Comments on: In It For The Money: Our Schools

By: Barbara Carr

Barbara Carr — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 19:04:00 +0000

Thank you for this joyful column and all the interesting, sometimes challenging, articles you have shared with us. You and the Ann Arbor Chronicle will be missed.

By: Char Hanchak

Char Hanchak — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 15:28:56 +0000

Dave those kids that say they did nothing in school grow up to be fantastically creative and productive adults with very fulfilling lives!

By: Alan Benard

Alan Benard — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 05:11:45 +0000

Dave Nelson has been a friend for nearly as long as we have lived in Ann Arbor. He was a teacher then and, through his columns, he continued that compulsion to help others understand and grow. I have been excited by his work as a columnist. He started out good at it and ended up great at it.

The Ann Arbor Public Schools is the reason we still live in this frustratingly short-sighted and incompetently run state of Michigan. Any sane person would sought a better deal after a 10-year, one state depression climaxed with the collapse of his employment and our major industry. We are still here because of the schools, and damn near nothing else except our good friends, like Dave and his family.

By: Lyn Powrie Davidge

Lyn Powrie Davidge — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 21:44:07 +0000

Thank you, David, for this wonderful glimpse into public education, Ann Arbor style, and the reminder of the excellence of all Ann Arbor Public Schools. A special shout-out to Mr. K and all the other teachers doing a marvelous job under increasingly difficult circumstances.

Mr. Bryant was indeed a fine mentor and role model for the hundreds of kids with whom he came in contact. I remember how pleased my father, Emerson Powrie, was when he learned of this particular naming decision, and the fact that Mr. Bryant could enjoy the honor during his lifetime.

Like Liz (@5), I’m a proud AAPS graduate (Mack, Slauson, Ann Arbor High), former AAPS media specialist (albeit briefly), daughter of two late AAPS employees (a principal/administrator and a teacher) and wife of a retired Pioneer teacher. I can’t thank you enough for this article, and for its impeccable timing. I’ll be looking in on your website but missing everyone who hangs out here.

Mary and Dave, what a great run. It’s all been said, so I’ll just add my own Thank You!

By: Ruth Kraut

Ruth Kraut — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 16:56:48 +0000

One thing that is nice about this column is that you put a name on something that is often not noticed in the high-level systems views of “grading” schools with “colors” and test scores.

Surveys show that most people who keep their kids in a school are pretty satisfied with it–and here you give some depth as to why that is.

I really appreciate this as a “weekend before school starts” posting. I hope every kid, parent, and teacher has a good year.

I also appreciate the school history that you give here.

If you’re interested in local schools, I invite you to follow along at a2schoolsmuse.blogspot.com.

That will not make up for the loss of the Ann Arbor Chronicle. Mary and Dave, fare thee well!

By: liberalnimby

liberalnimby — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 16:43:36 +0000

Thank you for your service to our community, David, and to the Chronicle for being a foolish enabler. (I also appreciate the Freudian typo in the final column!)

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 01:35:58 +0000

(Um, columns.)

By: Liz Margolis

Liz Margolis — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 01:35:47 +0000

Wow, just wow! I needed this to begin the school year tomorrow! I am a proud AAPS employee, AAPS parent and AAPS graduate as well as the daughter of two AAPS retirees (one a principal and one a teacher, once teaching at Bryant!! My three boys all went through Bryant/ Pattengill, Tappan and Pioneer/Community. When we moved to the Bryant/ Pattengill neighborhood I was told by some of my neighbors that I would want to send our son to another school. “You don’t want him in that school,” they would say to me. Of course we wanted him in “that” school and every other AAPS school all three attended! Our youngest is a junior this year and reading this brought back so many memories. We loved Bryant and Pattengill – true gems in our district!
Thanks David Erik for this excellent article (we also have those 2nd grade published books that we treasure!).
Thanks Mary and Dave for the years of wonderful coverage of AAPS and the all around exceptional journalism that the Ann Arbor Chronicle provide to this community! You will be missed!

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 01:35:37 +0000

God damn it, you actually made me cry with this. I will miss your colmns.

By: Kathie Weinmann

Kathie Weinmann — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 17:50:28 +0000

When I saw the title, I thought “That S.O.B., sounding like another privatizer of public schools here in his last column on this last day of summer vacation”. but I I read on, bc I read most everything about Ann Arbor Schools. And you are right, so so right, and your child (and his classmates @ Bryant / Pattengill) are so so fortunate to be here in this Ann Arbor community with Ann Arbor Public Schools.
I proudly admit it, I’m a retired teacher. And you’ve proudly admitted it, you’re an Ann Arbor schools parent. Big Handshake to you, and I’ll visit your page sometime.