Auditors David Helisek and Pam Hill of Plante Moran. (Photos by the writer.)

Still, the board transacted two pieces of business. The first was to approve the report of its auditor, Plante Moran. The overall opinion was “unqualified,” which is the highest rating that can be given. Still, the audit revealed some issues that need to be addressed, one of which was dealt with as part of the audit – the recording of revenue from the tax levy in the year it’s received. That actually increased the amount of AATA net assets by $7 million, but is an accounting change, not an actual change. The auditors found one case of a contract that should have been subjected to Davis-Bacon compliance requirements but was not.

Another issue identified by the auditor involves the AATA’s practice of investing in fuel futures as a hedge against the volatility of diesel prices – the advice was to review the practice with legal counsel. Plante Moran also flagged an issue involving the shelf-life of federal grants – but the AATA and auditors see that issue differently.

The second business item was approval of revisions to the AATA management personnel handbook – it was part of a periodic review and revision. Among myriad other changes, the amended document adds “sexual orientation” to the list of protected classes.

FY 2011 Audit

The board received a presentation on its audit for the previous fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, 2011.

FY 2011 Audit: Background

The AATA board has typically accepted the audit in March for the past fiscal year, ending the previous fall. The AATA’s auditor is Plante Moran PLLC, which the AATA board selected for a one-year contract at its Sept. 15, 2011 meeting.

A policy adopted by the AATA board on June 16, 2011 limits contracting with any one auditing firm to a total of eight years. That meant the auditing firm that the AATA had previously used, Rehmann, was not eligible to provide auditing services when the AATA awarded the contract last year.

[.pdf of final audited statements AATA FY 2011] [.pdf of Statement on Auditing Standards 114]

FY 2011 Audit: Presentation

The presentation on the audit was given by David Helisek and Pam Hill of Plante Moran. Helisek described how the two had met with the AATA board’s performance monitoring and external relations (PMER) committee and had covered the audit report in more depth than the highlights they’d be providing at the full board meeting.

Board chair Jesse Bernstein peruses the audit report as a presentation is given by the auditors.

Helisek explained that the AATA had received an “unqualified opinion,” which is the highest level that can be given about an organization’s financial statements. The unqualified opinion means that the statements provided by the AATA fairly represent the financial position of the authority. It’s the opinion that the AATA should strive for, he said.

That being said, Helisek added, Plante Moran did propose something that the AATA then did, which is to record a prior period adjustment, related to the recognition of the property tax levy that goes out July 1 of every year. Plante Moran’s interpretation of the relevant standards, which the AATA’s financial staff also agreed with, Helisek said, was that the July revenue should be recorded as revenue upon levy. Historically, he said, only 1/4 of the levy was reported in the audit year, he said, with the remaining 3/4 deferred until the next fiscal year. As a result, he said, there was a restatement of beginning net assets equal to roughly $7 million. That’s an accounting change only, not a change in cash or available resources, Helisek explained.

The Sept. 30, 2009 and Sept 2010 the net assets were restated, because the audit report is done on a comparative basis. [.pdf of balance sheet before restatement] [.pdf of revenue expenses before restatement]

Hill continued the presentation by saying that the overall financial health of the AATA is sound.

Based on the report, the operating revenue increased by about 17% over the previous year ($5,381,000 compared to $4,605,000 in the previous fiscal year) primarily due to fare increases in May 2009 and May 2010. That stacked up against an increase in operating expenses of around 3% ($29,532,000 compared to $28,673,000 in the previous fiscal year). Non-operating revenue remained flat compared to the prior year – remaining at around $20 million. Non-operating revenue is the amount the AATA receives as proceeds from the local Ann Arbor millage, as well as from the state of Michigan and the federal government.

What’s important, Hill said, is the working capital of the AATA – current assets minus current liabilities. Working capital, she explained, is the amount of resources the AATA has available to spend on operations. That amount has decreased about $200,000 from last year. [$18,702,079 – $1,939,425 gives the AATA $16,762,654 in working assets for FY 2011. That compares with $20,033,532 – $3,078,381 = $16,955,151 in working assets for the prior year.]

The reason that the amount of working capital is a better measure than the AATA’s income statement is that the income statement also includes a long-term view, so the income statement will factor in depreciation of fixed assets, for example. So it makes sense to look at working capital, because that’s the amount the AATA actually has available to spend, Hill said. She reiterated that overall, the amount of working capital had decreased by $200,000, which is what the AATA had budgeted and planned for.

AATA has a healthy level of non-restricted net assets, Hill said, and that amount totals a little over $15 million. When you take the $7 million out – due to the restatement of the income statement, which Helisek had described earlier – the AATA is still left with a little over $8 million in unrestricted net assets. The $7 million from the restatement will need to be spent in the next nine months of the fiscal year, Hill explained. Hill said that the AATA shows good oversight over the spending process, and has taken advantage of grant money for capital items. She noted that the majority of capital items acquired by the AATA are purchased with federal money.

In the federal grant award audit, Hill alerted the board to one item that she characterized as a “minor finding.” It involved compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act. Davis-Bacon requires that prevailing wages be paid for public works projects, and part of compliance is to document the payrolls. The way the compliance requirements were interpreted for one of AATA’s contracts was to not require Davis-Bacon compliance, because all the different projects completed under the contract were under $200,000, which is the amount that triggers Davis-Bacon requirements. However, compliance rules on the federal side say that all contracts over $200,000 trigger the requirement – even if the contract covers multiple smaller projects, Hill explained. So the AATA did not request or receive certified payrolls for that contract.

Audit: Board Discussion

Board chair Jesse Bernstein said that AATA staff had done a superb job. He said he wished AATA controller Phil Webb were present. [Some AATA staff who ordinarily attend board meetings did not attend, due to the inclement weather – including Webb.] Bernstein said it was just a marvelous audit.

David Nacht had a question about the recognition of the $7 million of revenue. Should the AATA think about that in terms of its budgetary impact for the current year? he asked. Helisek told Nacht that the impact on the budget is negligible. Under the restatement, nothing has changed from a cash-in/cash-out perspective, he said.

Nacht noted that the AATA has a policy about dipping into net assets, and explained that the AATA is currently in an investment phase to fund some pilot programs. [The AATA's policy is to maintain three-month's worth of operating expenses as a reserve. The AATA's FY 2012 budget calls for tapping the reserve for around $1 million, which would leave the AATA with about a three-month reserve by the end of FY 2012, on Sept. 30, 2012. The pilot programs to which Nacht was alluding include increased service on the Route #4 connection between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, as well as service to Detroit Metro Airport.]

Nacht was worried about the impact of the restatement on the policy and the AATA’s planned investments in increased service. Has anyone thought about any of this? he wondered.

Responding to Nacht, Charles Griffith noted that the restatement actually results in the AATA showing more, not less, net assets. So he felt that the AATA would not even be close to the minimum threshold.

Commenting on Griffith’s remarks, Hill noted that the $7 million really is slated to be used in the coming nine months. That’s not actually available as a reserve, she cautioned. Nacht wanted to make sure that the AATA financial staff thinks about any possible implications.

Nacht asked Helisek and Hill if they had any concerns about internal controls. No, replied Helisek. But he added that the audit they’d conducted is not an internal control audit. They had tested the control process and nothing came to their attention as indicating a weakness in the system.

Griffith added that during the PMER committee meeting another issue had also been discussed, involving fuel futures that the AATA purchases as a hedge against diesel fuel price volatility. Griffith characterized it as an unusual and perhaps innovative practice, and said that it has saved money over the last five years. The auditors had indicated a concern that the practice might not be compliant. It should be double-checked and reviewed by legal counsel. Nacht wanted to note that while the idea of purchasing fuel futures was AATA controller Phil Webb’s idea, the board had approved it. Nacht ventured that it would require a specialized legal opinion as to whether the purchase of fuel futures by the AATA comports with state law.

From the Plante Moran report on the fuel futures issue:

Based on our review of the Authority’s investment policy, it does not appear that this investment complies with the Authority’s policy. Plante Moran, PLLC discussed the investment with the Authority’s management. Based on a review of Public Act 20 of 1943, it does not appear that this investment is in compliance with state law. However, we encourage the Authority to consult with their legal counsel regarding this matter and, based on the opinion received regarding the legality of this investment, either adjust the Authority’s investment policy or appropriately adjust the types of investments in which the Authority is investing.

Another issue identified by Plante Moran involves the time period during which federal grants can be spent:

… we noted instances where dated grants (grants that have exceeded the period of availability) are still being drawn down by the Authority and reimbursed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). … Although the FTA has not enforced this compliance requirement in the past, under grants that are funded with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) monies, enforcement will be more stringent. Additionally, we understand that as this is being enforced under ARRA, it is anticipated that enforcement for all federal grant programs will also be more rigorous in future years. Given the significance of federal awards to the Authority, we encourage the Authority to review its processes and procedures for ensuring that grants are being spent within the period of availability going forward to ensure that awarded amounts are not forfeited.

However, AATA manager of service development Chris White’s view of the federal grant periods differs from Plante Moran’s. Commenting on Plante Moran’s assessment of the federal grant deadlines, White wrote to AATA controller Phil Webb:

I believe that they [Plante Moran] are mistaken about the period of availability for federal grants. First, ARRA grants are different. We do have to complete MI-96-0024 by the end of FY 2012. However, for all other programs, the period of availability (3 or 4 years) refers to how long after the fiscal year of appropriation funds have to be obligated (i.e. in an approved grant contract), not when they have to be expended. …

This is not a matter of FTA enforcement. The grant agreement does not include any expiration date, and grants are frequently approved just before the period of availability expires. We submit a project schedule for each line item that frequently goes beyond the period of availability

However, FTA does have the ability to require grant funds to be expended within a reasonable period, and can set deadlines and unilaterally close out grants if they are inactive. FTA has been moving to be more diligent about taking action in this area.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved acceptance of the FY 2011 audit.

Management Personnel Handbook

The board was asked to approve changes to its management personnel handbook. Among myriad other changes, the amended document adds “sexual orientation” to the list of protected classes.

During the board discussion, David Nacht wanted to know if the AATA’s legal counsel had reviewed it. CEO Michael Ford confirmed that legal counsel had done a review. Charles Griffith indicated that the performance monitoring and external relations committee had also reviewed the changes and unanimously supported them.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the changes to the management personnel handbook.

Communications, Committees, CEO, Commentary

At its March 15 meeting, the board entertained various communications, including its usual reports from the performance monitoring and external relations committee, the planning and development committee, as well as from CEO Michael Ford.

The reports were abbreviated due to the short time available to complete the meeting. The meeting was roughly an hour late in starting, because of a tornado warning during which all occupants of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown building – where AATA meetings are held – retreated to the basement in accordance with the library’s policy.

No one spoke during either of the two periods on the agenda available for public commentary.

Comm/Comm: Four-Party Agreement, Transit Master Plan

By way of brief background for some of the commentary made at the meeting, the AATA has developed a transit master plan that would include an expansion of service geographically as well as in its current service area. The AATA would like to implement the master plan by transitioning to a new countywide governance structure.

View from the top floor of the Ann Arbor District Library after the March 15 tornado warning was lifted. It was around 7:30 p.m. before the meeting began. The scheduled meeting time is 6:30 p.m. The tornado bypassed Ann Arbor, but touched down in the Dexter area and caused considerable damage.

That transition would entail incorporating a new transit authority under Act 196 of 1986. To that end, an unincorporated Act 196 board (U196), with representatives from around the county, has been meeting monthly since the fall of 2011. The initial step toward the new governance and funding structure would be for four parties – AATA, the city of Ann Arbor, the city of Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County – to sign an agreement establishing how that transition could take place.

During his report to the board, CEO Michael Ford reviewed the status of the four-party agreement that would establish a framework for the possible transition of the AATA to a new governance structure.

The Ann Arbor city council has ratified the agreement. Ford indicated that the AATA is now working on the timing of bringing the agreement to the Ypsilanti city council and the Washtenaw County board of commissioners for their consideration. [The item was not on the agenda published online for the Ypsilanti city council meeting of March 20. There's some sentiment on the Ypsilanti council that a delay until after the May 8 election would be in order, when Ypsilanti voters will be deciding on a question of a citywide income tax and a separate question of a millage to support bond payments on the Water Street property.]

Board chair Jesse Bernstein described it as an exciting month moving forward with the transit master plan (TMP). Gov. Rick Snyder, he said, had some surprises and some ideas about how to fund and structure transit. The financial task force, which has been helping advise the AATA, just did a fantastic job looking at services the AATA needs to provide in the next five years in order to achieve the vision in the TMP, Bernstein said.

The group had looked at the costs and separated the federal and state-funded projects from those that are locally funded, Bernstein explained. The task force had suggested as an example that the roughly $30 million in additional revenue the plan would require over the next five years could be covered by a 0.5 countywide tax. Because of uncertainty about what might happen with respect to possible state legislation, the task force is inclined to wait to make a specific funding recommendation until it’s clearer what impact, if any, that legislation might have on the local scene.

David Nacht indicated that as a new member to the U196 board, he felt like it would be beneficial for Bernstein or some other member of the U196 board to inform the full AATA board about what’s going on.

By way of background, Nacht is replacing Rich Robben as a representative from the AATA board to the U196 board. Robben resigned from the AATA board and has been replaced by Sue Gott. Gott was not able to attend the March 15 meeting, her first since having her nomination to the board confirmed by the city council on March 5, 2012. Bernstein, in his remarks leading off the meeting, welcomed her to the board, describing her as the University of Michigan’s university planner, and a third-generation resident of the city of Ann Arbor.

Bernstein responded to Nacht’s request for a U196 update to be given by saying the U196 board has been meeting monthly. He said he’s thoroughly impressed by support the AATA is getting from around the county. He characterized the participation on the U196 board as including representatives from 95% of Washtenaw County’s population who are attending the meetings.

The AATA is also still in touch with those units of government who’ve declined to participate, Bernstein said. The U196 board meetings have focused on two things: (1) education about how the transit system works and what the policy issues are; and (2) how to move forward and implement a countywide vision. The U196 board was pleased to get the report from the financial task force, Bernstein reported. The next meeting of the U196 board will be April 2, he said.

In connection with the work of the U196 board, Bernstein said there was a great deal of emphasis on the district advisory committees. Representatives from the districts in different parts of the county will chair meetings, which will be ongoing. Bernstein stressed that the public input process has not reached the end of the line – it’s just the beginning.

During his comments, Roger Kerson called the level of participation achieved on the U196 board remarkable, given the complexity of that process. It’s a compliment and a testament to the hard work that’s been done, he said.

Comm/Comm: Ridership

Charles Griffith noted that there had been another increase in ridership in February 2012, compared to last year – a raw total increase of 14% for the fixed-route service. Even factoring out the extra day in February this year and the nice weather, Griffith said, AATA manager of service development Chris White had calculated that it was around a 7.5% increase in ridership.

The Canton and Chelsea express services have been increasing as well, up 67% compared to last year. That means that operating expenses have declined on a per passenger basis, which decreases the amount of funding the service requires from the Ann Arbor millage, Griffith said.

Not discussed at the meeting were ridership figures for the increased Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor service provided by Route #4. The frequency of service was increased on the route starting in February 2012.

Compared to a corresponding four-week period in February 2011, ridership on Route #4 was 26% greater. Chris White, AATA manager of service development, is still cautious about drawing conclusions from the initial data, writing in an email to The Chronicle, “It is very positive, but please note that the service has not been in place long enough to judge the results.”

The on‐time performance of Route #4 increased from 74% in 2011 to 95% in 2012. System‐wide on-time performance increased from 85% to 91%.

The initial report on Route #4 ridership, one week after more frequent service was offered, showed an increase of 8% compared to the previous week and compared to a systemwide ridership decrease of 0.6%. The AATA board authorized the increased service on Route #4 at its Nov. 17, 2011 meeting.

Comm/Comm: Airport Service

During his report to the board, CEO Michael Ford told board members that the launching of the AATA’s airport service would take place 18 days from then. He was happy to say that, he said, and indicated there’d be a press conference on Friday, March 30 at 11 a.m. to kick things off.

Present: Charles Griffith, David Nacht, Jesse Bernstein, Eli Cooper, Roger Kerson

Absent: Anya Dale, Sue Gott

Next regular meeting: Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority. 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!

Genevieve Urbain awaits her turn to speak during public commentary at the March 15, 2012 UM board of regents meeting. She was one of three people who spoke on the topic of Willis Ward, urging regents to find a way to honor the African-American athlete who played football for UM in the 1930s. (Photos by the writer.)

With minimal discussion, regents dispatched a variety of action items during the meeting, including several related to health education, facilities and athletics. They authorized a $50 million new building for the School of Nursing, as well as $20.5 million in renovations at the Taubman Health Care Center. In athletics-related items, regents approved renaming the Crisler Arena to Crisler Center, reflecting the broader uses there, as it has expanded in recent years. The board also authorized a $2 million increase in the budget for renovations at Yost Ice Arena, bringing that project to $16 million.

Ron Zernicke, dean of the School of Kinesiology, gave the meeting’s only presentation. He described the school’s facilities and academic programs, and the pressures of its increasing student enrollments. For undergraduates, kinesiology is the fourth largest school at UM’s Ann Arbor campus, with 877 students.

As part of her opening remarks, UM president Mary Sue Coleman reported that Fred White – a retired university auditor –has been hired as project manager to implement recommendations from an internal audit. The audit relates to an incident last year involving child pornography allegedly viewed on a UM health system computer. White will also serve as a liaison for an external review ordered by the board at its February meeting.

Several reports were received during the meeting as items of information, including the regular report on internal audits, and a summary of ongoing construction activities. Tim Slottow, UM’s chief financial officer, noted that the Fuller Road Station has been removed from the construction project list. He told regents that the university and city of Ann Arbor couldn’t agree on a memorandum of understanding on the joint project, but that he thinks it’s still a good aspiration. [See Chronicle coverage: "UM, Ann Arbor Halt Fuller Road Project"]

As it did at last month’s meeting, public commentary focused on better access to a childcare subsidy available to parents who are UM students – an issue being negotiated by the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) – and equity for students who are charged out-of-state tuition because they are undocumented immigrants. Students urged regents to support both issues.

The meeting ended with three speakers – including eight-year-old Genevieve Urbain – asking regents to honor Willis Ward, an athlete at UM during the 1930s who faced discrimination because of his race. Regent Martin Taylor, who said Ward had been a friend and fraternity brother, got consensus from regents to seek recommendations on how Ward might be appropriately recognized.

Regents Meeting: Change of Venue

Most regents’ meetings are held in the first-floor boardroom of the Fleming administration building, located at 503 Thompson St. in the university’s central campus, across from West Quad. The room can be a cramped space, especially when turnout from the public is high. The board table takes up the center of the room, with seating for the audience and media located to the sides.

Regent Libby Maynard, left, talks with Sally Churchill, UM's vice president and secretary. Churchill's responsibilities include being the administration's liaison to the regents.

In the past, off-site meetings have typically been limited to UM’s Flint and Dearborn campuses. But in the last few years, more meetings have been held in other cities as well as other locations on the Ann Arbor campus. Regents met in Grand Rapids in April of 2010, and in downtown Detroit’s Westin Book Cadillac hotel in March of 2011, for example – both meetings focused on partnerships in those cities.

This year, the regents’ January meeting was held on the sixth floor of the Ross School of Business building, and included a presentation by the school’s dean, Alison Davis-Blake.

At the start of the March 15 meeting – held in the wood-paneled Pendleton Room of the Michigan Union – UM vice president and secretary Sally Churchill told regents that the changes in venue are a work in progress. She noted that regents have been meeting in the Fleming building for about 50 years, and while the university has expanded during that time, the meeting space has remained the same. She said she was glad to see there was space at the Pendleton Room to hold all the people who attended. [The room was packed primarily with students, many of them wearing yellow "Maize Out" T-shirts. Staff brought in more chairs before the meeting started, to accommodate the crowd.]

Churchill concluded by saying the regents may see some changes in the coming months, in terms of meeting venues and format.

According to the Michigan Union website, the Pendleton Room has capacity for 300 people standing or 200 in an “auditorium” set-up. For the March 15 meeting, a U-shaped table configuration was set up for regents and UM executive officers in an area that was cordoned off with stanchions to separate them from the audience and media.

The meetings are not videotaped. Audio recordings are made and available upon request, but are not posted online.

President’s Opening Remarks

UM president Mary Sue Coleman began her remarks by noting that the earlier in the month university had been awarded a 2012 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization. UM’s commitment to global engagement is long-term and unwavering, she said, observing that the university first began admitting international students in 1847. Coleman also pointed to UM’s 2010 accreditation process, which focused on global engagement. The Simon Award will be formally presented in November at a ceremony in Washington D.C., and Coleman thanked all of the faculty, staff and students who make global engagement a priority.

Coleman also mentioned the 2012 Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, which ranked UM 12th among public and private institutions.

Turning to other news, Coleman praised Dow Chemical Co. for a $10 million gift to support the study of pressing sustainability challenges – complementing the university’s existing sustainability initiative. Andrew Liveris, Dow’s chairman and CEO, had announced the news at Monday’s Detroit Economic Club lunch, which was packed, Coleman said. The funds, to be awarded over six years, will support the Dow Sustainability Fellows Program, which will include graduate fellowships and a lecture series focused on sharing sustainability research and best practices. Coleman thanked Dow for this “historic” gift, and for advancing the next generation of sustainability scholars and leaders.

Mary Sue Coleman at the March 15, 2012 regents meeting.

Coleman also gave a brief update on the university’s response to an incident last year involving child pornography allegedly viewed on a UM health system computer. She said that she and the regents wanted the community to know that the university was making “excellent progress” in following up on the internal audit and board’s directive.

By way of background, at the board’s Feb. 16, 2012 meeting, regents voted to start an external investigation into the six-month lag between the time the incident was initially reported in May of 2011, and action taken by university officials to investigate. A former medical resident, Stephen Jenson, was arrested in mid-December. The university administration had issued its own report on an internal audit in early February, with recommendations to improve security and communications. [.pdf of UM report] But regents felt more needed to be done, and asked Coleman to work with board chair Denise Ilitch to make recommendations for outside consultants who could be hired to carry out an additional investigation.

At the March 15 meeting, Coleman reported that Fred White, a retired senior auditor at the university, has been hired as project manager to implement the recommendations from the internal audit and to act as a liaison for the external review.

Coleman also noted that she had testified earlier this month at the state House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, in support of more state funding. She said she urged legislators to set a goal of returning the state to the top 10 nationwide in terms of state funding for higher education. She said she knew it would be a long-term goal, but that setting a goal is the first step toward achievement.

Coleman highlighted the six honorary degrees that regents would be asked to authorize later in the meeting, to be awarded at UM’s spring 2012 commencement on Saturday, April 28 at Michigan Stadium. In alphabetical order, the degrees will be awarded to: Jose Antonio Abreu, a Venezuelan pianist and music educator; Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent; investment banker J. Ira Harris, president of JI Harris & Associates; journalist and author Susan Orlean; Richard Sarns, biomedical entrepreneur and inventor; and author and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg. Four of the recipients – Gupta, Harris, Orlean and Van Allsburg – graduated from UM. Gupta will be giving the commencement address.

Coleman concluded her remarks by wishing good luck to the men’s and women’s basketball teams in the NCAA tournament, as well as to the men’s ice hockey team in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association tournament. [UM men's basketball team was subsequently defeated by Ohio  University in the first round on March 16, while the UM men's hockey team beat Bowling Green State University on Friday to advance to the finals on Saturday night against Western Michigan, a game UM lost by a 3-2 score. The women's basketball team will play their first round on Sunday, March 18.]

New School of Nursing Building

On the March 15 agenda was a $50 million project to build a new facility for the University of Michigan School of Nursing. The school is currently located at 400 N. Ingalls, in a former hospital built in 1913. The new location will be nearby at the north end of Ingalls, near the Kingsley intersection. [.pdf of map showing location of the new nursing school building]

Tim Slottow, UM’s chief financial officer, told regents that this project has been in the works for many, many years. Provost Phil Hanlon noted that the school is a leader in curriculum development, especially in the area of simulations. That requires a different kind of building than the current one, he said, which is used for offices, classrooms and research space. The proposed 75,000-square-foot building will include instructional space, a clinical learning center, and simulated patient suites.

The new building is intended to accommodate an additional 40 new faculty and staff members over the next five to ten years, according to a staff memo. The memo states that 125 parking spaces will be lost because of the construction, but that UM will be increasing the amount of parking in the nearby medical center campus, and will be using transit services to bring faculty, staff and students in from remote parking lots.

The architectural firm RDG Planning and Design will be handling the project’s design.

The nursing school’s dean, Kathleen Potempa, attended the March 15 meeting but did not formally address the board.

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved the new building project for the School of Nursing.

Taubman Health Care Center Renovations

Two items involving a total of $20.5 million in renovations at the A. Alfred Taubman Health Care Center were on the agenda for approval at the March 15 meeting.

Regents were asked to authorize a $13 million project on the first and second floors of the center, which were vacated after the recent opening of clinics in the C. S. Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospitals. The 35,000-square-feet of space will be used for a multidisciplinary transplant clinic, an outpatient non-cancer infusion center, and a same-day pre-op clinic. In addition, clinical services will be expanded for neurology, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, and radiology. The outpatient pharmacy also will be relocated and expanded into a shared retail space with MedEQUIP.

The architectural firm of Harley Ellis Devereaux has been hired to design the project, which is expected to be complete by the spring of 2013. The center is a four-story building located at 1500 East Medical Center Drive, on UM’s medical complex.

Regents were also asked to authorize $7.5 million in renovations of the center’s third floor, which houses outpatient clinics and administrative areas for the Internal Medicine department. The project will renovate 27,500-square-feet of clinical space for gastroenterology, pulmonary, renal, infectious diseases, rheumatology, medical genetics and general medicine.

Tim Slottow, UM’s chief financial officer, noted that both renovation projects were included in the university’s capital plan.

Outcome: In separate votes, regents authorized renovations to the Taubman Health Care Center. 

Athletic Facilities

Two action items were on the agenda that directly related to UM athletics: Renaming of the Crisler Arena, and a change in the budget for renovations at Yost Ice Arena.

Athletic Facilities: Crisler Renaming

Reflecting an upgrade to facilities, regents were asked to authorize changing the name of Crisler Arena to Crisler Center. UM’s chief financial officer, Tim Slottow, noted that the arena has become more of an all-purpose facility since it was built in 1967. It now includes the adjacent William Davidson player development center with practice courts for men’s and women’s basketball teams, locker rooms and offices, a club area, retail shops and other specialized spaces. The player development center had been renamed in honor of Davidson at the regents’ Feb. 16, 2012 meeting, following a $7.5 million donation from the William Davidson Foundation to the UM athletics department.

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved renaming Crisler Arena to Crisler Center.

Athletic Facilities: Yost Renovations

Regents were also asked to authorize a $2 million increase in the budget for renovations at Yost Ice Arena, with the additional funds to cover more detailed historic window replacements and higher-than-expected costs for steel and new bleachers. Yost is located at 1116 S. State St., in the university’s south/athletic campus.

The project’s original $14 million budget had been approved by regents at their June 2011 meeting, with a schematic design authorized in October 2011. In January 2012, regents authorized issuing bids and awarding construction contracts within the $14 million budget. At that time Slottow had indicated this request for an increased budget was in the offing, dependent on securing more donations for the project. Since then, the project received a donation of $400,000 from Don Graham. Athletic department reserves will cover the remaining increase, Slottow said.

The project includes replacing seating on the east, south and west sides of the rink, improving accessibility and emergency exits, converting the west side media balcony into a series of loge boxes, adding a new level five on the west side for media, and constructing new corner and stair platforms for additional seating. The project will be paid for out of athletic department revenues and donations, and has been designed by Rossetti Architects Inc. of Southfield, Mich. Renovation are expected to be finished by the fall of 2012.

Outcome: The increased budget for Yost Ice Arena renovations was unanimously approved.

Environmental Engineering Degree

Creation of a new undergraduate degree in environmental engineering was on the March 15 agenda. The bachelor of science degree, to be offered by the College of Engineering, would be available starting in the fall of 2012.

According to a staff memo, undergraduates who previously studied environmental engineering “were advised to earn a degree in civil engineering, given the structure of the job market for environmental engineers. However, the field has matured considerably and the employment options and employer criteria are more diverse today. The proposed degree will provide students interested in environmental engineering the opportunity to focus their coursework more deeply in the necessary natural sciences, such as chemistry and biology.”

Provost Phil Hanlon began describing the degree, but was interrupted by regent Kathy White, who participated in the meeting via speaker phone. She said it sounded like a great idea, and she moved the item for a vote.

Outcome: Regents unanimously approved the creation of a new undergraduate environmental engineering degree.

Conflict of Interest Items

Regents were asked to authorize 10 items that required disclosure under the state’s Conflict of Interest statute. The law requires that regents vote on potential conflict-of-interest disclosures related to university staff, faculty or students.

The items often involve technology licensing agreements, research agreements or leases. This month, companies involved are Avicenna Medical Systems Inc., Peacock Holdings, 3D Biomatrix LLC, Atterocor Inc., Brio Device LLC, Evigia Systems Inc., HistoSonics LLC, Michigan Aerospace Corp., Mozaic Solutions LLC, and Situmbra Inc.

Outcome: Without comment, regents approved the 10 conflict-of-interest disclosures in one vote.

Public Commentary

Ten people spoke during public commentary at the end of the March 15 meeting, covering four general topics: Expansion of the university’s child care subsidy being negotiated by the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO); minority enrollment and tuition equality for undocumented students; TEDxUofM; and honoring Willis Ward.

Public Commentary: Child Care Subsidiary

Four students spoke in support of an expanded child care subsidy, some of them with their children in tow. By way of background, childcare subsidies are available for eligible students in the following amounts: $2,250 for one child; $3,300 for two children; and $4,350 for three or more children. The subsidy will increase annually based on the annual average tuition increase at UM childcare centers. [.pdf of application for UM childcare subsidy]

Katherine Brion, a member of the Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO), spoke during public commentary in support of improvements to UM's childcare subsidy.

Katherine Brion, a graduate student and GEO member, told regents that she has three children ages 6, 3 and 1 – her youngest, whom she held while speaking, turned 1 that day. Brion said she was lucky, because her family can afford full-time childcare. To illustrate the need for childcare, she described a typical day of juggling her studies, work and family responsibilities.

The GEO has several concerns about the proposed changes to the childcare subsidy, Brion said, including the fact that the amount of the subsidy is too low and it doesn’t make allowances for unemployed spouses and other situations that affect eligibility. The university’s goal is to retain a diversity of students, she said. She urged regents and the administration to support a more inclusive policy for all students.

Daniel Birchok also spoke while holding his young daughter – he said she thanked them for the cookies and fruit. [A table with food and beverages was set up in the room.] He expressed concerns about the outcome of committee meetings between the GEO and administration regarding the childcare subsidy. In the GEO’s last contract, he noted, members agreed to a lower wage increase in exchange for setting aside $150,000 to address childcare needs. [The contract, ratified last spring, included a 2.5% wage increase instead of an originally proposed 3% increase for the 2011-12 academic year.]

Without the subsidy, Birchok said he’d have to cut his child’s daycare schedule in half, and would have to try to work on his studies while taking care of her. He’s concerned about his student colleagues who aren’t eligible – if their spouses work less than 20 hours per week, for example, or if their spouses’ visas prohibit achieving the subsidy’s work requirements. There’s also no provision for unemployed spouses who are looking for work, and in this difficult labor market, he said, that’s an issue.

Birchok noted that at a March 7 meeting of the childcare subsidy committee, a UM administrator had indicated that she doesn’t favor making any changes. He expressed dismay at her legalistic, bureaucratic response. The GEO made concessions in order to make changes, he said, and the university shouldn’t feel that it’s fulfilling its obligation simply by holding committee meetings on the issue. He advocated for increasing the subsidy and making it possible for more students to study at UM.

Samantha Montgomery introduced herself as president of the GEO. She noted that Gov. Rick Snyder had recently signed legislation that prohibits graduate student research assistants (GSRAs) from unionizing. [Snyder signed the bill on March 13, hours before the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) had been scheduled to meet to discuss the issue. An effort had been underway at UM to organize GSRAs, led by the GEO. For background, see Chronicle coverage: "GSRA Bill: UM Regents Debate Opposition"] Montgomery said that despite this attack on their collective bargaining rights, the GEO remains committed to improving the lives and working conditions of all employees.

Montgomery noted that the most recent GEO contract had focused on issues of parents, trying to improve the lives of students with children. The GEO had agreed to deal with outstanding issues – those that weren’t resolved in the contract – by forming a committee with representatives from both the GEO and the administration. Unfortunately, the committee hasn’t made much progress, she said, and the administration’s latest offer was disappointing. She asked the regents to support the GEO’s “reasonable counteroffer.” That counteroffer includes setting up a secondary subsidy based on the number of hours that a student’s spouse is unavailable for childcare. As an example, $2,000 would be the maximum proposed subsidy for a spouse who’s unavailable between 16-19 hours.

Patrick O’Mahen, a graduate student and member of the Central Student Government, said he wasn’t there to merely offer an opinion, but to offer concrete help. The CSG had recently passed Resolution 1742 “unanimously and enthusiastically,” he said. It allocates $35,000 in CSG revenue to help fund a childcare subsidy pilot program for the coming academic year. O’Mahen outlined several stipulations to the funding, including that the funds be used for direct grants to needy parents, and be used for all students, not just GEO members. He urged regents to support improvements in the childcare subsidy, and to make UM more family-friendly.

Public Commentary: Child Care Subsidiary – Regent Response

Regent Julia Darlow clarified with O’Mahen that he was making this request on behalf of the student government. She noted that it was not appropriate to interfere with collective bargaining talks. But since O’Mahen was representing a request that was separate from the GEO proposal, Darlow asked provost Phil Hanlon to provide regents with more information on the topic. Hanlon indicated that he would do that.

Public Commentary: Coalition for Tuition Equality, eRACism

Luz Meza spoke as a representative of the Coalition for Tuition Equality, but said she also fully supported the GEO and their efforts. As she began speaking, dozens of students stood in support of her remarks, many of them holding signs indicating their affiliation with various student organizations. [This action had also occurred at the Feb. 16, 2012 regents meeting for the same topic.]

The audience in the Michigan Union's Pendleton Room, awaiting the start of the March 15, 2012 UM board of regents meeting. Many of the students wearing "Maize Out" T-shirt were there to support the Coalition for Tuition Equality. In the left foreground are two UM deans – Ron Zernicke of the School of Kinesiology, and Kathleen Potempa of the School of Nursing.

Meza noted that last month, regents had heard from Daniel Alejandro Morales on the issue of tuition equality, and she was there to talk about the same thing. She thanked regents Julia Darlow and Kathy White for reaching out to the coalition.

Meza described her own high school experience in Detroit, and said she doesn’t see the diversity of her high school – where about 44% of students are black and 31% are Latinos – reflected at UM. She said she was able to afford college because she could get in-state tuition. She worked hard to get here, she said. She has friends who also worked hard but who can’t attend because of their immigration status. They would be forced to pay out-of-state tuition, and couldn’t afford it. She urged regents to support the campaign for tuition equality, so that she could return to Detroit, look people in the eye and tell them that UM is doing something to make a change.

Laura Washington spoke on behalf of a student-led campaign called eRACism. Racism still exists, she said. UM needs to create not just a more diverse campus, but also a more welcoming one. It’s a common misperception that we live in a post-racist society, she said, but in fact racism isn’t an historical issue. It’s still constantly shaping students’ experiences. Washington then read several statements from students who described their encounters with racism on campus.

Washington urged regents to support  the 1970 Black Action Movement goal of achieving 10% black student enrollment. Currently the percentage of black students at UM is 4.77%, and should be increased to 10% by 2016, she said. Secondly, eRACism is demanding that a course on inter-group relations be mandatory for all incoming freshman by 2014, to improve race relations and cultural sensitivity. Washington said that eRACism also supports the goals of the Coalition for Tuition Equality. She noted that everyone has a common goal of diversity and equal educational opportunities. “It is time we actually live up to that commitment,” she concluded.

Public Commentary: Coalition for Tuition Equality, eRACism – Regent Response

Regent Julia Darlow asked provost Phil Hanlon to give a full report on tuition equality in the context of undocumented students, saying she’s concerned about the issue. Regent Libby Maynard asked for information about how many current UM students are in that category and are paying out-of-state tuition.

Public Commentary: TEDxUM

Benjamin Mason, an undergraduate engineering student, is the executive director of 2012 TEDxUofM and was on hand to promote the March 29 event to be held at the Power Center, 121 Fletcher St. in Ann Arbor. TED stands for technology, entertainment and design, and the 18-minute lectures at its conferences – known as TED Talks – are focused on what organizers call “ideas worth spreading.” TEDx events are independently organized, with guidance from the original TED. It’s an invitation-only event – both speakers and the audience must apply to attend.

The first TEDxUofM was held two years ago, Mason noted, and drew about 300 people. Last year, the event’s theme was “Encouraging Crazy Ideas” – inspired by an August 2010 Forbes column written by UM president Mary Sue Coleman – and more than 1,800 people attended, with tens of thousands more watching online, he said. It was the largest TEDx event in North America, Mason said, and at the time it was the only one that was completely organized by students. [Talks from the previous TEDxUofM can be viewed here.]

This year’s theme is “Inform Transform,” Mason said, focusing on informing students and transforming their perceptions. He encouraged regents to participate.

Public Commentary: Willis Ward

Three people spoke about Willis Ward, an African-American who played football for UM in the early 1930s. [For background on Ward, see John U. Bacon's Chronicle column: "When Ward, Ford Played Ball for UM"]

Buddy Moorehouse introduced himself as a 1982 UM graduate and a co-writer of the recent documentary ”Black and Blue: The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward, and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech Football Game.” [Link to documentary's trailer on YouTube] Moorehouse said he’d been a sports editor at the Michigan Daily, UM’s student newspaper, and thought he’d known everything about Michigan football. But until recently, he hadn’t known about Willis Ward. He described Ward’s experience on the team, including Ward’s friendship with teammate Jerry Ford and a controversial incident when UM’s head coach at the time, Fielding Yost, benched Ward in a game against Georgia Tech because of his race.

Regent Martin Taylor said he'd been a personal friend of Willis Ward, and supported finding a way to honor the former UM athlete.

Despite all that, Ward loved UM, Moorehouse said. Yet Ward hasn’t been honored because his story has been lost to time. This year would have been his 100th birthday, and it would be a good time for the university to figure out a way to recognize Ward, Moorehouse said. There is only one permanent memorial to a black athlete on UM’s campus – a plaque honoring Jesse Owens, mounted on a wall near the outdoor track. Owens set four world records at UM’s track in 1935, but there’s no memorial for Ward, who beat Owens twice.

Brian Kruger, a co-writer and co-producer of the documentary, picked up the commentary. He told regents that the documentary has been screened all over the country, including at Detroit public schools. His goal is to screen the film at every school in Michigan. Kruger also said he hoped the documentary could be viewed by UM students – it might be a tool to start discussions related to issues that had been raised earlier during public commentary, he said.

The last speaker was Genevieve Urbain, who told regents she was eight years old and a second grader from Brighton. She had watched the documentary about Ward and Ford. Urbain listed off several things that were named for others from that era, like the UM Ford School of Public Policy and Yost Ice Arena. She noted that Ward had beaten Jesse Owens – “an Ohio State drop-out” – yet Ward didn’t have anything named after him. She thought a building, street or monument should be named to honor him.

Urbain said her mother graduated from UM, and that she’d like to attend as well – she’d be in the UM freshman class of 2022. “Go Blue!” Urbain concluded, “and remember Willis Ward.”

Public Commentary: Willis Ward – Regents Respond

A DVD of the documentary was distributed to regents. Martin Tayler said Ward had been a personal friend and a fraternity brother, a golfer and a “great all-around athlete.” Ward had been proudest of beating Jesse Owens, Taylor said, and it does seem like something could be done to honor him.

Andy Richner agreed. Kathy White said she’d already watched the DVD and she encouraged others to watch it too. She also supported finding innovative ways to make the story meaningful for students at the university, as well as for schoolchildren in the state and nation.

Taylor asked whether there was consensus among board members to direct Sally Churchill – UM’s vice president and secretary, who serves as the administration’s liaison to the regents – to take action. He proposed that Churchill talk with athletic director Dave Brandon to come up with recommendations about how to appropriately honor Ward. Other regents concurred.

Present: Mary Sue Coleman (ex officio), Julia Darlow, Larry Deitch, Denise Ilitch, Olivia (Libby) Maynard, Andrea Fischer Newman, Andy Richner, Martin Taylor, Kathy White (via speaker phone).

Next board meeting: Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 3 p.m. at the Fleming administration building on UM’s central campus. [confirm date]

The Chronicle could not survive without regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the University of Michigan board of regents. 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!

Mary Hathaway spoke to the Ann Arbor District Library board about efforts to create a public gathering place atop the underground parking structure adjacent to the downtown library. (Photo by the writer.)

The commentary focused on what’s now being called the “Library Green” – an effort to create a public park atop the underground parking structure that’s being built on South Fifth Avenue, adjacent to the downtown library building. Advocates for the park conveyed that they’ve taken to heart the concerns of the library, and hope to partner with AADL to develop an area that benefits the public and helps the library to thrive.

The board began its meeting with a closed session, in part for the purpose of getting advice from AADL’s legal counsel. In her written report to the board, AADL director Josie Parker noted that the library is considering the legal and financial implications of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority’s decision regarding “excess” taxes captured in the DDA’s tax increment finance (TIF) district.

Board members did not discuss this issue, but voted to schedule another closed session at their Sept. 19 meeting again to hear advice from legal counsel.

Public Commentary

It’s rare that people address the AADL board during public commentary time, but on Monday night four people attended in support of a public park – now dubbed “Library Green” – atop the city-owned Library Lot, adjacent to the downtown library. Three of them addressed the board. Alan Haber, who has frequently been the point person for this effort, attended the meeting but did not speak during public commentary.

Will Hathaway said he was representing a group of people who’ve been talking for several months about how to create a park on the land next to the downtown library, where an underground parking structure is currently being built – the parking structure is set to be completed in early 2012. He thanked AADL director Josie Parker for meeting with him and his mother, Mary Hathaway, about the project, and noted that AADL board member Ed Surovell had also met with them and had been very generous with his time. Hathaway said they’d come away from those meetings with a better understanding of the issues and challenges that the library faces, and he wanted to convey to the board how those conversations had a big impact on his group.

The group has been giving a lot of thought on how to address the library’s concerns, and how development of the Library Lot could have a synergy with the downtown library branch, Hathaway said. The group has also met with other people who have experience with downtown developments, he said. They’ve worked up sketches for possible development of a public park, taking to heart the aspirations and hopes of the library. Everyone in the group cares about the library and wants it to thrive at the center of Ann Arbor, he said, and that’s what he wanted to convey to the board.

Mary Hathaway said she agreed with her son’s statement, and that the group hoped to be partners with the library. Among other things, the group viewed part of their mission as addressing some of the problems that were found at another nearby public park, she said. [Hathaway did not identify the park by name, but was likely referring to Liberty Plaza at the southwest corner of Liberty and Division. It is often a hangout for panhandlers, and aside from certain events – like the Sonic Lunch concert series – the park is not widely used by the general public.]

Odile Hugenot Haber told the board that the group is now referring to the project as “Library Green” in hopes of attracting more support. [Previously, it has been called the "community commons."] Their vision is of a park with a playground, fountains, a theater and a “beautiful room” to hold events like weddings and community functions, Haber said. The more activities that take place there, the more diverse mix of people it will draw, she noted. Haber also addressed what she called a great fear that many people had of the homeless. Before coming to Ann Arbor she lived in Berkeley, California, she said, and helped start a movement called “Homeless, Not Helpless.” Many homeless people have skills, she noted, and we need to look at them not as bums, but as people who are down and out, yet who can still contribute to society. Haber urged the library to participate in developing the vision for a public commons.

Board members did not respond to public commentary during the meeting.

Director’s Report

Josie Parker had provided a written report to the board prior to Monday’s meeting. Included in it – but not discussed at the board meeting – was a note that the library is considering the legal and financial implications of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority’s decision regarding “excess” taxes captured in the DDA’s tax increment finance (TIF) district. The AADL board began its meeting with a closed session to discuss the opinion of its legal counsel, as well as for labor negotiations.

Although the board did not discuss the issue during the public portion of its meeting, board members scheduled another closed session at its Sept. 19 meeting that includes getting the opinion of legal counsel.

At issue is the interpretation of a city ordinance about TIF capture in the DDA’s downtown district, and a decision by the DDA board made at a special meeting held on July 27, 2011. At that meeting, the DDA board passed a resolution stating its view that the city’s ordinance did not require the DDA to return money to taxing authorities in its TIF district – which the DDA had already returned earlier this year. The language of the resolution was somewhat vague, stating that “no redistribution to relevant taxing authorities is required.” The AADL is a taxing authority in the DDA’s TIF district.

Parker had attended the July 27 special meeting, and afterwards told The Chronicle that the library would be working with its legal counsel, Hooper Hathaway, in preparing a response to the DDA’s decision. AADL board member Nancy Kaplan also attended the DDA’s July 27 meeting. Then-president of Washtenaw Community College, Larry Whitworth, told The Chronicle after the DDA’s July 27 meeting that WCC was disturbed by the DDA’s decision and that the college – as one of the taxing authorities in the TIF district – would also be responding to the DDA. And in a phone interview with The Chronicle on Tuesday morning, Aug. 16, county administrator Verna McDaniel said the county’s legal counsel is also reviewing the DDA’s decision.

By way of additional background, earlier this year – at a May 20, 2011 DDA board meeting– board members had voted to accept a method of excess TIF calculation that amounted to roughly $473,000 of excess TIF capture since 2004, to be divided among taxing authorities that have a portion of their tax revenues captured in the DDA TIF district: Washtenaw County, Washtenaw Community College, and the Ann Arbor District Library. The library’s share was about $75,000. The calculation also called for $711,767 to be returned to the city of Ann Arbor, but the Ann Arbor city council waived that repayment.

The Chronicle has published two op-ed pieces on the subject, arguing that the method the DDA used to calculate the excess TIF was not accurate: “Taxing Math Needs Another Look” and “TIF Capture is a Varsity Sport.”

Director’s Report: Other Items

Parker’s written report also noted that Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and product development, has accepted an invitation to serve as a member of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Beta Sprint review panel. The DPLA’s steering committee is working to form a national digital public library – Parker participated in a working group for the effort earlier this year. The Beta Sprint project is looking for ideas and prototypes to show how the DPLA could index and provide access to a range of content. Based on the review panel’s recommendations, the DPLA steering committee – which includes Paul Courant, dean of libraries for the University of Michigan – will ask the creators of those ideas and prototypes to make presentations at a public meeting on Oct. 21, 2011 in Washington, D.C.

The director’s report also mentioned that Parker was asked write a blog post for the TechSoup for Libraries website. The post – titled “Utopian Benchmarks Are Not the Goal” – reflected on her experience as the representative for public library directors in the Public Access Technology Benchmarks Initiative, a consortium of 13 organizations working on a project funded by the U.S. Libraries Program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In addition to her written report, Parker mentioned three other items at Monday’s meeting. A project that Parker had first described at the board’s Dec. 20, 2010 meeting – a six-part public series of lectures, documentary film screenings and other events titled “From Bluegrass to Broadway: A Film History of America’s Popular Music” – has received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Neiburger and Tim Grimes, AADL’s community relations and marketing manager, are advisors on the project, which is spearheaded by the Tribeca Film Institute.

Parker noted that this is the second NEH project to which library staff are connected – Grimes is also helping develop an NEH-funded project titled “Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Worlds.” That effort will identify books and other resources that will ultimately be distributed to at least 1,000 public libraries nationwide, designed to spur discussion and programming about the Muslim culture. As a result of Grimes’ participation, AADL is one of six libraries chosen to serve as focus groups for the project. The focus groups will help gauge reaction to the books and themes proposed for the project. To be part of two NEH projects ”for a library our size, it’s pretty remarkable,” Parker said.

Parker also reported that she had attended a reception last week for the new Ann Arbor Public Schools superintendent, Patricia Green. She described Green as enthusiastic about being here – Parker said she looks forward to getting to know Green.

Finally, Parker gave the board an update on a decision the library staff made in 2004. Prior to that time, AADL contracted with a local collection agency to collect on accounts of unreturned materials and overdue fines. Once an account is turned over to a traditional collection agency, it’s all about the money, Parker said, and that wasn’t satisfactory to the library, which was interested in recovering its materials. So in 2004 AADL began contracting with the library division of Unique Management Services. [According to its website, the firm has trademarked a "Gentle Nudge" process to recover materials and fines.]

Parker said she just received a report from the firm for the period of February 2004 through July 2011. During that time, the return on investment for the library has been $7.12 for every dollar the library has paid the company. She said AADL will continue that service.

Responding to a question from board member Jan Barney Newman, Parker said that between 2004 and July 2011, the library submitted 10,233 accounts for collection. During that time, about $600,000 in cash was recovered, and about $122,000 in materials. She noted that collection is more difficult in a college town, with a more transient population. Parker also said it was important to put these numbers in the context of the library’s entire circulation – about 9 million items each year. Most people who use the library return their materials and pay their fines, she said.

Financial Report

Ken Nieman, AADL’s associate director of finance, HR and operations, gave a brief financial update to the board, referring to a written report provided in the board packet. [.pdf of finance report] He described the month of July as fairly typical, ending with a fund balance of $7.9 million and an unrestricted cash balance of $6.7 million. He noted that three items are currently over budget – employment costs, purchased services and communications – but are expected to fall back in line by the end of the fiscal year. The library’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.

Board members had no questions about the financial report.

December Meeting Date

The board voted on two items during its Aug. 15 meeting: (1) setting a closed session for its Sept. 19 meeting to discuss the opinion of legal counsel and for labor negotiations; and (2) changing its December meeting date from Monday, Dec. 19 to Thursday, Dec. 15. Both votes were unanimous, without discussion.

Present: Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal, Ed Surovell. Also AADL director Josie Parker.

Absent: Margaret Leary, Barbara Murphy

Next meeting: Monday, Sept. 19, 2011 at 7 p.m. in the library’s fourth floor meeting room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

The Chronicle relies in part on regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor District Library board. 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!

Screen shot of the Ann Arbor District Library summer game website. (Image links to play.aadl.org)

Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and product development, gave a brief presentation on the library’s new online component of its standard summer reading program. In addition to earning points for traditional activities like reading a book, the game includes tasks that are done online, like tagging an item in AADL’s catalog or commenting on a blog post. After July 5, points can be traded in for merchandise that will be available at AADL’s soon-to-be-launched online store.

The online aspect is another way to engage more people with the library, Neiburger said, while not demanding an intensive amount of staff time.

Also during the 30-minute meeting, AADL director Josie Parker updated the board on several issues. She’s been invited by the Ann Arbor city council to address that group at its July 5 meeting, to talk about the library’s needs in the context of plans to develop city-owned parcels. That development might include the top of the underground parking structure – known as the Library Lot – that’s under construction adjacent to AADL’s downtown building.

Parker also noted that AADL’s attorney is reviewing a recent decision by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority board to repay the AADL $74,666 in excess tax increment finance (TIF) funds. There’s a question about whether additional funds are owed to the library and other taxing entities.

At the end of her report, Parker briefed the board about her trip to the UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries, held in Monza, Italy earlier this month – the three-day event focused on the future of the written word. She’d been invited to participate in a panel discussion on the topic of the library as a public service. There was acknowledgement among the attendees – librarians, publishing executives, academics, authors and others – that the digital production of material will prevail during the next decade or so, Parker said, but there was no real consensus about what that will actually mean.

In addition to hearing staff reports, the board also approved minor adjustments to wrap up AADL’s FY 2010-2011 budget, which ends June 30. Board members had approved next year’s budget at their May 16 meeting.

Summer Reading Game

Summer reading programs are a staple of public libraries nationwide, including Ann Arbor. Neiburger told the board that the AADL’s traditional summer reading program is designed as a game, with points awarded for reading/listening to books, watching movies, posting reviews and other activities. That game will continue, but this year, they’ve added an online component as well.

The traditional game is staff intensive, he said, which means there’s an upper limit on what the library can do. So they designed a self-serve kind of experience – people can log on, sign up and earn points for completing tasks like checking out a book or other item (10 points), tagging an item in the AADL catalog (10 points), downloading music (10 points per track), writing reviews (200 points), or posting a comment (50 points). You can get between 200-500 points for attending an AADL event – including board meetings – where you’ll be given a code that allows you to redeem the points. [The code for Monday's board meeting was inspired by an item at Afternoon Delight, a nearby restaurant.]

Part of the goal is to get more people interacting with AADL in a variety of ways, such as via the website or by texting. Library staff are especially interested in reviews – rather than rely on reviews from Amazon.com or other sources, they want the social data in their catalog to reflect the local community, Neiburger said. ”People want to know what Ann Arbor is reading when they check something out.”

Starting July 5, participants will be able to use their points to get merchandise from an AADL online store – items like mugs, T-shirts, tote bag and hats – that are paid for by donations from the nonprofit Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library (FAADL). Teen volunteers will process the orders – they’ll accrue game points for that work – and patrons can then pick up their items at the circulation desk. The game was designed using the library’s existing system, Neiburger noted, so that it can be sustainable without a lot of additional resources.

In the future, the library plans to add other ways for people to earn points, such as correcting scanned texts or providing an item’s ISBN number when they request an addition to the AADL collection. This engages people with the library and encourages them to contribute their knowledge and opinions, Neiburger said, and also saves staff time.

In response to a question from board member Ed Surovell, Neiburger estimated that the cost of the prizes totals about $10,000 to $12,000. No tax dollars are used for that, he added – it’s all donated by FAADL.

Director’s Report

In her monthly director’s report, Josie Parker noted that she’s been invited by the Ann Arbor city council to address that group at its July 5 meeting. They’ve asked her talk about how the library fits into the downtown. It’s in the context of plans to develop city-owned parcels, including the top of the underground parking structure – known as the Library Lot – that’s adjacent to AADL’s downtown building. Parker said it’s an opportunity for her to let councilmembers know what the library’s needs are.

On a somewhat related note, Parker also reported that the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority board recently voted to repay the AADL $74,666 in excess tax increment finance (TIF) funds that had been collected. However, there’s been some question about what amount is actually owed to the AADL and other taxing entities. “We do have an attorney looking at that decision,” Parker said, “and we’ll have a decision about that at a later board meeting.” [For background on this issue, see Chronicle coverage: "Column: Taxing Math Needs a Closer Look"]

Parker also drew attention to two recent events. The Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library (FAADL) held their annual meeting on June 5 at the Green Road office building where the library is housing the Ann Arbor News archives. The library took possession of the extensive special collection soon after the owners of the Ann Arbor News closed that business in 2009. The collection is being organized and digitized, but is not open to the public. Parker said she’d been out of the country and unable to go to the meeting, but had heard it was well-attended. Several board members confirmed that the turnout had been good.

FAADL was also involved in the library’s annual kick-off for its summer reading program, held this year at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival’s Top of the Park event on June 19. Over 1,000 reading logs were distributed, Parker reported, and FAADL’s mascot – Faddle the Owl – made its debut. The nonprofit has launched a membership drive – Parker said FAADL’s efforts are making a strong, positive statement about its future.

Related to the summer reading program, Parker’s report highlighted the visits that library staff make each May to local schools, to promote the program. This year, they visited 19 of the 21 elementary schools in the Ann Arbor Public Schools system, three out of five AAPS middle schools, and three private schools. They weren’t able to secure assembly time at any of the high schools, she said, but they’ll keep trying in future years. Visiting 25 schools might not sound like a lot, Parker said, ”but this is hard work.”

Parker also said the library staff was very happy about AADL’s No. 1 ranking in the “Smartest Readers” list, recently published in the American Libraries magazine. [With a per capita circulation of 58.94, AADL has a per capita circulation nearly twice as high as the second-ranking library on the list: Cuyahoga County Public Library in Parma, Ohio, which has a per capita circulation of 33.44. The listing was compiled from a 2008 national study by selecting the 549 libraries from that study that serve a population of over 100,000.]

AADL also ranked No. 4 on Amazon.com’s top 20 “best read cities,” showing where residents are the heaviest purchasers of materials from the online bookseller. Only Ann Arbor and Portland, Ore. made both lists. Parker said it’s not true that if people buy books, they’ll no longer check out books from the library – AADL’s ranking on these lists proves that’s not the case, she said.

Ed Surovell spoke up, saying he wanted to put in a good word for his hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, which ranked No. 2 on Amazon.com’s list. When he was growing up in the 1950s, the town had only one “pathetic little bookstore,” he said, but now it was high on the list of best read cities.

Finally, Parker gave a report on her recent trip to the UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries, held in Monza, Italy – the event focused on the future of the written word. She’d been invited to participate in a panel discussion on the topic of the library as a public service. About 250 people from 35 countries attended, including leaders from academic and government libraries, publishing executives, authors, editors and many others.

There was an acknowledgement that the digital production of material will prevail during the next decade or so, Parker said, but there was no real consensus about what that will actually mean. It’s especially troubling for institutions that have vast collections dating back hundreds of years, she said – America in a baby in that context, compared to countries like Iran or Afghanistan, where histories are millennial.

The three-day forum was intellectually stimulating and eye-opening, Parker said. In Africa, for example, there aren’t many public library systems, and countries there are looking at the U.S. as a model, because of libraries here allow people to take items home. European libraries typically don’t lend, she said – it’s a different model.

It was amazing to get a better understanding of America’s role in this global environment, Parker said, and to be able to contribute her perspective. She credited the AADL library boards over the past 15 years with building up the library’s reputation so that its director would be invited to participate in a forum like this.

Board member Jan Barney Newman noted that it also takes the leadership and reputation of a director like Parker to secure such an invitation. Parker replied that governance is what truly makes it possible to do what AADL has done over the years – she said she made that point on the UNESCO panel. If the board had directed staff to only focus their collection on printed books, AADL would not be what it is today, Parker said.

Budget & Finance

The board had passed its FY 2011-12 budget at its May 16 meeting – the fiscal year begins July 1. On Monday, board members considered a resolution to amend the budget for the current fiscal year, making final line-item adjustments to close out the year later this month.

The resolution authorized the transfer of funds related to these line items:

• $60,000 from salaries & wages to employee benefits
• $40,000 from utilities to legal
• $13,000 from software to supplies
• $12,000 from capital outlays to supplies
• $19,000 from capital outlays to materials

Ken Nieman, associate director of finance, human resources and operations, did not attend Monday’s meeting – he typically is on hand to deliver the library’s financial reports. AADL director Josie Parker explained that this is a standard practice at the end of the year. Board president Margaret Leary added that the board has been updated monthly by Nieman about line items that are over or under budget, and he has provided projections for whether those items will meet the budget.

Outcome: The board voted unanimously to approve the fund transfers for the FY2010-2011 budget.

The monthly finance report was included in the board packet. Because Nieman was absent, there was no financial presentation at Monday’s meeting. Other staff were on hand to answer questions, but the board had none. [.pdf of May 2011 finance report]

Present: Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal, Ed Surovell. Also AADL director Josie Parker.

Next meeting: Monday, July 18, 2011 at 7 p.m. in the library’s fourth floor meeting room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

Purely a plug: The Chronicle relies in part on regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of public bodies like the Ann Arbor District Library board. 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!

It’s also a time that we highlight, with gratitude, our local advertisers, and ask readers to consider subscribing voluntarily to The Chronicle to support our work.

The May meeting of the University of Michigan board of regents was remarkable for a rare display of discord. It’s the only time I can recall that this particular board has publicly voiced disagreement with the administration. It’s the only time I can remember some unscripted debate unfolding among regents on a substantive issue – the issue was a resolution recognizing the right of graduate student research assistants to unionize.

Bezonki, like The Chronicle, is a different kind of beast – he's sometimes surprised by what he reads in the newspaper. This is a preview panel from the upcoming June edition of The Chronicle's comic – a monthly nod to the time-honored tradition of the Sunday funnies. Bezonki is created by local artist Alvey Jones. (Image links to Bezonki archive.)

After the meeting, I happened to be leaving at the same time as UM president Mary Sue Coleman. As we walked down the hall together, I told her that despite the tension and clearly deep disagreement on this issue, I had found it refreshing to see an actual public debate at the meeting. It simply never happens.

Whatever disagreements exist among regents – or between regents and the administration – seem to be aired privately. When tuition rates are set, some regents will read statements of polite disagreement, before casting their votes of dissent. But most action items are approved unanimously, with little if any comment. I told Coleman that I realized the meeting had been at times uncomfortable, but that I appreciated the debate.

She gave me a withering look. “I’m sure you do,” she said, crisply.

Her pointed disdain took me aback – though I should have seen it coming. From her perspective, she’d been delivered a very public defeat on an issue she is passionate about, grounded in her personal experience. She seemed weary. But her comment also revealed a view of the media that’s more prevalent and more justified than I like to admit. It’s a view of reporters as hungering for headline-grabbing, website-traffic-sucking stories – and if the facts don’t quite deliver the juice, well, there are ways to spice up reality. There’s a reason why news gathering is sometimes called “feeding the beast.”

From that perspective, Coleman perhaps heard my remarks as the comments of someone who was hungry for more drama of regents mixing it up in front of the plebeians. Ouch.

So on my drive home from UM’s Dearborn campus – where the regents meeting was held – I thought about why the exchange had touched a nerve for me. For one, I’m dismayed that elected officials and other civic leaders are so often reluctant to hold difficult discussions in public. The board of regents is not the only body that does its business like a tightly choreographed kabuki dance. But as a journalist, I’m angered when irresponsible actions by those who earn a livelihood as part of the news media give public bodies a cheap excuse to be even more closed-off.

Keeping Deliberations in Public View: Why It Matters

Any reader who  follows The Chronicle’s editorial stance – reflected in our approach to regular coverage, our columns and these monthly milestones – is likely aware that we’re relentless in pushing for openness and transparency in local government. Frankly, it often feels like a Sisyphean task. There are many more forces pressing on public officials to conduct business out of public view than there are motivations for holding all deliberations in public. That’s nothing new. You can make arguments of efficiency, or politesse, or politics – and yes, deliberating in public can be messy.

To which I say: Too damn bad.

That’s why laws like the Michigan Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act are in place – it’s a recognition that legal constraints are sometimes the only thing powerful enough to prompt the type of behavior that citizens of a democracy require of their government.

Openness is also a matter of degree. I was disappointed when Ann Arbor District Library board members recently rejected a proposal to begin videotaping their monthly meetings for broadcast. At their May meeting, the newest AADL board member, Nancy Kaplan, brought forward a resolution to videotape meetings. But it was defeated on a 2-4 vote, with support only from Kaplan and Barbara Murphy. (Trustee Ed Surovell was absent.) It was also disappointing that no trustees spoke publicly during the meeting about their reasons for voting against it.

Those kinds of discussions – explaining the rationale for a particular vote – should happen at the board table.

As an aside, I should point out that, unlike most traditional media outlets, it’s not The Chronicle’s typical practice after a meeting to “get a quote” from public officials on which to base our meeting reports, though we will seek clarification, if necessary. Our rationale is based on the belief that the media shouldn’t need to act as an intermediary – if someone from the rank-and-file public takes the time to attend a meeting or watch it online or on cable television, that interested citizen should have access to the same information that a journalist does.

In the same way, we don’t believe the media should encourage public officials to make statements to reporters privately instead of at a public venue – where those statements can be on the record for everyone – and challenged publicly by their colleagues if they disagree. Obviously, this does not eliminate the role of investigative reporting or basic source development.

But too often, there’s an unhealthy symbiotic relationship between a reporter and a public official as an exclusive source. Readers and viewers often attach undue credibility to journalists who seem to have privileged access to key officials, so it’s in a journalist’s interest to maintain that access. The price for that access is that journalists allow quotes from those officials to frame the public narrative. Sometimes that price is paid unwittingly, simply because an inexperienced journalist lacks enough understanding, history or context for the subject matter.

But back to the library board. I was disappointed by the board’s decision not to make their meetings more accessible – both for anyone who’s interested now, but also for archival purposes. The archival angle is one that I’d think would be especially compelling to a group responsible for the stewardship of the local public library. If no audio or visual record of the meeting is made and preserved, then for someone who is not able to attend in person, the only way to experience the content of the board deliberations is through a reliance on reports from the media, or the official meeting minutes that are available a month or two later.

The argument that it’s a matter of resources doesn’t carry much weight with me – it’s actually a matter of will and priorities. And it seems clear that for AADL library trustees and for the UM regents (whose meetings are also not videotaped for subsequent public access), most members don’t believe a greater degree of public access is important.

And in fact, there’s often not much to witness at these meetings, in terms of deliberations on action items – perhaps an occasional question, though rarely one that’s very pointed or critical. For the regents in particular, who oversee the university’s massive budget and set policy with far-reaching implications, it’s remarkable how little can be gleaned from public meetings about the rationale for their decisions – even if you’re paying close attention.

So I suppose that one argument against spending any resources on videotaping these meetings is simply that there’s not much worth recording for posterity, other than the outcome of votes. And that, I think, is a more fundamental issue.

Public Deliberations: The Media’s Responsibility

While I would certainly put the onus of public deliberations in the hands of elected and appointed officials, the media has some responsibility here, too. That responsibility is to report based on a solid understanding of the subject matter.

That responsibility lies in developing a deep understanding of what’s being discussed around the board or council table, and in providing accurate context and background information so that readers can make sense of it. What prevails, though – in much of the national, regional and local news coverage I see – is parachute-style journalism. A reporter drops in on a public meeting, plucks out the most controversial aspect of the interaction, and trumpets that controversy as if that public body accomplished nothing else at their meeting.

That’s partly an artifact of the basic approach to news as “churnalism,” which puts a premium on speed, brevity and frequency. It’s more of a reporting-as-discussion-prompt approach. Alternately, it’s reporting as a delivery device for a poll. With provocative headlines and scant facts, readers are left to fill in the blanks with comments and speculation. And it’s always easier for someone to have an opinion, if a publication serves up issues as if all a reader needs to know is Choice A or Choice B. All of that drives website traffic, which brings in more ad revenue – if you’re selling ads based on page views and click-throughs. Chronicle ads aren’t sold on that basis.

Believe me, I’ve got nothing against ad revenue – bless the local businesses and organizations that support The Chronicle’s work. And bless the generous individual voluntary subscribers to our publication. But I believe the mission of a news publication should be driven something different from a desire to generate cheap page views.

Against a backdrop of marginally informed, eager-to-hype reporting, it’s no wonder that people in the public eye – even those who might otherwise have no problem with scrutiny – pull back from putting their business on the table. And for those who aren’t inclined to do their work in public in the first place, they’re provided with an easy excuse.

This results in a “governing class” in our community, where the path to making decisions isn’t clear unless you’re member of that class or in the network of someone who is. And those who actually follow public boards closely still have only a partial understanding of decision-making – because it often doesn’t happen where it should: In a public venue.

So while I think I understand Mary Sue Coleman’s reflexive reaction to my comments, I’ll still advocate for more of that kind of candid discussion between her and the regents.

At The Chronicle, we’re committed to proving there’s another way to approach the business of reporting – one that assumes readers can be intelligent, with a sufficient attention span to digest more than a sound bite. It’s an approach that treats the work of individuals and institutions we cover as worthy of our sustained attention – for longer than just the time it takes to collect a few quotes and pound out a few paragraphs.

I believe it’s possible to breed something other than a media beast. That’s why, against some daunting odds, we’re working hard to make The Ann Arbor Chronicle a different kind of creature.

About the writer: Mary Morgan is co-founder and publisher of The Ann Arbor Chronicle.

Purely a plug: The Chronicle relies in part on regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of publicly-funded organizations and local government. 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 handful of residents addressed the board during a public hearing on the proposed 2011-12 AAPS budget. The board will hold an additional study session on the budget on Fri., June 3 at 3:30 p.m. in the main conference room of the Balas administration building, and the public is invited.

The session will focus on prioritizing objectives, in case the finalization of the state budget leads to greater revenue for the district than initially expected. If revenue projections increase, the board may choose to restore high school busing, decrease class sizes, or make other amendments to the currently proposed budget. A final vote on the budget is scheduled for June 8.

Public commentary on the Haisley Elementary School parking lot continued. Although many of the speakers requested additional changes to the design, the board approved the proposal as it had been presented at the board’s first briefing, along with a host of other facilities improvement projects. Trustees also approved the purchase of a new standardized assessment tool, the Northwest Evaluation Association Assessment (NWEA), primarily for use in grades K-5.

Late in the meeting, which lasted over seven hours, the board engaged in a frank discussion regarding the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s (WISD’s) budget as it relates to state reimbursement of special education services as well as local tax levies. Though trustees eventually passed a proposal in support of the budget, some board members registered strong concerns.

Finally, the board heard first briefings on a number of other items, including the 2011 millage resolution that will accompany the final budget vote, and updates on both the AAPS strategic plan and a set of board policies.

2011-12 District Budget

The school board is required to approve the 2011-12 district budget by the end of June. At last Wednesday’s meeting, interim superintendent Robert Allen provided an overview of the proposed general fund budget, noting that the district also maintains a number of more restrictive funds such as the grant fund, debt service, bond service, and the sinking fund.

Budget: Projected Revenue and Expenditures

Allen reviewed the basics of the foundation allowance – the amount AAPS receives per pupil. The allowance is currently $9,490. Of that total, $3,432 comes from business taxes, $1,234 from homeowner taxes, and $4,824 from the state. He also noted the state portion of the foundation allowance is projected to decrease by $470 next year. This will make the 2011-12 foundation allowance less than the 2001-02 allowance of $9,034, even though expenditures have increased substantially in real dollars since that time.

Interim superintendent Robert Allen, at the podium, updates the Ann Arbor Public Schools board on the budget.

In addition, Allen explained that the state retirement contribution rate will increase. This is the amount AAPS must contribute to the Michigan Public Schools Employees Retirement System (MPSERS), and is determined by the state. It will increase from its current rate of 20.66% of total wages paid to 24.46% when the state fiscal year begins in October. Allen noted that the retirement rate is currently projected to increase to over 28% by fiscal year 2013-14.

Allen noted that after the board voted to remove principal-sharing as a budget reduction option at its last meeting, AAPS administration went back to find other places in the budget to cut. Allen reported that staff believes substitute teacher costs can be reduced by $600,000, but that still leaves a deficit of $1.73 million, which he recommends taking from fund equity, leaving a beginning fund balance for next year of $17.87 million.

Budget: No Teacher Layoffs

Allen highlighted the fact that the proposed budget does not include any teacher layoffs, because all but seven of the 70 full-time teaching positions will be reduced due to attrition. Allen explained that because of the contract requirements related to seniority, the district would need to lay off 195 teachers to then call back all but seven of them. He suggested this would be unnecessary since there was a high probability that these seven positions would be absorbed with additional retirements and separations occurring between now and the start of the next school year. Historically, Allen said, from 10-15 positions are lost through attrition over the summer months.

Budget: Study Session on Possible State Funding Increases

Gov. Rick Snyder has promised a signed state budget by the end of May, Allen said. Depending on how the state budget is finalized, Allen noted that a possibility exists for up to an additional $4 million of funding for AAPS. That $4 million total consists of a possible $2.4 million addition to the foundation allowance, and a possible $1.6 million in one-time-only incentive funding for the implementation of “best practices.” Allen noted that the district needs to get more clarification from the state to determine whether AAPS meets the “best practices” standards required for that funding.

Given this uncertainty, and the board’s goal of approving a budget at its next meeting, Allen recommended that the board hold a study session to determine its specific budget priorities once the state budget is finalized. Noting that the community has expressed concerns regarding class sizes and transportation, among other issues, Allen suggested that the study session could provide direction to administration on how to proceed in preparing the appropriate budget amendments for the second briefing scheduled for June 8.

The board agreed later in the meeting to hold a study session on Friday, June 3.

Budget: Board Questions and Responses

Trustee Andy Thomas confirmed with Allen that the projected $1.73 million deficit came from the combination of third quarter budget adjustments, additional savings in substitute teaching costs, and adding back in the effect of not sharing principals.

Trustee Glenn Nelson asked whether the district had reached its goal of bringing 170 new students to AAPS via schools of choice (SOC), since the SOC application window has closed. The proposed budget as it now stands is dependent on this 170-student increase, which would raise the total number of students to 16,739. Allen answered that he is not sure that goal will be reached, but that he would know by the time the study session takes place.

Nelson also expressed concern regarding a conference report from the state legislature that funding for half-day kindergarten students may be reduced to half the regular foundation allowance in 2012-13, making the per-pupil funding for kindergarten students proportional to the number of hours they are in school. Nelson requested that the board give some thought to what AAPS should do if that occurs – either continue to offer half-day kindergarten while receiving less money, or implement full-day kindergarten across the board and receive the full foundation allowance for each student while incurring added expenses for teaching staff.

Regarding teacher layoffs, both Nelson and Mexicotte expressed comfort with the administration’s recommendation to take no action. “When we have carried staff before to wait out an attrition cycle, we have used them for other things,” Mexicotte said. Allen agreed that these employees would be used as substitutes or in central administration depending on their skill sets.

Nelson expressed concern that building-level decisions might not be in the best interest of the district as a whole. “As we allow decentralized systems to make some of the decisions,” he argued, “we have the duty to keep to the principles of the strategic plan.” He requested that information on the degree to which decision-making is delegated to the buildings be brought to the budget study session.

Thomas questioned whether the district could consider busing students to school but not home, suggesting, “Students are going to be a lot more motivated to figure out how to get home than they will be to get to school.”

Allen responded, “I will have to check on the legality of that, but I understand that logic. We can calculate what that impact would be if we can legally do that.”

Trustee Susan Baskett cautioned, “I think it’s kind of crazy. I think we have an obligation to get them back to their homes.” But Nelson said he had followed a similar system with his own children when they were young. “As a parent,” he said, “I took my children to school and they had to walk home.”

Mexicotte asked how substitute teaching costs were reduced, and Allen explained that the solution was to assign some responsibility to administrators of individual school buildings. He suggested principals could better coordinate professional development to require fewer substitutes during instructional time, or offer it after school.

Trustee Irene Patalan closed the budget discussion with what she termed a “public service announcement,” urging community members to contact the state regarding the projected increase in retirement costs. “This is a large amount of money we have to pay that we have no say in,” she said.

Budget: Public Hearing

Four members of the public addressed the board during the public hearing on the proposed 2011-12 budget. All of the speakers were parents of current AAPS students.

Tina Richmond expressed concern about the proposed increases in class size. She reported that she does market research for a living, and that she had conducted a one-question survey to assess parents’ opinions on how to reduce expenses. The results of her survey, Richmond said, show that the majority of district parents think the money could be found in administration costs rather than teachers’ compensation.

Larry Murphy noted that the four-to-one ratio of 806 teachers to 205 support employees seems high. Regarding reductions in full-time positions, Murphy noted the proposed budget contains a reduction of 77 teaching positions but only 4 support staff positions, which is hugely disproportionate to the four-to-one ratio. He urged the board to prioritize keeping as many teachers in the classroom as possible.

Paula Brown and Scott Sproat offered comments on transportation. Brown said that the savings gained by eliminating high school busing would be equivalent to the foundation allowance of 89 students, and suggested, “I think you need to think about that.” To save on fuel costs, Sproat suggested equipping smaller, half-sized buses to serve the needs of special education students rather than full-sized buses.

Baskett encouraged additional public comment, reminding the public that the entire budget is on the district website, and available in hard copy at the Balas administration building. Mexicotte again invited the public to the study session on June 3.

2011 Summer Projects

The 2011 summer projects were fully briefed by AAPS executive director of physical properties, Randy Trent, at the board’s May 11 meeting. Of the summer projects on the extensive list, the most contentious has been the renovation of the parking lot at Haisley Elementary School. Five people spoke on that issue during time set aside for public commentary – four opposed to the redesign, and one in favor.

The only change suggested by Trent at the second briefing was to amend a typographical error on one of the bid spreadsheets, which would lead to the low bidder being Best instead of Cadillac Asphalt. Trent noted that Best will have two crews – one for the Haisley parking lot, and one for the other paving projects.

Summer Projects: Public Commentary – Haisley Parking Lot

Scott Sproat reiterated that the number one goal of the project is safety, and asked the board to consider the elimination of two islands from the design. Sproat expressed concern that the islands would “tempt” students to take shortcuts through the parking lot that would not be as safe.

Tam Perry, Kathy Greening, and Matthew Hull concurred with Sproat, arguing that removing the islands would be cheaper, safer, and would preserve more green space.

David Haig then spoke in support of the proposal. “Many people have come with opinions about safety,” he said, “but I feel like the professionals that designed this might have been competent.” Haig also expressed frustration with the concerns brought about preserving green space. “This is grass,” he said. “Not a forest. Not a wetland. The safety of the kids is more important than grass.”

Summer Projects: Board Discussion – Haisley Parking Lot

Thomas asked if there was still time in the schedule to consider the suggestions raised during public commentary.

Trent responded that the projects are currently on schedule. In response to the idea of eliminating islands in the Haisley parking lot design, Trent reported, “Our traffic engineer is adamant that removing islands would make it much less safe.”

Thomas and Mexicotte each confirmed that the traffic engineer had re-reviewed the design regarding the possible elimination of the islands, and concluded it would be better to leave them in the design. Baskett added, “The islands are there for safety. I feel safer as an able-bodied person to have islands. I can’t imagine not having them.”

Thomas noted that the board had heard from many people regarding the Haisley parking lot issue, and that while he acknowledged a difference of opinions among members of the Haisley community, he would vote according to the recommendations of the professionals.

Baskett thanked the parents who spoke up, and stated, “Just because I will vote in favor [of this proposal], does not mean I didn’t hear you … As one parent said, this is grass versus safety.”

Summer Projects: Board Discussion – Prevailing Wages

Baskett then expressed concern regarding the lack of prevailing wages in the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements bid. She argued that not using prevailing wages allows a company to bring in workers who undercut the local workers’ pay and potential jobs. Outside workers don’t support the local community, she said, but “take their paychecks home and spend them there.” She concluded that not using market wages disrespects local workers, and asserted, “We are stepping backward by not doing prevailing wage.”

Mexicotte suggested that if trustees feel strongly about restricting bids from allowing the use of non-prevailing wages, the issue should be revisited through policy revisions in the future. She suggested that one or both of the board committees could examine this issue overall from a financial standpoint, rather than on a case-by-case basis.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot noted that she supports both Baskett and Mexicotte, and would like the board to take the issue of prevailing wages up in committee, so that there is consistency.

Thomas offered that his understanding of the primary role of board is to provide the best possible public school system given limited resources, and argued that the fiscal responsibility of trustees trumps any social missions they might have.

The summer projects, with the exception of the ADA improvements (SF10-010), were approved as part of the consent agenda. Baskett requested that the ADA improvements be removed from the consent agenda. They were then approved 4-2 in a separate vote, with Lightfoot and Baskett dissenting.

WISD Budget Review

Nelson reviewed the proposed 2011-12 budget of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD), and explained that the WISD is required to ask for input from its member districts, and member districts are required to respond. WISD is not required to act on any of the member districts’ recommendations.

He briefly reviewed the functions of the WISD, and noted that AAPS uses their facilities at no cost.

Nelson then noted that the WISD itself enrolls very few students (233, compared to 16,569 students in AAPS). Of the $87.9 million WISD budget, Nelson said, $66 million of it is transferred to its constituent districts, and approximately $22 million is spent on WISD programs.

Nelson then pointed out the use of $12 million in reserves in the proposed WISD budget. He explained that special education revenue is decreasing due to changes in federal funding, and that this is causing the rate of reimbursement by WISD to its member districts for special education services to decrease.

The current reimbursement rate for special education services is 77%, and the projected rate in 2011-12 is 73%. However, Nelson pointed out that the reimbursement rate is expected to drop dramatically in 2012-13 to 56% because the WISD’s fund equity will be nearly depleted.

Allen confirmed that the decision by the WISD to use $12 million of its reserves to maintain a higher reimbursement rate was made in order to try to “cushion the blow” to member districts as they deal with the state funding deficit. He added that as the reimbursement rate falls in coming years, districts’ obligations and expenditures related to special education will not decline. At end of the day, Allen warned, the impact will be on general fund.

Thomas asserted that there has been a “systematic de-funding of special education at the state and federal level.” He pointed out that the net reduction of funds to the WISD in 2011-12 will be $16 million, or 17% of its budget. Noting that AAPS has been frustrated with its 5% reduction in state funds, he reiterated that the reduction in the WISD’s funding “is more than 3 times what [AAPS is] suffering.”

Nelson pointed out that this is the lowest special education reimbursement rate since he’s been on the board, and suggested, “We do have tools at the local level … We have not exhausted opportunities to levy… to get this reimbursement rate up to a level consistent with history.”

Nelson summarized the WISD budget resolution as saying, “We support the budget, but we want the WISD to continue to streamline it. We also support lowering costs through sharing and cooperation, and we’d like to talk to you WISD board members, and get to know you better.”

Mexicotte pulled the WISD budget from the consent agenda for further discussion, and requested that Nelson read the entire resolution, which he did. She then expressed that she felt uncomfortable supporting WISD spending down its reserve when they chose to attempt (and succeeded at securing) a millage renewal of .985 mills instead of asking voters to support a new millage at a higher rate.

“I struggle with how they took one step, but not the best step,” Mexicotte said. “This was a missed opportunity … Many people say I’m incorrect, that we would have not gotten support if we went out for 1.5 mills, which would have been the same money, but not the same millage [rate]. We should have made the case that it was dollar for dollar, not mill for mill [As housing values have declined, assessing property owners at the same millage rate yields less in real dollars.] …I am filled with regret that we now have to fill a gap of millions of dollars in funding because we somehow couldn’t have the conversation with our community that made sense for this millage. I would like to think that in the future, that conversation could be a little more open and a little braver.”

Nelson empathized with the WISD, saying that it was “terribly hard to feel confident given the outcome of the [failed 2009] enhancement millage … A lot of us were really seared by that campaign … We got slaughtered.”

Thomas added that though he is concerned about the special education budget shortfall, he does not believe that the decision to attempt a special education millage renewal (as opposed to a new millage with a higher rate) was wrong. “There are times when half a loaf is better than none,” he asserted, especially given the “devastating consequences” that would have resulted if the millage had not passed.

Patalan added that she was glad this was being discussed, and that she was sure AAPS and its voters will do the best for its kids, as was demonstrated by strong support by AAPS district voters in both the 2009 enhancement millage and the 2011 special education millage renewal.

Nelson asserted, “Indeed, we need to be courageous and say there are tax options for revenue enhancement, and we should be open with the community at the district level. In 2004, we funded technology with the bond. Should we have a technology bond back on the ballot? Should we be going back to the community to talk about another special education millage? We should talk about it as if it’s a real, live option, rather than an eggshells option.”

The WISD budget resolution was removed from the consent agenda, and approved 5-1 in a separate vote, with Mexicotte dissenting.

Northwest Evaluation Association Assessment

AAPS interim deputy superintendent of instruction, Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley, was on hand to answer questions during the second briefing on the proposed purchase of the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) assessment by AAPS.

Thomas began the discussion by asking a number of clarifying questions to address public concerns regarding the assessment, and Dickinson-Kelley answered them. He asked how long it would take for students in grades K-2 to complete (20-30 min); whether the test is age-appropriate (Yes); and, whether it replaces the MEAP (No). He also questioned how results will be used, and whether or not they will be useful for assessing teachers.

Dickinson-Kelley added that testing with the NWEA tool would take place three times a year – in the fall, early winter, and late spring. She also explained that, since the test is not state-mandated, districts have some latitude to input answers for students who are not tech-savvy.

Regarding its uses, Dickinson-Kelley said the NWEA test would be used to assess students, not teachers. She reported that guidance would be offered to teacher-leaders and principals about how to adjust instructional practice to test results.

Nelson confirmed with Dickinson-Kelley that it would take a major investment of new technology to fully implement the NWEA tool at the secondary level. He reminded everyone that the technology AAPS was able to buy with 2004 bond is now becoming inadequate and argued that the district needs to think about how to remedy that.

Lightfoot asked if there was room for rewording test items. Dickinson-Kelley noted that the test adjusts up or down in difficulty as necessary, or pulls in a different bank of questions to get at the same objective. It would not allow a teacher or test administrator to substitute a word, but the test would adjust and customize itself if a student was having difficulty.

Baskett said she was very excited about this new assessment tool, but that she wanted to be sure that in assisting students during test administration, the results are not invalidated. Dickinson-Kelley agreed. She also confirmed that the NWEA test is more timely, with teachers getting results within 24 hours.

Baskett then asked about the connection between the NWEA assessment and the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP). Dickinson-Kelley said that the district’s use of the NWEA tool will prepare AAPS for the replacement of the MEAP with a national assessment by 2013 or 2014, since NWEA uses national instead of state standards.

Outcome: The purchase of the NWEA assessment tool for use with all students in grades K-5, and Scarlett students in grades 6-8 was approved as part of the consent agenda. The approved consent agenda also contained an approval of minutes and gift offers.

WISD Elections

The board is required to designate a representative to vote on Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) board members, and to provide its representative with voting directives.

This year, the WISD board has two seats opening up, and only two incumbents running to fill them – Gregory A. Peoples, and Dayle K. Wright. The election is scheduled to be held at 7 p.m. on June 6, which conflicts directly with the Stone school graduation.

Mexicotte asked for the board’s thoughts on this, and the board entertained some discussion on the matter. It was eventually moved that Patalan be appointed as the AAPS representative if she determines that her presence will be necessary for the WISD to achieve quorum on the vote. Patalan also noted that she may request that the WISD change the time of the vote to 6 p.m. so that she can be on time to the Stone school graduation.

The board then directed Patalan to vote for the incumbents.

The board chose Patalan as its representative in the WISD elections, and directed her to vote for the incumbents, Peoples and Wright.

AAAA Contract Approval

Mexicotte began by saying that the board had been briefed on the tentative agreement reached in executive session with the Ann Arbor Administrators Association, the union that primarily represents AAPS principals and vice-principals. Baskett requested that Allen summarize the main points of the contract for public record.

Allen reviewed that that AAAA contract as proposed would freeze administrators’ base pay through 2013, while allowing them to move up on the salary step schedule. It would also include greater contributions to their health care costs.

Baskett noted that the district’s negotiation with the AAAA has been lengthy, and that while she supports the district negotiation team’s effort at reaching a tentative agreement, she does not believe this bargaining unit is taking an equal share of the burden. “We have heard from the community that everyone should share the pain – everyone else is sacrificing …[I] wish they had supported a reduction in their base pay.”

Thomas shared Baskett’s concern, but noted that he would support the contract, given the lengthy negotiations process.

The AAAA contract for 2009-10 through 2012-13 was approved by the board.

Third Quarter Financial Report and Millage Resolution

AAPS director of finance, Nancy Hoover, gave the board an update on the district’s third quarter financials.

Hoover also requested that the board approve the following 2011 tax millages: Homestead, 4.6912 mills; Non-Homestead, 18 mills; Debt Service, 2.1497mills; and Sinking Fund, 1 mill.

The board had no questions for Hoover regarding these proposals.

Nelson thanked Hoover for handling extra responsibilities well when Allen moved into the interim superintendent position for this year from his regular job as deputy superintendent of operations.

Outcome: This was a first briefing on these two items, both of which will return to the board for a vote at the next regular meeting.

Achievement Gap among ESL Students

During public commentary, two parents spoke, and a handful more stood in support, regarding the decreasing MEAP scores at Mitchell Elementary School as the issue relates to the school’s ESL (English as a Second Language) population. Richard Smith, a Mitchell parent, began by offering appreciation for the Mitchell staff members, who he said have a passion for excellence. But he requested that the board direct changes in the ways Title 1 funds are used to support Mitchell students. Given the increasing number of ESL students at Mitchell, which he said are now nearly 1/3 of the student population, Smith suggested offering an ESL program. He also noted that though the district provides interpreter services, the interpreter currently comes in for only two hours twice a week, which is not enough time. Finally, Smith requested the Title 1 funds be used to provide additional teacher assistants and tutors.

Jesus Martinez, also a Mitchell parent, addressed the board in Spanish, and another parent translated his remarks. Martinez noted that ESL learners at Mitchell have consistently lower test scores on the MEAP, and argued that it was the district’s responsibility to provide ESL instruction and bi-lingual help to these students. He also expressed frustration at the district’s lack of inclusion of parents who don’t speak English, saying they feel unwelcome and that their input is not valued. To illustrate this, Martinez pointed out that the parent survey concerning the lab school was administered only in English, and that translators are not present at curriculum night or parent-teacher conferences. He closed, like Smith, by requesting that some of Mitchell’s Title 1 funds be put put towards offering additional aid to ESL students and their families.

Later in the meeting, Baskett thanked the Mitchell families for coming, and said she wanted to acknowledge the effort it took for some of them to get there. Most of their concerns, she said, could be addressed during a June 15 study session that the board has scheduled specifically to address achievement issues.

Strategic Plan Updates

AAPS is the in the process of updating its strategic plan. At this meeting, the district’s director of communications, Liz Margolis, led a review of the suggested changes drafted by the strategic planning team over the past few months. Overall, she said, the team is proposing changes to three of the plan’s eight main strategies, as well as to its mission statement, objectives, beliefs, and parameters.

Changes to the mission statement focused on making it more concise and memorizable. Allen noted that he hoped these changes would help all employees to know what the mission statement is. The current statement contains a list of bullet points, but the revised version, if approved by the board, will be: “The mission of the Ann Arbor Public Schools is to ensure each student realizes his or her aspirations while advancing the common good, by creating a world-class system of innovative teaching and learning.”

In her review of proposed changes to the objectives, Margolis admitted that expecting “100% of Ann Arbor Public School students[to] exceed international standards in achievement” was “not realistic,” and said that the team suggested changing that objective to reflect that aggregate performance by AAPS students would exceed international achievement standards. She also pointed out the removal of a reference to students being “accomplished in their lifelong pursuits,” since the district does not have any mechanism in place to follow-up on students’ success once they leave the district.

Regarding the district’s beliefs, Margolis noted that most of them were left unchanged, but highlighted some clarifying language. For example, the belief currently listed as “Racism is destructive.” will become “Racism is destructive to everyone.” Finally, she pointed out the addition of new parameters to reflect the district’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, as well as the intention to align school improvement plans with the overall district strategic plan.

Margolis then introduced the leaders of the groups who had met to update three of eight main strategies of the plan – Strategies 1, 5, and 6.

Two AAPS elementary school principals, Joan Fitzgibbon and Michael Madison, introduced proposed changes to Strategy 1, which focuses on personalized learning. Fitzgibbon said, after conducting extensive research, their group was unable to define “international standards,” and suggested removal of that reference in the wording of the strategy.

Regarding implementation of strategy 1, Fitzgibbon and Madison outlined four key recommendations woven throughout their suggested action steps: (1) Ensure the high quality of teachers by refining the hiring process and incorporating parent feedback into evaluations during a teacher’s first three years in the profession; (2) Continue investigating how the International Baccalaureate could be delivered to more students; (3) Amend the structure and delivery of the curriculum to offer more options and make better use of available technology; and (4) Allow dual enrollment in AAPS and college, vocational, or distance learning programs.

Board members questioned which means of comparison the group had used to assess international standards, and Fitzgibbon assured trustees that their review had been extensive. Trustees also suggested clarifying the use of the terms “preK-14″ and “preK-12″ as referenced in the strategy in order to standardize the language used throughout the strategic plan. The term “preK-14″ alludes to the district’s responsibility to students outside of the traditional ages served by AAPS.

Next, Chuck Hatt, AAPS coordinator for literacy and social studies instruction, addressed the board regarding proposed updates to Strategy 5, which primarily deals with professional development (PD).

Hatt reviewed his group’s suggestions, including extensive revision of the wording of the strategy to clarify its meaning. He then introduced two themes that tied together most of the recommended changes in Strategy 5′s action steps: (1) PD should be functional and well-coordinated; and (2) An explicit link should be made between teacher performance and student performance.

Hatt highlighted some of the proposed recommendations, such as enhancing teacher-to-teacher mentoring, and offering opportunities for PD based on teacher suggestions. He also recommended that the district should formally evaluate its PD system.

In response to board feedback, Hatt described multiple outside resources that AAPS should consider using, such as those created by Adaptive Schools , and Critical Friends. He also suggested that AAPS should put together a graphic such as the award-winning one created by Chapel Hill-Carborro City schools which links PD activities to district goals. Baskett requested a copy of the graphic, which Hatt said he would provide to the board.

Finally, the board heard from Sara Aeschbach, AAPS director of community education and recreation, who reviewed a multitude of changes and additions to Strategy 6, which primarily addresses communication between groups within AAPS and engagement with the wider community.

Aeschbach reviewed the many accomplishments of the district under this strategy since implementation of the strategic plan in 2007, including establishment of the Village Fund, UMS and Google AdWords community partnerships, and the implementation of PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger software to enhance communication with parents. However, she said, her group found many ways that communication and community engagement could be improved more. The overall goal of the group’s revisions to Strategy 6, Aeschbach said, was the support two-way communication as much as possible.

Aeschbach suggested that the district enable additional features of PowerSchool, and be consistent in how it communicates important messages. She also recommended ZingTrain customer service training, and more effective involvement of parent groups and volunteers throughout the district.

Margolis then wrapped up the overall presentation on strategic plan updates and opened up the floor for board feedback. Patalan remarked on how exciting it is that the plan has truly been used to guide the district, but in addition to her praise Baskett expressed concern about accountability. “Thank you for the good work,” she said, but added that she’d like to see action steps in the plan assigned to specific staff members for completion. “To the public,” Baskett said, “without the assignment, it’s just talk.”

Margolis responded that after the board approves the proposed updates to the plan, it will fall to incoming superintendent Patricia Green to assign each line of the plan to an administrator.

Mexicotte expressed pleasure at both the accomplishments of the plan to date, as well at the prospective nature of the remaining and newly-proposed objectives. In response to Baskett’s concerns about accountability, she suggested the creation of an executive summary of accomplishments to complement the line item assignments.

Nelson noted that he was gratified that top level administrators were able to complete such a comprehensive and useful review of the strategic plan this year under the direction of Allen as an interim superintendent.

Lightfoot suggested that the strategic planning process could be a model for how to create a detailed achievement plan that could be as “proudly touted” as the strategic plan, saying “I look forward to actually putting the document in place to match the words we continue to profess.”

Outcome: These updates to the strategic plan were brought the board as a first briefing item, and will be voted on at the next regular meeting on June 8.

Policy Updates

The board reviewed suggested updates from the performance committee to five of its policies – 6000 (Core curriculum), 6140 (Homework), 6190 (Controversial issues), 6500 (Non-K12 Education), and 7350 (Volunteers).

Core Curriculum Policy

A minor revision to the curriculum policy (6000) was suggested to ensure that all teachers – not only new teachers – are monitored regarding implementation of the curriculum.

Homework Policy

The homework policy (6140) was amended to suggest that “homework can be made more relevant when connected to students real life experiences.” Baskett noted that the policy refers to research from the year 2000, and asked whether the recommendations of this research are still relevant or outdated.

Dickinson-Kelley acknowledged that some current research calls into question whether homework is a value-added experience for students, but that in general, research on homework validates this policy as it’s currently written.

Mexicotte added that a new literature review might change the policy, and Baskett suggested that such a review might be useful. She noted that the district is often out of compliance with this policy, in that many students are given homework in excess of the time guidelines spelled out in the policy (i.e., a total of 10 minutes times a student’s grade level per weeknight is suggested as an appropriate amount for middle school students).  Dickinson-Kelley stressed that the policy only suggests guidelines, not minimum or maximum quotas.

Baskett then suggested adding an element to the policy that ensures parents are given tools, such as training currently offered in Everyday Math, to assist their children in completing homework. Mexicotte countered that it is not appropriate to include such elements in the policy, as the board “is not the boss of parents.”

Controversial Issues Policy

Thomas reported that after discussing this policy at length, the performance committee decided it is good as it currently stands. The committee’s discussion focused on parent suggestions that they be allowed to opt their children out of certain classes if they particularly object to a topic being taught, such as sexual education. Thomas reported that AAPS administration had advised the committee that opt-out options would be very problematic, and so the committee decided against including such provisions.

Baskett questioned the utility of including a section on definitions (section 3) if no definitions are included under the header. Thomas said the committee had tried to define “controversial issues” but could not. “Our thinking was that it is too difficult to define this in such a way that the definition would really have any meaning,” he said. Baskett then recommended striking the “Definitions” section heading.

Non-K12 Education Policy

Recommendations to the board policy on Non-K12 education included language changes to bring it up to date with current federal regulations, and clarification that oversight of the policy falls under the district-level deputy superintendent of instructional services.

Baskett suggested striking “by the office of PD and growth” in section 7.1 since that office no longer exists in AAPS.

Volunteer Policy

The board wordsmithed the volunteer policy to bring it into line with current practice regarding who is required to obtain background checks before working with students. Thomas explained that the policy distinguishes between regular contact and incidental contact, and currently requires anyone having even incidental contact with students to have a background check performed. The performance committee recommended a revision to the policy which would change “at any time” to “as part of the activity” in order to clarify the type of incidental contact which would require a background check.

The board also clarified that only those volunteers having direct contact with students – not all volunteers – need to be placed under direct supervision of a teacher or administrator.

Outcome: These policy updates will be voted on after a second briefing at the next regular meeting.

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.

There was no report from the planning committee at this meeting, as they have not met since the last board meeting. Nelson offered a brief report from the performance committee, saying that they had spent their last meeting on the policy review described above. He also mentioned that a student had attended the last performance committee meeting, and that that they had enjoyed the student’s input into the discussion.

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 May 25 meeting, the board heard reports from the Youth Senate, the AAPAC, the AAAA, and the PTOC.

Association Reports: Youth Senate

Aoxue Tang, a junior from Pioneer gave the Youth Senate report. Regarding proposed budget cuts, she argued that students should be invited into more discussions surrounding the budget. She also announced that the Youth Senate would match parent donations to AAPS if such donations totaled $1,000 or more.

Tang then announced “Dodging Poverty,” a Dodge Ball tournament to be held in June to help homeless and impoverished youth in Washtenaw county. Lastly, she noted that Community Volunteer Teams would be enacted again this summer to place students at non-profits over the summer.

Association Reports: AAPAC

Barb Byers addressed the board on behalf of the AAPAC. She thanked deputy superintendent of student intervention and support services Elaine Brown for coordinating an assistive technology (AT) open house, noting that AT plays a crucial role in bringing the general education curriculum to differently-abled students. She also thanked AAPS administration for listening to concerns about using a personalized curriculum to meet graduation requirements, and requested that information on creating a personalized curriculum be given to all parents.

Byers then expressed support for Randy Trent and the Haisley principal regarding the creation of the new parking lot plan, which she said addresses the extra safety considerations of special needs students.

As school year draws to a close, Byers noted, thoughtfully planned transitions play a crucial role in getting special education students set up for success the next year. Transition planning allows parents to know how to support children from the first day of school, and includes meeting new teachers, and trying out new technology.

Finally, Byers congratulated special education staffer Sandy Bromley on her retirement, and thanked her for her many years of service. She also thanked special education staffer Bill Harris for his service as he moves on to his new position as principal of Eberwhite Elementary School, and wished all new principals well at their new positions.

Association Reports: AAAA

Michael Madison spoke for the administrators’ union. “Our focus remains improved student achievement for all students,” he said. He then said that AAPS is lucky to have such a dedicated board, and encouraged board members to attend the many end-of-the-year community events, graduations, and ice cream socials: “Check in so that we can publicly acknowledge your presence.”

Association Reports: PTOC

Martine Perreault reported the PTOC’s election results, highlighting that Donna Lasinski will be the group’s chairperson. She noted that May 2-6 is teacher appreciation week, and recognized the efforts of AAPS PTOs who thanked their teachers and staff.

Perreault reported that 89% of AAPS school PTOs participated in the PTOC this year, and welcomed them all back next. She also thanked the board for contributing so much to the district during trying times.

Finally, Perreault invited the public to follow state of Michigan actions on a daily basis via Twitter @PTOCouncil and @PTOChair, and Mexicotte encouraged the public to communicate with the Michigan department of education as well as their legislative representatives on the issues of state funding of education.

Awards and Accolades

The May 25 meeting included a number of special presentations honoring staff and students.

Celebration of Excellence Awards

Mike Derhammer, a fifth/sixth-grade teacher at Ann Arbor Open, and Christy Garrett, a business teacher at Huron each received a Celebration of Excellence award at this meeting. Derhammer was honored for his impact on kids’ “learning, self-confidence, their understanding of their place in the world, and their responsibility to give back.” Many of his students surrounded him as he accepted his award, holding a hand-drawn banner reading “Congratulations!!! Mike Rocks.”

Mike Derhammer's students congratulated him on his Celebration of Excellence award.

Garrett was commended for her excellence in teaching as well as for her “zest in preparing students to compete and win consistently at local, state and national levels.” Upon accepting her award, Garrett remarked that she was raised by a single mom who modeled the importance of learning every day, and that she wished her mom could be here to see her receiving this honor. She also thanked AAPS’ elementary teachers for preparing students to succeed in higher level classes later in their school years.

Superintendent’s Report

Allen reported that Pioneer has won the 2011 national Grammy award, along with $15,000, and that this is the only time that a school has won it twice in Grammy history. He also noted that many high school seniors were awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, and that 14 of the 16 graduating seniors from Roberto Clemente have been accepted to college.

Allen commended the efforts of students at Scarlett’s portfolio day, as well as Pioneer’s drafting and architecture students, and Community’s mock trial team. He encouraged the public to view the art of AAPS art teachers now on exhibit at the UM Work gallery on State St, and wished all district retirees the best of times in their retirement.

Public Commentary on Class Offerings

Merla Steltmann, an exchange student from Germany currently studying at Huron, addressed the board during public commentary, acknowledging and offering her appreciation for the many opportunities to take classes here that are not available elsewhere.

Agenda Planning

The board held a substantial discussion on whether or not they should hold an exit interview for Robert Allen as he transitions from the interim superintendency back into his regular role as deputy superintendent of operations.

Though there was immediately general support for the suggestion of holding such a meeting, there was some debate over its format and content. Some trustees suggested that the point of such a review would be to provide Allen with a formal review of his work as superintendent for use in future job searches. Others suggested the goal should be to receive feedback from Allen on how to work best with the incoming superintendent.

In the end, Mexicotte suggested that an informal evaluation of Allen be done so that the discussion could be contained under the rubric of an executive session. Allen’s feedback to the board could be done as part of that discussion. The executive session could be scheduled sometime during June. She also noted that the board always has the option of releasing a public statement of appreciation for an employee’s work with the district, and that they could choose to release a summary of the fine work that Allen has performed in his role this year.

The board also agreed to add a study session on June 3 to discuss the budget. This session will begin at 3:30 p.m., and will be held at the Balas administration building at 2555 S. State St. The public is invited.

Finally, Mexicotte suggested the board needs to set aside time to discuss how the district can best position itself to receive the one-time “best practice” funding being offered by the state, as well as how to address the upcoming changes to the foundation allowance for half-day kindergarten students. She assigned the executive committee to review whether these discussions could be bundled with the budget study session on June 3, or whether they should be part of a separate, additional study session later in the month.

Items from the Board

Simone Lightfoot reported having visited a middle college in Flint, which she encouraged AAPS administrators to visit, particularly to debunk the idea that parental involvement is required to ensure secondary student success.

Nelson reported having joyfully attended a smattering of community events including a breakfast at the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living, The Neutral Zone’s Breakin’ Curfew talent show, the AAPS retirees’ reception, the student and teacher art shows, Scarlett’s portfolio day, and the AAPS homebuilding program banquet.

Baskett requested that the administration provide the following data to the board: the complete number of staff requirements; current number of staff by race and gender; and the number of suspensions from this year. She also suggested that the board might want to review guidelines for school visits, noting that some are easier to visit than others. Finally, she encouraged the public to press members of the state board of education to share their stance on the current budget proposal being considered by the state legislature. “I want to know,” Baskett questioned, “if the state board can’t stand for us and our children, why are they there?”

Baskett closed by urging graduating seniors to “be careful, be safe, have fun, so when you look back on this [time], it can be memorable and not tragic.”

Thomas reported that Scarlett’s portfolio day was amazing, and that students were very polished and well-prepared. “Of the five students I interviewed,” he said, “I would have hired any one of them.” He also expressed pride at the percentage of Roberto Clemente graduating seniors who are going on to college (87.5%) and thanked everyone at Roberto Clemente for their hard work.

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

Absent: Trustee Christine Stead

Next regular meeting: June 8, 2011, 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

Study session on the budget: June 3, 2011, 3:30 p.m. in the main conference room of the Balas administration building, 2555 S. State. [confirm date]

Purely a plug: The Chronicle relies in part on regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of publicly-funded organizations like the Ann Arbor Public School system, which is overseen by the AAPS board. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle.

Public commentary was also rich with concerns regarding a proposed expansion of the parking lot at Haisley Elementary, which was discussed by the board at length as a first briefing item. It will come up for a vote at the May 25 meeting.

At the May 11 meeting, which lasted past 1:30 a.m., the board also approved upgrades to the district’s PowerSchool communication system, SISS assistive technology, and the elementary math curriculum. They also heard a first briefing on a proposal to purchase a new standardized assessment tool to complement the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP), and were updated on the progress of the Widening Advancement for Youth (WAY) Washtenaw program.

Update on Budget Planning

The school board is required to pass the 2011-12 district budget by the end of June. AAPS administration unveiled its proposed budget at the April 20 board meeting and at two community forums held during the last week of April.

At the May 11 meeting, interim superintendent Robert Allen reported that of the 150 to 200 people who attended the forums, as well as those who have e-mailed or otherwise commented on the proposed budget, the main concerns expressed were the sharing of principals by four of the district’s elementary schools, the elimination of high school busing, and the increase in class sizes due to teacher layoffs. Allen noted that a complete list of suggestions from the community would be available on the district’s website, but he stood by his budget recommendations as originally presented, and opened the discussion up to the board.

Public Commentary: Principal Sharing Plan

In the budget plan as originally proposed, Angell and Pittsfield elementary schools would share Gary Court as principal, and David De Young would be the principal for both Wines and Abbot. Allen noted that the goal of having schools share principals was to prevent closing a school, as well as to maintain flexibility in the context of uncertain state funding.

At the May 11 meeting, seven people spoke against the plan to share principals between schools. They argued that Abbot and Pittsfield in particular each deserve a full-time principal, based on the fact that a large number of their students come from impoverished families, and that many students at these schools have greater needs than those at other schools. Scott Elsworth offered trustees a petition signed by nearly 90% of parents at Abbot in opposition to the plan.

Alicia Nalepa noted that Abbot has a larger special education population than other schools, requiring a supportive principal to be present at Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings and to set a school climate that supports special education students. Terrisca DesJardin commented that Abbot has had seven principals in eight years. She argued that current principal Pam Sica is finally the leader Abbot needs, and that disrupting her leadership would be damaging to Abbot students’ current and future lives.

Other points mentioned included: (1) sharing principals disrupts the classrooms of the “lead teachers” who are pulled from their regular duties to fill in when the principal is out of the building; (2) the shared principal approach could diminish students’ safety; and (3) shared principal arrangements might cause families to pull students out of AAPS.

Stefanie Iwashnya noted that the cost savings of sharing principals (roughly $200,000) is a “drop in the bucket” compared to the $15 million that needs to be cut out of the district budget, and pointed out that if only 15 students left AAPS for private or charter schools, the savings would be gone.

Principal Sharing Plan Eliminated as Budget Option

Trustee Andy Thomas expressed his agreement with some of the parents who had spoken, and suggested that the board reconsider the option of sharing elementary school principals. He argued that the proposal would disproportionally impact two of the neediest schools in the district, and noted that sharing principals would save only 1.3% of the funds needed.

Trustees Glenn Nelson, Susan Baskett, and Simone Lightfoot agreed with Thomas that the issue should be reconsidered. Nelson argued that the district should use money out of its savings to fund principals for each school, as well as to ensure that no layoffs are made. Baskett and Lightfoot added that taking the proposal off the table for the 2011-12 school year would not mean that the district could not consider it in the future.

Trustee Christine Stead countered that until the state funding level has been set, it would be irresponsible to take the principal sharing option off the table as part of the district’s proposed budget. Saying that any action taken at this meeting would be “reactionary,” she noted that the state budget should be approved by the end of the month, and argued that the board should wait until then to finalize its plans. Stead also noted that if she were to suggest taking something off the table, it would be the reduction of 70 teaching positions with the associated increases in class size.

Trustees Irene Patalan and Deb Mexicotte supported Stead’s position. Patalan reiterated that closing a school would be much more disruptive to the community than principal sharing, and stated that she was comfortable with the mindfulness the administration had put into the budget proposal. Mexicotte agreed that it was “premature” to alter the proposed budget until the state decides how much money schools will receive. “I’d like to not take something off the table tonight, only to have to put it back on the table in a couple of weeks,” she said.

There was some discussion surrounding the administrative timetable for hiring principals for the next school year. Allen noted that there will be five elementary principals retiring at the end of this school year, and that under the current budget proposal, the administration would plan to hire only three replacements, with some other principals in the district being shifted to new schools. He then explained that the hiring process would begin this week in order to ensure that the new principals would have an opportunity to transition with the current principals.

During public commentary, Jada Kavanaugh, the PTO president at Haisley Elementary, commented that the Haisley principal is one of the retiring principals, and that the Haisley community has felt shut out of the selection process. After first being told they would be involved in the hiring, Kavanugh reported that AAPS administration told the PTO there would be no committee created to choose the new principal, but that one would simply be placed. “We need not to be lied to or bullied,” she asserted. “Our parents deserve better.”

Nelson said he was troubled by the disruption that would be caused to the hiring process, including the placement of principals, by waiting until the state finalizes its budget in order to decide whether or not to eliminate the principal sharing option. When questioned again, Allen allowed that hiring two principals after the first three would have some negative impact – “you lose time, though it’s not insurmountable. We … can make it work either way.”

Nelson then moved that the board give guidance to AAPS administration to hire five principals to fill the five openings, and that the associated adjustment be reflected as a withdrawal from fund equity in the budget to be presented at the next board meeting on May 25.  Thomas added a friendly amendment to clarify that the administration is not to pursue the option of sharing elementary school principals for the 2011-12 school year.

Stead and Patalan again spoke against the motion. Thomas countered their concerns by reminding them that this particular proposal has the lowest benefit in terms of cost savings as any of the items being presented as budget options, but was of largest concern to the board’s constituents as expressed in the public forums, making it deserving of “special treatment.”

Outcome: Nelson’s motion to eliminate principal sharing from the budget, hire five new elementary principals, and use the district’s fund equity to cover two of their salaries passed 5-2, with Stead and Patalan dissenting. The board also voted to hold a public hearing on the 2011-12 budget, and the property tax millage rate to be levied to support it, as part of the next regular board meeting on May 25.

2011 Summer Projects

AAPS executive director of physical properties, Randy Trent, briefed the board on several summer projects being planned. If approved by the board, all of the projects will be funded out of the remaining money in the 2010 sinking fund, which is state funding earmarked for capital improvements. Sinking fund dollars cannot be used to fund salaries or other operating expenses, and are on the ballot for approval by voters in the AAPS district every five years.

The AAPS board listens to a first briefing on summer projects from Randy Trent, the district's executive director of physical properties.

This year’s proposed projects include: ceiling work inside Huron High; landscaping at the elementary buildings; asphalt paving at Abbot, Ann Arbor Open @ Mack, Bryant, Burns Park, Community, Huron, Haisley, Lawton, Pioneer and Thurston; roof repairs at Allen, Angell, Burns Park, Pittsfield, Stone and Tappan; exterior door and frame replacement at Scarlett and Clague; and ADA site improvement work at Abbot, Angell, Bach Clague, Dicken, Eberwhite, Forsythe, King, Lakewood, Mitchell, Northside, Pattengill, Scarlett, Slauson, and Tappan. In addition, Trent requested funding for a general contractor to serve the district as needed over the coming year.

In response to questions from the board, Trent offered more detail about some of the projects. He explained that the landscaping upgrades were intended to enhance the “first impression” someone has upon entering the elementary schools, and that custodians would be trained in the upkeep of these gardens. He also noted that the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements would be focused on enhancing access to outdoor play structures.

Of the bids for all 2011 summer projects, Trent said, about 31% of them will be awarded to historically-underutilized businesses (HUBs). Increasing the percentage of district business given to HUBs has been a goal of the board that’s recently been given more attention. AAPS held a mixer to introduce smaller, local businesses to larger contractors.

Susan Baskett asked why the bids allowed for non-prevailing wages, and Trent said that the district was just testing what the difference would be in bids if they opened up the allowable wage structure. Robert Allen added, “We have a duty to see what we’re losing by using the prevailing wage. There is no better or worse time – it just came from seeing how we could stretch our dollars.”

2011 Summer Projects: Haisley Parking Lot

Though most of the recommended projects are standard replacements, Trent said, the work being proposed at Haisley would be extensive and has elicited “many opinions” from the Haisley community. Glenn Nelson requested that the board be briefed more thoroughly on the Haisley project.

Calling the situation “energizing,” Trent said that the process had begun when the Haisley community requested that the district look at ways to improve parking lot safety for all students. This prompted plans to redesign the Haisley parking lot, which was constructed in the 1950s, in order to align its layout to its current usage patterns.

Trent gave a basic outline of Haisley’s parking lot needs – there are 11 buses that use the lot daily, in contrast to an average of five buses at the other elementary schools in the district. Student enrollment (424 vs. 362) as well as the number of staff (78 vs. 50) are also higher at Haisley than the district average. In addition, Haisley houses a centralized program for physically-impaired students, which adds additional ADA requirements to the parking lot.

The proposed redesign for Haisley’s lot, according to Trent, has a large bus loop closest to the building, with one entrance and one exit. Other safety features include: separating bus traffic from other traffic, and the parent drop-off area from pedestrian walkways; widening the drop-off lanes for use as a fire route; and providing safe pedestrian travel routes, including curb-to-curb crossing tables.

Other features of the proposed design, Trent continued, include: increasing the number of accessible parking spaces; adding parking for teachers and parents; reducing stormwater run-off; replacing trees lost during construction; relocating soil on school grounds to create additional playspace; and creating an efficient lot for the district to maintain.

Board members questioned the process that had been followed to settle on the final design. Trent explained how AAPS worked with the countywide transportation safety committee, which includes representation from the district, the city of Ann Arbor, local police departments, and road commission engineers. In addition, AAPS held three community meetings this year, and incorporated design modifications suggested by the public. Trent said that public input led to more green space, more bike racks, the adding of a speed bump, improved ADA spaces with their own walkway, and the relocation and visual shielding of dumpsters.

Andy Thomas thanked Trent for handling this issue in a calm and professional manner, and acknowledged that this is a very divisive issue for Haisley. He confirmed that the Haisley community was first advised of this project at the end of last school year, and that alternatives suggested by community members were given serious consideration by AAPS. Thomas also noted that this meeting represents the first year of his tenure as a board member, and that he would not have anticipated that the most contentious issue he would confront is the paving of a parking lot.

Deb Mexicotte asserted that the parking lot plan includes many improvements based on the engagement of community members in the issue. “This is a real synthesis, and a compromise,” she said. “I appreciate the work [Trent] has done on this, as well as the community.”

2011 Summer Projects: Public Commentary on Haisley Parking Lot

Nine people addressed the board regarding the Haisley parking lot proposal – six opposed to the project, and three in support of it.

Anne Cox expressed concern about the process. “Presenting one plan,” she argued, “does not lend much credence to the notion that alternatives were being considered.” She also asked to board to consider downsizing the number of parking spaces in order to save green space in front of Haisley. On a similar note, George Bennett cited the AAPS strategic plan, reminding the board that “environmental stewardship is our moral obligation.” He suggested that the parking lot issues could be resolved with behavior changes rather than spending this money.

Rich Cooper noted the cost as his main concern, and asked the board to select the lowest cost option, even if the funds are not fully fungible. Susan Tomilo noted that this plan was created around how to spend funds instead of by assessing needs, and urged the board to consider that “the priorities we choose send a message … Do not just spend money because you can.”

Lisa Jacobs said she appreciated the rearrangement of dumpsters, more bike racks, and the saving of some green space in the newest plan. However, both she and Haisley parent Norm Cox expressed concerns about the safety of the design. Jacobs noted that unescorted children, including those with disabilities, need to make their way across two lines of waiting traffic. Cox argued that the plan was “fundamentally flawed … and the outcome of fundamentally flawed process.” He asserted that this plan makes walking less safe, puts parent convenience above student safety, and is going backward from encouraging the use of more “green routes” to school.

Haisley PTO president Jada Kavanagh expressed support for Randy Trent and for the current proposal. Haisley teacher Nancy Shafer also noted that the staff supports these improvements, and said the parking lot is dangerous as it is currently set up. She acknowledged that a parking lot upgrade hardly seems important in light of the large number of staff layoffs and other financial cost-cutting the district is facing, but implored, “Since the sinking fund cannot be used for the staffing of principals, and can only be used for building improvement, please use this money for this.”

David Hay commented that he has a daughter with cerebral palsy, and that he worries about her, as well as all children, navigating cars and buses at drop off. “For me,” he said, “the fact that the principal and teachers want this improvement is enough for me … The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

Outcome: The summer projects were a first briefing item at this board meeting and will be up for approval at the next regular board meeting on May 25.

Upgrades: PowerSchool, Math, SISS Assistive Technology

The May 11 meeting contained two special briefings, time-sensitive proposals that AAPS administration requests the board act on after only their initial briefing: upgrades to PowerSchool and to the elementary math curriculum. There was also one second briefing item regarding the purchase of new assistive technology by the Student Intervention and Support Services (SISS) department.

PowerSchool Upgrade

Allen described the new version of PowerSchool and accompanying hardware as “an emergency purchase” resulting from the sale of PowerSchool by Apple to Pearson, and Pearson’s subsequent replacement of the software’s underlying operating system. As explained by John VanRiper, AAPS director of information technology, in a memo to Allen, “Since the original hardware specifications were predicated on the operating system present at that time, … we are now in a position in which there is increased demand on the existing system’s ability to reliably and consistently deliver services … [T]he main database server needs to be reset on a daily basis, [and] there is some concern as to the integrity of preserved data.”

VanRiper’s memo also makes it clear that the current hardware is not able to support an upgrade of PowerSchool to its newest version, v7.0, which contains a number of “[m]odule changes/additions addressing identified [d]istrict needs.” The PowerSchool upgrade, including hardware, costs $81,000.

Both Andy Thomas and Deb Mexicotte spoke in favor of the proposed upgrade, noting that many district parents rely on PowerSchool for tracking their children’s assignments and progress, as well as for getting communication updates from AAPS on a variety of district-wide matters.

“Do the Math” Mathematics Intervention Program

AAPS math specialist Michelle Madden introduced a proposal to purchase “Do the Math,” a math intervention program that could be used to supplement the Everyday Math (EDM) program the district is currently using in its elementary schools. Madden said EDM has been used by AAPS for 13 years, and has been successful at increasing scores, but that the recent research into the necessary prerequisites for early success in algebra have led the district to begin looking for supportive backup to EDM.

Madden reported that Do the Math is a versatile program that could be used by Title 1, special education, or general education students. It’s not software, she explained, but “this program has children manipulating material to visualize mathematical relationships and patterns.” Madden also noted that, if approved, AAPS would use Do the Math as part of its summer school program.

The program would cost $33,087, and would be funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funds via the AAPS Student Intervention and Support Services (SISS) department.

Glenn Nelson spoke in support of the program, saying the elementary curriculum is intense, and that many students could benefit from this program as a supplement to EDM.

SISS Assistive Technology Purchases

The district’s Student Intervention and Support Services (SISS) department had made a presentation at the last board meeting proposing the purchase of assistive technology to ensure that the curriculum is accessible to special education students. At the May 11 meeting, interim superintendent Robert Allen noted that the original proposal had been amended to request the purchase of SMART Boards instead of Promethean Boards. The SMART Boards, along with the requested Tap-It Mobility technology, and Kurzweil software and programs total $178,996, and will be paid for with a federal grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Outcome: All three items described above – the PowerSchool upgrade, the Do the Math program, and the SISS assistive technology purchases – along with approval of draft minutes from the last regular meeting, were approved unanimously as part of the consent agenda.

Northwest Evaluation Association Assessment

Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley, interim deputy superintendent of instruction, reviewed a recommendation to purchase an evaluation tool offered by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA).

She explained that with the passage of federal Race to the Top legislation, all districts are expected to demonstrate the following accomplishments no later than Sept. 1: annual teacher and principal evaluations; embedding of clear measures of student growth in the evaluation process; employment of multiple measures of student growth, including measures that gauge student growth over time (at least two reference points per year); and use of data points to make informed decisions on continued employment.

To comply, Dickinson-Kelley continued, AAPS had to identify an assessment process that is compatible with its current technology infrastructure, and the district has identified the NWEA assessment tool as ideal. Dickinson-Kelley noted that the administration’s recommendation comes after talking with other districts, attending conferences, and ensuring that it would fit with Michigan Dept. of Education initiatives.

The NWEA assessment would “fill the gaps” in assessment that AAPS is currently facing, she said. Because the test is calibrated against state and national norms, employing this tool now will help students do well on a national assessment if it comes, which Dickinson-Kelley said she would expect to happen as early as 2013.

Dickinson-Kelley described the assessment tool, noting that it is administered online, and takes about 20 minutes for K-2 students and 40 minutes for students in grades 3-5. In many ways, she said, the tool allows for a personalized assessment and learning, which is a goal of the district’s strategic plan. The assessment is dynamic in that students doing well at the beginning of the test will be given harder questions as the test continues.

Another plus, Dickinson-Kelley said, is that teachers get their students’ results within 24 hours, along with a profile of specific skills/objectives that each student needs to work on. Therefore, feedback can be immediately translated into both help for struggling students as well as suggestions for extending learning for those who are above average.

The cost of the product varies depending on how extensively the district employs it, but Dickinson-Kelley’s recommendation was to spend just over $100,000 from the general fund in order to purchase licensing that would allow use of the NWEA assessment with all students in grades K-5. In addition, Dickinson-Kelley requested an additional $7,749 to extend the availability of the tool to students at Scarlett Middle School. She explained the assessment would be particularly useful at Mitchell and Scarlett schools because of the need to determine whether the Mitchell-Scarlett-University of Michigan partnership is having a positive impact on student achievement. [For details of that partnership, see Chronicle coverage from the board's Dec. 8, 2010 meeting, when trustees got an update on that project.]

Finally, Dickinson-Kelley reported that she has requested a grant from the AAPS Educational Foundation to offset just under half of the total cost of the NWEA assessment tool. She hopes to know if the funding has been granted before the second briefing and vote on the proposal at the next board meeting. In her final pitch the board, Dickinson-Kelley argued that no single assessment gives a complete picture of student achievement, that a responsible district would use multiple measures, and that this tool would be a perfect fit for the district.

Andy Thomas argued in favor of the NWEA assessment, reviewing its benefits as a “real time” assessment that can be used as early as kindergarten to give teachers timely and relevant data about student learning. He contrasted the NWEA assessment to the MEAP, which can only be given once a year, and does not return scores until months after the test. With the NWEA, Thomas said, “Teachers can give the test on Monday and get the results on Tuesday … It would be an outstanding tool for the district.”

Susan Baskett asked when the NWEA could be expanded to other middle schools, and Robert Allen answered that it would be part of a technology refresh in future years. Since the NWEA assessment is done online, it requires the use of many computers at one time. Currently, all the middle school computer classrooms are in use throughout the school day, without a block of time available to administer the test. The money that was requested to fund the administration of the NWEA tool at Scarlett would be used to purchase a new set of computers, which would be prioritized for use with this assessment.

Deb Mexicotte added that it would be helpful if sinking fund legislation was amended to allow those capital improvement dollars to fund technology infrastructure, which is not currently allowed.

Outcome: This was the first briefing on this item. A vote on the purchase the NWEA assessment tool will come during the next regular board meeting.

WAY Program Update

Joyce Hunter, AAPS assistant superintendent of secondary education, introduced Sarena Shivers, an interim assistant superintendent at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Monique Uzelac from the AAPS, and Debra Destefani, a student in the AAPS Widening Advancement for Youth (WAY) program.

WAY Washtenaw student Debra Destefani (right) addresses the AAPS board. At left is Sarena Shivers, interim assistant superintendent at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.

WAY is one of several countywide programs to reach students who have dropped out, or are at risk of not completing school. Shivers reported that the WAY program provides a way for those students to have a year-round experience, and provides a lot of opportunities for success.

Uzelac then reviewed the WAY program structure. Students complete independent projects, which are evaluated against the Michigan high school content expectations (HSCEs) by certified teachers. She noted that the transparency of the teaching and learning is unique to this program.

Shivers noted that almost 650 students in Washtenaw County drop out of school annually and several hundred more are in jeopardy of not graduating. Many WAY students are homeless, are parents, and/or have had a major crisis in their lives. The goals of the program are to reconnect students to the public schools, and gain credits.

The WAY model was designed to be a pilot this year, Shivers continued, but at the urging of the superintendents, it went “full-fledge” this year. The initial recruitment was handled by word of mouth, and the program already has a wait list of 270 students.

WAY is currently serving 210 students – who are called”researchers” – throughout Washtenaw county. The average age of WAY students is 17 years, and 38 of the 210 are already parents.

Engagement is measured differently than in traditional academic programs; it’s on a continuum. The first goal is to help students to connect on a personal level with adult mentors in the program, and then to help students to earn high school credits, Shivers said.

Shivers then introduced Debra Destefani, a WAY student from Ann Arbor, who has earned almost five credits in the program. She reported that she tries to submit a project a day, and appreciates the online aspect of the program, since she works full-time. Destefani then fielded questions from the board.

Andy Thomas asked her to give examples of the projects that she works on in this program. Destefani listed math worksheets as one example, but noted, “I could do a project on anything I wanted to.”

Destefani argued that the WAY program is great for students who just want to get school done, but said that if they are not serious about it, the program is not for them.

Susan Baskett asked if the program provided the necessary hardware to Destefani, and she answered that, yes, the program provides her with a nice computer. Baskett also asked about the effect of the WAY program on her family relationships, which Destefani said have improved since she went back to school. Destefani also noted the incredible support from everyone at the program, in contrast to the adults in a traditional school setting, who were just “putting pressure on us.” About her mentor, Destefani said, “I don’t see her, but it’s nice to know someone’s e-mailing me every day.”

Shivers than closed the presentation by saying that a program evaluation was ongoing, and that the goal is to maintain the program at a cost less than the sum of the foundation allowances brought by its students from their home districts. She noted that there are WAY success stories already – students who will graduate this year, and others eager to enroll in college in the fall.

Baskett questioned the quality of the work done independently, and Shivers reiterated the openness of the assessment. “You can actually see the connection between projects and HSCEs,” she said. “When the experts assess a project, they see the level of proficiency that was achieved. People within the WAY environment can see it, and all involved can see it.”

Thomas asked how to refer a student to the program, and how long students would currently be on the wait list. Shivers told Thomas he could have the student call her at the WISD, and that the next group of students will be inducted into WAY in August.

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.

Planning Committee

Patalan reported for the planning committee. She noted that they had discussed the Haisley parking lot, as well as an update to the district’s strategic plan, which she called “our guiding light.”

Patalan also said the planning committee had reviewed the district budget to prepare for a roundtable with state legislators hosted by AAPS. The committee also looked at the emergency purchase of the hardware and software upgrades, which the board approved as part of its consent agenda.

Performance Committee

Nelson reported that the performance committee has met twice since the last board meeting, and that they had dealt with policy updates, as well as the Do the Math program. Lightfoot then reported that the Rising Scholars program was discussed at length, and thanked the parents who had met with the committee. She stated that it will be the recommendation of the committee to maintain the Rising Scholars program at each of the district’s three comprehensive high schools.

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 May 11 meeting, the board heard reports from all six associations.

Association Reports: Youth Senate

Zaid Khatib, Noshin Hussain, and Bianca Vladic reported for the Youth Senate. They reported that the Pioneer Youth Senate Action Team had developed a presentation on ways to address local poverty and shared it with over 1,000 elementary students this spring. Huron’s Senate Action Team is administering a survey to students to determine students’ perceptions of barriers to academic achievement. The senators also introduced the Youth Empowerment Project’s upcoming year-long program, “2011-2012 Women in Leadership: What’s Next?”

Association Reports: Black Parents Student Support Group

Sylvia Nesmith reported that the Black Parents Student Support Group was working on a vision for racial equity in the context of the current budget cuts faced by the district. The BPSSG, she reported, believes that the proposal to eliminate high school busing will primarily impact minorities and economically disadvantaged students. Long bus rides have been shown to cause stress, exhaustion, and reduce these students’ abilities to participate in after-school activities, Nesmith said.

She added that BPSSG parents questioned how feasible AATA transportation would be in the long term, whether AATA drivers would be trained to deal with large groups of students, how the potential loss of students leaving the district due to lack of busing was factored into the calculations, whether there is enough parking space available for extra cars, and whether parking lot fees could be sent to a fund to deal with transportation.

As alternatives, the BPSSG suggested that: AAPS survey students during the summer in order to closely adjust routes accordingly; use middle schools as drop-off points and correlate high school routes; try to find grants or endowments to fund transportation; and/or organize a competitive fundraiser to generate revenue.

The BPSSG also suggested reducing administrative expenses instead of laying-off teachers, as the resulting larger class sizes will be detrimental to student learning.

Nesmith also noted that principal sharing has been tried in the past and “was a catastrophe.”

Finally, she reported that the BPSSG is trying to create a better sense of community among parents, teachers, and administrators. BPSSG is discussing strategies to become more effective, and raising funds to send students to camp.

Association Reports: AAPAC

Scott White reported for the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education. His daughter has been served especially well at Clague Middle School, he said, but he encouraged the development of a more extensive peer mentoring program.

White noted that the AAPAC is pleased that the special education millage passed. He thanked interim superintendent Robert Allen and preschool principal Michelle Pogliano for their involvement with the PAC.

Finally, White said the AAPAC successfully put on 18 disability awareness workshops (DAWs) this year, and noted that this was Steve Swartz’ last year speaking at the DAWs.

Association Reports: AAAA

Michael Madison of the Ann Arbor Administrators Association asserted that the 53 building-level administrators are the backbone of the district, along with the teachers – they bring the vision of the board to the students, and they do it with a smile, he said. Madison serves as principal of Dicken Elementary.

Association Reports: PTOC

Amy Pachera of the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council appreciated all the parents, PTO leaders, board of education trustees, and administrators who voted for the special education millage that was recently passed, as well as legislators who endorsed it. She also thanked Steve Norton for providing legislative Tweets, and reiterated the four key legislative foci of the PTOC’s advocacy committee.

Association Reports: AAEA

Brit Satchwell – president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, the  teachers’ union – began by thanking the board for hosting the recent legislative roundtable, and to the PTOC for its work helping to pass the special education millage.

Teachers' union president Brit Satchwell discusses state funding for education.

The Michigan legislature intentionally underfunds K-12 education, Satchwell asserted, and she poke angrily about the representatives who attended the legislative roundtable recently sponsored by the board. He argued that the state budget as it’s currently proposed is “anti-education … immoral, [and] breaks solemn promises.” Satchwell went on to point out aspects of the budget that were ideological in nature, such as cutting the clothing allowance for foster children, and cutting higher education funding for schools that offer partner benefits.

Satchell continued by saying that citizens are being misled and patronized. Of the legislature, he said, “Their plan was a fairy tale to put the gullible to sleep … The money from those who have the least trickles up to those who have the most … We are witnessing the privatization of profit and the socialization of risk and burden.” He encouraged the public to follow the AAEA Twitter account for legislative updates.

Awards and Accolades

The May 11 meeting also contained a number of special presentations and awards honoring staff and students.

Celebration of Excellence Awards

Jennifer Kleber, a teacher assistant at Carpenter Elementary, and Jason Treece, an art teacher at Huron High School, each received a Celebration of Excellence award at the meeting. Kleber received a standing ovation from the board for the intensive care she provides at school for an elementary student with extensive medical needs. Treece was honored for his open-door policy with students, and for his extra effort in volunteering to be an academic coach to a struggling student. Both award recipients graciously received their awards while saying that they were just doing their jobs.

Gold Star Awards

Mary Fishwick, Angell Elementary secretary, Gary Court, Angell principal, and the entire special education teams at Slauson Middle School and Stone High School received Gold Star awards for excellent service.

E3 Award

Representatives from the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce were on hand to administer an E3 award to Scarlett Middle School for its portfolio day. E3 awards celebrate “exemplary educational endeavors” taking place in local schools. In its history, Scarlett’s portfolio day program has put over 3,000 students in touch with local business professionals for career exploration and guidance.

Tappan Orchestra

Joe DeMarsh conducted the Tappan Middle School orchestra in its performance of two pieces at the start of the meeting, which was appreciated by the board.

AAPS board members were treated to a performance by the Tappan Middle School orchestra.

Andy Thomas expressed gratitude for the high quality orchestral training students receive at Tappan, and noted that these students are then able to feed into the highly acclaimed music program at Pioneer High School.

Superintendent’s Report

Robert Allen reported on numerous academic and successful athletic competitions undertaken by AAPS students. He also noted multiple donations made by AAPS students to local service organizations, as well as to overseas relief organizations. Allen then praised a number of AAPS teachers who have been recognized by various professional organizations. He also thanked local representatives for participating in the legislative roundtable, and local citizens for voting in favor of the special education millage.

Agenda Planning

Because the May 11 meeting had lasted past 1:30 a.m. without getting through the entire agenda, the board agreed to postpone the following items: an informational update on School Wellness initiatives; a review of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District budget; and a set of policy update recommendations from the performance committee.

Susan Baskett requested that the board be updated on the functioning of Huron and Pioneer high schools, as new students are being moved to Skyline. Deb Mexicotte suggested that such an update should go through the performance committee on the way to the board.

Items from the Board

Glenn Nelson offered a “thank you” to the community for passing the countywide special education millage. He pointed out that 77% of Washtenaw County, and 86% of AAPS district voters supported the millage, and he encouraged the public to consider donating to the AAPS Educational Foundation, which is currently running a fundraising campaign. Nelson also noted that he had recently taken part in an Understanding Race program, a Head Start breakfast, a Riot Youth meeting, and a technology open house sponsored by SISS.

Deb Mexicotte noted briefly that though the board moved quickly through the summer projects funding requests, they had a full understanding of each of the projects.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Susan Baskett, secretary Andy Thomas, treasurer Irene Patalan, and trustees Simone Lightfoot, and Glenn Nelson. Trustee Christine Stead joined the last half of the meeting by speakerphone.

Next regular meeting: May 25, 2011, 7 p.m., at the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

Chronicle intern Eric Anderson contributed to the reporting in this article.

Eli Neiburger's avatar – or click the photo to see how he looks in real life. Neiburger has been named by Library Journal as one of its 2011 Movers & Shakers.

The topic stemmed from a report by AADL director Josie Parker, who described her experience at a recent working group meeting for the Digital Public Library of America. At that invitation-only event, Parker framed the discussion among industry leaders regarding the future of public access to information, from the perspective of public libraries.

It’s an issue highlighted by the decision of two major publishers – Macmillan and Simon & Schuster – not to sell eBooks to public libraries, making more than 25% of the eBook market unavailable to library patrons. More recently, HarperCollins announced restrictions on how libraries can circulate eBooks that it publishes.

Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and product development, gave a talk on the impact of eBooks at a national summit last fall called “ebooks: Libraries at the Tipping Point” – his presentation can be viewed online. At Monday’s meeting, Parker congratulated him for being named by Library Journal as one of its 2011 Movers & Shakers, in the category of tech leaders.

In another technology-related update, Parker told the board she’s been invited to serve on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation‘s public access technology benchmarks program. That workgroup will be developing benchmarks that libraries can use to determine the kind of technology infrastructure they need to deliver services to their communities.

Parker also briefed the board on new standards imposed by the Library of Michigan, which changed how public libraries qualify for state aid. Those standards – originally proposed as rules – are the subject of a lawsuit against the state library, filed by the Herrick District Library in Holland. The AADL has filed an amicus curiae – or “friend of the court” – brief in support of the Herrick library’s position, which charges that the state library has no authority to set these rules, and is taking away local control from district libraries.

Aside from updates made by Parker, the board dispatched with the rest of its business quickly. No one spoke during the time available for public commentary.

Director’s Report

Josie Parker, AADL director, touched on several topics during her report to the board at Monday’s meeting. The issue that generated the most discussion related to her work with the Digital Public Library of America.

Director’s Report: Digital Public Library of America

At the January 2011 AADL board meeting, Parker had briefed the board on her involvement in the Digital Public Library of America initiative. She’d been invited to be part of a small working group that is helping to launch the project, which is spearheaded by Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society.

That working group met on March 1 in Cambridge, Mass. On Monday, Parker described the experience as the highlight of her professional career. Gathered in one room were people who represented all major industries that have an impact on public libraries, she said, and who’ll determine what direction they might move, in terms of public access. It was a one-time opportunity to tell people they need to pay more attention to what the word “public” means – not what she means by the word, Parker clarified, but what industry leaders intend.

Parker was the first speaker at the session, and her role was to frame the discussion from the perspective of public libraries, as opposed to academic research libraries. She said she explained to the working group how public libraries might participate in the digital distribution of information. Her talk, she said, ended up framing the discussion for the entire day – she noted that there were those who truly appreciated what she had to say, and those who wished she hadn’t shown up. “I did not shame us,” she said, “but they definitely know who we are.”

Parker reported that she sat at a table with the head of OverDrive, a business that provides eBooks and other digital material to public libraries, schools and universities. The executive was very harried that morning, she noted, because the publisher HarperCollins had just announced restrictions on how public libraries can circulate its eBooks. Rather than circulating the eBooks an unlimited number of times, as libraries do for print editions, HarperCollins will allow eBooks to be checked out only 26 times before they expire. Libraries would have to pay again for additional circulation.

At the working group session, they didn’t have enough information about the HarperCollins decision to really understand its implications, Parker said. Though the public library community is up in arms about it, she said, it’s not clear that the move is as bad as it’s been made out to be. Libraries have to recognize that negotiations are necessary – publishers have to make money, she said.

Parker pointed out that at least HarperCollins is still selling eBooks to public libraries. Two major publishing houses – Macmillan and Simon & Schuster – refuse to sell any of its eBooks to public libraries, she noted. That means that more than 25% of the eBook market isn’t available to library patrons. She suspected that executives at Macmillan and Simon & Schuster are happy about the firestorm against HarperCollins, because it draws attention away from the much more serious situation that their decisions pose.

Jan Barney Newman clarified that only eBooks were being limited. That’s true, Parker replied, but the published book is going away. If libraries are going to have material to distribute to their patrons, they need to negotiate for electronic material now, while they still have leverage because of their purchases of traditional books.

Newman asked for more details about the DPLA event. Parker said they operated under the Chatham House Rule, in which statements are recorded but not attributed to any particular speaker. People were allowed to use Twitter (hashtag #DPLA) – but again, statements couldn’t be attributed to a speaker. Later, John Palfrey, the head of the DPLA steering committee, posted some notes on his blog about the meeting.

Parker said it was important for those involved in the DPLA to hear the issue of public access from the public libraries’ perspective, rather than just from academic institutions. “So we’ll see – it’s a long process,” she said.

Prue Rosenthal asked whether authors are generally aware that distribution of their books is being limited in this way. Authors weren’t as aware in the beginning, Parker replied, but now it’s a standard part of their contracts. And some are finding ways to work around those publishers’ decisions. Some blockbuster authors are bypassing publishers altogether, for example. But the vast majority rely on large publishing houses to get their material distributed.

Publishers worry because digital material is so much easier to pass around, Parker said. The feeling is that if someone can get it for free from a library, they wouldn’t pay for it. “It’s early days,” she said, “but my instinct tells me that isn’t so.” She noted that she continues to buy books, even though she works at a library and has easy access to them for free.

Barbara Murphy observed that there seems to be parallels with the music industry. That’s true, Parker said – technology is transforming the publishing industry in ways that are somewhat similar. Within five years, some of the large publishing houses will likely go out of business, because they aren’t paying attention to what’s happening. But the library is paying attention, she added. They’re trying to keep up, so that as the market shifts to eBooks, they’re prepared.

Newman asked what percentage of AADL’s circulated material are eBooks. It’s small, Parker said, because of constraints on how eBooks are available to circulate. The library can’t purchase Kindles for circulation – Amazon’s electronic book reader – because of the way its licensing agreement is structured. Another eBook reader, the Nook, does allow downloads of eBooks that can be circulated, but the library hasn’t bought the hardware to do that yet. Right now, the AADL’s main interface for eBooks is through OverDrive, which Parker said isn’t easy to use. [More details about AADL's available eBook catalog is on the library's website.]

In response to queries from board members, Parker said she’d schedule a demonstration of OverDrive and other eBook options at the board’s April 25 meeting.

Margaret Leary asked whether ebrary, which also sells eBooks to libraries, is an option. Eli Neiburger, AADL’s associate director of IT and product development, said there’s not much material available from ebrary, and most of it is non-fiction.

Parker noted that they’re confined in what they can offer based on what OverDrive can negotiate with publishers. That business gets pummeled by the library community mainly because they’re the only target, Parker said: “There’s no competition – but that’s going to change.”

Director’s Report: Kudos to Eli Neiburger

Also during her director’s report, Parker highlighted the fact that Eli Neiburger – AADL’s associate director of IT and product development – has been named by Library Journal as one of its 2011 Movers & Shakers, in the category of tech leaders. Neiburger received a round of applause from the board and staff who attended Monday’s meeting.

Parker read from the Library Journal article that profiled Neiburger, quoting Toby Greenwalt, virtual services coordinator at Skokie Public Library, Illinois: “[Neiburger has] thus far exhibited a near-flawless track record at predicting the ways technology and web culture are going to impact the library world. He’s a person we definitely need to lead us into our redefined role.”

Directing her remarks to Neiburger, Parker said, “We do need you to lead us into our redefined role, and we’re just very glad you’re with us to lead us.”

Director’s Report: Update on Lawsuit

During her report, Parker gave an update on new standards imposed by the Library of Michigan. Those standards – originally proposed as rules – are the subject of a lawsuit against the state library, filed by the Herrick District Library in Holland. At their December 2010 meeting, the AADL board had voted to file an amicus curiae – or “friend of the court” – brief in support of the Herrick library’s position. From The Chronicle’s report of that meeting:

In 2009, the Library of Michigan issued new rules which changed the standards used to determine whether public libraries qualify for state aid. The rules were slated to take effect in October 2010 – the start of the state’s fiscal year. [.pdf file of 2010 Library of Michigan Certification Manual and State Aid to Public Libraries Grant Rules]

When the new rules were announced in draft form in 2008, directors of eight library cooperatives in the state – representing, through their memberships, many of the public libraries in Michigan – objected to the change. They contended that the Library of Michigan didn’t have the authority to set new rules on how libraries qualify for state aid, which is awarded by the state legislature. “It was a loud voice, and it went unheard,” Parker said.

In October 2009, the Herrick District Library filed a lawsuit in the Ottawa County Circuit Court, challenging the Library of Michigan’s authority to set these rules. The lawsuit focused on rules requiring that a public library provide the same level of service to all areas it serves.

Libraries have the authority to contract with areas outside of its millage boundaries to provide varying levels of service. A contracting municipality, for example, could receive limited library services for its residents, and pay an amount lower than what’s levied by the library millage within the library district’s boundary. The new rules prohibit this approach – and if a library continued to provide contracted services at a lower level, it would not qualify for state aid.

Herrick’s lawsuit argues that the Library of Michigan and the state’s History, Arts and Library Department – which previously housed the state library but which has since been dissolved – lack statutory authority to set rules for determining how state aid is distributed to public libraries. The suit also argues that neither the state constitution nor the statutes that govern public libraries require that libraries deliver the same level of service to contracting jurisdictions. Finally, the lawsuit contends that because the new rules are vague and overly broad, they are unconstitutional.

Parker told the AADL board that the lawsuit is challenging the new rules for the same reasons that the directors of the eight library cooperatives had objected to them – because the Library of Michigan has no authority to set the rules, and because the state library is taking away local control from district libraries.

On Sept. 9, 2010, Judge Calvin Bosman of the Ottawa County Circuit Court issued a ruling in the case, stating that the Library of Michigan lacked the authority to issue these new rules. The state library appealed the decision to the Michigan Court of Appeals, and filed a motion for stay – essentially asking that the lower court’s decision not take affect until the appeal is resolved. Parker said they learned earlier in the day that the motion for stay has been denied.

The lawsuit and the recent denial of the motion for stay throws state aid into limbo, Parker said. Libraries haven’t received aid for the state’s current fiscal year, which began Oct. 1 – although the money has been budgeted by the legislature. In the short term, it doesn’t affect AADL, Parker said – in general, state aid has been dwindling because of Michigan’s economic situation. Most recently, the legislature budgeted about $6 million in total aid to public libraries statewide.

Because of the state’s overall economy, AADL didn’t anticipate receiving state aid this year, so it won’t affect their current budget, Parker said. Nor does AADL have any contracts to provide services to other municipalities. But longer-term implications could be significant, she said.

On Monday, Parker told the board that earlier this year, the state library took the “rules” that were in dispute and imposed them as “standards.” They are essentially the same set of requirements, and state aid will be distributed to public libraries based on these standards. Parker reported that Herrick filed for an injunction against the state to prevent them from imposing the standards, but that injunction was not awarded by the circuit court. Herrick now plans to appeal the circuit court’s decision not to award an injunction. Meanwhile, the state library will move ahead in awarding state aid based on the new standards.

Parker reiterated to the board what she has previously stated – that these standards will result in public libraries deciding not to contract with municipalities unless those municipalities can pay for the full range of services that the library offers. She told the board that she’d keep them updated as Herrick’s legal action progresses.

Director’s Report: Gates Foundation

Parker told the board that she’s been invited to serve on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation‘s public access technology benchmarks program. The workgroup will be developing benchmarks that libraries can use to determine the kind of technology infrastructure they need to deliver services to their communities.

While the foundation’s early investments bought computers and Internet access for libraries, Parker said they’ve now shifted focus to help libraries evaluate their technology needs, train staff, and determine how to gain public support for long-term community funding.

Director’s Report: Addy Awards

The library received four ADDY awards earlier this year from the Ann Arbor Ad Club, Parker reported – one gold ADDY, and three silvers. The awards recognize work in advertising, marketing and promotion. For the library, the materials that won ADDYs this year were all designed by Heidi Woodward Sheffield of The Exclamation Point. The gold award was for material designed for AADL’s summer reading program. Silver AADYs were awarded for: stickers and puzzles; two issues of Jump! – a calendar of events for kids; and for a Reading to Me CD that’s distributed to families with infants.

Parker said that although the library has consistently received ADDY awards over the years, this is the first time they’ve been awarded so many at this level.

Financial Report

Ken Nieman, associate director of finance, human resources and operations, gave a brief monthly financial report to the board. [.pdf file of March 2011 financial report] The library’s unrestricted cash balance as of Feb. 28, 2011 was $11 million, down from $11.8 million in January. Its positive fund balance totaled $7.9 million.

Two items – software licenses and employee benefits – remain over budget, he said. Expenses for software licenses are expected to come back in line by the end of the fiscal year, June 30. The extra expenses for employee benefits – related to increased health care costs – have been discussed at previous meetings. Year to date, that line item is $53,393 over budget.

Nieman also pointed out that the Friends of the AADL, a nonprofit that raises money to support the library, donated just over $40,000 to AADL in February. So far this year, donations from the Friends have totaled roughly $95,000.

Committee Reports

Board president Margaret Leary gave a report on the executive committee meeting, held earlier this month. The group includes Leary, Barbara Murphy and Prue Rosenthal. They discussed prospects for the budget in the coming year, Leary said, including trends and possible solutions to challenges that had been outlined by AADL director Josie Parker. Leary did not elaborate. She said the committee also heard a presentation by local developer Peter Allen – Leary described it as a short seminar on development, given from his perspective. He’ll give the second part of his presentation at the committee’s March 30 meeting, she said.

Responding to a request from board member Nancy Kaplan to talk more about Allen’s presentation, Leary said it seemed like the kind of thing he’d give to his students. [Allen is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. His students gave presentations at a library board meeting in December 2009, based on class projects they'd developed for the city-owned Library Lot, located next to the downtown library on South Fifth Avenue.]

Leary said Allen’s handout, which she offered to distribute to other board members, outlined different stages of real estate development.

Present: Rebecca Head, Nancy Kaplan, Margaret Leary, Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman, Prue Rosenthal. Also AADL director Josie Parker.

Absent: Ed Surovell

Next meeting: Monday, April 25, 2011 at 7 p.m. in the library’s fourth floor meeting room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. The board typically meets on the third Monday of each month, but moved the April meeting so that it wouldn’t fall on Passover, which this year is on April 18. [confirm date]

Allen told board members that the district faces a $15 million shortfall in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. That figure assumes the special education millage, on the ballot for May 3, will be renewed. If voters don’t approve the millage renewal, the deficit could grow to nearly $21 million.

During the meeting, board members criticized Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed state budget, which calls for cuts to K-12 education. They cautioned that his focus on business tax cuts would undermine the quality of public education in the state. “I don’t think most people want education ravaged in order to fund a huge business tax cut,” trustee Glenn Nelson said. “We need to shout this story from the rooftops.”

Allen will be giving an expanded report on the budget situation to the public from 6:30-8 p.m. on Monday, March 21 at the Pioneer High School cafeteria annex. The board also discussed setting up a time to meet with state legislators, to discuss their concerns about the state budget proposals.

Also during Wednesday’s meeting, board president Deb Mexicotte reported that the district is close to wrapping up contract negotiations with Patricia Green, the board’s choice to become the district’s next superintendent. She hoped to provide additional details soon, including a potential start date.

Budget Presentation

Interim superintendent Robert Allen started his budget presentation by describing how public school districts in Michigan are funded. The state controls revenues for local school districts in two ways. First, it collects taxes directly from residential and non-residential property owners – 6 mills each, annually – and pools that money into the state’s School Aid Fund (SAF), which also includes revenues from sales and income taxes, state lottery revenue and other sources. Out of this fund, the state pays local school districts a per-pupil allotment – a variable amount set by the state legislature that can increase or decrease each year.

In addition, state law controls the amount of taxes that school districts can levy directly – those that are not pooled into the SAF. Beyond the 6 mills that go into the SAF, for example, there’s an additional tax on non-residential property owners, but the state caps that tax at 18 mills. Both the funding from non-SAF local property taxes and from the total School Aid Fund are factored into an amount called the per-pupil “foundation allowance,” which varies by district. For Ann Arbor, the current per-pupil foundation allowance is $9,336, with roughly 16,440 students in the district.

These revenue sources, along with grants and private donations from groups like the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation, are what the district relies on for everything from employee salaries to mandated special education programs. However, since 1995 the district’s per-pupil funding allocation has only risen once. And if Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget proposal is adopted, per-pupil funding would decrease by about $700.

Allen described in more detail how the many budget changes proposed by Snyder will have an impact on public education funding. For example, the state’s School Aid Fund, which has been dedicated solely to funding K-12 districts, would be combined with the state fund for community colleges and other public institutions for higher education. Allen said this was unfair – it would create a deficit in the School Aid Fund, which had a surplus before higher education was included.

“I don’t think those two are on the same playing field,” Allen said. “[Higher education institutions] have options to raise tuition, whereas school districts have very few options.”

These funding changes drew some questions from the board about the legality of changes to the School Aid Fund. “If these sources of revenue were specifically legislated to fund K-12 education, what authority does the state have to redirect that to higher education?” trustee Andy Thomas asked.

Allen was as uncertain as Thomas was, but trustee Christine Stead had some insight. Stead said that there have been mixed reactions in Lansing to the notion that the state can use these tactics – in light of the fact that communities and school districts are in dire economic straits. ”There may be a constitutional challenge to what has been proposed,” she said.

Another challenge Allen touched on in his presentation is the growing cost of the district’s pension plan. Local districts are being required to make higher contributions to the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS), which is managed by the state but covers local district employees. Those contributions have grown to the point where the district is paying for at least 20% of an employee’s pension. ”This is the fastest-growing and largest burden for the district,” Allen said.

He characterized the pension issue as contributing to a structural deficit. The current pension system is a defined benefit plan. Having a defined benefit plan is troublesome, Allen said. With growing health insurance costs and fewer employees to support the plan, the district’s mandated contributions to the system are increasing.

Allen contrasted the defined benefit approach to a defined contribution plan, a system used by most for-profit organizations and which has more controllable costs. [In defined benefit plans, retirees receive a set amount per month during their retirement. In defined contribution plans, employers pay a set amount into the retirement plan while a person is employed. The most common of these defined contribution plans is the 401(k).]

All of these issues contribute to a budget shortfall that Allen estimates at about $15 million for the upcoming fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2011. This figure assumes that the upcoming special education millage renewal will pass. [See Chronicle coverage: "AAPS Preps for Special Ed Tax"] It did not take into account new information received by trustees who attended a legislative meeting in Lansing earlier that day, where they learned that estimated education cuts proposed by the Snyder administration may be conservative. About the $15 million shortfall, Allen said: ”This is a best-case scenario.”

Allen will be giving an expanded report on the budget situation to the public from 6:30-8 p.m. on Monday, March 21 at the Pioneer High School cafeteria annex.

Budget: Strategies

After detailing the hurdles the district will have to overcome, Allen laid out some of the ways they can combat the projected deficit.

He said one of the biggest priorities for AAPS is to lobby the state for more local control of funding, and for changes in the distribution of state funding for public education. These structural and fundamental changes are necessary because, as Allen said, currently the district is addressing the yearly shortfalls with “band-aid solutions.”

“We identify a shortfall and come up with ways to meet that,” he said. “That is not a long-term solution.”

Allen also suggested increasing student enrollment, consolidation or collaboration with other organizations, and private donations as other possible solutions to close the deficit. [For additional background on possible AAPS revenue strategies, see Chronicle coverage: "AAPS Mulls Options to Increase Revenues"]

Budget: Strategies – Private Donations

Trustee Christine Stead took the opportunity to discuss private donations, a solution she felt could be lucrative. “I believe there is an opportunity for significant donations to AAPS,” she said. “I’d like to really think about this private giving in a paradigm-shift kind of way.”

Stead pointed out that many businesses in the community want to see the district succeed because that would make them successful as well. If a significant partnership was sought, she said, a donation in the millions was possible.

Even with a significant donation, trustee Andy Thomas reminded the board that private giving alone would not be enough to close the budget gap.

“If we were to get a large donation of $1 million, that would roughly cover one-tenth of the increase in just pension contributions for just one year,” he said. “This is a very difficult problem.”

Budget: Strategies – School of Choice

Increasing student enrollment by opening a school of choice program was another idea that the board felt could have a significant impact on revenue. The program opens up additional spaces for students from outside the district to fill. The application process includes listing a student’s top four school choices, which the district uses to fill available slots. A lottery system is used for schools with more applicants than spaces, and those who are not initially selected are put on a waiting list.

The district used this strategy last year, hoping to enroll an additional 150 students. However, they were only able to attract 76 79 more. According to interim deputy superintendent Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelly, this was due to the district’s inability to bring in siblings of children who applied for the school of choice program. A number of students were lost because their family had other siblings looking to enter different grades, but there were no available openings.

To deal with this, the district is allowing for more flexibility in the amount of school of choice students it can enroll. The district will be opening 60 spaces in kindergarten and first grades for a total of 120. Twenty spaces will also be evenly distributed for second- through fifth-grade classrooms in the district, with each grade getting five openings.

While the district will be opening 140 spaces, they will allow up to 190 students to take advantage of the program. These extra 50 slots are included for increased flexibility, allowing families the opportunity to move all their children into the district without the limits they faced last year.

Liz Margolis, the district’s director of communications, said there will also be an increased effort on marketing the program, with advertisements running in area newspapers, flyers and other forms of publicity.

Dickinson-Kelly concluded the recommendation by proposing a window of April 15 to May 15 for families to sign up. The board will revisit the issue at its next meeting, on March 30.

Budget: Board Commentary on Snyder

The budget discussion led to criticism by some trustees of Gov. Rick Snyder’s view’s on public education funding.

Glenn Nelson opened the commentary, saying that the board can’t let the new budget proposals from the Snyder administration be framed as foregone conclusions. “Education in this budget has been put at the bottom of the priority list,” he said. “I don’t think most people want education ravaged in order to fund a huge business tax cut – we need to shout this story from the rooftops.”

Christine Stead followed Nelson’s point, and touched on the assumptions being made that Snyder’s commitment to tax cuts would create jobs. “The notion that job creation is the solution and that businesses will create jobs in Michigan is an assumption. If you look at Snyder, he didn’t do that,” Stead said, referencing Snyder’s tenure at the helm of the computer firm Gateway.

Stead continued by discussing the assumption that the jobs created would have well-paying salaries that can support a family, saying that this was unlikely to be true. She bemoaned the view that giving tax breaks to businesses would benefit Michigan, saying that business values and the mission of CEOs do not necessarily translate to a better community.

Board president Deb Mexicotte agreed with Stead and Nelson regarding Snyder’s budget priorities, as well as the poor state of public education funding over the past few decades.

“It is obvious to anyone who has been listening to the way this [budget] has been put together, and has been watching the drumbeat against public education for the last 30 years by the Republican party,” she said. “This isn’t new.”

Mexicotte added that, without opposition, the current trend against funding public education would continue.

Susan Baskett made the final argument for action, urging those who have supported education to show more than passive support, and saying that those who do not support education need to be identified and educated about the importance of public schools in the community.

“We have to stop being nice,” she said. “We know people will pay for what they value and we need to remind (legislators) of this. Who doesn’t value education? A business tax reduction over our children?”

Allen used the discussion on possible methods of closing the budget shortfall to segue into his presentation on the upcoming special education millage renewal. He re-emphasized a number of the points made during a presentation at the board’s regular meeting on March 2, given by representatives from AAPS Student Intervention and Support Services (SISS). From Chronicle coverage of that meeting:

By way of background, at its December 2010 board meeting, the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) voted to place before voters a renewal of an existing tax that supports special education in all school districts in Washtenaw County. It will appear on the ballot on May 3, 2011.

The funds collected through the millage support special ed services for students with physical, mental or emotional disabilities up to age 26.

First approved in 2004 at the rate of 1 mill, the six-year millage expired after the 2010 tax season. The proposed renewal of the special ed tax, at a rate of 0.985 mill, would extend another seven years – through 2017. A tax rate of 1 mill is equivalent to $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. The millage appears on tax bills under the label WISD SPEC ED.

Allen expanded on the importance of this special education funding by detailing the district’s entire special education budget, totaling nearly $40 million. Much of this is covered through reimbursements from the state and federal government, though the district spent about $4 million in general fund dollars last year for special education. The special education millage provides about $6 million to cover remaining costs. Without the millage, that $6 million would need to come from the district’s general fund – adding to the projected deficit.

“This truly impacts the entire district,” Allen said.

Special Presentations

The meeting was opened with two presentations from students.

The Skyline Horn Trio, directed by Skyline High School’s band director, Jason Smith, opened the student presentations by performing for the board. Smith said he was very proud of the trio, as well as his entire music program, adding that the three musicians are “great individuals – they’re really very talented.”

After the performance, Larry Dishman, coordinator for the Hikone-Ann Arbor cultural exchange program, talked to the board about the program and introduced a group of middle school students who were at the meeting to report on their experiences.

The program gave students the opportunity to travel to Ann Arbor’s sister city of Hikone, Japan for about two weeks in late October and early November 2010, learning about Japanese culture and living with a host family. AAPS students and their families also hosted students from Japan for eight days, introducing them to an American way of life.

Dishman reported that he had been in contact with program representatives from Japan and he was happy to announce that they were not directly affected by the recent earthquake. “They are safe and sound,” he said. “Their only regret is that they aren’t getting as much information as we are.”

Students from the program then talked about different aspects of their experience. Topics included the classes they took prior to their trip to learn about the language and culture, as well as fundraising they did.

Trustee Glenn Nelson asked the group if there was anything they encountered that they did not expect. Students answered that they were surprised by some of the food they tried and by the affectionate style of interaction they saw – they had expected much more formality.

After the presentation, board president Deb Mexicotte expressed appreciation that the students had an enjoyable time, hoping that other students would be encouraged to sign up for the program.

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 this meeting, the board heard from the Youth Senate, AAPAC, and the PTOC.

Association Reports: Youth Senate

Aoxue Tang, a junior from Pioneer High School, represented the Youth Senate by delivering the first report. Tang updated the board on the Youth Senate’s philanthropic projects focused on raising awareness about poverty through a series of presentations.

“Students have participated in varied service events and have decided to donate proceeds raised from the presentations to the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s Education Project for Homeless Youth,” Tang said.

Tang also touched on the role of standardized testing, discussing recent developments that have made the Youth Senate question a test’s usefulness. The Michigan Merit Exam was the focus of this portion of the address, with Tang pointing out that, while the test does provide an opportunity to practice for the ACT, the revocation of the Michigan Promise scholarship makes the MME unnecessary.

Association Reports: AAPAC

Lauren Roland addressed the board on behalf of the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education. Roland began by reporting that her son, a fourth-grade student in AAPS with autism spectrum disorder, was doing very well, thanks to the structures and support in place from the district. This included her son’s participation in a field trip to see the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, an event that required preparation due to the increase in sensory activity that would accompany the performance. Her son had a successful trip, she said, and according to one teacher, enjoyed the performance.

She also thanked board president Deb Mexicotte for attending an AAPAC meeting recently to discuss the upcoming special education millage renewal.

Roland closed her presentation by echoing the call for an Ann Arbor-based Young Adult Program (YAP), helping those with special needs transition into society. [The board heard a presentation about a possible YAP for Ann Arbor at their March 2, 2011 meeting.] AAPAC has been emphasizing this cause for months, and Roland reiterated that there is enough parent and community support to justify the creation of a program.

Association Reports: Parent-Teacher Organization Council

Martine Perreault delivered the final association report, on behalf of the Parent-Teacher Organization Council. Perreault opened by welcoming Patricia Green, the district’s next superintendent, before discussing the PTOC’s upcoming meetings.

Perreault highlighted the PTOC’s March 21 meeting, where effective fundraising strategies will be discussed. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the Balas Administration Building, 2555 S. State St. She added that the PTOC will be surveying district treasurers on their retail banking habits, hoping to glean the best practices.

Board Committee Reports

The 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.

Committee Reports: Performance Committee

Nelson updated the board on the most recent meeting of the performance committee. He discussed the policy reviews they covered, as well as some of the strategies they discussed for increasing enrollment. He did not provide much detail about the numerous policy changes the committee was presented with at its March 14 meeting, saying generally that they discussed greater transparency and ease of use of district buildings.

Nelson added that he was impressed with how much impact the strategic plan was having with regards to providing a road map for the district and the board. The committee plans on continuing to review the policy changes.

Nelson also touched on the committee’s discussion about enrollment strategies, mentioning a number that were fleshed out during Robert Allen’s budget presentation [see above]. According to Nelson, administrators have suggested several good ideas, something he attributes to their familiarity with the subject matter.

“Administration people are the ones who live with these numbers,” he said. “They’re the experts.”

Committee Reports: Planning Committee

Stead reported on the planning committee’s meeting, touching on policy reviews, the upcoming special education millage renewal and the board’s continuing efforts to advocate for public education.

Stead, like Nelson, did not go into specifics about the policies that the committee reviewed. She said she was pleased to report that the committee would be following a suggestion from Baskett to require a hard copy of any documentation referenced during their review, which would result in a more efficient process.

With regards to special education, Stead had positive reports on some of the meetings she had been a part of to raise awareness about the upcoming millage, emphasizing its importance. “We want the community to be aware that this is an incredibly important millage for us,” she said. “It is one of the few things we can control at crucial at a time of massive cuts.”

Finally, Stead said there needs to be a commitment to educating legislators about the budget proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration, and its impact on school districts. “The budget proposal is packaged together so tight that it’s tough to break it apart into pieces,” she said, encouraging arming legislators with information on how to respond.

A strategy for response was also brought up later in the meeting, during the trustees’ closing remarks. Stead proposed inviting local representatives to a study session-type meeting to discuss funding issues.

The board decided to move forward with the idea by collecting information to present to the representatives and members of the public who attend, with the goal of educating the public on the issue and on where the legislators stand. Baskett added that taping or recording the session would help to increase awareness. A date for the session has not yet been set.

Interim Superintendent’s Report

Interim superintendent Robert Allen reported on several notable accomplishments in the district. Among those, he highlighted a partnership between the district and the Main Street Area Association that’s featuring local students’ artwork hung in the windows of downtown businesses. As part of that effort, a downtown art walk was held on March 13 – Allen said there was a large turnout of families for the event, which also included performances by the Pioneer High School choir. He added that the artwork will be on display until the end of March, and encouraged people to check it out.

Update on Superintendent Search

Board president Deb Mexicotte gave a brief update on the superintendent search. Mexicotte said the district has entered into negotiations with Patricia Green, the candidate selected by the board at their March 5 meeting. [See Chronicle coverage: "AAPS Superintendent Choice: Hard Decision"] According to Mexicotte, they were close to being able to bring a contract to the board for final review. At that point, she said, she would have more information about the contract and potential start dates.

Board Action

The only voting action the board took was to unanimously approve its consent agenda, which included the second-quarter financial report, delivered by Nancy Hoover – AAPS director of finance and interim chief financial officer – at the March 2 board meeting; board minutes from the March 2 and 5 meetings; and a gift of Shakespeare plays given by Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

A number of policy reviews came up later in the meeting for the board’s first briefing.

The board discussed the district’s policy on homeless students, elementary reclassification-retention, and local wellness. No changes were made, although the local wellness policy may have to be changed in the future due to legislation currently being proposed. This was the first hearing for the policies; no action will be taken by the board until the second briefing for these items at a future meeting.

Board Notes

The board concluded the meeting with general communications from trustees. The remarks were highlighted by trustee Andy Thomas discussing the district’s funding situation and announcing that the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation has kicked off its 2011 fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $1 million.

Continuing on this topic, Thomas discussed a piece of legislation introduced by state Sen. Jack Brandenburg that would cap the amount of fund equity a district could accumulate. [The proposal is to cap a district's "rainy day" fund at 15% of its annual operating expenses.]

“This has to rank as the single dumbest idea I have heard anywhere,” Thomas said. “The districts that were responsible would get money taken away to be driven back down. The only explanation is that Brandenburg doesn’t understand the concept of fund equity. It’s not a rainy day fund. This is another opportunity to write to a senator to let them know what a bad idea this is.”

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

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, March 30, 2011, at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.

About the writer: Eric Anderson is an intern for The Ann Arbor Chronicle. Jennifer Coffman, who usually covers AAPS board meetings for The Chronicle, is taking a maternity break.

Stephen Forrest, left, talks with David Lampe before the start of the Jan. 19, 2011 University of Michigan board of regents meeting. Forrest, UM's vice president for research, gave a presentation on the university's research efforts. Lampe is vice president for communications. (Photos by the writer.)

Stephen Forrest, UM’s vice president for research and chair of the board for economic development agency Ann Arbor SPARK, described the concept of an “innovation pipeline,” with the input of funding and ideas yielding an output of jobs, prosperity and expanded opportunities for faculty and students. The process has leaks and clogs, he noted, but the university has strategically applied patches – citing as an example the Venture Accelerator program that launched this month.

And Jim Baker, director of the Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences, was on hand to embody the efforts of faculty who successfully translate research into economic development. Baker’s talk focused on the rewards of creating new businesses – he observed that one reason why students come to UM is to enhance their economic prospects and improve their lives. Baker talked about the importance of keeping those graduates in Michigan to aid in the state’s economic recovery – and doing that requires jobs. He noted that the four companies he has helped launch in Ann Arbor have brought in $160 million in investments and created 45 new jobs so far.

Regents took action on several items during the meeting, including approval of two projects related to the athletics department: A $52 million renovation and expansion of Crisler Arena – the second phase of a major overhaul of that facility, which was built in 1968; and a $20 million project to install video scoreboards at Michigan Stadium, Crisler Arena and Yost Ice Arena. David Brandon, UM’s athletic director, made a brief appearance at the meeting but did not address the regents publicly. And this month’s biggest athletic-related news at UM – that Brady Hoke was hired as head football coach – received only a mention as part of president Mary Sue Coleman’s opening remarks. He did not attend the meeting.

Seven people spoke during public commentary on a variety of topics. Among them were: (1) a call to reassess Fuller Road Station, a proposed parking structure and possible train station near UM’s medical campus; ( 2) questions about the medical leave of Ken Magee, executive director of UM’s Department of Public Safety (DPS); (3) thanks from the leader of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival for the university’s support of that annual event; (4) criticism of the use of live animals to train survival flight nurses; and (5) a plea for financial support for The Loyal Opposition to the Status Quo (LOSQ), a nonprofit launched to address disparities between African-Americans and Caucasians.

President’s Opening Remarks

Mary Sue Coleman began by saying she was honored to have been in the state capitol the previous night to attend Gov. Rick Snyder’s State of the State address. He delivered a powerful vision for the state and its return to prominence, she said, and public universities will play a role in that rejuvenation. The state is facing serious economic challenges, and “as a university, we are ready to do our part” for Michigan’s recovery, Coleman said. She noted that they were also awaiting word on the state budget, which will include appropriations for Michigan’s public universities.

A strong spirit of enthusiasm and optimism isn’t limited to Lansing, Coleman said. She welcomed Brady Hoke as UM’s new football coach, and thanked the campus community for making him feel welcome. They all sense his deep affection for the university, she said, and they’re looking forward to the 2011 season.

University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman, left, talks with Nancy Asin, assistant secretary of the university, before the start of Thursday's regents meeting.

Coleman then highlighted several honors recently bestowed on people connected with the university. Nine faculty members had recently been named as fellows to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a prestigious honor. Allen Kim, a UM engineering student, was named College Entrepreneur of the Year by Entrepreneur magazine. He was recognized for his startup Bebarang, a baby clothes rental service. Of the five finalists for that award, two were from UM, which Coleman said speaks volumes for how the university is embracing the spirit of entrepreneurship.

Two new university building projects received architectural awards, Coleman noted: (1) the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) was given the 2011 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honor Award for Architecture, one of the top honors in that field; and (2) the newly expanded Michigan Stadium was given a Best of the Best Award by McGraw-Hill Construction. Each building provides entertainment and inspiration, Coleman said, adding that it’s wonderful to see recognition for the extensive work that’s gone into them.

University Research & Economic Development

The meeting’s main presentation – by Stephen Forrest and Jim Baker – focused on the university’s research efforts. Forrest is UM’s vice president for research; Baker is a faculty member who wears many hats, including as director of the Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences and co-founder of several technology firms.

Forrest began with a bit of historical context, noting that the regents had passed a resolution in 1996 that supports a strong technology transfer program as an “integral component” of the university’s overall mission. The statement of support had far-reaching implications, he said – it seems passive, but a lot of activity has flowed from that.

Rick Snyder, who helped launch the economic development agency Ann Arbor SPARK, and Mike Finney, who served as its president, have recently risen to positions of extreme importance statewide, Forrest noted – Snyder as governor, and Finney as head of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., an appointment made by Snyder. Snyder and Finney both expect universities to participate in the state’s recovery, he said – and “that’s not a passive expectation.” They expect action. But UM can’t be “green” in a brown field, Forrest said. If the state overall isn’t prosperous, the university won’t be able to attract the students and faculty they need.

Graphic of an "Innovation Pipeline." (Links to larger image)

The old model of a university as an ivory tower is outdated – now, UM bleeds out into the city and beyond, making it a “rather blurry-edged university,” he said. Partnerships with other organizations – including government entities, universities, industry and international institutions – create a university that’s connected, he said.

Forrest showed a Rube Goldberg-esque graphic of an “innovation pipeline” to illustrate the dynamic nature of the research process, and obstacles potentially blocking that process – he observed, for example, that university culture can act like a wad of hair or steel wool in the pipeline. The goal is to identify leaks, breaks and blockages, and patch them, he said. The outcome is jobs and prosperity.

One of those patches recently hit the news, Forrest said: UM’s Venture Accelerator, a new business incubator that opened earlier this month at the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC), the former Pfizer site. About 500 people attended the grand opening, he said, and most of them were from outside the university.

Though they’ve been talking about a business incubator for more than a decade, it was the regents’ decision to buy the Pfizer site that “flipped a switch” to make it happen, he said.

Saying that if they aspire to be the best, they’d better know where they stand now, Forrest showed a chart comparing UM to peer institutions in three research metrics: Licensing agreements, number of start-ups using university technology, and revenues from intellectual property – for example, from royalties on licensed research or from an equity stake in a company.

Chart showing research metrics at various universities. (Image links to higher resolution file.)

Agreements are important because they show what’s at the beginning of the pipeline, Forrest said. He also cautioned that revenues can be “bursty,” reflecting perhaps just one technology that “hits” for a particular period. Overall, UM is in the top tier, he observed, “but we’re definitely not at the top.”

At UM, revenues from technology transfer approached $40 million in fiscal 2010, which Forrest attributed in large part to one-time revenues from the licensing agreement for FluMist, which was developed at the university. This year, that figure will likely be significantly lower.

Forrest then announced the recipients of the 2011 Distinguished University Innovator Award: Ken Wise and Khalil Najafi, who are both faculty focused on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. They’ve spurred their students to start many companies based on academic research, Forrest said, making UM “the center of the MEMS world, which is a big world.”

Forrest concluded his remarks by saying there’s urgency to take advantage of the current climate. Because of changes in Lansing, the Ann Arbor SPARK model will be rolled out across the state, he said. [Forrest serves as chair of SPARK's board of directors.] He appealed to the regents to be patient, saying there is no quick fix or single action that will improve the innovation pipeline, “but I think we’re well on our way.”

Jim Baker focused his part of the presentation on the rewards of creating new businesses. Students come to UM to improve their lives, he said – and part of that includes enhancing their economic prospects. He reported taking his daughter on a university admissions tour, and observed that many parents looked distressed – most of their questions during a Q&A related to financial aid, he said. They want a better life for their children – for the university, he said, “this mission can’t be ignored.”

UM has a heritage of providing opportunities that aren’t available elsewhere, Baker continued. As an example, he noted that he graduated from Williams College in 1975 – the first year that the institution admitted female students. [UM admitted its first female student in 1870.]

Current challenges make this role of economic enhancement crucial, he argued. There’s a widening economic disparity, especially in Michigan. Our future is knowledge-based, he said, and most wealth creation will be due to new businesses. That was part of the governor’s message in his State of the State address, Baker said.

Baker acknowledged that universities don’t create jobs, but said that their actions can support job creation. They need to change their culture in order to help entrepreneurs thrive, and to keep them from leaving Michigan. Baker noted that he’s CEO of NanoBio, a company he co-founded. He’s not CEO by choice, he added, but rather because it’s difficult to recruit someone to take that job.

He asked, rhetorically, whether it’s possible to change their culture in this way while still maintaining UM’s high academic standards. Yes, he said – and doing so will put more emphasis on translating basic research into marketable applications, provide for a broader range of research activities, and bring in support from a wider variety of sources.

The four companies that Baker has helped launch – NanoBio, Avidimer Therapeutics, PhotonAffinity, and BioPartners LLC – have brought in $160 million in investments, including $30 million in the past 18 months, he said, creating 45 new jobs.

Baker concluded by saying that he hoped these companies could serve as examples to students, showing them how to improve their own lives, “and more importantly, keep their lives here in Michigan.”

After his presentation, regent Larry Deitch told Baker they were honored to have him as part of the university community. Deitch asked what they could do better – in what ways is the university not supporting faculty who are brilliant researchers and would-be entrepreneurs?

Baker replied that they often talk about needing money or lab space, but the most important thing is people. Every year, the university brings 6,000 of the most remarkable kids in the country to UM, he said. The university needs to find a way to keep them here. If students graduate and stay in Michigan rather than leave for jobs in Chicago or the coasts, it would transform Michigan’s culture, he contended. Graduates need to know that there’s an opportunity here to make their mark.

Capital Projects: Crisler Arena, Scoreboards, Tunnels

Regents approved several building-related projects at their Jan. 20 meeting, including two items that weren’t on the original agenda: A $52 million second phase of renovations at Crisler Arena, and a $20 million project to add video scoreboards at Crisler, Michigan Stadium and Yost Ice Arena. In introducing the items at the table, UM chief financial officer Tim Slottow cited the tight timetable the projects are under as a reason for being added at the last minute. UM president Mary Sue Coleman added that this wasn’t their preferred method of handling it, but said that in this case, it was necessary.

Tim Slottow, UM's chief financial officer.

Crisler Arena Renovations

Regents unanimously approved a $52 million renovation and expansion of Crisler Arena – the second phase of a major overhaul of that facility, which was built in 1968. The new construction will add about 63,000 square feet for new retail spaces, spectator entrances, ticketing areas and a private club space. About 54,000 square feet will be renovated to improve Americans with Disability Act accessibility, and increase the number of restrooms and concession stands, among other things.

Regents also approved TMP Architecture of Bloomfield Hills, working with Denver-based Sink Combs Dethlefs, to design the project. At their January 2010 meeting, regents had approved a $23 million phase one renovation of infrastructure and replacement of spectator seating at Crisler. A schematic design for that phase was approved in July.

The same architecture firms also designed the new basketball player development center at Crisler, a two-story, $23.2 million addition that will be completed later this year. That project was approved by regents in September 2009.

Video Scoreboards

In a second sports-related agenda item, regents unanimously approved a $20 million project to install video scoreboards at Michigan Stadium, Crisler Arena and Yost Ice Arena. The high-definition scoreboards will be put in place before the start of the 2011-12 season.

In addition, the Michigan Sports Television production studio – which manages operation of the scoreboards – is relocating to Michigan Stadium. The studio is normally housed at Crisler, but will be at its temporary location until renovations at Crisler are completed in 2012-13.

Tunnel Refurbishment

Over the past few years, regents have approved several projects to repair and refurbish the utility tunnels that run underneath campus. An agenda item for a $2.55 million repair of a utility tunnel running under Huron Street received unanimous approval from regents at their Jan. 20 meeting. The project covers a 500-foot stretch of tunnel, with plans to completely replace about 120 feet and repair the rest of it with patches and epoxy injections. Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber – a Grand Rapids engineering and construction firm – will design the project, which is expected to be finished in the winter of 2012.

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman joked that this must mean the tunnel system actually exists – it isn’t a myth. Slottow indicated that a tunnel tour could be arranged for her.

Institute for Social Research

The regents most recently got a report on Institute for Social Research activities at their September 2010 meeting, when director James Jackson gave an overview of ISR’s work. A $23 million expansion of ISR’s building on Thompson Street had been approved by the board in April – they signed off on the project’s schematic design in July.

This month, the regents unanimously approved a $1.5 million project to install a fire suppression system in the oldest part of the building, now known as Wing One. That 82,000-square-foot structure was built in 1965. According to a memo accompanying the request, the fire suppression system will eliminate the need for fire separation barriers between the existing building and the addition.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures

Regents authorized 10 items that required disclosure under the state’s Conflict of Interest statute. The law requires that regents vote on potential conflict-of-interest disclosures related to university staff, faculty or students. Often, the items involve technology licensing agreements or leases.

This month, four disclosures related to leases between the university and start-up companies that are leasing space in UM’s North Campus Research Complex, as part of the Venture Accelerator program: Phrixus Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Civionics LLC; 3D Biomatrix Inc.; and Eng XT Inc.

The remaining disclosures involved deals with the following entities: TechSpek (website development); Cornell Farms (to house sheep for research purposes); ElectroDynamic Applications (to provide development support services for a 100 kW class Nested Hall Thruster); Li, Fischer, Lepech and Associates LLC (technology licensing agreement); Ascentage Pharma Group Corp. Ltd. (research agreement); and Proteostasis Therapeutics Inc. (research agreement).

There was no discussion on these items.

Michigan Student Assembly Report

Chris Armstrong, president of the Michigan Student Assembly, gave his monthly report to regents about MSA activities. Among the MSA’s projects are efforts to develop an open housing policy, improvements in course guides, and support of a petition requesting that UM stop using live animals in its survival flight nurse training.

Armstrong also noted the popularity of MSA’s Airbus service to Detroit Metro airport, reporting that over 2,000 students had used the service on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and even more people used it over the holidays. He said that MSA is working with UM’s parking and transportation office on a car rental service for student service groups. A similar program was previously offered by the university’s Ginsberg Center, but has been discontinued.

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman asked about the rental car service – who has the liability for that? Armstrong said MSA was simply providing the funding. It was his understanding that liability issues caused the Ginsberg Center to drop the service. Sue Scarnecchia, UM’s general counsel, said this was the first she’d heard about the program – though she allowed that others in her office might be handling it. She assumed the program would be insured by the university, but told regents that she’d look into the matter.

Public Commentary

Seven people spoke at the end of the meeting, during the time set aside for public commentary.

Robb Woulfe, executive director of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival.

Robb Woulfe, executive director of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, told regents that the festival is preparing to celebrate its 28th season, and he was there to say thanks for the university’s support. For 21 days each summer, the festival transforms Ann Arbor with its offering of music, films and other entertainment, drawing thousands of people to the city. It wouldn’t be possible without their partners, Woulfe said, particularly the university. He thanked them for supporting this community tradition.

Douglas Smith has spoken at several previous regents meetings, often criticizing the university and UM’s Department of Public Safety for its treatment of Andrei Borisov, who was dismissed as a research assistant professor in the university’s pediatrics department. [Smith also spoke at the Jan. 5, 2011 meeting of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, questioning the use of Tasers by law enforcement officials.] At this month’s regents meeting, Smith began by asking “Where the heck is Kenny Magee?” He noted that DPS has been without leadership since Magee, the department’s executive director, went on paid medical leave in October 2010, and said that complaints filed with the department have been stymied. Smith said that the official reason given for Magee’s departure is medical leave, but he claimed that rumors are rampant that it’s related to sexual harassment allegations.

Ken Magee, director of UM's Department of Public Safety, in a photo take at the Jan. 22, 2009 regents meeting.

Smith told regents that he has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the university for “any records or communications regarding any allegations, suspicions or complaints of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct” by Magee. However, he reported that his FOIA request has been denied, with the university citing attorney-client privilege. He said he was appealing the decision to the regents, asking them to overturn it and grant his request, which he doesn’t believe is covered by attorney-client privilege. He said he also doesn’t believe the university has provided all the documents that would be responsive to his FOIA request.

[By way of background, Magee – who grew up in Ann Arbor, and whose father was a UM professor of neurology – worked in a variety of law enforcement jobs, including with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), before returning to Ann Arbor. He was hired by the university to lead the DPS in November 2008.]

Magee’s attorney, Nick Roumel, said in a phone interview that they are aware of the rumors but that “the rumors aren’t true” and Magee is “absolutely on approved medical leave.” No investigation is being conducted, he said. Roumel acknowledged that Magee helps out at Antelope Antiques, but said he’s not employed there. Nor has he opened a magic shop, Roumel said, though he has leased retail space in the cluster of shops where Antelope is located. In general, UM considers outside employment acceptable if it doesn’t conflict with someone’s job duties at the university, Roumel said – again stressing that at this point, Magee is on medical leave and not working elsewhere.

In a phone interview with The Chronicle, UM spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said that Magee went on medical leave in October, and that there’s no investigation being conducted. Beyond that, he said the university does not comment on personnel issues.

Raymond Mullins introduced himself as an Ypsilanti native, and a graduate of Howard University and the UM law school. He has been president of the Ypsilanti/Willow Run chapter of the NAACP, and is a co-founder of The Loyal Opposition to the Status Quo (LOSQ). The nonprofit group was launched to address disparities between African-Americans and Caucasians, including the academic achievement gap, imprisonment and poverty. When members of LOSQ met with university officials last year seeking support, they were told that because of the state’s anti-affirmative action laws, UM can’t fund efforts to increase the academic proficiency of minority students, he said. In that case, Mullins said he was asking regents and university executives to direct his group toward development entities that could help LOSQ raise money to meet their goals.

Mullins said a major program to address these goals is called the LOSQ Challenge, aimed at helping minority students in grades 6-12 in the areas of visual and performing arts, humanities, sciences, math and business. They’ll be sponsoring a free event on Feb. 26 at the Peace Neighborhood Center in Ann Arbor – the Fourth Annual Celebration of African-American Life in Washtenaw County, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The LOSQ general membership meetings, which are open to the public, are held on the third Saturday of each month at 30 N. Washington St. in Ypsilanti, from 2-4 p.m.

Ellora Gupta came to the regents meeting to ask for their support of the 21st Asia Business Conference at UM’s Ross School of Business. Gupta is co-chair of this event, which will take place on Jan. 28-29 and feature 21 speakers on nine different panel discussions. The conference is only about 55% toward its fundraising goal, she said, and they need help in putting on this event, which she described as something that helps set UM apart from other institutions. Funds are raised by students, she noted, and it’s been difficult in this economy, especially since UM isn’t located in a business hub.

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman asked whether Gupta’s group had talked to UM’s solar car team – that team does a great job in raising money, she noted. Newman encouraged the students to be creative in their fundraising, not just this year, but going forward. “I know you guys can figure this out,” she said.

UM graduate student Joel Batterman urged regents to explore alternatives to expanding their parking system, and to reassess the need for the proposed Fuller Road Station.

Joel Batterman, a graduate student in urban planning who is specializing in transportation issues, spoke to regents about the university’s transportation policies, in light of UM’s phase 2 draft reports for its Integrated Assessment of Campus Sustainability. [.pdf file of Batterman's remarks to regents]

Batterman pointed to findings that he said have significant implications for the university’s transportation policies, specifically as they relate to expanding its parking facililities. He described the university’s perceived parking capacity problem as really a problem of parking allocation. Though parking near the central campus and medical campus is at capacity, for example, many other lots – such as those in the north and south campus areas – are underutilized, with average vacancy rates of 20% and 28%. UM’s purchase of the former Pfizer facility, now called the North Campus Research Complex, has increased parking capacity even more.

Structuring the pricing system for parking to better match demand would prompt more people to use the existing park-and-ride lots and shuttle buses, Batterman said, which would make additional parking in high-demand areas unnecessary. It would also yield operational savings, he noted, and affect future investments. He observed that each parking space at the proposed Fuller Road structure is estimated to cost $44,000 – or the equivalent of undergraduate tuition for four years. Related to that, Batterman said he and others would be meeting with university and city staff to ask them to reassess the proposed $43 million Fuller Road Station, a joint city/UM parking structure, bus depot and possible train station located near UM’s medical campus. He urged regents to support an approach that would cut costs and pioneer innovative transportation solutions.

UM students Joseph Varilone and Akshay Verma both spoke against the use of animals in UM’s survival flight nurse training, strongly objecting to the practice. Varilone noted that in November 2010, the Michigan Student Assembly passed a resolution urging the UM Health System’s Surivival Flight Course to use simulators rather than animals. The administration has been secretive about this issue and its policy is opaque, Varilone said – “we not only expect, we demand better.” Verma noted that animals feel pain and stress, just as humans do. He wondered how UM can claim to be “leaders and best” when they’re using an archaic pedagogical technique. [UMHS issued a statement last year regarding the use of animals in flight training.]

Present: Mary Sue Coleman (ex officio), Larry Deitch, Olivia (Libby) Maynard, Andrea Fischer Newman, Andrew Richner, Kathy White. Denise Ilitch participated in the meeting via conference call.

Absent: Julia Darlow, Martin Taylor.

Next board meeting: Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011 at 3 p.m. at the Fleming Administration Building, 503 Thompson St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]