Comments on: Ann Arbor Schools Seek Input on Budget

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:29:56 +0000

Re: [3] Link now fixed; thanks for the heads-up.

By: Rici

Rici — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:25:39 +0000

The “[.pdf file of survey]” link is not working.

Thank you for the thorough coverage of this forum. Is anybody else curious to know whether sparks flew at the table shared by Steve Norton and Kathy Griswold?

By: Steven Norton

Steven Norton — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:39:08 +0000

I was actually pleasantly surprised at how the process worked. In the small groups, we got to talk about things we might not have wanted to say in front of a big group, and clearly different groups brought up many different ideas and concerns.

I was also pleased that the facilitators (district officials) seemed to be well briefed on the budget details and were really interested in hearing what we had to say. I’ve been frustrated in the past with AAPS public forums on the budget which were really one-way communication. This process represents a huge step forward. I hope it will become a model for the kind of communication they will foster even when there is less of a crisis.

By: Bob Martel

Bob Martel — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:43:51 +0000

Whatever the outcome, you have to give the AA School System credit for putting the information out there and involving the community.