as the district’s data management needs increase. Green agreed, “The workload is enormous.”

Agenda Planning

The board agreed to amend its meeting schedule to avoid meeting five weeks in a row – by canceling its Feb. 1 meeting, and switching the order of the next two meetings. The next regular meeting will be on Feb. 8, and a COTW meeting will be held on Feb. 15.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Christine Stead, secretary Andy Thomas, and trustees Susan Baskett, Simone Lightfoot, and Glenn Nelson.

Absent: Treasurer Irene Patalan

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012 at 7 p.m. at the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

Simone Lightfoot and Andy Thomas raise their right hands as they're sworn in at the Jan. 18, 2012 AAPS board meeting. They were both re-elected to the board last November. Sitting between them is board member Glenn Nelson. (Photo by the writer.)

Also at the meeting, the board handled myriad internal board organizational issues, typical for the board’s first meeting after the start of the term for newly elected members.

After a 15-minute delay coming out of an executive session, the AAPS board launched into its first meeting of the new year, beginning with trustees Simone Lightfoot and Andy Thomas taking their oaths of office after winning re-election this past November. Though elected to four-year terms, both trustees will likely serve the board through 2016 – in five-year terms – due to recent state legislation mandating that school board elections take place only in even-numbered Novembers.

The board’s first order of business was to elect its officers. Three of the four board officer positions were uncontested re-elections, and were approved unanimously – Deb Mexicotte as president, Irene Patalan as treasurer, and Andy Thomas as secretary. But Christine Stead was elected vice-president by a 5-2 vote over Susan Baskett, who had previously held the position. Baskett and trustee Simone Lightfoot dissented. The four officers took their oaths of office, and Mexicotte appointed Lightfoot as board parliamentarian.

AAPS deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen gave the board a summary of the state revenue consensus conference held last week, including his assessment that nothing he heard indicated that the district’s per-pupil funding would increase, despite a surplus in the state School Aid Fund.

Allen’s report prompted the board to direct AAPS superintendent Patricia Green and her staff to explore taking legal action against the state for misapplying School Aid Fund revenue.

Also at the meeting, the board reviewed and made some minor adjustments to its internal administration, including: a list of designated board associations; representation on administrative committees; time limits; meeting schedule; voting order; communication procedures; and committee structure.

Receiving an initial discussion by the board was the length of board terms,  as new state law governing board of education elections takes effect.  The board also gave initial discussion to the possibility of using BoardDocs, an electronic system of board document management, to organize board informational materials. Both of those items will return to the board for more discussion and a decision at the next regular board meeting.

Budget Update

As AAPS deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen approached the podium to give the board a budget update, AAPS superintendent Patricia Green thanked him for his dedication. She pointed out that Allen had been in Lansing for two days and drove back that day to be able to update trustees directly on the outcomes of the state revenue consensus conference. The board thanked Allen for attending the conference and getting the information firsthand.

Budget Update: State Revenue Consensus Conference

Allen explained that the state revenue consensus conference brings together representatives from the state treasury department the house and state fiscal agencies – in order to see if revenue is coming into the state at projected levels. All three entities, Allen said, agree that economic conditions in Michigan are improving, with their assessment based on three main data points: (1) overall retail sales revenue is increasing; (2) vehicle sales are increasing, and (3) unemployment is trending downward.

Allen reported that the state School Aid Fund (SAF) is currently projected to end the 2011-12 school year with a surplus of either $42 million or $142 million. And if the same level of appropriations is assumed for 2012-13, the SAF will end 2012-13 with a surplus of either $122 million or $222 million. The $100 million discrepancy is due to the fact that one agency includes the $100 million that has been historically transferred from the general fund to the SAF, whereas the other two agencies do not, Allen noted.

He then pointed out that even in the best case scenario, there is still not enough money in the fund to keep school districts at the 2011-12 funding level. That’s because in addition to SAF appropriations, this year school districts were also offered an additional $300 million in the form of retirement rate offsets and “best practices” incentive funding. Unless those offsets and/or incentives are offered again, even a $222 million projected surplus would not be enough to maintain current funding levels.

Allen also pointed out that a $400 million surplus in the SAF last year was distributed to community colleges and universities – even though Proposal A made it clear that such funding was supposed to be used only for K-12 education, he said.

Budget Update: AAPS Budget Considerations and Projections

Allen then reviewed how the state revenue conference projections affected the budget for AAPS. Based on what he had heard over the past two days, AAPS will still be facing a $14 million budget deficit for 2012-13. Allen then highlighted two specific considerations: the effect of the state-mandated employer retirement contributions; and the proposition of moving to all-day kindergarten throughout the district.

Allen reviewed the rising cost of funding the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS), which will cost the district more than a 27% surcharge on employee salaries by 2012-13. He noted that the state is aware of the crisis, and has tried to mandate a shift in employee retirement plans from defined benefit plans to blended defined benefit/defined contributions plans. However, such a shift has faced legal challenges from teachers’ unions. Allen also pointed out that the state has $133 million in a reserve fund – which could be used to offset the retirement costs. But there has been no indication from the state about how that fund will be allocated.

Allen then reviewed pending legislation for next school year that will reduce the foundation allowance for half-day kindergarten students by 50%. Therefore, he said, AAPS is studying the costs and benefits of moving to a full-day program for all kindergarten students. [Currently, the district offers a range of kindergarten options, including both full and half day programs, depending on the demographics of each elementary school.] Green added that she will be bringing a recommendation to the board regarding all-day kindergarten as soon as possible after an administrative group concludes its study of the issue on Jan. 30.

Budget Update: Exploration of Potential Legal Action

Trustee Christine Stead expressed her frustration with the state’s appropriation of School Aid Fund surplus to institutions of higher education, saying, “I know there was some small clause in Proposal A that could be seen as allowing this in certain circumstances, but the spirit of the law has been violated in every way.” She suggested that that board direct AAPS administration to explore taking legal action against the state for its misuse of the SAF. “Time has come and gone for this.” she argued, “At what point do we say enough is enough?”

Lightfoot and Baskett responded to Stead’s suggestion with clear support. Nelson, Thomas, and Patalan were also supportive, but expressed concern about the allocation of AAPS resources to what could be a lengthy legal fight. Nelson suggested that if an initial exploration shows that a lawsuit would not pan out, AAPS could still address the issue by “going the political route.”

Mexicotte said she would be interested in finding out what the district’s legal prospects would be, and reminded the board that AAPS was a party to a set of lawsuits in the late 1990s [Durant v. State of Michigan] that succeeded in returning special education funding to local districts. “It is not without precedence that we have worked with other local districts and succeeded,” she said.

Consent Agenda Approved

The Jan. 18 consent agenda contained two items that were discussed as second briefing items – AAPS Educational Foundation Grant Awards, and the newly-crafted, district-wide Board Policy #6160 (Fines and Obligations). The first quarter financial report, minutes approvals, and gift offers were also on the consent agenda, but elicited no discussion.

Consent Agenda: Foundation Grant Awards

AAPS Educational Foundation (AAPSEF) executive director Wendy Correll came to the podium and offered to answer any questions trustees had about the set of grants being approved. She noted that the AAPSEF had just received an additional grant to fund a position currently held by Azibo Stevens, the district’s liaison to the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s Education Project for Homeless Youth (EPHY), since state and federal funding for the position had “dried up.”

Lightfoot asked how many homeless students are part of AAPS, and Correll told her it was in the high 300s. Green added that a recent study suggested there could be as many as 140 additional students who have not yet been identified as homeless. Lightfoot said she would interested in a presentation from Stevens on the state of homelessness and truancy in the district. Mexicotte added that “educational neglect” is a related issue, and agreed it would be useful to have Stevens clarify the responsibilities of the district and the WISD as they relate to these students.

Consent Agenda: Fines and Obligations Policy

Mexicotte noted that many aspects of the regulations surrounding this policy were discussed at the board’s first briefing, but reminded everyone that the board only has purview over the policy itself. In that vein, she said, she suggested amending the policy by adding the following sentence to the end of the policy as a separate paragraph, to address the board’s main concern about the issue:

At no time shall a student be denied access to educational facilities or resources directly related to the free and appropriate public education of that student pending the resolution of outstanding fines or obligations.

Mexicotte also responded to some concerns of board members that the charge on returned materials should reflect the condition of the materials when lent. She reviewed than fines should be levied on students only outside of what would be considered “normal wear and tear.” Green added that with a policy in place, she was confident that school administrators would be able to achieve consistency in the application of this policy.

Outcome: The consent agenda was approved unanimously.

Board Organization

Every January the board reviews its internal organizational structure and procedures, and makes amendments if desired. At the Jan. 18 meeting, trustees reviewed and made some minor adjustments to various aspects of the board’s internal administration, including: time limits; list of designated board associations; representation on administrative committees; voting order; communication procedures; and committee structure. Three students spoke at public commentary regarding the board’s designation of the Youth Senate as one of its associations.

Board Organization: Time Limits

Mexicotte noted the last regular board meeting, which adjourned just after 2:00 a.m., included some discussion about doing business that late:  Was it in the best interest of the district or the trustees? She requested that trustees either acknowledge that meeting with unlimited discussion time may mean that board business takes a long time to complete, or agree to limit meeting length.

Thomas said he has felt somewhat stung by criticism regarding the length of board meetings, and offered to write guidelines that the board could adopt as policy in order to “eliminate redundancies” in discussion. Patalan advocated instead for greater self-regulation by trustees. Nelson suggested that a greater use of the parliamentary procedure of “calling the question” would lead to a heightened consciousness of time.

Lightfoot countered that she was concerned with discussion being cut off prematurely. She also expressed concern with the “I-know-where-you’re-going-with-this sentiment” she often hears at the table, “because you don’t know necessarily” where discussion is headed, she said. “We have a loaded agenda. There is not a whole lot of fat to get rid of.” If anything, Lightfoot said, the board should consider limiting its agenda, but not its discussion.

Mexicotte summarized the time limits discussion by saying that she had not heard any consensus on changing the board’s practice of speaking as long as it takes and giving all items the time they need to be resolved, while maintaining the option of calling the question to a vote. “Am I hearing this correctly?” she asked. “No change is basically what I’m hearing.”

Patalan disagreed, saying that simply the fact that the board discussed this issue would have an impact. She pointed out that not every board member had commented on every item thus far in the Jan. 18 meeting.

Thomas agreed with Mexicotte, saying, “I heard what you heard. What I heard was that the board has no problem with going on until one or two in the morning on a regular basis, and that there is no sentiment to do anything on a concerted basis to control our time management. If that’s the will of the board, I can stay up just as long as the rest of you. However, I wanted to bring forward some concerns.”

Mexicotte summarized the bottom line as she saw it on time limits: “What I want to affirm here is that if we decide we are going to talk as long as it takes on these very substantial matters, that we have a shared agreement that if a vote comes at 1:30 [a.m.], that’s when it comes, and that it’s not a fault of the process.”

Outcome: Trustees agreed they would not add time limits to their discussions, or limit the length of their meetings.

Board Organization: Public Comment on Youth Senate

Members of the district’s Youth Senate voiced their concerns about the board’s reconsideration of its associations. AAPS student Aoxue Tang said they applauded the board’s interest in expanding student engagement, but said it this effort should not compromise the board’s partnership with the Youth Senate.

Another student, Keely Earhardt, added that the process of involving students “should not move backward.” She noted that one advantage of allowing the Youth Senate as a board association is that it represents all high school students. Earhardt argued that if representatives from individual high schools are invited to present to the board, student voice becomes “competitive and fragmented.”

Public commentary on the Youth Senate was concluded by a student, Priya Menon, who reviewed the successes of Youth Senate initiatives in individual high schools. She highlighted ways the Youth Senate has strengthened student voice and opened up dialogue between students and administration.

Board Organization: Designated Board Associations

The board reviewed its designated associations. Currently, the board allows six groups to offer reports at all regular board meetings – the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA), Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), and the Youth Senate.

There was some disagreement about whether to continue to invite the AAAA to report to the board – because the group sends a representative to the board less frequently than other groups. However, it was generally agreed that without a policy governing required attendance, the door should be left open to the AAAA.

Trustees also discussed the possibility of allowing other bargaining units – in addition to the AAEA – to report to the board, perhaps in a rotating system of one or two association seats at each meeting.

The broader inclusion of student voice was also discussed, with multiple trustees giving accolades to the Youth Senate, as well as to AAPS assistant superintendent of secondary education Joyce Hunter – for working with the high schools to prepare a schedule for high school representatives to the report to the board. Lightfoot said she wanted to “reassure the Youth Senate that it was because they did so well that we wanted to hear from others, too.” She also said she would like to hear from a wide range of students, including those “standing in the [achievement] gap.”

Mexicotte suggested the board hold a broader discussion on its designated associations in the committee of the whole, addressing the schedule of speakers and attendance rules, as well as possible time frames and topic lists for speaking.

Outcome: The board voted to continue to invite the AAEA, AAPAC, AAAA, PTOC, BPSSG, and Youth Senate to make regular reports the board, along with additional representatives from each of the six high schools, on a rotating schedule to be determined by the board’s committee of the whole.

Board Organization: Administrative Committee Assignments

Board discussion about administrative committee assignments centered on two external groups – the Washtenaw Association of School Boards Legislative Relations Network (WASB LRN), and the city/schools committee.

Nelson informed the board that the WASB LRN position is likely to be different in the future due to the newly forming Washtenaw Alliance for Education. That’s a group designated by the WASB board of directors. The WAE would contain 33 people – two board members and the superintendent from each of the ten member districts of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD), and from the WISD itself. If approved by member districts, Nelson said, the WAE would provide way to influence legislation at the state level in a timely fashion. The group plans to meet monthly on Tuesdays at 6 p.m.

Once the WAE is officially formed, the WASB LRN would essentially “hibernate,” Nelson explained. AAPS superintendent Patricia Green added that the model of a county-wide legislative advocacy group was used very successfully in Pennsylvania, where she has worked previously. Nelson closed by saying that the creation of the Alliance will not eliminate the need for local boards to act on their own, but should build on local action rather than supplant it.

The city/schools committee has not met in several years. Baskett noted that she has gotten a sense that the hesitation in meeting has not come from the city council or city administration side, but from the side of AAPS. Given this, Baskett questioned whether the city/schools committee will be viable.

Stead confirmed that she had recently spoken to city council members Sabra Briere and Jane Lumm at an event, and that they had each expressed interest in working more closely with the school board. Mexicotte confirmed that trustees were intent on reviving the defunct committee, and suggested that trustees reach out to make the invitation to city council members, and to the mayor’s office within 60 days. Nelson added that the city/schools committee should communicate with the recreation advisory committee, which maintains an active discussion among city and school representatives.

With input from the trustees, Mexicotte then made the following appointments:

• Lightfoot and Stead to the expulsion hearing/grade change/reinstatement panel;
• Baskett, Patalan, and Stead to the city/schools committee;
• Nelson to the recreation advisory committee;
• Patalan to the celebration of excellence committee;
• Mexicotte to the transportation safety committee;
• Thomas to the AAPS Educational Foundation as a board member;
• Lightfoot to the Youth Senate (if requested);
• Baskett to Health Place 101 [part of the University of Michigan Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools];
• Nelson to the Washtenaw Association of School Boards as a district board representative;
• Stead to the Washtenaw Association of School Boards Legislative Relations Network; and
• Lightfoot to the Michigan Association of School Boards Legislative Relations Network.

Outcome: The board agreed to renew the charge of the City-Schools committee, and all trustees agreed to their individual appointments, as listed above.

Board Organization: Meeting Schedule

As a way to make more efficient use of meeting time, the board considered expanding its summer meeting schedule. “Maybe we’re not on an agrarian schedule any more either,” Mexicotte suggested.

Trustees agreed that summer meetings could be used to do policy work, textbook adoptions, supply approvals, and hearing from summer school students, among other business. There was also agreement that not all seven trustees were needed, if vacation schedules prevented it, but that meeting more over the summer could allow trustees to off-load some of the work usually addressed during the school year.

Patalan noted that all of the committee of the whole (COTW) meetings were scheduled to take place at the Balas Administration building, and suggested holding them at various school buildings instead. The board expressed support for the idea.

Mexicotte requested that trustees submit their summer schedules to Osinski as soon as possible, and that Osinski put forth a board meeting schedule for the remainder of the 2012 calendar year within two regular board meetings.

Outcome: The board voted to meet twice in July and August – one regular meeting and one COTW meeting, and to relocate COTW meetings to school buildings.

Board Organization: Voting Order

Mexicotte noted that at the previous board meeting, a trustee questioned why the board always voted in alphabetical order. She asked trustees to consider whether they wanted to revise this past practice.

Nelson, Stead, and Baskett said they preferred board secretary Amy Osinski to read trustees’ names in a random order for every roll call vote. As a rationale for his opinion, Nelson offered, “Those who vote later in the process know things that others in the beginning did not know. That’s an obvious difference.” However, he also pointed out, “One can argue that it’s good to vote early because you can be such a strong influence on the group.” Stead said simply that voting in random order would make trustees focus more on their own votes.

Thomas, Lightfoot, and Patalan expressed interest in maintaining the board practice of taking roll call votes in alphabetical order. Thomas noted that he thought the decision was a “pretty trivial” one.

Mexicotte then said she was inclined to continue voting in alphabetical order because for her, “random is just too random – we just have [Osinski] tossing darts.” She suggested maintaining an order, but switching to reverse alphabetical. Trustees agreed to vote in reverse alphabetical order.

Referencing the board’s earlier decision not to limit discussion, Thomas noted, “If there is any doubt why our meetings last until 2 am, the last 15 minutes should provide ample explanation.”

Outcome: The board agreed to vote in reverse alphabetical order.

Board Organization: Communication Procedures

The board reviewed its internal communication procedures, as well as how it communicates with the AAPS administration and the community as a whole.

No changes were made to the board’s internal communication, except that some trustees requested a phone call from board secretary Amy Osinski regarding urgent matters – because they are not in continuous e-mail contact.

Trustees then discussed their relatively new process of making superintendent Patricia Green the single point of contact between the board and AAPS administrators and staff. That was something they had agreed to at their first committee of the whole meeting this fall. Thomas, Stead, Patalan, and Nelson reported that the process is working well for them, but Lightfoot and Baskett disagreed.

Lightfoot argued that with Green as the gatekeeper, “All seven [trustees] are not getting the same access to the cabinet.” Baskett also questioned the timeliness of having to wait for a reply via Green when in the past, she has been able to call specific cabinet members directly with a question.

Green clarified that it is best practice for all communication between trustees and top administrators to go through her, but that there is no prohibition against trustees contacting staff with specific questions. She noted that her cabinet has come back to her since the board began instituting this new process and reported how much better smoother and better this has been. “We have to avoid fragmentation,” Green said. “We have to work [trustees’] questions into the work flow, and can’t answer every question quickly.”

Mexicotte said she was concerned about the perception of unequal access to the cabinet, but suggested that when fielding constituents’ questions, trustees could refer them to AAPS staff or administrators directly. Lightfoot called that approach “a luxury,” and suggested that in some communities, referring constituents to the superintendent instead of answering their questions directly would be interpreted by the constituents as “putting them off.”

Patalan suggested the alternative of simply telling constituents it may take a while to get an answer for them. Lightfoot responded to Patalan’s suggestion by saying that would work for her better than telling a constituent to call someone else. Nelson also answered that if the superintendent does not grant a trustee access to her staff for whatever reason, the trustee always has the recourse of bringing the issue up at a board meeting. “If I can get a majority,” he explained as an example, “I can change that answer.”

Board Organization: Committee Structure

The board considered creating two board-level task forces or ad-hoc committees – one to focus on the technology bond and one to focus on legislative advocacy – but in the end decided not to create either one.

Regarding the upcoming technology bond millage campaign, Mexicotte noted that Stead and Nelson had already been in touch with the Citizens’ Millage Committee (CMC). Baskett asked for information on the work on the committee, and a list of its members.

Nelson explained that a similar group of people has come together to form the CMC during the past few AAPS millage campaigns, and that the CMC will function as the campaign’s advocacy arm. Because the district is legally prohibited from advocating for a “yes” vote on the millage, the CRC complements the internal group of AAPS administrators who are responsible for assessing the district’s technology needs, researching costs, and deciding how to make the most of any bond money approved by the voters.

Nelson named James Corey, Donna Lasinski, Steve Norton, Amy Pachera, Laurie Barnett, and Margy Long as some of the CMC members, but said he was sure he had forgotten some other names.

Trustees decided not to form a board-level technology bond committee, but to support the work of the CMC as well as the AAPS administrative group working on the issue. “It sounds like we have a strong role to play as advocates,” Mexicotte said.

Regarding the possibility of a legislative advocacy committee, the board decided to table the formation of such a committee pending the creation of the Washtenaw Alliance for Education [described above]. Trustees agreed that the WAE was worth their investment of time, but noted that, if necessary, they would revisit forming an AAPS legislative advocacy committee in the future.

Length of Board Terms

The board briefly discussed a first briefing item that would lengthen the term of board trustees to six years instead of four. The idea was suggested in response to recent state legislation requiring school boards to hold elections only in even-numbered Novembers. In AAPS, this will mean that a majority of the board (4 members) will be up for consideration in every other election. This would allow for a shift in the majority, unless the board votes to change the length of its own terms.

Board members did a quick straw poll on the issue, with the majority expressing an interest in maximizing board continuity while allowing the voters as much control as possible. Thomas noted that having six-year terms might increase the number of trustee resignations in the middle of a term, so it may be better to stick with four-year terms and risk that a majority of the board would turn over in one year. Mexicotte noted that six-year terms might set the bar too high for people to run.

Lightfoot said she trusts the voters, and that they should be able to vote people out in four years. Baskett was blunt, “Six years is just plain crazy … This is a volunteer position.”

Trustees noted that they would be interested in receiving feedback from the community on the issue before voting on it at the next regular meeting.

Outcome: The issue of board term lengths will come up for more discussion and a vote at the board’s next regular meeting.

BoardDocs: Electronic Document Management

The board had discussed moving to BoardDocs – a “paperless governing solution” – at its retreat in July 2011. At the Jan. 18 meeting, the board held a first briefing and discussion about BoardDocs.

The board packet contained a memo from board secretary Amy Osinski recommending that the board adopt BoardDocs, a paperless, electronic document management system.

Lightfoot and Thomas expressed their preference for hard copies, but said they could print the board packets out. Patalan and Baskett also expressed mixed feelings about the prospect of moving to a paperless system. Patalan acknowledged that she believes some aspects of BoardDocs would be very beneficial, such as transparency, the ease of updating policy, and being able to link to other districts.

Baskett suggested that the board would need to explore what to do to ensure connectivity, such as purchasing a computer for Osinski that could be used as a connectivity hub, or “hot spot.”  Baskett also said that she herself would require a “live body” next to her to help for the first couple of meetings, but that she thought it was important for the board to be a role model using technology – “it’s about time,” she said.

Lightfoot asked how much the district would really save, if confidential board packets are still to be printed and delivered by courier. Osinski replied that there are only a handful of confidential packets each year, and that the copy company can deliver them instead of a courier. She also noted that the cost of policy books and other large copy orders would be significantly reduced.

Osinski said overall, she expects the time savings to be huge. Although there are initial costs, BoardDocs would be worth pursing for efficiency, she said. BoardDocs would save the district approximately $4,000 to $5,000 per year in printing costs, she said.

Thomas reviewed the proposed costs as outlined in the board packet. If AAPS makes a five-year agreement with BoardDocs, the cost will be $9,000 per year, which would include maintenance, support, installation, training, upgrades, and customization. The annual cost would increase for shorter agreements, and all require a $1,000 implementation fee.

Osinski noted that BoardDocs has only “gone down” once in 11 years, and that the district would be reimbursed for the time when the system was down, if it ever happened again.

Mexicotte noted that her concern about moving to BoardDocs was about eye contact and meeting management. “I struggle with the laptop format in a meeting like this because you’ve got your nose in it and you’re behind a screen,” she said. Thomas said that trustees would be able to see each other’s faces over the screen, and pointed out how everyone could see the faces of the media representatives even though they were using laptops at the meeting. He joked that the greater concern might be whether trustees were really looking at the web pages they were supposed to be looking at during meetings.

Baskett suggested including corollary costs in the second briefing discussion, including any additional costs for ensuring connectivity.

Outcome: The question of moving to the BoardDocs paperless document management system will be reviewed at second briefing and voted on at the next regular board meeting.

Public Comment: Hiring

Jim Turner spoke of his disappointment about the board’s recent hiring actions. “I have never seen a bigger display of arrogance … You don’t know everything, and you just decide what’s best … You don’t listen to what people have to say … I don’t believe you’re looking out for kids…You don’t care about what the people in the district want.”  [Turner may have been alluding to the board's recent decision to award a bid for HVAC journeyman services to D.M. Burr, a non-union company in Flint, MI.]

Awards and Accolades

In honor of National School Board Week, Joe De Marsh, conductor of the Tappan Middle School chamber orchestra recognized the work of the trustees. His students then played three selections for the board.

Superintendent’s Report

Green thanked the local chapter of The Links for recently sponsoring “Beyond the Bricks,” a media project and opportunity for national community engagement on the consistently low performance and graduation rates of black males. She noted that AAPS assistant superintendent for secondary education Joyce Hunter had moderated a panel discussion after the film, and that the event had been very enlightening.

Green also offered congratulations to various schools, students, and staff members for exemplary work across the district, and the receipt of awards throughout the state. She also praised many of the community services projects recently undertaken by AAPS students and staff.

Finally, Green recognized the trustees for their work as part of school board appreciation month, and offered them certificates of gratitude. “I think it’s important that the conversations you all have are genuine and that they represent who you are,” Green said. “It’s because of what you do that we appreciate the results of what you do.”

Student Discipline

Based on the board’s earlier hearing, held in closed session, Mexicotte said, she moved to expel Student A from AAPS as required by the state of Michigan and board of education policy. Her motion was seconded by Stead.

Baskett noted that the board usually puts a time limit on its disciplinary actions, and Mexicotte said the action would be for 180 days. She also noted that in the hearing the board had requested that the educational needs of the student would be supported by referral to alternative education.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the expulsion of Student A.

Acceptance of Canvassers Report

On Nov. 8, 2011, voters in the AAPS district voted to re-elect Simone Lightfoot and Andy Thomas to four-year terms.

Outcome: With no discussion, the board voted to unanimously accept the canvassers report from the November 2011 board election.

Agenda Planning

Mexicotte noted that she would add an agenda item regarding homelessness, truancy, and how the district interacts with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) on such matters. She also reminded board members that the next committee of the whole (COTW) meeting was next week, and that the February meetings are taking place on a condense schedule due to mid-winter break.

Lightfoot questioned the achievement update’s place on the board calendar in March and asked if it had changed. Green answered that no, it had always been planned for March.

Items from the Board

Stead encouraged her colleagues to sign up for the inaugural Ann Arbor marathon being held on June 17, 2012. She noted that they would have a full six months to train, and urged, “This is do-able!”

Stead also announced the upcoming Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad, the largest event of its kind in the nation.

Thomas invited the board and public to a performance this week of Life Sciences orchestra, in which Thomas plays the viola. He pointed out that this concert is geared to a younger audience, and will include an “instrument petting zoo” sponsored by Shar Music. The concert will be held at 4 p.m. on Sun. Jan. 22, 2012 at Hill auditorium, and is free.

Baskett invited everyone to an event on Mon. Jan 23 co-hosted by the local Student Advocacy Center and the ACLU. Saying it would be a forum to talk about student rights and responsibilities as they deal with expulsions, Baskett said the event would be “packed full of information.” The event will be held at the Peace Neighborhood Center from 6-8 p.m., and an RSVP is requested to attend:

Mexicotte noted that the WISD would be running a workshop on superintendent evaluations from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Sat. Feb. 18 to bring the ten county districts together.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Christine Stead, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Susan Baskett, Simone Lightfoot, and Glenn Nelson.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, at 7 p.m. at the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

Brought forward by superintendent Patricia Green, the amendments raised the salary of deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen by 7%, and that of assistant superintendent of human resource and legal services Dave Comsa by 12%. The board also reclassified Comsa’s position, bringing him up to the executive level of the superintendent’s cabinet, and changing his title to “deputy superintendent of human resources and general counsel.”

From left: Ann Arbor Public Schools administrators Dawn Linden, Liz Margolis, Alesia Flye, Dave Comsa, and Robert Allen. At its Dec. 14 meeting, the AAPS board voted on contracts for all of these administrators, with the exception of Margolis. (Photo by the writer.)

The board initially voted to consider the contracts as a first briefing, which meant the item would return to the board’s next meeting for a final vote, allowing more time for public input. But later in the meeting – about 1:30 a.m. – board president Deb Mexicotte moved to reconsider that initial vote, which it did, and the item was then classified as a special briefing, allowing the board to take a final vote that night. Trustee Simone Lightfoot called the move a “bait and switch.”

Mexicotte defended her decision, saying that she is elected to make decisions like these on behalf of the district. Other trustees backed that view. Irene Patalan said she often explains her vote to constituents after the fact, and this time would be no different.

In the end, concerns over transparency and equity for other employees were outweighed by the belief that salary adjustments were needed to retain Comsa and Allen, and to reflect their value to the district.

Also at the Dec. 14 meeting, on a 6-1 vote, the board ratified contracts for two new administrators hired by Green to complete her cabinet: deputy superintendent of instruction Alesia Flye, and assistant superintendent of elementary education Dawn Linden.

The set of contract ratifications reflect Green’s desire to reorganize her executive cabinet to contain three deputy superintendents – Allen, Comsa, and Flye – at an equivalent salary of $140,000.

This report will cover in detail the discussions and procedure regarding the administrative contract ratifications. Additional coverage of the remainder of the Dec. 14 board of education meeting will be forthcoming in a separate report.

Agenda Approval

Near the beginning of the Dec. 14 meeting, the board engaged in a review of the meeting’s agenda, which it typically does with a simple assent. What made the Dec. 14 meeting agenda review atypical was an extended repertoire of parliamentary procedures: a motion, a friendly amendment, a calling of the question, and two roll call votes.

Part of the agenda included an item on ratifications for four administrator contracts: deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen; assistant superintendent of human resource and legal services Dave Comsa; deputy superintendent of instruction Alesia Flye, and assistant superintendent of elementary education Dawn Linden.

The item was included on the original agenda as a “special briefing.” Such items are briefed only once and voted on at the same meeting, usually because they are of a time-sensitive nature. A somewhat more common process is for the board to give an item an initial review as a “first briefing” and then, at a subsequent meeting, vote on it as a “second briefing” item.

Agenda Approval: Motion to Reclassify to First Briefing

Trustee Simone Lightfoot argued that the public should have a chance to give feedback on the ratification of administrative contracts before they are approved. So she made a motion to change the administrative contract ratification agenda item from a special briefing to a first briefing item. That meant it would be discussed at the Dec. 14 meeting, but would then return to the board for a second briefing and vote at its next regular meeting.

Trustee Andy Thomas asked superintendent Patricia Green if there was anything time-sensitive about the contracts that would make it problematic to postpone a vote on them. Green responded that she was concerned about waiting any longer to ratify the contracts for Alesia Flye, deputy superintendent of instruction, and Dawn Linden, assistant superintendent of elementary education, who were hired on Sept. 1 and Oct. 18, respectively.

Agenda Approval: Board Policy on Contract Ratification

Green explained her impetus for bringing the four contracts to the board for review. She reported that when she was in the process of extending offers to Flye and Linden, who were hired to fill vacancies due to retirements, she thought she had the authority to offer contracts to administrators without board approval. As such, Green explained, contracts for Flye and Linden were signed by Green and board president Deb Mexicotte without coming before the board.

Green stated that it wasn’t until she started to do research on contracts for Comsa and Allen, in order to bring them forward for possible amendment, that she found “deeply embedded” in board policy 2120 – Superintendent Contracting Authority – that cabinet-level employment contracts require board approval. Though it had not been established practice to do so, Green consulted Comsa, who counseled that indeed Green should present the contracts to the board for ratification.

Agenda Approval: Discussion on Board Policy 2120

Lightfoot asked what sort of predicament the board would be in if trustees voted down contracts for Flye and Linden, even though they had already been signed. Green responded that, though the contracts should have been brought to the board first, they were signed in good faith and the district should honor them.

Lightfoot expressed frustration that the board was being asked to ratify contracts “after the fact.” Mexicotte and trustee Susan Baskett each stated that they remembered administrative contracts coming before the board in years past, but that this practice had become out of compliance with board policy in recent years.

Green pointed out that she was trying to change past practice to comply with board policy and asserted, “The buck does stop with me.”

Lightfoot thanked Green for highlighting where the district needs to improve. Thomas also thanked Green for rectifying the policy variance and increasing the district’s transparency on this issue.

Trustee Glenn Nelson commented that the governance group of the seven trustees and the superintendent need to help each other out if any of them notices inconsistent application of board policies, and he acknowledged “sharing the responsibility for this procedural snafu.”

Agenda Approval: Motion to Reclassify to First Briefing – Discussion

Based on Green’s explanation, Thomas requested that Lightfoot (and Baskett, who had seconded her motion) consider a friendly amendment to split the administrative contract ratification agenda item into two parts – retaining the discussion and approval of contracts for Flye and Linden as a special briefing, but moving discussion of contracts for Comsa and Allen to first briefing.

After some additional clarification, Lightfoot and Baskett agreed to the friendly amendment suggested by Thomas.

Baskett asked when the second briefing and vote would take place, because the next board meeting – on Jan. 18, 2012 – is its annual organizational meeting, when board officers and committee appointments are set, and the board reviews its processes and procedures. Mexicotte answered that the organizational meeting is not usually for doing work, but noted that because it now occurs in the middle of the school year [it was previously held over the summer, when board elections were held in May], perhaps the board will need to take up some of its regular work at that meeting as well.

Baskett then echoed Lightfoot’s concern that putting the contract ratifications on the board agenda as a special briefing was “not fair to the community,” especially in light of how the district “[has] been preaching to the community that we are resource-constrained.”

Thomas called the question on Lightfoot’s motion to a vote, and Christine Stead seconded. The parliamentary move of calling the question is intended to end debate and force a vote on the item.

Outcome on calling the question: The roll call vote on whether to close discussion on Lightfoot’s motion passed 5-2, with Mexicotte and Patalan dissenting.

Outcome on main item: The roll call vote on Lightfoot’s motion, as amended, to shift the ratification of contract amendments for Comsa and Allen from special briefing to first briefing passed 4-3, with Baskett, Lightfoot, Mexicotte, and Thomas voting yes, and Nelson, Patalan and Stead dissenting.

First Briefing: Current Administrators

Green opened the discussion of contract amendments for Comsa and Allen by reminding the board that after taking the job as superintendent, she had wanted to spend some time assessing AAPS operations and organization before making any changes, and she had said she “did not want to make change just for change’s sake.” Saying she would not be bringing forward the contract amendments without reason, Green then outlined her rationale for the proposed changes.

First Briefing: Current Administrators – Green’s Rationale

Green began by explaining her thoughts behind suggesting the reclassification of Comsa’s position from assistant superintendent of human resources and legal services to deputy superintendent of human resources and general counsel, saying that the title shift would allow AAPS to use Comsa to attract revenue in the future. Green suggested, “The WISD [Washtenaw Intermediate School District] might want to use Mr. Comsa … There are [also] some smaller districts that do not have the kind of resources we have here.”

Green also said she has been very impressed with the legal services Comsa provides to the district. “There are very few folks of his stature in the entire state,” she asserted. “He is very marketable and could very easily be marketed right out of AAPS.” Green argued that, in her review of Comsa’s work, she could see that he has saved the district at least $500,000 a year in legal fees, and gave two examples.

Just this week, Green said, Comsa saved the district $55,000 “by reviewing some billings and saying ‘we don’t think this is appropriate.’” She also noted that AAPS recently fielded an Office of Civil Rights complaint [regarding the effect of athletics budget reductions on Title IX requirements], and that Comsa was able to get it dismissed by providing excellent leadership during the review process. “If it had not been dismissed, the legal fees could have continued to multiply,” she asserted. “The risk management function is something very significant. This is something we should not take lightly.”

In terms of her proposed raise for Comsa, which would take him from $124,542 to $140,000, Green argued that there was precedence in the district for having the head of human resources be a deputy-level position, and for all three deputies having the same compensation package. Finally, she offered some comparable salary ranges for the board to consider: Wayne-Westland is paying over $160,000; Warren and Utica are each paying over $140,000; and Troy is paying $151,900. Green noted that if Comsa chose to leave the district, the district would not be able to attract a good replacement without significantly raising the compensation level.

Regarding Allen’s proposed contract amendment, which took his salary from $130,556 to $140,000, Green said he has worked closely with her to make the Medicaid reimbursement happen. [This will be discussed further in Part 2 of this meeting report. In brief, Green’s comment refers to $1.4 million in AAPS special education reimbursements currently being held by the WISD that Green is working to get returned to AAPS.] Green also noted that Allen worked diligently to be certain AAPS qualified for best practices incentives offered by the state of Michigan. Finally, she reiterated that the three deputy superintendent positions should be at the same compensation level.

First Briefing: Current Administrators – Board Discussion

Thomas said he was torn about this issue. On one hand, he noted, his previous professional experience as a chief administrative officer of a large medical practice makes him sensitive to the fact that salaries should keep pace with market conditions. He argued that Allen had done an admirable job taking the lead on high-profile, high-controversy issues, and that Comsa has also been an exceptional leader behind-the-scenes. In this vein, Thomas said, “Frankly, I think both of them without question deserve a salary increase.”

However, Thomas said, the district has a lot of good people – including principals, teachers, paraprofessionals and others – who have not received pay raises. “I am very concerned about the message we are sending to our rank and file that we recognize inequities among cabinet and will rectify them, but not the rank-and-file salaries.” Thomas said he recognizes that the money in this situation is “a drop in the bucket,” but argued that it does “move the needle in the wrong direction” while the district grapples with another $14 million in budget reductions.

Finally, Thomas said he feels a little better about approving a salary increase in Comsa’s position because it would be based in part on a reclassification of his position. He asked Green if her rationale for raising Allen’s salary was primarily to equalize salaries among administrators of the same rank. Green answered that it’s possible that Allen could be used to consult with other districts in the future too, but that is not part of what she is proposing currently.

Stead asserted that the salary increases being proposed for Allen and Comsa are small relative to the savings they have brought, and will continue to bring the district. She reminded her colleagues that in the past five years alone, AAPS has had to cut $50 million out of its budget, and that Allen and Comsa have done that work. She also pointed out that former superintendent Todd Roberts left AAPS to manage a much smaller group of students for significantly more pay. She argued that the district especially needs good leaders during these times when the state is not valuing education.

Patalan said she is willing to support an excellent team, and noted that Green is using her experience to bring new ideas to the district and look at things differently.

Nelson said Comsa and Allen have performed admirably under very stressful conditions. Like Patalan, Nelson pointed out that Green’s fresh perspective confirms that these are really excellent, important people to the district. Saying he supports Green’s recommended contract amendments in part because of the stresses the district is under, Nelson noted that Allen and Comsa will be with the district longer than any short-term pushback from the community.

Lightfoot asked whether Green was aiming to give all cabinet members parity in compensation, and Green answered, no, just the deputies. Lightfoot then argued that AAPS cannot be compared to other places because it has other amenities. She also suggested tying Comsa’s salary to a percentage of whatever he brings to the district in terms of additional revenue, instead of giving him a raise preemptively. Green countered that Comsa has already saved the district $500,000 in legal fees.

Baskett said that AAPS cannot compete on price, but offers employees a great quality of life. She said she has a concern about bringing all the deputies up to the $140,000 level at which Flye was hired. Baskett asserted that new employees coming in will always “negotiate high,” and argued that the district should not continually ask to realign top salaries every time someone leaves and a new person comes in. Finally, Baskett noted that the district has communicated to the community the need to sacrifice everywhere, and that the board needs to be cautious about proceeding with these proposed raises.

Mexicotte simply noted, “At this time I am in support of these amended administrative contracts as presented by [Green].”

Outcome: Votes are not taken on first briefing items. So as a first briefing item, these proposed contract amendments would usually have been brought back for a second briefing and vote at the next regular meeting. However, later in the Dec. 14 meeting, the items were eventually returned to special briefing status and approved.

Special Briefing: New Administrators

After holding the first briefing on proposed amendments to contracts for Comsa and Allen, board members returned to the discussion they had begun during the agenda approval, and discussed the ratification of the two new administrative contracts the district recently signed.

Deputy superintendent of instruction Alesia Flye was extended an annual contract for $140,000 on Sept. 1, 2011, and assistant superintendent of elementary education Dawn Linden was extended an annual contract for $117,900 on Oct. 18, 2011. Both contracts were signed by Green and Mexicotte, but not brought before the board as required in board policy 2120.

Special Briefing: New Administrators – What Is a Raise?

Lightfoot contended that giving $140,000 to Flye when that is more than the salary of her predecessor was essentially giving Flye a raise before she had even started working for the district. [Former interim deputy superintendent of instruction Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley’s salary was set at $132,000.]

Green countered that it’s not considered a raise for an individual who hasn’t been here. She argued that the market is such that if AAPS paid less than that, they would not be able to get a “top quality” person, and pointed out that the range for Flye’s position goes up to $169,000 in comparable districts.

Lightfoot asserted that there is no shortage of people wanting to work for AAPS. In response, Mexicotte and Green pointed out that the Flye did not accept the first offer made by AAPS, but negotiated a higher salary before accepting the position.

Nelson thanked Flye and Linden for bringing their “considerable talents” to the district.

Special Briefing: New Administrators – Incentive Compensation

Baskett asked for clarification about the “incentive compensation” section of the contracts being considered. [.pdf of contracts. See section 9 of Appendix 1 – Fringe Benefits within each contract.] Incentive pay is offered to top administrators based on the percentage of their performance objectives they reach each year. On top of their regular salaries, they are paid an additional $4,500 for reaching 100% of their performance objectives; $4,000 for reaching more than 90% but less than 100% of their performance objectives; and $3,500 for reaching more than 80% but less than 90% of their performance objectives.

“Is this consistent with other contracts?” Baskett asked Green. “How did you come up with these numbers?”

Green answered that the incentive compensation section is a standard part of AAPS contracts. Comsa clarified that incentive compensation was only offered to employees in Class 1, which consists of Green, the deputy superintendents, the assistant superintendents, and the executive director of physical properties, Randy Trent.

Baskett clarified that the district had budgeted for the high end of the salary range for each individual, so that in case the highest level of incentive pay is reached, it will not cause a deficit. Allen confirmed this is the case.

Lightfoot said she was “challenged by the standard practice” of offering incentive pay to staff who are already highly paid, while the district continues to cut services and raise class sizes. “This type of contract is not sensitive to current realities,” she argued, but clarified, “This is not a slight against the individuals in these positions.”

Nelson asserted that excellent people make an enormous difference in an organization, and that AAPS needs that kind of excellent leadership. He noted that salaries for comparable positions at the University of Michigan are higher, and said that if he had any doubt, it was whether AAPS was offering high enough salaries to the kind of excellent people it has in these positions.

Thomas noted that it would not be fair or appropriate to eliminate the incentive pay section of the contracts without raising the base salaries of the people currently in those positions, since they took their jobs with the expectation of being able to earn that additional money.

Baskett questioned how much AAPS has paid out in incentive pay over the last year, and Mexicotte suggested that could be answered outside the context of the contract question.

Outcome: The ratification of AAPS administrative contracts with deputy superintendent of instruction Alesia Flye and assistant superintendent of elementary education Dawn Linden were removed from the consent agenda, and approved by a 6-1 vote, with trustee Lightfoot dissenting.

Current Administrators: Reconsideration

After the approval of the consent agenda, but before the board action items, Mexicotte made a motion to reconsider the decision the board had already made to treat the ratification of contract amendments for Comsa and Allen as a first briefing item instead of a special briefing item. Her intent was to then bring the contracts to a vote that night, which is possible for special briefing items.

Current Administrators: Reconsideration – First or Special Briefing?

Mexicotte noted that she had voted in favor of Lightfoot’s original motion to change this item from a special briefing to a first briefing item, so she was entitled to make a motion to reconsider the board’s decision on this issue – she had voted with the prevailing side. [Only someone who votes with the prevailing side is allowed to move for reconsideration.]

Nelson seconded Mexicotte’s motion, and the board engaged in a heated discussion about the issue.

Lightfoot argued that this “comes across as a ‘bait and switch’ to me,” and told Mexicotte she was “disappointed that you have opted to maneuver in this manner.”

Thomas noted the time [1:38 a.m.], said he was “a little on the frazzled side” himself, and said he did not believe that moving forward on this proposal at this time would be in anyone’s best interest.

Nelson disagreed, saying he did not sense that there would be any movement around the table on this issue, and that the board might as well vote now “because we’ve got two excellent people who shall receive the word on how this is going to be resolved.”

Patalan added that she often explains her vote to constituents after the fact and that this time it would be no different.

Baskett argued, “I don’t think this is the best move. Perception says a lot. People will question why we waited until almost 2 a.m. to do this. I don’t get a sense of the timeliness of this. I don’t think these two employees are going to leave us any time soon.”

Lightfoot said she wanted to make a last-ditch effort to her colleagues to “walk the talk … We tell people we want them involved and that we care and then pull this at almost 2 in the morning. This is about knowing we are not doing the right thing or we wouldn’t be doing it at 1:45 in the morning.”

Mexicotte noted that this item came late to the Dec 14 agenda, and that many of the other agenda items also required a great deal of time to discuss as well. She then responded to a number of her colleagues comments.

Saying she was a trustee of the district, Mexicotte noted that she values input, but has also been elected to make judgments on any number of things – including contracts. “People expect that I’m going to try to do the right thing,” she said, “I feel pretty strongly about this being the right thing.” She argued that she was acting in the best interest of the district by supporting Green’s recommendation and that her belief was due in part to what she knows of Comsa’s and Allen’s work in the district, how much money they have found and saved for AAPS, and about the stability and excellence required in the district.

She countered Thomas’ earlier assertion that raising salaries for Comsa and Allen “moves the needle in the wrong direction,” saying that even though these are difficult economic times, the district still needs to figure out how to cut $14 million while doing right by their employees. She said she does not support cutting other employee salaries.

Finally, Mexicotte took issue with the suggestion that this action should not be taken because of what it might mean to the community symbolically. “We have a lot of hard decisions to make, and we have to galvanize the community about what’s important, not just what seems symbolically important – our funding model, the retirement rate, that students and teachers are starting to feel the squeeze – what we get so caught up in are these proxy fights.”

Saying she “bristle[d] at the suggestion” that this was any sort of maneuvering on her part, Mexicotte said simply that she had voted earlier, and then reconsidered as she thought about it throughout the meeting.

Outcome: The motion to reconsider the board’s earlier vote passed 4-3, with Nelson, Stead, Patalan, and Mexicotte voting yes, and Baskett, Thomas, and Lightfoot dissenting. When the board reconsidered its earlier decision, the outcome mirrored the vote on reconsideration – the board voted 4-3 (with Baskett, Thomas, and Lightfoot dissenting) to take up the contracts for the two current administrators, Comsa and Allen, as a special briefing action item.

Contract Administrators: Reconsideration – Board Action

After addressing one other piece of business, the board returned for a final time to its discussion on contract amendments for Comsa and Allen – this time as an action item.

Thomas repeated that he felt more comfortable raising Comsa’s salary because his job responsibilities will be increasing. Thomas felt it was less compelling to give Allen a raise to achieve compensation parity among the deputy superintendents.

Lightfoot asserted that she was “quite convinced” that this is not in the best interest of the district. “I think holy heck is going to be raised about the way this has been done, and this will get in the way of the tech bond … We’ve pulled the ‘okie doke’ on this one. It’s bigger than the politics … This is not acceptable to me.”

Nelson said he wanted to encourage his colleagues to use “I statements,” and then argued that he was supporting Green’s recommendations because it’s the best thing for the children and young people of Ann Arbor. He added, “I hope people listen to my ‘I statements’ rather than other statements about me.”

Patalan said she absolutely thought this was the best thing to do for the school district, and that she believed in Green’s vision and experience.

Stead said she also thought it’s the best thing to do for AAPS. She argued that the risk of losing the leadership of Comsa and Allen as the district tries to cut 8% of its budget is a bigger risk than any other cut that needs to be made in terms of balance.

Mexicotte said she voted the way she did early in the meeting so she could think about it, and then she did think about it, and brought a different motion. She said she looked forward to a very robust discussion about board process at the organizational meeting on Jan. 18, 2012.

Outcome: The approval of contract amendments for Comsa and Allen passed 4-3 with Stead, Patalan, Mexicotte, and Nelson voting yes, and Lightfoot, Thomas, and Baskett dissenting. The contract amendments reclassify Comsa as a deputy superintendent, and bring salaries for both Comsa and Allen in line with Flye’s at $140,000.

[This was Part 1 of the Dec. 14, 2011 meeting report. Part 2 of the meeting report is forthcoming.]

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Susan Baskett, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Simone Lightfoot, Glenn Nelson and Christine Stead.

Next regular meeting/annual organizational meeting: Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, at 7 p.m. at the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

Debate among trustees on the issue included discussion on paying prevailing wages, the legal requirements of accepting lowest reasonable bids, and due process of determining comparable services among bidders. Public commentary and the teachers’ union association report were also devoted fully to this issue.

Also at the Nov. 30 meeting, the board reflected on its decision to consolidate its busing services with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, in light of firm audit numbers from 2010-11. Savings realized in the area of transportation fell nearly $1 million short of the district’s target in the first year of the consolidation.

HVAC Journeyman Bid Award

At the Nov. 30 meeting, the board considered at second briefing a bid to contract with D.M. Burr of Flint, Mich., for 2,000 hours of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) journeyman services.

HVAC Journeyman Bid Award: Staff Recommendation

AAPS executive director of physical properties Randy Trent clarified a few aspects of the bid in response to questions from board members. He noted that the majority of the 2,000 hours would be used on one primary position – a journeyman who would work from 7 a.m.-3 p.m., weekdays, and could be assigned to take care of any mechanical HVAC issues. There would also be a second person who would do boiler testing. Both people are fully licensed, he said.

Trent also reiterated that for years this HVAC journeyman contract had been coupled with a contract to maintain the district’s digital control systems. This year, however, the mechanical work in the buildings was split out as its own bid. The current contract (with Johnson Controls), which includes both the HVAC mechanical and control system services, expires on Dec 31, 2011.

Regarding the legal requirements of paying the prevailing wage, Trent explained that if the money used to fund the contract is from a state-guaranteed fund, like funds from the 2004 bond, the prevailing wage must be paid. In this case, he said, the law does not require that prevailing wage be paid.

Trent assured the board that D.M. Burr would be able to provide journeyman services comparable to the current contractor, Johnson Controls, and that the journeyman from d.m. Burr would be comparably accessible in the case of emergency. Saying he had done the “due diligence to talk to companies, the actual people who would be working for AAPS, their supervisors, and other school districts [who have used them],” Trent reiterated that d.m. Burr was the lowest qualified bidder at this time.

HVAC Journeyman Bid Award: Public Comment

Five people addressed the board about the administration’s recommendation to award the HVAC journeyman services bid to D.M. Burr, a company from Flint, Mich.

Tom Yax asked a group of local skilled tradesmen to stand – each was an AAPS alumnus who had completed an apprenticeship program coordinated by local union officials. Yax noted that these professionals are safe, already background-checked, and can do any work in the district better and faster due to their familiarity with the equipment. He also expressed concern that D.M. Burr had poor references, and suggested that “it needs to be investigated.”

Ron Motsinger asserted that AAPS had promised voters that it would pay all workers prevailing wages when the community passed a sinking fund millage and capital improvements bond in 2004. He also questioned why the board does not have information on the historically-underutilized business (HUB) status on this bid. He pointed out that prevailing wage will not be paid for journeyman services if this bid is awarded to d.m. Burr. Noting that the district will face budget shortfalls again next year, Motsinger said: “Paying for [the shortfall] on the backs of workers will not get AAPS out of deficit.” He encouraged the board to consider setting aside the D.M. Burr bid for any number of reasons, including the fact that local workers are better trained and have a history with the district.

Local skilled tradesman and AAPS parent Jim Burns highlighted local union workers’ volunteer efforts on behalf of schools, as well as the scholarship opportunities in local building trades provided to AAPS graduates. Noting the high percentage of minorities employed in local building trades, he questioned D.M. Burr’s commitment to diversity. Finally, he pointed out that the D.M. Burr bid was one-half of what it would cost to pay local union contractors to perform the journeyman services, because local workers are paid good wages and benefits.

Bill Carras spoke from his perspective of as a lifelong Ann Arborite and AAPS parent. Carras added that his son wants to go into the trades, but without the support of the local community, he is not sure he can advise his son to do so.

Andy Fanta, a current member of the Ypsilanti school board, and an attorney, contended that the board is not required to take the lowest bid. He recounted a number of instances in which the Ypsilanti school board accepted a local bid over the lowest qualified bidder, or at least required that the prevailing wage was paid by non-local contractors. Fanta argued that the benefits of investing in the local community far outweigh the cost. Finally, he said, “I’d be suspicious of a contract that came in 50% below any other contract.”

HVAC Journeyman Bid Award: Clarification

Trent was asked by the board to clarify that the district did ask for the same HUB information from journeyman services bidders that it had requested from contractors who bid on work to be funded by the 2004 capital improvements bond. Trent said that the district always requests HUB status from bidders, but that it is optional information, and for this bid, all but one of the companies chose not to fill it out.

HVAC Journeyman Bid Award: AAEA Report

The Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA) – the district’s teachers’ union – is one of the six associations the board invites to present regular reports to the board. The Nov. 30 AAEA report was focused on the question of the D.M. Burr bid award recommendation.

AAEA president Brit Satchwell pointed out that the skilled trades training program mentioned during public commentary for AAPS graduates is a 4-5 year program, and that the $10-$12,000 annual program cost is paid for by local tradespeople. When students graduate, Satchwell said, they can expect to step into decent-paying jobs with decent benefits, so they can in turn start to give back and be contributing members in the community. He also praised specific contributions to AAPS and other community groups made by local union workers.

Satchwell noted that the first three words of Ann Arbor Public Schools are “Ann Arbor Public,” and that it’s a “downward spiral” when the board lets people come in from the outside and undercut local community members. “I am not interested in one more FTE at the expense of the community … When you lower the quality of life for the parents, you impact the students directly,” he said.

Satchwell argued that the only way D.M. Burr could undercut local union bids by half is by not paying a decent wage. He also questioned whether D.M. Burr has the longevity to provide superior mechanical services. “We have people who have been working on our mechanics longer than this company has been in business,” he noted, asserting that when working with gas lines, electrical systems, and boilers, AAPS should want nothing but the best for its schools and their students.

Urging the board not to accept what he called a “lowball bid,” Satchwell said that doing so would not strengthen our community. “You get what you pay for – there is something tremendously wrong here,” he cautioned.

HVAC Journeyman Bid Award: Board Discussion

Trustee Simone Lightfoot expressed concern that the HUB status hadn’t been provided by any of the bidding companies except for one. She questioned the district’s commitment to securing HUB contractors. She felt challenged that requesting HUB status as part of a bid could not be required legally, she said. Nelson asked whether the district would be able to determine HUB status on its own. Trent ventured it would use up a lot of staff time to do that research. Trustee Susan Baskett argued that companies who do not list HUB status do not have it. “I would not support taking valuable labor time on our part to help these companies say they are not HUBs.”

Lightfoot also asked how many of D.M. Burr’s references Trent had contacted, and whether any of them had shared concerns about D.M. Burr. Trent said that he had spoken to three of the 30 references given. He acknowledged that some of the references said they had been unhappy initially with the service they received from D.M. Burr. But after talking to D.M. Burr, Trent said, corrective action had been taken, and their concerns had been resolved.

Finally, Lightfoot contrasted the board’s position on the superintendent’s salary (“we get what we pay for”) with the board’s desire to go with an extremely low bid in this case and still expect great quality. She stated, “My concern is … this is a slippery slope.”

Baskett called the bid recommendation “cheap and shortsighted,” and argued that it was not in line with the district’s strategic plan, in that it does not engender trust and support of the district’s constituents. Calling it “disrespectful” to local workers to accept a bid that does not pay prevailing wage, Baskett argued, “We are not asking anyone to do this job for free. We expect a job well done and we should be willing to pay for it.”

Turstees Glenn Nelson and Irene Patalan expressed support for the recommendation made by Trent to award the bid to D.M. Burr.

Nelson brought up the point that 88% of the projects in the $254 million 2004 bond were given to local unionized contractors. He argued that AAPS will do more for local economic development by focusing on “mission-centered services.” Nelson said he would support this bid because it “squeezes as much education as possible out of every dollar taxpayers give us.”

Patalan, who owns a local shop in Kerrytown, said that local is important, but dollars are important too. Saying she feels like she needs to “do the dirty work” for the governor and others in Lansing, Patalan said she is supportive of the D.M. Burr bid because it would put as much money as possible behind the students. Also, she added, “I’m not fearful — I think these people will actually do a great job.”

HVAC Journeyman Bid Award: Board Vote to Delay

Trustee Andy Thomas moved that the board defer a vote on the bid award until the next regular meeting on Dec. 14, pending additional information from AAPS administration. Lightfoot seconded his motion.

Thomas said at first he had thought he might support the bid recommendation to go with D.M. Burr because it is the board’s fiscal responsibility to accept the lowest qualified bidder for identical services. He noted that while he heard and appreciated the comments of Baskett regarding lack of community trust, the community trusts the board to make the very best use of the district’s limited funds. Thomas argued that “as soon as you start making exceptions to the idea that you are going to accept the lowest bid, that opens up the doors to cronyism.”

However, Thomas continued, “I have heard a lot of things tonight that have cast significant doubt in my mind … [about whether] this is an apples-to-apples comparison.” Saying he is concerned that the district will not get the quality from D.M. Burr that it is accustomed to receiving, and that Trent’s description of the due process followed to select D.MBurr was “not reassuring,” Thomas enumerated a list of topics on which he wanted more information at the next meeting.

Thomas requested that Trent: (1) explain how much time would be required to bring a new contractor up to speed regarding the peculiarities of the AAPS system; (2) offer more specifics about the individuals being proposed to do the work; (3) complete a wider reference check; (4) and address how D.M. Burr is capable of addressing the district’s needs when they are novices in this area.

Lightfoot added that she would like to get an understanding of how D.M. Burr can do the job for nearly half the cost of the next-lowest bidder. She also asked how much administrative time would be needed to provide oversight, and what sort of licensing and training D.M. Burr requires of its employees.

Thomas said that the board should grapple with the work of creating policy on approval of bid recommendations. “We, as a board, need to have a very substantive discussion of local versus non-local, and whether or not we are going to support the prevailing wage,” he said. “I don’t think this is good for us to go through this every single time a particular contract comes up.”

Board president Deb Mexicotte added that she had also been thinking a lot about how the board considers contracts in a more global sense, but led the board to a vote on the motion at hand, which was to postpone the issue. She noted that in the case of a 3-3 vote [a possibility because trustee Christine Stead was not present at the meeting], the motion would fail.

Outcome: The bid for HVAC journeyman services was pulled out for separate consideration from the consent agenda. The motion from Thomas to postpone a vote on the bid approval for HVAC journeyman services passed 4-2. Baskett and Lightfoot voted no. Mexicotte, Nelson, Thomas, and Patalan voted yes.

Annual Financial Audit

The board had agreed at its previous meeting to submit specific questions on the audit to AAPS deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen, who would respond to them at the next meeting on Nov. 30, which he did.

Annual Financial Audit: Variances

Allen began by reiterating that, even though there were variances in some categories – some under, some over budget – the overall general fund expenditures were $1.5 million below budget.

Allen then read answers to 14 specific line-item questions that trustees had submitted regarding budget variances. In summary, many of the variances could be explained in terms of accounting or organizational shifts, such as staffing new programs like the Widening Advancement for Youth (WAY-Washtenaw program). Allen noted that in total, these lines cancelled each other out. By way of example, when the district had to contract for unfilled special education vacancies, “the contract line is over, the salary line is under,” he said.

Other variances were explained by: a larger number of retirements than expected (including some long-term employees who received severance pay, which the district no longer offers); overtime paid due to weather-related maintenance needs; and less savings from the transportation consolidation than anticipated.

Annual Financial Audit: Finance and HR Software

Allen noted that when staff members are moved from program to program after the budget is set, those FTEs are reassigned in the human resources software, but not always in the finance software. He said that the district is looking into ways to link the finance and HR systems to cut down on the manual work of moving people from line item to line item.

Patalan asked if the new software could help to monitor budgetary shifts. Allen explained that ongoing monitoring during the year is currently done on a macro level, but that with new software that could link human resources to finance, “we could go deeper into detail and make more adjustments throughout the year.” The software, he said, could show when HR and Finance are “out of balance” in terms of FTEs and their associated costs.

AAPS superintendent Patricia Green commended the administration for looking into changing the software to reduce the labor needed to monitor more detailed budget data throughout the year. She noted that such software had been implemented in her former district and that it had solved a lot of frustration.

Lightfoot asked whether the new software would be able to remedy the confusion of how long-term subs are accounted for on the finance side. Allen answered that yes, the software would automatically adjust budget line-items when personnel shifts are made.

Mexicotte said she found the discussion helpful, and said she hoped new software could help to marry over-budget items with corresponding under-budget ones so that the board could more easily identify budget line items that are truly out of sync with no simple explanation.

Annual Financial Audit: Transportation Consolidation

Multiple trustees had comments or questions regarding the net savings realized from consolidation transportation services with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.

Allen noted that the district had hoped for $1.5 million savings in transportation costs, but saved closer to $500,000. In explaining the nearly $1 million variance, Allen pointed to: unemployment benefits extensions; four major workers compensation claims; payout of sick days for employees who left the district; increased fuel costs; and a greater than anticipated retirement rate of 20.66% (projected to have been 16.94%).

Lightfoot asked how it was that unemployment, workers compensation, and sick pay expenses had not been anticipated.

Allen said that the fact that the state government extended unemployment benefits could not have been predicted. The district decided it was the right thing to do to cover the cost of paying out unused sick time to transportation employees who left the district, he said.

Calling the AAPS transportation situation a “thorn in [her] side,” Lightfoot questioned whether the consolidation had been worth it, once all the unforeseen costs were considered. Allen asserted that it was worth the savings overall, even though AAPS missed its budget target.

Responding to questions about fuel costs, Allen noted that they are a “pass-through” item and that the WISD is encouraging more districts to join in a fuel-buying consolidation that doesn’t include consolidation of transportation services. Mexicotte suggested that perhaps the district should consider having a more active role in fuel purchasing.

Nelson asked how transportation of special education students is paid for via the consortium. Allen explained that the state reimbursement goes to the WISD, and WISD splits it up among members of the transportation consortium based on each district’s actual costs.

Nelson also noted that he didn’t want the public to lose sight of the fact that overall, the district came in under budget, and did not need to borrow money to manage summer cash flow, because the fund balance stood at $16.5 million.

Lightfoot questioned why Burns Park had received additional bus service, and how transportation distances are determined in relation to apartment complexes, specifically Pine Lake Cooperative.

AAPS director of communications Liz Margolis pointed out that the new Burns Park bus is to transport Pioneer High School students who previously were able to walk to school before the Stadium bridge pedestrian detour was implemented. [Reconstruction of the bridges at Stadium and State resulted in road closures starting Nov. 28.] For the distance calculation question, Allen explained that apartment complexes are measured from the beginning of the property.

Lightfoot protested that this was unfair to people living in the back of the complex, because the actual distance to a school for them is significantly farther than the district’s calculation – as is the case at Pine Lake. Mexicotte suggested that the board might want to consider a policy regarding measuring transportation distances. Lightfoot said she would like to take Mexicotte up on that recommendation, and Mexicotte asked Lightfoot to send an e-mail requesting the idea be added to the agenda planner.

Outcome: The FY 2010-11 financial audit was approved unanimously as part of the consent agenda, which also included approval of the control service bid, 2011-12 grant awards, draft minutes and gift offers. There was little or no discussion of any item other than the audit.

Sixth Grade Science Kits

Before the board as a first briefing item was a request for approval of 6th grade science curriculum units. Green asked AAPS deputy superintendent for instructional services Alesia Flye and AAPS assistant superintendent for secondary education Joyce Hunter to speak to the need for new 6th grade science materials.

Hunter explained that two teachers had already piloted these units. The district was now ready to expand the implementation to the remaining 6th grade science teachers, she said. The earth and space units will be taught at all five middle schools, and the total cost of necessary curricular materials is $55,426.

In response to board member questions, Flye noted that the timing of this purchase was planned, unlike the algebra textbooks purchase that was requested earlier this year.

Nelson asked for examples of what is included in the curriculum. AAPS curriculum staff member Amy Dellar answered that the goal of this second of three 6th grade units is to help students understand the Earth in context of the solar system. For example, students are supposed to be able to explain why we have seasons. Dellar praised the curriculum for being very hands-on and inquiry-based, meaning that students are given opportunities to apply their knowledge in a variety of ways.

Baskett asked what the other units were. Dellar told the board that the first 6th grade unit is weather, and the third is hydrology, or the water cycle. For the hydrology unit, Dellar noted that the district is still using versions of older curricula that are still well-aligned with state requirements.

Flye added that she is preparing a comprehensive look at needed curricula over a multi-year period, and that the district was still evaluating the need for a new hydrology kit.

Baskett asked about the “shelf life” for the proposed curriculum purchase. Flye said she expected it would last about five to six years.

Outcome: This item was heard at first briefing. A second briefing and vote will be included on the agenda of the next regular board meeting.

Budget Planning Update

Mexicotte noted that the budget would be an agenda item at each board meeting until the final 2012-13 budget is approved.

Green called on Allen, who passed out a set of documents to trustees which summarized the results from the community budget forums, which are also available on the district’s website. [See also previous Chronicle coverage of the forums, held Nov. 10 and Nov. 14.] Refering to ideas generated by forum attendees, Baskett noted that, “Some of these are very good ideas from the public.” She asked if the administration had decided which ideas to implement. Allen said that has not yet been determined.

Mexicotte asked if the board could have a “narrative” about what the savings gleaned from some of the top forum suggestions would be.

Allen added that the administration is working on updating the “costs by building” data set requested at the forums, and will be posting it on the AAPS website.

Association Reports

The board receives regular reports from the Youth Senate, the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA). The Youth Senate and AAAA did not report at the Nov. 30 meeting, and the AAEA report was described above.

BPSSG

Bryan Johnson reported that the BPSSG had held its second general body meeting of the year, and gave an overview of the group’s 2011-12 goals. He noted that more specific work was being done in the BPSSG’s five committees, and that they would be reporting out at the next meeting on Dec. 19 at Tappan.

AAPAC

Katherine Fisher reported that the AAPAC is pleased to hear there will be a full review of SISS services coming up, and that parent meetings will be offered on the positive behavior support programs going on in the district. She also announced that the AAPAC will be putting on a technology workshop (“Happy to be Appy”) to highlight how iPads can help students with special needs.

PTOC

Amy Pachera congratulated Lightfoot and Thomas on their successful re-elections to the board. She reported that the most recent PTOC meeting had been its “Show Me the Money” fundraising forum, which encourages all schools to share their most successful fundraising strategies. Eleven schools were present, she noted. Pachera also referred PTOs to a section on the PTOC website about how PTOs can legally spend money. Finally, she thanked the AAPS administration for coming to the public early with forums on the 2012-13 budget.

Agenda Planning

Trustees suggested agenda items on the following: Head Start, the organizational meeting, school board terms, board professional development on superintendent evaluations, and the Achievement Gap Elimination Plan.

Agenda Planning: Head Start

Lightfoot asked Green about the status of Head Start, and Green responded that the program had indeed been defunded at the county level. [Washtenaw County's board of commissioners did not include Head Start in its funding for 2012-13. Chronicle coverage: "Washtenaw County Budget Set 2012-13"] Green noted there has been a “tremendous amount of discussion” about the issue, but that no decisions have been made about if and how the program will be continued locally.

Lightfoot requested that the board consider the district’s role in Head Start. Mexicotte said the issue had already been placed on the agenda by Nelson and Baskett.

Agenda Planning: Jan. 18 Organizational Meeting

Mexicotte again congratulated Thomas and Lightfoot on their re-elections, and encouraged trustees to start thinking about how they would like to serve on the board. She noted that at the board’s annual organizational meeting, set for Jan 18, 2012, the board will elect new officers, make appointments to external committees, and consider its interactions with associations.

Agenda Planning: School Board Elections

Nelson noted that the new legislation setting school board elections for Novembers of even-numbered years – when considered in the context of the board’s current use of four-year terms – could cause volatility on the board. He suggested that the board should consider making its terms six years long so that no more than three members would turn over as the result of any election outcome.

Four-year terms, Nelson pointed out, result in a majority of the board (four members) being elected every other election. Switching to six-year terms would mean that two members would turn over, then two more in the next election, and then three more the election after that, and then the cycle would continue.

Nelson said he would like to know what the community thinks about this issue, and said he believes that in Ann Arbor, there has been a judgement not to have majority of the board turn over at one time. Mexicotte said the issue of board terms has been added to the board’s agenda in the second semester.

Agenda Planning: Superintendent Evaluations

Baskett confirmed that the board wanted to go through a professional development workshop in January on superintendent evaluations and invite other local school board members to participate, as she had suggested. Mexicotte told Baskett to go ahead and coordinate it with the help of board secretary Amy Osinski.

Achievement Gap Elimination Plan

Lightfoot asked when the Achievement Gap Elimination Plan (AGEP) would be discussed. Green responded that it would be discussed in March as part of the Equity Plan. Lightfoot expressed concern that the two plans were being confounded. Baskett explained that the Equity Plan was constructed around the work the district has done with the Pacific Education Group, but that the AGEP was not limited to issues involving equity, and included community input.

Mexicotte said that the two plans can be discussed at the same meeting, adding that Green has a vision for linking them together. Lightfoot said she wants to keep them distinct.

Awards and Accolades

Numerous individuals and groups were honored at the Nov. 30 board meeting.

Thurston 5th Grade Choir

The Thurston 5th grade choir performed four songs for the board, and received many accolades from trustees. Participation in this choir is fully voluntary, with students meeting once a week during lunch to rehearse.

Celebration of Excellence Awards

Three teachers were honored with Celebration of Excellence Awards at the Nov. 30 meeting — Pat Jenkins, Kayna Edwards, and Jennifer Kunec.

Glenn Nelson announced the award for Pat Jenkins, a Skyline High School teacher and leader of the communication, media, and public policy magnet program there. The committee of parents who nominated Jenkins praised her for “creating a college-level experience in a high school class.” Jenkins thanked the board, her students, her colleagues, and her dad, who had traveled from Maryland to see her receive this award.

Andy Thomas announced the award for Kayna Edwards, a special education teacher at Skyline High School, who also runs the school’s talent show, and advises the ski club. She was honored for being a trusted advisor, and a sensitive and knowledgeable educator for all students. Edwards thanked Skyline principal Sulura Jackson for “embracing her personality,” and her husband for supporting the extensive me she spends on her work.

Simone Lightfoot read the award for Jennifer Kunec, the A.P. U.S. History teacher at Pioneer High School. She was nominated by former student Emma Hamstra, who said that Kunec’s support led her to learn how to study effectively, write well, and be self-confident. Kunec was thankful for the recognition, and pointed out that AAPS is unique in allowing all students to take Advanced Placement classes without taking pre-requisites. She said she is proud to have an opportunity to help all kids achieve in A.P. classes. (After a rough start in Kunec’s class, Hamstra received a “5″ on the A.P. U.S. History test and is now studying at the University of Massachusetts.)

Superintendent’s Report

Green reported that AAPS was among 60 districts named as “academic champions” in the state. She then announced multiple awards received by individual teachers and students. They included students in honors choir and orchestra, essay award winners at Tappan Middle School, a counselor at Community High School, an AAPS graduate working to increase visibility of climate change, and a Northside Elementary 2nd grader who was recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records for completing 192 hula hoop rotations in one minute, standing on one leg.

Items from the Board

During the earlier discussion on HVAC journeyman services, Lightfoot had mentioned that her absence from the previous board meeting was due to surgery she’d undergone for breast cancer. She’d been diagnosed early in her re-election campaign. During the section of the agenda devoted to communications from board members, Lightfoot thanked everyone for the cards and flowers she had received while recovering, said her prognosis is excellent, and thanked voters for her re-election to the board.

Lightfoot also “registered her disagreement” with any salary increases at the administrative level. That came in response to a communication from Green to the board that a proposal to ratify projected salary increases for top administrative contracts would be coming to the board in December.

Thomas offered condolences to Dave Comsa, AAPS assistant superintendent for human resources and legal services, whose mother recently died.

Nelson gave kudos to the Peace Neighborhood Center, the AAPS homebuilding program, and all of those who help the board create a better future for all AAPS children.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice-president Susan Baskett, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan and trustees Glenn Nelson and Simone Lightfoot.

Absent: Trustee Christine Stead

Next regular meeting: Dec. 14, 2011, 7 p.m., at the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

Robert Allen (standing at right) with the large gathering at the budget forum held Nov. 14 at Pioneer High School. (Photos by the writer.)

The district’s approved budget for 2011-12 is $183.62 million.

As staff scrambled to bring in more folding chairs and photocopy additional handouts, AAPS superintendent Patricia Green and AAPS deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen opened with a presentation on funding and budget challenges.

The presentation had been tweaked since a similar forum held last week. [For the details from that forum, see previous Chronicle coverage: "AAPS Seeks Public Input on Budget"]

This report highlights some of the changes made to the budget presentation, but focuses on the questions and suggestions offered by the community members who attended Monday’s forum.

Monday’s Budget Presentation

Most of the presentation remained intact from last Thursday to Monday, with some slight shifts in emphasis on three main issues: the school aid fund, use of fund equity, and the history of budget reductions.

Budget Presentation – School Aid Fund

In addition to the information outlined in the report on Thursday’s forum, Monday’s presentation included greater emphasis on the state of Michigan’s decision to reduce corporate taxes while using money from the School Aid Fund (SAF) to make up the lost revenue.

Allen said the SAF, which was created by Proposal A expressly to fund K-12 education, was recently used by the state government to: (1) make up nearly $600 million in revenue lost to tax reductions, including the elimination of the Michigan Business Tax; (2) fund nearly $700 million of higher education budgets; and (3) supplement funding for community colleges by nearly $200 million.

Allen questioned the legality of the state’s action, and contended that at least the spirit – if not the letter – of the law as stipulated in Proposal A was not to use the School Aid Fund for anything other than K-12 education.

Budget Presentation – Fund Equity

On a slide showing the district’s three-year budget projections, Allen highlighted the fund equity line. This year, 2011-12, Allen said, AAPS opened with a fund equity balance of just over $20 million. He observed that if the entire amount of the upcoming year’s budget shortfall were taken from that balance, fund equity at the end of 2012-13 will be roughly $6 million.

Projecting another year into the future, Allen said, if the district continues to use fund equity to address the structural deficit, the district would end the 2013-14 year $12 million in the red. And he explained that if the district runs a deficit, it would be at risk of being taken over by a state-appointed emergency financial manager, which he described as being “second to God” in terms of what such a manager can do. Under such management, Allen said, the board would be rendered helpless and all contracts – internal and external – could be voided.

He encouraged the community to realize that while no one relished making the tough decisions necessary to balance the budget, such decisions need to be made to keep the district under local control.

Budget Presentation – History of Budget Reductions

Allen reviewed the total budget reductions the district has made in the past five years: $5.7 million in FY 2007-08, $920,000 in FY 2008-09, $2.7 million in FY 2009-10, $18.6 million in FY 2010-11, and $12.6 million in FY 2011-12.

He also pointed out the areas in which cuts have been made, which include staff reductions, employee concessions, health care expenditures, operations and maintenance costs, legal services, and athletics. The district has also offered an early retirement incentive, consolidated substitute services, outsourced transportation, and reduced departmental budgets across the board.

Allen pointed out that from FY 2007-08 through FY 2010-11 class sizes remained steady, but this year the district had to increase class size targets.

Questions on the Budget Presentation

Before starting smaller group discussions at individual tables, Allen entertained questions from participants.

AAPS trustee Andy Thomas (maroon shirt) took notes at one of the smaller group discussions.

There was some confusion expressed by forum attendees about the money paid by the district to fund the state retirement system – the state retirement rate. Allen clarified that “for every dollar in salary that we pay out, we pay approximately $0.24 to the state.” He compared this scenario to private industry, where perhaps 8 cents on every dollar would go into a retirement pool. Allen also explained that the increases in the rate are due in part to the fact that the retirement system is a defined benefit plan (not a defined contribution plan) that includes health care benefits. The cost of health care benefits continues to rise.

Allen also explained that retirement costs are mandated, and cannot be addressed in collective bargaining with the teachers’ union. In closing, Allen noted, “this is not a problem that snuck up on anyone,” and encouraged the community to urge their legislators to take action.

A forum attendee asked whether the district would be in the same position now if voters hadn’t approved the construction of Skyline High School. Allen said that Skyline costs about $4 million a year to operate, and that it was built to relieve overcrowding. Before Skyline was built, he pointed out, Pioneer High School was the largest high school in the state, and Huron High School was the fourth largest.

Most of the questions posed to Allen were also reflected in the suggestions reported out from the tables at the conclusion of the forum. Many of the questions posed to Allen are folded into the table reports below.

Budget Suggestions

People gathered at tables in small groups for just over half an hour, and produced several suggestions. Here, those suggestions are broken into four main categories – additional information requested, inclusion of parents in the budgeting process, budget suggestions and priorities, and revenue enhancement.

Within each category, some attempt has been made to clump items together into thematically-related clusters.

Suggestions: Additional Information Requested

• Break down all costs by student, building, educational level, subject area, and square footage and put it all on the AAPS website.
• Give a more detailed budget breakdown at every table, and on the website.  (“You can’t use a scalpel on the budget if the information you have is at the meat-ax level.”)
• Give the cost of professional development days.
• Show how teacher salaries compare to other districts, adjusted for cost of living.
• Provide salaries and job descriptions of all administrators.
• List the history of administrative cuts – both central administration and building administration.
• Give the history of budget cuts broken down by full-time equivalent positions.
• Give the district’s history of enrollment numbers, and projected enrollment.
• Project the cost of cutting teachers in the long run.  (Does cutting preschool teachers mean you need more aides later on?)
• Provide list of mandated services – special education, transportation, school lunch, etc.
• Show cost versus income for preschool programs.
• Explain the budgetary effect of moving to all-day kindergarten.
• Separate items into those requiring legislative action versus options under local control.
• As soon as possible, make clear which budget cuts you are considering.
• Provide real numbers on how much it takes to keep each activity going (for example, theater, crew, etc.) – otherwise parents just fight for their own kids’ activities.
• State whether required programs are required by federal or state mandates, and what funding is restricted to those required programs.
• Explain the burden of unfunded mandates on the district.
• Provide information on  any real estate owned by the district that could be sold.
• Give more information on how the state has borrowed from the pension fund.
• List all contracted services.
• Explain what the Washtenaw Intermediate School District provides to AAPS. (Does AAPS have the ability to opt out of any of those services?)
• Estimate what it really takes to provide a quality education.  (What would it cost if we “did it right”?)

Suggestions: Inclusion of Parents in Budgeting Process

• Connect with parent groups who already have a history of lobbying the state legislature.
• Put together talking points for parents to address the legislature.
• Be a more unified lobbying force to reach systemic solutions.
• Use PTOs as channel for lobbying.
• Focus less on state-level legislative problems, since we cannot affect them this budget cycle.
• Be more transparent and proactive.
• Have a series of small focus groups with parents who know nothing, to help shape these budget presentations before they come to a large group.
• Hold more meetings throughout year with specific topics to inform the public.
• Hold more frequent, smaller meetings.
• Explain why some of these suggestions are not viable.
• Explain why you are not enacting some of the ideas presented.
• Address perception that in the past decisions had already been made before the budget forums were held.
• Give feedback from this forum at future forums.
• Leave longer time for feedback.
• Make a video recording of the presentation.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate.
• Make spreadsheets available.
• Do an online survey.
• Try to regain trust. (Administrators need to show good faith and willingness to make cuts.)
• Don’t use meetings like this to pit groups against each other.

Suggestions: Budget Reductions and Priorities

• Look at best practices in other school districts.
• Use fund balance to offset budget shortfall until the economy bounces back.
• Focus on large budget items.
• Compare the AAPS budget to budgets of other “hold harmless” school districts.
• Do an across-the-board cut.
• Do research on districts that are running efficiently, even out-of-state districts.
• Negotiate prices for mandated services.
• Consolidate human resources, legal, finance with the other districts in the WISD.
• Join forces with other districts and make a cohesive plan.
• Don’t assume that one class size fits all.  (Class size should depend on age and subject.)
• Provide incentives for better teachers to teach larger classes.
• Use staff efficiently. (Be sure teachers have full schedules.)
• Reduce instructional staff, because the retirement costs are so problematic.
• Re-open union negotiations.
• Bargain lower benefits costs for teachers.
• Freeze all step increases for teachers.
• Ask teachers to pay up to 50% of fringe benefits.
• Ask teachers to help with the budget.
• Give teachers pay that would otherwise go to compensate substitutes, if they don’t use sick days.
• Figure out how to retire poor-performing teachers faster.
• Devise a way to make it easier to get rid of poor teachers.
• Look at privatizing non-instructional employees.
• Reduce administrators, especially principals in schools with multiple administrators.
• Spend administrative dollars on those who have interaction with students.  (Do not do principal-sharing.)
• Hold forum with AAPS employees so everyone understands where the money is going, and ask employees to make suggestions.
• Reduce consultants.
• Reduce teacher aides.
• Audit custodial and security staff and reduce if possible.
• Outsource custodial, maintenance, secretaries, payroll.
• Reduce administration.
• Sharing principals is preferable to increasing class size, but neither is a good option.
• Ask parents what not to cut. (Find consensus.)
• Reduce the breadth of programs, and focus on what we do well.
• Cut athletics instead of arts.
• Maintain athletics and arts.
• Don’t cut athletics. (It’s only 1.2% of the budget.)
• Don’t increase pay-to-participate. (It may disadvantage low-income families disproportionately.)
• Not in favor of pay-to-participate.
• Have pay-to-participate for all extracurricular activities.
• Keep athletics intact.
• Share sacrifice.  (Do not pit arts against athletics.)
• Don’t alter athletics, music, art. (If these activities are taken off-budget, certain populations will not have equitable access, and student transfers out of AAPS will likely increase.)
• Shift athletics and extracurricular activities to Rec & Ed.
• Separate athletics from general fund, perhaps by moving it to WISD.
• Pursue consolidation wherever possible.
• Audit open space in schools – not all rooms are used.
• Engage staff in energy reduction planning.
• Require mandatory closing of buildings for a month in the summer.
• Repurpose buildings.
• Close “boutique” schools.
• Consolidate elementary schools.
• Move alternative education programs into comprehensive high school buildings.
• Move all high school students back to Pioneer and Huron, and rent Skyline to a community college.
• Consolidate Ann Arbor Technological High School and Roberto Clemente Student Development Center.
• Don’t eliminate Clemente. (It is successful and worth preserving.)
• Don’t merge Clemente into another school.  (Merging will not preserve core community of program.)
• Consolidate Community High School with Skyline High School.
• Increase collaboration with the University of Michigan.
• Consolidate with University of Michigan for maintenance, lawn care, snow removal
• Collaborate with local universities – they have an obligation to support us.
• Ask local universities to provide guidance counseling, and reduce guidance counselor positions.
• Cut transportation costs.
• Collaborate with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority on busing.
• Consider K-12 neighborhood busing.
• Reduce buses between Community High School and other high schools.
• Lengthen school year, and consider alternative scheduling.
• Reduce the length of the school day.
• Hire students to mow lawns and clean buildings.
• Ask students to bring more of their own supplies.
• Consider using iPads instead of textbooks.
• Eliminate programs that are not working.

Suggestions: Revenue Enhancement

• Have booster clubs run parking for University of Michigan football games.
• Increase parking revenue for University of Michigan football games.
• Increase pay-to-participate for athletics.
• Consider corporate sponsors for certain programs or sports teams.
• Partner with Google Adwords.
• Have advertising on uniforms.
• Allow advertising signage in schools.
• Advertise museums, farmer’s markets, higher education institutions on inside of buses.
• Revisit countywide enhancement millage.
• The enhancement millage was supported by Ann Arbor voters though it didn’t pass countywide.  Take advantage of that goodwill.
• Maybe Rec & Ed does not have to be cost-neutral – it could be a revenue enhancer.
• Provide other services to WISD member districts, such as finance, human resources, legal services.
• Increase enrollment in all ways possible.
• Improve customer service to retain students.
• Increase online course offerings.
• Recruit more students.
• Market AAPS by MEAP scores.
• Market top programs, such as music education.
• Do more exit interviews when students leave the district – find out at what age the district loses students to charter schools and why.
• Start magnet programs at the middle school level (such as talented and gifted, math, or information technology magnets) to attract private school students.
• Lobby state legislature to give School Aid Fund surplus back to K-12 schools.
• Lobby to repeal the Headlee amendment.
• Political campaigning.
• Be more aggressive about enacting legislative changes.
• Have a whole program on how the community can take a stand in Lansing. The district should function as a community organizer.
• Lease AAPS-owned land.
• Lease facilities to other organizations after school hours.
• Increase parking fees for students and staff.
• Raise funds directly from the alumni base.
• Allow parents to donate money directly to AAPS.
• Allow earmarking AAPS educational foundation donations for specific programs.
• Ask parents to contribute to their schools, with portion to be given to other schools to ensure equity.
• Seek corporate sponsorships.
• Get aggressive at grant writing. Grant money might be temporary, but it’s still real.
• Figure out how to ask University of Michigan for money.
• Can we put together an Ann Arbor Promise like the Kalamazoo Promise – a billion dollar endowment? We have a lot of people here who are good at raising money.
• Fund a bond to move to geothermal heat, get good at it, and sell power to University of Michigan.

Allen closed the forum by thanking each table for their suggestions, and said he would try to put together answers to Frequently Asked Questions on the AAPS website. He also thanked administrators and the three board members who attended – Andy Thomas, Irene Patalan, and Glenn Nelson. Green added that listening to all the community’s suggestions was very powerful: “It’s a big step when we can come together in open conversation.”

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

A "No Nut" sign was posted at the entrance to Thursday's AAPS board candidate forum. It did not appear to relate to the event. (Photos by the writer.)

Candidates for the two open seats – each for four-year terms on the seven-member school board – are Albert Howard, Ahmar Iqbal, Patrick Leonard, Larry Murphy, and incumbents Simone Lightfoot, and Andy Thomas.

The forum was hosted by the Ann Arbor Open Coordinating Council, and was moderated by AAOCC co-chair Sascha Matish. After brief opening statements from all candidates, they responded to a series of six questions that had been submitted by parents whose children attend Ann Arbor Open.

Questions covered the topics of programs of choice, standardized testing, state-mandated initiatives, the district’s budget, class size, and the proposed technology millage. Summaries of each candidate’s answers are provided below, presented in the order in which they responded.

For previous Chronicle coverage of the school board candidates, including more about their backgrounds, see: “Forum for Six AAPS Candidates“ and “Election 2011: AAPS Board Candidate Forum.”

This year, the general election falls on Nov. 8. Readers who are unsure where to vote can type their address into the My Property page of the city of Ann Arbor’s website to get that information. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Programs of Choice

Question: Most of the “choice” programs – Ann Arbor Open, Community High, the Skyline High magnet programs – have many more applicants than they have space. Ann Arbor Open has consistently high test scores and often ranks in the top 10 middle schools in the state. What is your position on open education in the AAPS? Do you support an expansion of open education programs in the AAPS?

Programs of choice: Albert Howard

Howard focused on the need to realize that each child is different, and said the goal of a student’s education should be to tap their creativity and nurture their development. He said that competition is good.

Programs of choice: Ahmar Iqbal

AAPS has some of the highest-achieving schools in the state, Iqbal noted. Why aren’t the factors driving success in the programs of choice inculcated into the rest of AAPS schools?  These successful approaches should be available for all children, he said. Education in the district can be a brand of excellence for all, not just for a few, he said.

Programs of choice: Patrick Leonard

Leonard supported expansion of the district’s programs of choice. One of his University of Michigan professors who encouraged him to run for school board taught him that children respond to an individualistic approach, he said. He noted that Ann Arbor Open is based on the work of John Dewey, who advocated for this style of education. But it could be difficult to expand, given the district’s current resources, he said.

Simone Lightfoot, Larry Murphy.

Programs of choice: Simone Lightfoot

Lightfoot would like to see the district better infuse choice programs throughout all the schools, especially as a way to address the district’s achievement gap. She hoped that would happen now that the new superintendent has been hired – Patricia Green has a five-year contract, which should provide a level of stability, she said. Lightfoot noted that some programs work best because of their small scale, and couldn’t be transplanted to large schools. However, certain principles of the programs of choice could be adapted to other environments. She said the district needs to preserve the programs of choice.

Programs of choice: Larry Murphy

Murphy also said he’d support expanding alternative approaches, as a way of preventing an exodus of students to charter schools, which is important, he said. But perhaps some students need more formal settings, too, he added, like programs that focus on reading, writing and arithmetic.

Programs of choice: Andy Thomas

One of the district’s strengths is its diversity of opportunities, Thomas said. Two examples are the new International Baccalaureate program – Washtenaw International High School – being run by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, and the Mitchell-Scarlett partnership with the University of Michigan. But they shouldn’t just add more students to existing programs, he said. And some students wouldn’t do well in certain programs. The district needs a smorgasbord of choices, he said.

Standardized Testing

Question: What are your views on the increased reliance on standardized testing in the AAPS, in evaluating student achievement as well as using the results in evaluating teachers?

Standardized testing: Ahmar Iqbal

Iqbal said he didn’t really know enough about standardized tests. His two children have attended multiple schools, including some overseas, and tests helped benchmark their progress. So some sort of baseline is useful, he said. Tests also help teachers identify where students need more help. He noted that AAPS is using the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) assessment to address the achievement gap, but said there’s no plan to gauge its benefit. There needs to be an explicit benefit to testing, he said.

Patrick Leonard.

Standardized testing: Patrick Leonard

Leonard said he doesn’t support the new state legislation that says by 2013-14 that 50% of a teacher’s evaluation should be based on student performance. He said he talked with the head of the Ann Arbor teachers’ union, Brit Satchwell, to clarify that the current teacher contract does not include the 50% provision. This year in the district, 20% of teachers’ evaluations will be based on demonstrated student academic growth.  The state is trying to make everyone accountable, he said, but that doesn’t give teachers room for creative pedagogy. He said he’s talked to state Rep. Jeff Irwin about the issue.

Standardized testing: Simone Lightfoot

Lightfoot said standardized testing is the kind of issue where it’s helpful to have your children in the school system, as she does, so that you can see how they are affected. There are many things that standardized tests don’t measure, she noted, such as resourcefulness and critical thinking. Those skills don’t show up on tests. Lightfoot also objected to the fact that some testing is an unfunded mandate by the state.

Standardized testing: Larry Murphy

Murphy said he knows it’s an unpopular opinion, but some kind of baseline is needed. However, he’s wary of using standardized tests to measure teacher performance. Teachers have no control over which students get assigned to their classes, he noted – it’s random. He’s also concerned about too much reliance on the NWEA and MEAP.

Standardized testing: Andy Thomas

One of his core values, Thomas said, is the need to make data-driven decisions. He described the MEAP as worthless, but said he’s a supporter of the NWEA. The previous night, the board had a good committee meeting where board members discussed state-mandated changes to teacher evaluations, he said, and Ann Arbor will lead the way for best practices in that area. He looks forward to implementing the changes.

Standardized testing: Albert Howard

Standardized tests can be politically motivated, Howard said – it’s important to define “the voice behind the voice.” No Child Left Behind mandates are one of the worst outcomes of the Bush presidency, he said. There’s a language of brilliance that children speak, Howard said. Schools should never label a child based on standardized testing, nor base teacher performance on those outcomes.

State Reforms

Question: Do you agree with the bulk of Gov. Rick Snyder’s and the state legislature’s reforms affecting public education? What role do you feel the Ann Arbor school board should play in responding to those reforms?

State reforms: Patrick Leonard

Leonard noted that in responding to a similar question on the Ann Arbor Schools Musings blog, he indicated that he didn’t support any of the proposed reforms except for one: a teacher evaluation system tied to student academic growth. However, evaluations shouldn’t be solely based on student test scores, he said, but should include a more comprehensive set of factors. School board members can be strong advocates in Lansing, he said.

State reforms: Simone Lightfoot

Lightfoot said Lansing doesn’t “get it.” In Ann Arbor, people have been reluctant to play politics, she said – it’s seen as nasty, and not polite. But state legislators keep making budget cuts, so local educational leaders need to get involved. She said when she was first elected to the board, she was the lone voice urging AAPS to lobby in Lansing, and now they’re doing that. The board needs to do a better job in enlisting the community to lobby, too, she said.

State reforms: Larry Murphy

Murphy said he agrees with proposed changes in the teacher tenure law. He didn’t feel that the number of charter schools is a threat to public schools yet, so removing the cap on the number of charter schools wasn’t a concern. AAPS needs to stand out by example, he said.

Andy Thomas.

State reforms: Andy Thomas

In evaluating these reforms, Thomas said, the mantra should be: What’s best for the children? But these laws are being proposed with a completely different agenda, he said, that involves busting the teachers’ unions and wresting power away from local school boards. At an AAPS board committee meeting the previous night, he said, trustees discussed a possible board resolution that would oppose elimination of the personal property tax. If the PPT is eliminated, he said, that would have a huge impact on all school districts, in terms of revenue. Holding legislative breakfasts is a good idea, Thomas said, and it’s important to involve the entire county, not just Ann Arbor.

State reforms: Albert Howard

The governor lives in Ann Arbor, Howard noted. Snyder is out of touch – he doesn’t interact with people who are involved in decision-making in the school districts. Board members should highlight the district’s successes, he said, and tell state legislators not to mess up what’s working well.

State reforms: Ahmar Iqbal

The state’s School Aid Fund should be used for K-12 education, not higher education, Iqbal said. He called for AAPS to hire a lobbying firm that could provide policy updates to the board on action in Lansing. But the board needs to focus on Ann Arbor. He said the district’s total general fund budget revenues had increased from last year to this year by $2 million. Yet even with this increase, he said, there were still cuts to busing and teachers. [Included in the AAPS approved budget document for 2011-12 are total general fund revenue figures of $184.13 million in 2010-11 compared with $186.03 million for 2011-12. That's where Iqbal gets his $2 million figure. In years after that, the projections for that figure show decreasing amounts: $182.81 million, $177.29 million and $176.22 million in successive years. The approved total expenditures for the 2010-11 AAPS budget stood at $185.3 million, while in 2011-12, that figure was $183.62 million. The 2011-12 budget included an appropriation from fund equity of $800,000.]

Budget Involvement

Question: What kind of involvement should parents and taxpayers have in AAPS budget discussions?

Budget involvement: Simone Lightfoot

Lightfoot urged the community to attend upcoming budget forums that are being hosted by AAPS. [The forums are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 10 at Huron High School's cafeteria and on Monday, Nov. 14 at Pioneer High School's cafeteria annex. Both forums begin at 6:30 p.m.] More detail should be provided in the proposed budget, she said – an itemized listing for each category. Information needs to be provided in a timely way, with a website that’s easy to navigate. She also said school officials shouldn’t put up defenses when challenged about the budget.

Budget involvement: Larry Murphy

In a meeting earlier this year with candidates and the administration, Murphy said, he had urged officials to make budget information available earlier and in more detail. It looks like the district is doing that, he said. As an example of how more details would help, a line item in the current budget proposed $475,000 in cuts to athletics. But it didn’t indicate that the cuts would significantly reduce freshman sports, he said. That level of detail is important in making decisions. Pushback on budget decisions is good, he said. It helps the board gauge what’s important to the community.

Budget involvement: Andy Thomas

The point of the upcoming budget forums is to help prioritize, Thomas said. These are difficult discussions. Many people feel that participation in athletics isn’t important, for example, while others feel that it is. The other side is revenue, he noted. There’s an important bond proposal that will likely be put before voters in May, which will ask them to support a millage for technology enhancements in the district, he said. Parents need to get involved in these discussions. He also said another countywide schools enhancement millage should be considered. Such a millage was on the ballot in 2010 but defeated by voters. It’s time to give that another try, he said.

Albert Howard.

Budget involvement: Albert Howard

Safety needs to come first, Howard said, and if busing is not reinstated by the winter, then superintendent Patricia Green needs to resign. She shouldn’t be attending a $50 per plate NAACP dinner when this issue is unresolved, he said. If he can’t trust officials with the budget, how can he trust them with his children, he wondered.

Budget involvement: Ahmar Iqbal

When Iqbal asked how many people in the audience attended the AAPS budget forums in January, a few people raised their hands. He said he found them useless, in part because the sessions only focused on about 5% of the budget. The other 95% had already been decided, he said. Instead of breaking into small groups, the attendees should have talked together and duked it out regarding budget priorities. He’d like to see the process start with a blank page, so that people could list what’s important to them, and start allocating resources. He objected to the district’s use of so many consultants, for example.

Budget involvement: Patrick Leonard

The community’s involvement shouldn’t be limited, Leonard said. He gave an example of a woman who spoke to the board during one of its meetings during public commentary, who was apologetic and indicated that she didn’t feel she had the credentials that others did in giving their opinions. But regardless of background or education level, people know their neighborhoods and schools, and their opinions are valuable, he said.

Class Size

Question: What do you consider a reasonable class size at the elementary and middle school levels, and what strategies would you advocate to preserve those class sizes?

Class size: Larry Murphy

Murphy pointed out that his campaign motto is “More teachers, less overhead.” His sons’ classes have 23 and 27 students, but Emerson School – a private school – has about 15 students per classroom, he said. Another private school, Daycroft Montessori, advertises that it has two teachers per classroom, he noted. There are 744 AAPS teachers now, he said, compared to 807 in the past – he wants to get back to that former level.

Larry Murphy.

Class size: Andy Thomas

Ideally, Thomas said, there would be about 22 students in K-2 classes, 25-28 students in grades 3-5, and no more than 30 students in middle school and high school classes. But the fact is that the budget is continually shrinking, he said. The biggest challenge is a structural deficit related to increased costs that the district doesn’t control, he said, like the state-mandated retirement fund. The board needs to think about how to increase revenues – and that means a countywide enhancement millage. Thomas noted that Murphy opposed a technology enhancement millage, but Thomas said he hoped Murphy would support a millage that would allow AAPS to hire more teachers.

Class size: Albert Howard

Teachers should be treated like royalty, Howard said. He’d like to start with classes of around 15 students. There needs to be a safety net, and schools should feel like family. “This is not blood money,” he said. “This is flesh and blood.”

Class size: Ahmar Iqbal

Iqbal began by saying “I think the ideal class size would be one to one” – a statement that drew good-natured laughter from the audience. His son’s 7th grade classes have between 31-39 students, and his daughter’s high school classes are large. On a recent curriculum night, some of the rooms were so crowded with parents that it was standing room only. It’s the board’s responsibility to figure out the best way to address this issue, he said. Some classes might work with more students in a lecture-style approach, while others – like a writing class – might be best with under 20 students. He felt like the district is at a tipping point in terms of asking voters for more money.

Class size: Patrick Leonard

Leonard said that everyone would want a one-on-one teaching situation, but realistically that’s not possible. The district has had to make $50 million in cuts over the last five years, and there have been additional cuts in state funding. It’s the state that provides funding for about 75-80% of the district’s budget, he noted, but the state has different priorities. He said he’d support an enhancement millage.

Class size: Simone Lightfoot

Lightfoot indicated she’d be comfortable with about 22 students in K-2 classes, and less than 30 in grades 3-12. The high schools should consider offering some auditorium-sized classes – perhaps up to 80 students – that would help prepare students for college-style courses. The district should do a better job of getting grant funding, she said – not for new programs, but to support existing work. She also advocated for soliciting revenue-raising ideas from the community, and to market what the district does well. AAPS could also save money by using its own staff to conduct professional development, rather than hiring consultants, she said.

Technology Millage

Question: Do you support the millage to fund technology improvements across AAPS that will come before voters in 2012? Why or why not? [Editor's note: The tech millage, if approved by voters, would pay for bonds issued in three series, beginning in 2012, 2015, and 2019. In each case, the expected life of the technology products to be purchased would be longer than the length of time it will take to pay off that series of bonds, which is also a legal requirement. See The Chronicle's coverage of the technology bond being considered for more details: "AAPS to Float February Tech Millage" ]

Tech millage: Andy Thomas

Thomas supports a tech millage – the schools need to be well-equipped with current technology, and in many cases students are using systems that are outdated. Laptops get dropped or smeared with peanut butter, he said. The district needs to make a significant investment in infrastructure, he said, that could connect classrooms remotely, for example. He said he thinks the voters will get behind a technology enhancement millage.

Tech millage: Albert Howard

Howard also supports the millage. Technology should be used to enhance creativity, but shouldn’t be a marketing tool, he cautioned. Children shouldn’t be intimidated by technology. They shouldn’t been concerned over whether it’s a Dell or Apple computer.

Ahmar Iqbal.

Tech millage: Ahmar Iqbal

Before the district embarks on any capital expenditure, Iqbal said, it should be measured in terms of how it benefits the students. The district should also be clear about how the technology enhancements are accounted for – as operating expenses, or capital expenses that can be depreciated. When the AAPS 2009 technology plan was written, 16 people were involved and produced an 80-page report. But now, it’s not clear how the technology millage would be spent – that’s outrageous. He wouldn’t support the millage until the district can show how the $46 million in proceeds would be used.

Tech millage: Patrick Leonard

Leonard supports the millage, and cited the importance of being able to make connections between schools within the district, or with other schools in the state or nation. This district isn’t tech savvy, he said, and the millage would help. Ann Arbor Open has a partnership with Comcast, which he’d read about in the Ann Arbor Open newsletter, and which is supposed to help bridge the digital divide. It’s important to provide these kinds of opportunities, he said.

Tech millage: Simone Lightfoot

Lightfoot said that Iqbar’s question is a good one. The board talked about the possible uses of the millage at a recent committee meeting, she said, “so stay tuned.” She noted that when she served in the U.S. Air Force, rotary dial phones were used – even though the Air Force has a reputation of being technologically advanced. The same is true at AAPS. The district needs better technology so it can offer online classes, or use Skype so that courses can be viewed remotely. AAPS also needs to look at more partnerships, with Comcast, Google or other firms. She expressed some concern over relying too heavily on technology, however.

Tech millage: Larry Murphy

Too often, Murphy said, people look at technology as a panacea. Too often, person-to-person interactions are discounted. His wife is a professor at the University of Toledo, and has described the difficulties that college students have when they take online courses. It would be even more difficult for K-12 students, he said. Murphy said he’s on the record in opposing the technology millage, but he would definitely support a broader enhancement millage, if it could be used to hire more teachers.

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle. And if you’re already supporting us, please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to help support The Chronicle, too!

Stemming directly from discussions held at the board’s Oct. 14 retreat, the changes covered the board meeting agenda structure and its committee structure.

AAPS board president Deb Mexicotte (left) and Trustee Susan Baskett discuss linking the AAPS strategic plan to board discussion. Baskett is holding a copy of the plan's mission and goals. (Photo by the writer.)

The proposed changes were initially presented as special briefing items, meaning they could have been approved by board action that night. But in the end, the board approved just two of the changes at their Oct. 26 meeting – linking all agenda items directly to the strategic plan, and adding a section to the agenda to clarify facts related to public commentary. The board put off making two other decisions – one that would officially change the board’s committee structure, and another adding time limits to meetings.

The most substantive change – meeting monthly as a “committee of the whole” instead of maintaining two standing committees of three trustees each– was examined in light of the 21 board policies that such a change would affect. A large part of the policy discussion centered on how items are put on the board agenda, and how changing the committee structure could affect that process.

Responding to some trustees who said that they would like more time to let the proposed policy amendments “marinate” before committing to them, board president Deb Mexicotte led the board to treat the proposed changes as first briefing items. Issues typically come before the board as a first briefing and are then voted on at a subsequent meeting as a second briefing item.  Mexicotte later moved, and the board agreed, to meet as a committee of the whole on Nov. 2. The board will then vote on the policy changes necessary to enact the committee structure changes at the next regular meeting on Nov. 16.

The final suggested change – adding time limits to agenda items and meetings – was discussed in some detail, but not acted upon officially at Wednesday’s meeting. Board president Deb Mexicotte said she would present a summary of the discussion regarding time limits at the Nov. 2 committee meeting.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the board heard public commentary on the upcoming NAACP freedom fund dinner, class sizes, transparency, transportation, and special needs services. Trustees also approved a series of policy updates as part of a short consent agenda.

Procedural Changes: Agendas, Committees

The board spent most of the meeting discussing procedural issues for doing its business. One set of those issues involved the basic template to be used for future meeting agendas. Another set of issues stemmed from a change of the board’s committee structure to a single “committee of the whole,” instead of two, three-member standing committees. Those committees had previously vetted new proposals, received new information, and set the board’s agenda.

First we present changes to the board agenda structure followed by the issues related to committee restructuring.

Changes to Board Agendas

The board considered three changes to the structure of its agendas. One change involved explicitly linking agenda items to the district’s strategic plan.  The board also discussed a section that would allow the board to clarify remarks made during public commentary. Finally, the board considered adding time limits to meeting agenda items, as well as limiting the length of entire meetings.

Board Agendas: Linkages to Strategic Plan

Mexicotte opened a discussion on a set of ways the board could more “thoughtfully and explicitly” link to the strategic plan during board meetings. She proposed adding strategic plan goals to meeting agendas near the items to which they refer, as she had done for the Oct. 26 agenda, and asked for the board’s feedback.

Trustee Andy Thomas said he liked the format, but wondered if the board should be sure to consider having some attention paid to each of the eight strategic planning goals at each meeting. As it stands, Thomas pointed out, only four of the eight goals were referenced on the Oct. 26 agenda.

Nelson said he would prefer to review periodically whether the board’s agenda is regularly addressing all eight goals, and respond then if any of them have “inadvertently fallen off” the board’s radar.

Mexicotte also introduced new “placemats” which will sit at each trustee’s seat during board meetings in order to help them “be conscious about linking to the strategic plan at the table.” She suggested that the board “should practice the inculcation [of the strategic plan] in everything we do as a good role model for what we expect from the rest of the district.”

Finally, Mexicotte pointed out that she has directed board secretary Amy Osinski to look into the cost of having the district’s mission statement printed on the back of the board’s business cards, to keep its focus front and center at all times.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot thanked Osinski for creating a new cover for board meeting packets, which lists the AAPS strategic plan mission and goals in a readable font. She said she continues to request larger font size be used throughout the packet. Trustee Susan Baskett added that she would like to see page numbers on all reports or enclosures in the packet that are longer than two pages.

Trustee Irene Patalan noted that she appreciated the renewed focus on the strategic plan. [.pdf of AAPS strategic plan]

Outcome: The board approved the addition of explicit links to the strategic plan goals next to each item on its meeting agendas.

Board Agendas: Clarification on Public Commentary

The board voted at the begining of the Oct. 26 meeting to remove a new “clarification” item from that night’s agenda until after it had a chance to discuss in more detail how it would be used. Later in the meeting, board members discussed what the purpose of a clarification item would be.

Mexicotte said the clarification section could be used to correct “substantive errors of fact” made at public commentary, perhaps by inviting AAPS administration to comment.

Trustees were interested in having a method for clarifying misconceptions, but stressed the importance of responding with empathy to constituents who address the board.

Patalan also pointed out that adding this section to the agenda was a significant departure from how the board has ever treated public commentary before, and asked her colleagues to “be careful with this and go slowly.”

After the discussion, a motion was approved to reinstate “Clarification” on the Oct. 26 agenda after the special briefing items on board committee restructuring.

Outcome: The board approved adding a section to each meeting agenda called “Clarification,” which could be used to correct factual errors made as part of public commentary.

Board Agendas: Time Limits

Mexicotte asked whether the board wanted to consider limiting the length of presentations made to the board, the length of association reports made at regular board meeting, and its overall meeting length.

There was general agreement that administrative presentations should be limited to around 15 minutes, with another 15 minutes of questions and answers. The board also seemed generally supportive of the idea of limiting association reports to around five minutes. Suggestions were made to institute a rotating system where only three associations report at each meeting, and to recognize a larger number of associations who make regular reports.

However, the bulk of discussion on time limits was about how to use meeting time most effectively. While there was general agreement about limiting meeting length, there was no consensus on what to do when a discussion reached its targeted time limit.

Trustees reviewed a variety of parliamentary procedures including “calling the question,” voting to extend the time allotted to a discussion, having the board secretary function as timekeeper, and requiring a supermajority to approve motions. While Mexicotte encouraged the board to embrace a “disciplined time frame,” Nelson expressed apprehension that cutting off discussion too early could cause many 4-3 votes instead of the common 7-0 decisions the board has generally reached. Baskett suggested limiting some elements of the meeting, but not board discussion.

Multiple board members suggested that if the board added time limits or made more frequent use of the parliamentary tools at their disposal, there should be a scheduled review of such changes, perhaps in three months, or at the board’s organizational meeting in January 2012.

Outcome: No action was taken on setting time limits at the Oct. 26 meeting, but instead will be discussed at the board’s first “committee of the whole” meeting on Nov. 2.

Committee Restructuring

At the Oct. 26 meeting, the board explored changing its committee structure, as recommended by the facilitator of the Oct. 14 board retreat.

Committee Restructuring: Background

The proposed new structure would replace the board’s two standing committees – the planning committee and the performance committee – with a “committee of the whole.” The committee of the whole would include all seven trustees, who would together vet new proposals, receive information from the administration and community, and set the board’s agenda.

The board framed its discussion on committee structure by reviewing the 21 board policies that would be affected by the change. Of these, 15 policies elicited no discussion among board members, and three others elicited only minor questions of wording. Discussion on the three remaining policies: Policy 1220 (Meetings – Type & Notice), Policy 1220 (Meetings – Agenda), and Policy 1460 (Auxiliary Committees/Task Forces) is outlined in more detail below.

Committee Restructuring: Meetings – Type & Notice

Board Policy 1200 lists the configurations in which the board meets – regular meetings, an annual organizational meeting, special meetings, emergency meetings, information/work/study sessions, retreats, public hearings, and closed sessions – and the type of notice required for each. The proposed change was to add “committee of the whole” to the list of configurations.

At the Oct. 26 meeting, board secretary Amy Osinski asked whether meeting as the committee of the whole (COTW) would replace study sessions, and Mexicotte said the board would need to discuss that.

Stead then asked whether the expectation that “no action shall be taken by the board,” which applies to study sessions and retreats, would apply to the COTW. She wondered if all the trustees were present, what would prevent them for voting themselves into a regular meeting. Mexicotte said that she believes the board should not take action at COTW meetings, but that she was looking into posting requirements.

Committee Restructuring: Meetings – Agenda

The proposed policy change that generated the most discussion at the Oct. 26 meeting was Policy 1220 – Meetings-Agenda. This policy identifies the four ways that items may currently be placed on the board agenda: (1) the executive committee (standing committee chairs and president) and superintendent, by mutual consent, decide to put an item on the agenda; (2) the board consents to put an item on the agenda during the regular “agenda planning” portion of each regular meeting; (3) the board consents to place an item on the agenda during a study session, special meeting, or emergency meeting; or (4) any board member makes a motion to place an item on the agenda that is approved by the board in a regular meeting.

The policy also specifies that the agenda for each specific meeting shall be set by the board president in consultation with the superintendent.

If the board decides to move to the committee of the whole (COTW) system, the “president” would replace the “executive committee” in number one above, and all policies would be vetted by the COTW instead of by one of the two standing committees.

Committee Restructuring: Meetings – Agenda (Nelson’s Rotation)

Lightfoot expressed concern about “concentrated control being placed at superintendent and president level.” Nelson added that it’s essential that that board maintain communication among all members.

In that vein, Nelson proposed that the six board members who are not the president rotate through an “advisory committee” with Mexicotte and Green to set the agenda, two at a time.

Nelson defended his suggestion, which he acknowledged “is a lot like the old executive committee,” by saying that there is value in formalizing small group meetings between sub-quorum groups of board members and the superintendent. “I think we still need to figure out systems of small group communication and that it’s better if we do that as part of the formal structure … Those groups are important to the process [of agenda-setting]. They will occur either way, and the board is less transparent if we meet informally.”

Stead and Patalan each responded that they would like to try setting the agenda all together as a COTW before returning to a subcommittee model, even a rotating one. “This was part of what I heard at the retreat,” said Stead, “that trustees felt their voices were not being heard.” Thomas called Nelson’s proposal “overkill” and said he was uncomfortable adding a new piece to the committee structure before the board had even tried meeting as a COTW.

Nelson pointed out that his proposed agenda-advisory subcommittee would also add efficiency, and said he was concerned that “half of every COTW will be taken up with what will be on the next agenda, and where on the agenda, since we know that everything at the end could be shifted [to future meetings].” Thomas agreed that setting the agenda as a group might be a lot to manage, but suggested the board “just go with it and see how it works out.”

Mexicotte said she did not share Nelson’s “pessimism,” and that she firmly believes the board will be able to place important items on the agenda in a timely fashion using the COTW.

Committee Restructuring: Meetings – Agenda (Requests Process)

Lightfoot requested clarification on how individual board members could make agenda requests. She noted that she would support Nelson’s rotating agenda advisory committee proposal, as it would “broaden the inclusion of all trustees” in setting the board’s agenda.

Mexicotte explained that she had requested the planning committee and performance committee chairs forward her any topics pending in their committees. She had also e-mailed a request for agenda items to all board members. She had then met with Green, and together they placed every item except for one on upcoming board agendas over the next few months, which she said was a similar process to what had previously been followed by the executive committee.

“Until we get to a place where past concerns are no longer concerns,” Lightfoot stressed, “… we have to be considerate of how we operated as a board in the past.” She then reiterated her concern about the Achievement Gap Elimination Plan (AGEP) staying “on the radar,” as an example of a flawed agenda planning process. Green noted that the AGEP was not off the radar from the administration’s perspective, and that it will come to the board early in 2012.

Mexicotte reviewed the four ways that any item can be placed on the board agenda listed above, and suggested that she would bring a “narrative” about the process to the first COTW meeting.

Lightfoot pointed out that the process of setting the agenda requires either a majority vote, or a decision by the president and superintendent, and restated her support for an agenda-advisory committee with rotating membership. “Anything we can do to broaden the inclusion of all trustees should be done,” she asserted.

Mexicotte responded, “For good or for ill, in all of our work … we work as a majority board. There are always times when we aren’t going to be able to convince our fellow trustees to move in the direction we want to move in, but there are so many avenues to getting something on the agenda. If you can’t get a majority, you can’t get a majority – it’s like that with all agenda items.”

Lightfoot stated, “My concern is based on having been there, done that. I want to ensure that we have mechanisms in place to do better.”

Committee Restructuring: Auxiliary Committees/Task Forces

Board Policy 1460 defines auxiliary committees and task forces, as charged by the board. Auxiliary committees are defined as “joint commissions broadly formed around an area of on-going district interest or concern,” and typically have a long-standing charge (at least three years). Task forces are defined as bring “created for a specific purpose, role, or job,” and expire automatically after one year without board action.

Lightfoot asked about the process for setting auxiliary committees or task forces, and said the board should enlist additional community input through these measures. She suggested setting up groups regarding the key areas of budget, transportation, technology, achievement, and state funding, among others.

Mexicotte answered that the process for establishing auxiliary committees or task forces is the same as for any of the board’s work. If the formation of such groups is formally moved, she said, the board will debate priority, capacity, and whether or not the suggested topics are the board’s work.

Nelson suggested that all ideas for task forces or auxiliary committees should come forward at one time, so the board can debate which are the most important. “Without a doubt,” he said, “these are vehicles to bring in community members.”

Mexicotte said that there is not currently a stipulation in Policy 1460 that requires community engagement, but that such an amendment could be added. When any such groups are set up, she explained, they will have some mechanism for choosing their membership, having meetings, and engaging with the community.

Committee Restructuring: Next Steps

Outcome: The board approved a motion to meet as a committee of the whole on Nov. 2. At their next regular meeting on Nov. 16., trustees will consider at second briefing and vote on the 21 policy changes that would be necessary to institutionalize the new committee structure.

Policy Updates

The planning committee, chaired by Stead, reviewed and amended five policies, which the board reviewed at first briefing at its previous meeting. Mexicotte asked if there had been any changes since the first briefing, and Stead said no.

Stead then spoke to a question about Policy 5200 (Progress Reporting) that had come up at the previous meeting. Lightfoot had asked if Policy 5200 should include a list of situations that would trigger closer monitoring of student progress, and Stead had said she would look into that. At the Oct, 26 meeting, Stead pointed out that numerous other policies, including 6300 (Achievement for all Students), 6350 (Special Education), 5150 (Student Attendance), 6140 (Homework), and 5050 (Graduation Requirements), require student assessment, monitoring, and intervention. Therefore, she said, she does not recommend adding a requirement for additional monitoring in Policy 5200 (Progress Reporting). The intent of Policy 5200, Stead argued, is simply to ensure that progress reports are disseminated to families.

Lightfoot questioned whether the other policies are as effective without a “catch-all” requirement included in Policy 5200, but let it stand without suggesting an amendment.

Outcome: The policy changes were approved unanimously, as part of a consent agenda that also included minutes and gift offers.

Public Commentary

The board provides an opportunity for public participation at its meetings.

Public Comment: Freedom Fund Dinner

William Hampton, president of the Ann Arbor branch of the NAACP, addressed the board regarding the NAACP’s annual freedom fund dinner, at which all AAPS black students with GPAs over 3.2 will be honored. He noted that this year’s keynote speaker, Raymond Randolph, was one of the freedom riders of the South who played a significant role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and would “share his compelling story to connect the dots from past to future.” Hampton asserted that the “success of all future generations depends on what we do today,” and thanked the board for “remaining in the process.”

Public Comment: Suggestions for Maintaining Trust

Ahmar Iqbal, school board candidate and AAPS parent, thanked the board members for their service and shared his view that the role of a school board trustee is to maintain the trust of the community while setting the tone and the expectations. He made three suggestions to the board: (1) reinstate the city committee on transportation; (2) explain how the proposed tech bond will be used to benefit the community, and (3) address large classes by offering teachers additional training on how to manage them and letting administrators return to classroom teaching.

Public Comment: Disparate Impact of Suspensions

Beverly Geltner said her trust has not been assured by the board and she was very concerned about students being suspended at Pioneer High School for not having returned books. She noted that the same principal suspended a large group of students “in bulk” last year and questioned the legality of how suspensions are administered in the district.

Geltner then offered what she described as a quote from an American Civil Liberties Union report, which said that 58% of AAPS students suspended in 2006-07 were black, while black students only made up 18% of the student population that year. She stated she is concerned that the district does not plan to make recent suspension data public until February.

Geltner also asserted that AAPS is in violation of a state statute requiring a state-mandated icon to appear on the front web page of the district which links to budget and salary data, that check register data is not on the website, and that the latest MEAP data has not been made public.

Public Comment: Sleep Study, Bus Plan

Jerri Jenista, a local pediatrician and parent of a student at Roberto Clemente Student Development Center brought to the board’s attention a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study on adolescent sleep. The study linked less than eight of hours of sleep per night to a host of risk factors in adolescents, including less physical activity, drug and alcohol use, and suicidal feelings.

Jenista contended that the current bus schedule requires many Clemente students to be at their bus stops by 6:15 a.m., which is unreasonably early, and significantly cuts into their sleep. Students then experience total commuting time each day of 3.5 to 4 hours, she pointed out. On the bus in the morning, Jenista argued, it’s too dark to study, so the time is completely wasted.

Jenista then pointed out that Clemente students are an “extremely high risk” population, 38% of which have an individualized education plan, or IEP. She said she is considering asking for more reasonable transportation as a function of her son’s IEP, and encouraging others at Clemente to do the same.

Public Comment: Special Needs

Al Boehnlein asserted that his son, who has autism, has not been receiving the services he is due as part of his IEP, and that the district is doing a disservice in general to special needs students by not ensuring that they are taught reading, regardless of their level. Specifically, Boehnlein noted, his son has not been assessed by a reading specialist, and has not been given an intensive reading program to follow. Boehnlein said the district has not responded to his concerns, and that he has filed a state complaint. Children with special needs, he argued, can educate themselves if they can read. “I want my son to succeed, and he deserves a chance to succeed … I would love a comment from you.”

Clarification on Public Commentary

Mexicotte asked district superintendent Patricia Green if there were any points from public commentary on which she would like to add clarification.

Regarding MEAP scores, Green called on Alesia Flye, AAPS deputy superintendent of instruction, who clarified that current MEAP scores are on the district website, under the School Improvement Plan for each building.

Regarding the state-mandated “transparency in reporting” icon, Green called on Robert Allen, AAPS deputy superintendent of operations, who clarified that the required icon does, in fact, appear in the upper right-hand corner of the district’s website.

Regarding the assertion that students were suspended for not returning books, Green called on AAPS assistant superintendent for secondary education, Joyce Hunter, who clarified that students with unpaid fines were not allowed to register for classes, but that there were no suspensions for unreturned books.

Mexicotte then clarified that the district participates on a Transportation Safety Committee, an “active, ongoing” group composed of city, county, and state representation, along with AAPS board members, parents, and staff. The TSC, she said, has met regularly every two months to address a wide range of safety concerns related to transportation. The TSC met this October, she said. Mexicotte said that the committee a speaker may have been referring to is the “City-Schools” committee that used to meet to bring Ann Arbor and AAPS together on other areas of mutual concern.

First Briefing: Support Group Website Link

Glenn Nelson introduced a resolution at first briefing that would allow a new organization of Arab-American district parents to link to their group from the AAPS website. The resolution explained that this group has already contributed to the AAPS curriculum by helping to develop a unit on Islam to be taught in 6th grade, and by helping with training teachers on that unit. Nelson also noted that the AAPSG “has a documented history of regular meetings and leadership plus well-developed plans for the future that will enable continued accessibility to staff and citizens and continued constructive actions.”

Outcome: The board had no discussion on this resolution at the Oct. 26 meeting, but will consider it again at second briefing on Nov. 16.

Association Reports

At each meeting, the board invites reports from six associations: the Youth Senate, the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA). At the Oct. 26 meeting, the board heard reports from just two associations – the BPSSG and the AAPAC.

Association Reports: BPSSG

Bryan Johnson, BPSSG chair, reported that the BPSSG executive committee met recently to outline its “Academic, Character, and Citizenship” program, and develop a shared calendar of program events. He also reviewed the BPSSG’s other committees – advocacy, development, finance, membership, and programs/services – and encouraged community participation on committees. Johnson thanked those community groups who have come forward to collaborate with the BPSSG to impact student achievement. He also noted that the BPSSG has arranged transportation to the Eastern Michigan University college fair on Nov. 9 for any high school student who is interested.

Association Reports: AAPAC

AAPAC’s representative reported that the AAPAC has been working with the district’s student intervention and support services department to create a handbook specific to AAPS to complement the Washtenaw Intermediate School District parent handbook. She invited trustees to the two Disability Awareness Workshops occurring in November. And, she noted that the AAPAC is scheduling a workshop on iPad applications that could be used to teach life skills, social skills, and fine motor skills, among other skills, to special needs students. “Without technology,” she said, “it would be impossible for many students to access the curriculum as is their legal right.”

Superintendent’s Report

AAPS superintendent Patricia Green reported that Ann Arbor Technological (A2 Tech) high school’s new name was officially celebrated on Oct. 14. A2 Tech was formerly known as Stone School.

She noted that students from Community high have been invited to submit articles to the Huffington Post, the 17th-most-visited website in the U.S.

Green offered a series of accolades regarding different aspects of the AAPS environmental education program, which is 50 years old this year, including the receipt of a $29,000 donation to support the program. She highlighted a project by Chartwells, the district’s food service contractor. Chartwells was able to serve food grown on a student farm as part of the Green adventure camp. [There is no relation between the Green adventure camp and AAPS superintendent Pat Green.]

Finally, Green thanked the AAPS educational foundation for its continued support as the foundation prepares to award $18,000 in “Great Ideas” grants to individual teachers in the district. She also recognized everyone who attended the foundation’s Harvest Dinner, which raised money for the AAPS physics department.

Student Engagement

A new section of the agenda called “student engagement” highlights the connection between student performances at board meetings and the strategic plan goal #3, which reads: “We will actualize the potential for excellence in all students through inspiration and support.” Board members did not comment on this revamping of the agenda.

Clague Orchestra

A subset of Clague Middle School  7th grade orchestra students played two songs for the board at the Oct. 26 meeting, under the direction of Abby Alwin. One student had to sit out after feeling faint, but was quickly revived after being offered a sip of water by board secretary Amy Osinski.

Huron Challenge Day

Candace Rozelle-Williams and Linda Gibbs addressed the board about Huron’s Challenge Day, a one-day workshop for Huron students and adults which addresses the root causes of problems in the school community, and challenges participants to step out of their comfort zones and to learn how to better connect with others.

Trustees who had participated in past Challenge Days applauded the program and expressed their appreciation for its coordinators. Green said she will be attending part of the Nov. 7 Challenge Day at Huron “wearing slacks and sneakers,” a reference to the high-energy exercises that occur at the beginning of the workshop. Gibbs stressed that adults from the community are welcome, and encouraged anyone interested in learning more about Challenge Day or attending to contact her directly at Ldhibbs@comcast.net, or 734-214-5723.

Agenda Planning

Mexicotte suggested adding a discussion of the Northwest Evaluation Association’s assessment, to the January committee of the whole (COTW) meeting. The NWEA assessment was just added to the district testing calendar this school year.

Nelson reported that he and Christine Stead have volunteered to write a resolution on personal property tax in response to an active bill in the state legislature that would eliminate personal property tax. If this bill passes, Nelson said, student revenues would decrease by $316 per student and, taxes on homeowners would increase by almost 0.5 mill due to tax shifting. He asserted, “This is a critical issue for students throughout the state.”

Nelson also suggested that the results of the FY 2010-11 audit should be reviewed before holding community budget forums in November, and urged the administration to “sequence that right.”

Green responded that she and AAPS deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen are planning to meet with the auditor before the forums, and that the data from the audit will be incorporated into the presentation to the community.

Stead added that she would like to schedule a second round of community forums on the budget after the state revenue conference at the end of January, because AAPS will “know a lot more about what the intent of the state is at that point.” She suggested adding forums to the schedule in early March since February is already very busy, as well as keeping the budget on every COTW meeting as an agenda item.

Mexicotte looked to the board for a consensus on a start time for the COTW meeting on Nov. 2. The board agreed to meet beginning at 5:30 p.m.

She then explained her expectations regarding building a template agenda for COTW meetings, and said she was inclined to have policy review and updates occur at the COTW, and bid contracts come to the regular board meetings, as a way to split up the work. At the COTW, Mexicotte suggested, the board should develop talking points around issues as they come up.

Finally, she suggested framing the work of the committee with a template that would include the following pieces: (1) acknowledging the problem or change; (2) linking to the strategic plan; (3) recognizing the affected stakeholders; and (4) identifying next steps, such as making recommendations to the administration. Mexicotte closed by thanking her fellow trustees for their dedication to the board.

Items from the Board

Stead noted the large amount of legislation targeted at K-12 schools currently under consideration at the state level, especially a bill to remove the cap on the number of charter schools statewide. There are already 250 charters in the state, Stead said, which take funding away from traditional public schools.

Lightfoot asked how the board could “close the loop” and get updated on how questions from the public will be answered. For example, she asked where AAPS stands in the process of reviewing bus transportation to Pine Lake Village Cooperative and Roberto Clemente Student Development Center. Lightfoot also requested that the district consider changing school start times.

Patalan reported that she spent the morning of Oct. 23 at Occupy Wall St. in New York City. Noting that she had been part of the generation who protested the Vietnam War and participated in the “black action movement,” Patalan said, “I understood what they were doing – it made sense to me.”

Mexicotte said she had participated in a panel on college readiness among underrepresented students and that she would provide information to the board on the topic.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice-president Susan Baskett (until 10 p.m.), secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Simone Lightfoot, Glenn Nelson, and Christine Stead. Meeting adjourned at 11:55 p.m.

Next regular meeting: Nov. 16, 2011, 7 p.m., at the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.

AAPS deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen (left) and Washtenaw Intermediate School District transportation director Tom Moore addressed the board's questions regarding transportation. (Photo by the writer.)

At the meeting, the board passed the necessary set of resolutions to qualify for the restoration of $1.6 million of support from the state, as board members criticized the state’s process as “hoops” they needed to jump through.

Budget constraints came up in most of the topics on which the board took action, as well as during two informational updates – one on the bus service, and one on the results of an insurance audit undertaken by the district. Multiple speakers who addressed the board urged trustees to take political action and to lead the community in legislative advocacy and state-level reform.

Transportation service changes were again a major point of discussion at the Oct. 12 meeting. Board members questioned the success of the district’s bus service consolidation with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. Four parents spoke at public commentary about safety concerns resulting from loss of bus service, especially with the winter weather approaching.

At last Wednesday’s meeting, the board also voted to purchase additional algebra textbooks, approved the printing of the Rec & Ed catalogue, and renewed a contract for therapeutic services needed for special education students.

Response to State-Level Actions

In every part of the meeting, references were made to the ongoing reductions in state funding facing the district, as well as to several new state laws. Some laws were recently enacted and more are currently under consideration, which constrain and restructure public education while broadening and supporting the growth of charter schools across the state.

State-level actions and associated district and community responses discussed at this meeting included: financial best practices incentives, pending charter-school legislation, political reform, legislative advocacy, and planning for the 2012-13 budget.

Response to State: Financial Best Practices

AAPS deputy superintendent of operations Robert Allen reported that the district qualifies for a one-time state funding incentive for meeting four out of five “financial best practices” as defined by the state: (1) AAPS named as the holder of employee medical benefit plans; (2) development and implementation of a service consolidation plan; (3) procurement of bids on non-instructional services such as food service; and (4) creation of a link from the district’s website to a dashboard of statistics.

Because the district has met these requirements, Allen explained, $100 per pupil of the foundation allowance previously cut by the state will be refunded to AAPS. That works out to a return of $1.6 million to AAPS. He also noted that this $1.6 million is not included in the budget, and that it should be paid to the district within a month of applying to the state.

Multiple trustees expressed mixed feelings about the additional funding.

Trustee Andy Thomas asserted that while he will obviously endorse the resolutions necessary to certify the district’s compliance with the state-defined best practices, he found it “demeaning” that the district is being made to do so. “This is not about best practices – this is about control,” he said. After reducing per-pupil funding by $500, Thomas argued, “the attitude of the state is that we don’t deserve the money back unless we jump through hoops.”

Trustee Christine Stead agreed, pointing out that the district is also not only meeting, but exceeding, the fifth “best practice” – to pay 80% of medical insurance premiums, while passing on 20% of the premium cost to employees. Stead argued that AAPS is doing even better than that, if the intention of the practice is to keep health care costs in check. In the district’s current contract with teachers, she pointed out, the district’s contribution to health care premiums is capped at just over $12,000 per teacher, less than 80% of the cost.

Stead said she also wanted to call attention to the question of what to do with the additional funding, and suggested the best course of action would be to save the money and apply it to next year’s deficit, which is projected to be $14 million.

Allen said AAPS “has completed all the hoops,” but argued that what the district really needs is a “solution to the structural deficit … At the end of the day,” he said, “we are not being funded adequately.”

Stead agreed, calling on taxpayers to demand a restoration of the local levy authority that was lost when the state changed the K-12 school funding mechanism under Proposal A. She argued that the state has also “violated the trust of taxpayers” by slashing 20j funding, a provision of Proposal A that “held harmless” those districts who would lose funding under the then-new system. Funding through 20j was eliminated in 2009.

Finally, saying she wanted to add some context, board president Deb Mexicotte stated, “The state is bringing pretty much every tool [it] has to bear against public education …We’re going to get $1.6 million back for doing things were already doing, or doing better …We have to remember how much was taken away.”

Mexicotte explained that there was enough money in the state-managed School Aid Fund last year to raise the per-pupil allowance of every student in Michigan by $200, but instead $500 was cut. Therefore, she concluded, it’s hard to feel grateful for getting a tiny bit back.

In addition to the funding cuts, Mexicotte asserted that the additional constraints being placed on how schools conduct their business, the rise in charter schools, and the proliferation of education laws that are not student-focused are leading to a “downward spiral to breaking public education in this state.”

Mexicotte asked Stead to read aloud the three resolutions needed to receive the funding, which she did. The first declared AAPS the policyholder on employees’ medical benefit plans; the second certified that the district had participated in service consolidation; and the third confirmed that AAPS had met at least four of the five requirements to qualify for this one-time state funding of $100 per pupil.

Outcome: Trustees unanimously supported the three resolutions required for AAPS to receive the $1.6 million in best practices funding from the state.

Response to State: Public Commentary on Charter School Legislation

Steve Norton, AAPS parent and executive director of Michigan Parents for Schools (MIPFS), shared his concerns during public commentary regarding a package of bills currently under consideration by the Michigan state legislature regarding charter schools [SB 618, 619, 620, 621 and 624]. Called the “parent empowerment package,” Norton argued that this set of bills would do the opposite of that. He said the legislation encourages the creation of small education enclaves throughout the state, and encourages everyone to walk away from the problems of public schools instead of trying to fix them. He described the goals of the bills as: removing the cap on the number of charter schools and cyberschools in Michigan, and allowing public schools to vote to turn themselves into charter schools.

Norton also highlighted unsuccessful efforts by MIPFS to get amendments to the legislation passed that would have required all charter schools to be run by non-profit organizations. As the bills now stand, he argued, they “provide less of an educational opportunity than a business opportunity, allowing private profit [to be] made at public expense.” Norton encouraged the board to be leaders in engaging the community about the significance of this package of bills for the education of the vast majority of children in our state.

Response to State: AAEA President – Political Reform

In his regular report to the board, teachers’ union president Brit Satchwell expressed his frustration with the state, and encouraged people feeling the effects of budget cuts throughout the district to direct their outrage to Lansing. He warned against members of the local community who distract the discussion by “raising red herrings” and continuously claiming a lack of transparency on the part of AAPS. Their actual problem, Satchwell said, is that they simply do not agree with policies that support education.

“Less is not more,” Satchwell emphasized. He expressed frustration with people who claim the district’s budget must “be fat somewhere,” and who claim that the budget woes are due to poor management on the part of the district. Applauding the “heroic efforts made in the buildings” by teachers and administrators, Satchwell urged everyone to “take the fight upstream.”

He pleaded with the board to become the “tip of the spear” in the fight, and implored the community to follow them. “The people who brought this disaster to your kitchen table have to go,” he urged the community, “The financial difficulties we are facing are not forces of nature – the solutions are not here.”

Response to State: Countywide Legislative Advocacy Task Force

During the “items from the board” section at the end of the meeting, the board engaged in a brief brainstorm about approaches that could be used to bring together school districts and municipalities across the county to advocate as a group at the state level.

Referencing Satchwell’s call for the board to “be the tip of the spear in combating what is happening to us,” trustee Susan Baskett noted that the mayor of Saline recently engaged her in a discussion about how the recent elimination of the Michigan Business Tax would affect schools and cities alike. “We are all trying to keep up with what’s happening with the legislation,” Baskett said, “but it’s all happening so quickly.”

AAPS superintendent Patricia Green agreed, saying that the issue is coming up and is a topic for the entire county. She noted that in Pennsylvania, where she worked previously, a consortium of regionally-affiliated school board representatives met to address legislation that affected them all, and asked if that was taking place in this area.

Mexicotte noted that the Michigan Association of Schools (MASB) regularly holds a breakfast with legislators, but that perhaps convening a countywide task force would be a better approach.

Stead added that AAPS has had some difficulty in the past working with legislators as a group. While crafting recommendations for how education legislation might be reformed, she reminded her board colleagues, AAPS had approached legislators for their input. “Each legislator asked for a private, ad-hoc group just for them … They hadn’t come together, and they were partisan in their approach.”

Baskett argued, “No one entity should have to do this alone – it’s affecting all of us across school and city boundaries.” She added thanks to Skyline teacher Pat Jenkins for inviting her to help out with an activity with her Communication, Media, and Public Policy (CMPP) magnet students.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot said she loved the suggestion of a countywide task force, “We should be the tail wagging the dog, taking the lead.” However, Lightfoot warned, “the nice, sweet kind of approach isn’t going to work.” She argued that the district will need to enlist different sets of allies at different times, since some of the work that needs to be done is partisan in nature. Finally, referencing the CMPP students Baskett had mentioned earlier, Lightfoot said she would “love to find ways to enlist students in our public policy fight.”

Response to State: Budget Planning for 2012-13

Stead noted in her regular report as committee chair that the planning committee had discussed the upcoming 2012-13 budget at its recent meeting, in the context of state-level cuts.  She said that the district will be engaging the community as early as possible in making decisions about the anticipated $14 million in cuts that AAPS will be facing. She noted that AAPS will hold a community forum this fall to review what has been cut already over the past five years and to start engaging the public.

“We will be planning our budget in late winter and early spring so that we can make decisions earlier this year,” Stead said, pointing out that AAPS has lost just over $50 million in the past five years alone. “We will want to get people’s best thinking.”

Stead also noted that AAPS staff had brought to the planning committee a “handful of ideas” on revenue enhancement, but that the committee had asked for more due diligence to be done before continuing to pursue them. “We are looking at every opportunity for incremental revenue,” Stead said, “but not always at the cost of integrity and other things.”

Transportation

Concerns about transportation continued to dominate public commentary, as they had at the September board meeting. At the Oct 12 meeting, Allen gave an update on changes to the district’s transportation service since outsourcing busing to the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD). Then, Allen – along with AAPS director of communications Liz Margolis, WISD business manager Brian Marcel, and WISD transportation director Tom Moore – answered trustees’ questions regarding transportation.

Transportation: Public Commentary

Four parents addressed the board with safety concerns related to the their children’s current lack of bus service. They enumerated the following safety concerns: proximity of walking path to major roads; worry about whether paths will be cleared during winter months, road construction blocking designated safe walking routes; and the effect of the approaching bad weather of the winter months on students’ walks of over a mile while carrying 20 to 25-pound backpacks.

One parent noted that her family did not own a car, and another noted that while they could drive their daughter to school in the morning, they were unable to pick her up after school since they would be at work. They pleaded with the board to restore bus service in their neighborhoods, and noted that it’s common for families to see an empty bus passing by their house that previously stopped but now does not.

A parent from Pine Lake community argued that her co-op complex is 1.7 miles from Slauson, her child’s school, and that her complaints to WISD transportation director Tom Moore have not yielded results. “If you Google 2680 [Adrienne Dr, the Pine Lake Clubhouse address], it’s 1.7 miles,” she pointed out, and requested that the district recalculate the distance. Finally, she argued that the changes to transportation have disproportionately impacted minorities.

Transportation: Bus Service Update

Allen reviewed that 2010-11 was the first year that AAPS contracted for bus service with the WISD, and that the goal was to save $1.5 million. After the audit report in November, Allen said, the district will be able to compare 2009-10 with 2010-11 to see what the actual savings were. The projected savings for 2011-12 are $1 million, he said, after the board allocated an additional $300,000 to address implementation of common bus stops at the high school level.

Allen reviewed adjustments made the original 2011-12 bus schedule due to feedback from the community, including the addition of four new runs and 39 new stops. He also said that late or overcrowded buses have been greatly reduced, and said that some adjustments are still being made in the outer quadrant of the district. Finally, Allen noted that an official count of ridership would be performed by the WISD and submitted to the state.

Transportation: Discussion – Summary Report Overdue

The board asked about numerous specific problems regarding transportation this year, but focused on one overarching issue – the lack of a summary report, which was supposed to have analyzed the program data from the first year of the district’s contract with the WISD before AAPS renewed for a second year.

WISD business manager Brian Marcel responded that the WISD spent its staff time preparing for this year rather that writing a report about last year. He offered the rationale: “If we don’t get complaints, that’s a good thing. Last year, we had almost no complaints.” Multiple board members said they would still like to see a complete report from the 2010-11 school year, including the length of time students were on buses, the number of late buses, and customer satisfaction measures, among other metrics.

Transportation: Discussion – Quality of Customer Service

Board members asked about how adjustments have been made to routes and stops. Allen assured trustees that the WISD has been consistent in implementing the new board policy, and in following up with families who still have questions.

The board questioned the level of office staff that the WISD has available to resolve concerns, whether the WISD had logged all complaints and their resolutions, and whether the WISD transportation department phone number was even operational.

Moore answered that the WISD has ten phones answering transportation calls, and that they are logging calls as well as e-mails received. He acknowledged that the WISD received 1,400 calls on one day early in the school year, which maxed out the system, but that they have since increased the capacity for receiving calls. Moore noted that the number of calls has dropped off dramatically, saying that he might get two messages a day now.

Allen confirmed that families with concerns should contact the WISD first, and that the WISD phone number is operational. Moore promised that everyone who leaves a message will get a call back. Marcel said he does not want a recurrence of the high volume of calls, and said he thinks the district’s plan to set its budget earlier will help, because the community will have more notice of any changes to next year’s bus service.

Green added that she has met with the superintendent of the WISD to share concerns and raise the issue of contract renewal in the future. As a result of that meeting, Green said, AAPS and WISD staff met to review what happened and why the phone banks were overloaded, and talked about how services had to improve.

Trustee Irene Patalan applauded the community for sharing the sacrifice involved in changing the transportation system this year. She added that, though “the board would love to go back to the way things were,” change is a “way of life.”

Transportation: Discussion – Overcrowding

Baskett asked how overcrowding is being handled on buses, and what legal obligations the district has to students regarding bus seating.

Allen reviewed state transportation law, which says that school buses can be filled three-to-a-seat. He noted that AAPS has asked the WISD to fill buses three-to-a-seat for elementary school students for a maximum of 65 or 71 students, depending on the type of bus. For middle and high school students, Allen continued, the district aims for two-to-a seat, meaning a full bus is either 44 or 48 students.

Baskett asked for clarification about how parents or students can get another bus, if taking a head count at the bus stop indicates that the bus will be overcrowded.

Moore answered that there are not enough drivers to have substitute drivers available to immediately react to an overcrowding situation. He encouraged parents or students experiencing chronic overcrowding to contact his department, but assured the board that “on a day-to-day basis, [buses] are not overcrowded.”

Baskett asked about staffing levels and turnover.

Moore acknowledged that the WISD has experienced more that 40% turnover in transportation staff this year, while industry standard turnover is less than 10%. He stated, “School bus driving is unique and not for everyone … We have the freight that talks back.” Moore explained that many drivers have left for jobs with Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA), the University of Michigan (UM) or Federal Express, paying the same or better “without the talking back.” He closed by saying that the WISD is currently accepting applications for new drivers.

Transportation: Discussion – Safety

Thomas asked what is being done to address safety issues on walk routes to schools, and noted that it will take coordinating with other governmental entities that are facing their own budget problems. “Who is the advocate on behalf of the students … of the district in dealing with the city, county, and state?” he asked.

Multiple staff members and board members weighed in on a response to Thomas.

Green stated that she had met with Steve Powers, the new city administrator to talk about how the city and AAPS could work together on this issue as winter approaches, and Moore said the WISD has been assured by local departments of public works that walk routes would be maintained and cleared.

Margolis added that she is working closely with the Ann Arbor Police Department officer who coordinates crossing guards to be sure they are placed as effectively as possible. She said that the recently passed law fining drivers $100 for not yielding at pedestrian crosswalks should help the situation.

Allen said he is collecting information from parents proactively about areas of concern, and pointed out that AAPS sits on a Transportation Safety Committee (TSC) along with the police and fire departments, and other entities.

Mexicotte, who sits on the TSC as a representative from the board, confirmed that “all the players are at the table” at the TSC, and that “knowing that these challenging are only going to get more challenging, the committee is getting ready to better help parents get used to these changes.”

Transportation: Discussion – AATA

Baskett said she is concerned about how AAPS bus service will look moving forward, and noted that the AATA is adding some service on the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti corridor. She then suggested that the district should try to influence the AATA’s master planning process, so that use of the AATA might be an option for AAPS families who can afford it.

Transportation: Discussion – Staff Time

Lightfoot noted, with the many issues AAPS staff have to tackle, it seems like they are still doing a lot of the work related to busing, even though the district is contracting with the WISD to provide this service.

Allen responded that, initially, AAPS wanted to be sure that the WISD had the proper guidance. Saying he no longer planned to be involved on a daily basis, Allen said he now believes “the understanding is there.”

Transportation: Discussion – Special Education Reimbursement

Mexicotte questioned why ridership is reported to the state, since providing transportation is not a state mandate. Marcel answered that it is because of state support of special education services, including transportation. In order to receive state reimbursement of 70% of the transportation costs for special education students, Marcel explained, the WISD must report the ratio of regular riders to special education riders in order to determine the percentage of transportation department office and supervisory staff that can be reimbursed.

Other Actions

In addition to two second briefing items, the board agreed to vote on a first briefing item at this meeting – the purchase of new algebra textbooks.

Other Actions: Algebra Textbooks

Assistant superintendent for secondary education Joyce Hunter explained the need for additional algebra textbooks. In a memo to the board which she referenced at the meeting, Hunter reviewed that last year, the decision was made to provide all 8th graders with an opportunity to take algebra. This decision was made, she said, “in order to increase the number of students enrolled in higher-level math courses and to increase the number of African-American and Latino students in AC and AP courses in accordance with the Strategic Plan.”

[See this previous Chronicle coverage: "Schools: Achievement Gap or Equity Gap" for more on how the decision to offer Algebra to all 8th grade students evolved.]

Hunter explained that in order to align the new 8th grade algebra course with high school expectations (which will allow 8th graders to earn high school credit for the course) the district will need to purchase additional copies of the Holt textbook being used in 9th grade algebra classes.

The board asked how the books will be distributed, why a request to purchase these books was not made in the spring, and how students and teachers are currently functioning in 8th grade algebra without these books.

Hunter clarified that each student will be lent a book to take home, and each teacher will have a class set for use in the classroom. She also took responsibility for not ordering the books last March, when the courses were set, saying that in consideration of the budget constraints, she had decided to have teachers make course packs and use supplemental materials, but noted that system was less than ideal.

Stead suggested it would be helpful for students to vote on this item immediately, instead of waiting until after a second briefing, noting “It’s nice to be able to do something at this level that directly impacts student learning.”

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve the immediate purchase of 507 Algebra textbooks at a total cost of $32,537.

Other Actions: Second Briefing Items

There was little discussion on the two second briefing items considered at this meeting – the printing of the Rec & Ed catalog, and the contracting of therapeutic services for special education students. Both items were reviewed at more length during the Sept. 14 board meeting. ["AAPS Families Challenged by Busing Changes"]

Regarding the special education contracts, assistant superintendent for student intervention and support services Elaine Brown stated that Green has asked her to bring competitive bids for the needed services earlier in the year next year for board review. Brown also noted that competitive bidding had been a part of her recommendation to contract with Pediatric Therapy Associates this year, and that PTA had provided the lowest bids.

Outcome: As part of the Oct. 12 consent agenda, the board unanimously approved the printing of the Rec & Ed catalog, as well as the contracting of therapeutic services needed for special education students. The consent agenda also included minutes and gift offers, which Mexicotte said were much appreciated.

Other Actions: MASB Voting Delegates

Mexicotte explained that each year, the board sends a number of voting delegates, usually two, to the annual conference of the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB). She noted that the conference will be held near Traverse City, MI this year, and asked for volunteers to represent Ann Arbor. Lightfoot and Baskett volunteered, and Thomas noted that he believed Glenn Nelson, who was absent from the Oct 12 meeting, was also interested.

Mexicotte said the board could nominate up to six delegates, and suggested certifying the three delegates nominated.

Outcome: Lightfoot, Nelson, and Baskett were certified as AAPS delegates to the MASB conference, and board secretary Amy Osinski was directed to register the delegates for the conference by Oct 14.

Update on Insurance Audit

AAPS assistant superintendent for human resources and legal services Dave Comsa reported to the board that the district’s auditors had recommended performing benefits eligibility audits, which AAPS then did. He explained that all audited employees were told that no action would be taken against them if they were honest in claiming dependents from that point forward.

Employees cooperated, Comsa said, and because of their voluntary cooperation, the district will recoup $766,000 by no longer covering ineligible dependents. Following the audit, Comsa said, AAPS enacted additional safeguards against being able to claim ineligible dependents, including requiring documentation such as birth certificates or marriage licenses.

The board expressed pleasure that the audit has yielded cost savings, as had been hoped, and that the district has taken steps to protect against such a problem recurring.

First Briefing: Policy Updates

At the beginning of her planning committee report, Stead thanked Green for presenting an action plan to use as a tracking tool during policy review. Later in the meeting, Stead presented a first briefing of updates to a set of board policies her committee had reviewed: Policy 5150 (Student Attendance), Policy 5200 (Progress Reporting), Policy 5400 (Safety, Injuries, and Emergencies), Policy 5500 (Smoke-Free Environment) and Policy 5600 (Medication).

Of those reviewed, Stead said, changes were suggested to two policies – Student Attendance and Smoke-Free Environment.

The suggested changes to the student attendance policy were to bring attendance procedures for elementary, middle, and high school students under one policy.

If approved by the board, the smoke-free environment policy would be amended to include the school grounds in the policy, thus bringing an “outdoor” element to what had been an indoor policy. The board questioned what this would mean to smoking by adults at outdoor sporting events, and to tailgating on Pioneer grounds on UM football Saturdays. Stead confirmed that all smoking on AAPS grounds would be prohibited, and that UM police would be responsible for policing Pioneer’s parking lot on UM game days.

Though the other three policies reviewed by the committee were not seen as needing updates, Stead said the planning committee did suggest some changes to their administrative regulations, rules regarding the implementation of the policies, on which the board advises but does not vote.

Regarding the progress report policy, Stead suggested adding a line about how parents have the responsibility to stay informed about student progress. Lightfoot suggested putting in language about requiring additional oversight of students whose progress triggers concern. Stead was amenable to having her committee look at the regulations again to see how such an idea could be incorporated.

Stead also reported that small wording changes were suggested in the regulations of policies 5400 (Safety, Injuries, and Emergencies) and 5600 (Medication) to reflect current practice.

Outcome: The board will review these recommendations at second briefing at its next regular meeting.

Achievement Gap

During the catch-all, “items from the board” section at the end of the Oct. 12 meeting, Stead commended the local chapter of Links, Inc. for holding a “well-facilitated, solutions-focused” meeting on the achievement gap. [In a phone call with The Chronicle, Baskett explained that Links, Inc. is an exclusive, international civic group for African-American women, and noted that the recent meeting of the organization's local chapter was an invitation-only study of the achievement gap facing AAPS.]

Stead asserted that working with Links is exactly the kind of community engagement AAPS has been hoping for, and that “if any one person could have solved this problem, it would have been solved a long time ago.” Baskett also thanked the leadership of Links, Inc., expressing appreciation that “the community is really getting involved with us.”

Lightfoot questioned the timeline for implementation of the district’s achievement gap elimination plan. Mexicotte suggested the appropriate process would be for the performance committee to make a recommendation for the plan to be formally reported to the board. Then, the executive committee of the board “can see where to slot it.”

In his regular report to the board, Bryan Johnson, chair of the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), also addressed the achievement gap. He noted that the BPSSG had recently hosted their kickoff meeting, and that the theme of their work for 2011-2015 will be “building the achievement bridge.” He explained that the BPSSG has formed committees around three goals – increasing parent involvement, reinforcing a culture of achievement among students, and working with AAPS to create an environment in which all students can succeed. The BPSSG executive committee, Johnson said, will also be working with community organizations on a program addressing academics, character, and citizenship.

Saying she was looking forward to working with the BPSSG, Mexicotte noted that she attended their kickoff event, and that it was a “roomful of energy, new ideas, and new partnerships.” She said the past leadership of the BPSSG has always been a great partner, and that the new leadership was energizing as well.

In her superintendent’s report, Green also thanked the BPSSG for inviting her to their kickoff event, and praised the group for embarking on a multi-year process to help eliminate the achievement gap.

Suspension and Expulsion

The board engaged in a brief off-agenda discussion on suspension and expulsion data, disagreeing about whether the topic was part of the recent planning committee meeting and if it should have been part of Stead’s report to the board.

Baskett said she had requested data on 2010-11 suspension and expulsion data last February, and that she should not have to wait to get it until February 2012 – when a study session on the issue has been scheduled. Lightfoot agreed, saying, “I think we, as trustees, should not have to wait until February – those numbers should have been made available to us.”

Mexicotte said the executive committee had asked AAPS administrators when they would have a good grasp on not only the numbers of students suspended or expelled, but how the district would be moving forward in dealing with these situations. While the board may receive raw data soon, Mexicotte said, “the idea was to give the administration some time to frame the numbers, understand them better, and bring a plan to that meeting.”

Additional Public Commentary

During public commentary, AAPS parent and board of education candidate Ahmar Iqbal, commended Green on her first 100 days as AAPS superintendent, and addressed the board on the issue of class size. He noted that when he went to the capsule and curriculum nights for his two children, he was troubled by the class sizes they are experiencing. Iqbal pointed out that the “overloading” of high school classes has prevented his daughter from transferring to another class and noted that his children are not experiencing class sizes at the targets set by the 2011-12 budget.

Iqbal also argued that he believes families will choose to leave AAPS because of the lack of available course offerings due to larger class sizes, and suggested the following solutions: hold additional teacher training sessions on how to deal with larger class sizes; require principals or other administrators to teach classes to reduce class size; and create a community task force with parents to explore options.

Board Committee Reports

The school board has two standing committees. The planning committee consists of: Christine Stead (chair), Susan Baskett, and Irene Patalan; the performance committee consists of: Glenn Nelson (chair), Simone Lightfoot, and Andy Thomas. Board president Deb Mexicotte sits on neither committee.

At its recent retreat on Oct. 14, the board suggested that the issue of committee restructuring be brought to the next regular meeting on Oct. 26. The board is considering meeting as a “committee of the whole,” instead of using two, separate committees.

The planning committee’s report is included in the section above on early budget planning in light of state-level funding cuts.

Performance Committee

In Nelson’s absence, Thomas spoke about the recent activities of the performance committee.

Thomas reported that the performance committee met with an Arab-American parent support group, who were requesting formal recognition so that they would then be able to link to their group website from the AAPS main website.

Noting that this parent group has been instrumental in addressing curriculum issues within AAPS, to bring knowledge and sensitivity to cultural concerns of Arab-American students, Thomas thanked them for their insight, and said he thought the committee discussion had been very positive.

Finally, Thomas noted the performance committee had discussed concerns about whether counselors are used as effectively as possible, particularly in terms of preparing students about how to apply and pay for college. He said that AAPS is not always in line with best practices regarding guidance counseling, and said he expects a plan of action to come of the board in the near future to be sure counselors are used to best to meet the needs of today’s students.

Board Associations

At each meeting, the board invites reports from six associations: the Youth Senate, the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA).

At the Oct. 12 meeting, the Youth Senate, AAPAC, PTOC, BPSSG, and AAEA addressed the board. Mexicotte noted that she had recently met with the AAAA about equity work and how the board might work with them to be better partners. She added that she was disappointed that they did not report to the board at this meeting.

BPSSG and AAEA reports are included above in the summaries of board discussion on the achievement gap and the board’s response to state-level funding cuts.

Association Reports: Youth Senate

Rachel Blakemore from Community High School addressed the board on behalf of the Youth Senate. She reported on concerns regarding progressively limited course offerings at Pioneer and Huron, and expressed that many students are deeply troubled by the rumors circulating around that Humanities may not be offered in the future.

The remainder of the Senate report focused on busing. Blakemore reported that many of the drivers are inexperienced, and uninformed. She also noted that because of fewer shuttles between high schools, students’ academic and athletic opportunities are more limited. Finally, Blakemore pointed out that the lack of [AATA] bus passes has also limited student opportunities, as shuttles and normal school buses “are not adequate.”

Association Reports: AAPAC

Melany Raubolt addressed the board on behalf of the AAPAC. She thanked Green for addressing concerns regarding transportation of special education students, and reported that many glitches seem to have been resolved. She also thanked Brown for speaking to the AAPAC about improvements in the process of developing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for special needs students, and noted that the AAPAC looks forward to learning about how students can develop a personal curriculum if needed.

Raubolt said she is looking forward to peer-to-peer mentoring expanding throughout the district, which reinforce that “children with special needs are children first, not disabilities first.” Three schools, she noted, are slated to participate in Disability Awareness Workshops (DAW) in November.

Ann Arbor is a large district, Raubolt said, whose children would be better served if AAPS offered a young adult program to special education students. She argued that parents should be able to visit all young adult programs to choose which is best for their students, and that all programs need to be flexible enough to meet students’ needs, including toileting needs. “Our students can lead productive lives,” Raubolt asserted.

Association Reports: PTOC

Martine Perreault reported for the PTOC, thanking Green for giving the keynote address at the group’s recent launch party as well as answering questions from the audience.

She also thanked the six candidates from the board of education for attending the launch party, and answering questions formally, as well as informally during a dessert buffet.

Finally, Perreault thanked the PTO officers who attended as well. She noted that the PTOC has had contact with every PTO and PTSO in the district at this point in the year, up from a membership of only 10% of the PT(S)Os four years ago, and that the PTOC continues to “build strength through unity.”

Upcoming PTOC events, Perreault concluded, will include treasurer training and a fundraising forum.

Superintendent’s Report

Green praised the district’s 63 national merit semifinalists, the Community High jazz program, the Huron drumline, the Skyline library, and multiple other specific schools, students, and teachers for recent achievements. She also reported on the recent visit of a group of students from Ann Arbor’s sister city of Hikone, Japan.

Finally, Green thanked the PTOC for the opportunity not just to speak, but also to “mix and mingle, to be a person and not just a superintendent.”

Additional Items from the Board

Baskett apologized to the Ann Arbor Tech community for the board retreat being scheduled on the same day as their open house to dedicate the school’s new name. She also invited everyone to the annual NAACP freedom fund dinner, to be held on Nov. 5 at the Sheraton. If they’re unable to attend, Baskett urged her colleagues and all listeners to consider sponsoring a student to attend for $35.

Mexicotte noted that she is a panelist on a forum taking a critical look at student performance on Oct. 22 from 9-11:30 at the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) student union. She added that this forum is one of a series EMU sponsors every year.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice-president Susan Baskett, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Simone Lightfoot and Christine Stead.

Absent: Trustee Glenn Nelson

Next regular meeting: Oct. 26, 2011, 7:00 p.m., at the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.

The board currently maintains two standing committees – a planning committee and a performance committee – through which most new agenda items are vetted and recommendations are crafted for board approval. Agendas for regular board meetings are then set by an executive committee made up of the standing committee chairs and the board president.

By meeting as a “committee of the whole,” all seven trustees would receive new information and review proposals as a group. They would discuss together which items to include on the regular meeting agenda, with the ultimate decision resting with the president and the superintendent.

No decision on the new committee structure was made on Friday, but the board agreed to place the question of committee restructuring on the agenda of its next regular meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

Also at the Oct. 14 retreat, the board reaffirmed its commitment to the district’s strategic plan. Board members also discussed several other items: moving to a paperless system for board documents; providing livestreaming or online video-on-demand coverage of their regular meetings; and creating a common calendar for administrative reports to the board.