The board’s ratification of an agreement between AAPS and local members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union retains the 164 workers and their seven supervisors as AAPS employees. In return, custodial and maintenance workers agreed to lower wages, less vacation time, and almost double the cost of health insurance premiums.

Also at this meeting, an initiative to consolidate the busing services of at least five of the ten school districts in Washtenaw County was introduced to the board as a first briefing item. The consolidation plan is still under development, but as currently formulated, it would save the district $2.1 million in transportation costs, and would require only around 60% of the total number of bus drivers and monitors currently employed by participating districts. Bus drivers hired as part of the consolidated service plan would become employees of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD), maintaining their pensions as part of the state retirement system.

Many community members were on hand to support the numerous award recipients honored during the course of the board’s meeting. But the meeting drew no public commentary, and no one spoke at the embedded public hearing on sexual health curricular materials. Large-scale facilities projects, a personal curriculum option, and policy updates were also approved.

A large, roughly three-hour chunk of the meeting was devoted to a detailed presentation of the district’s current achievement data, and a discussion of the “achievement gap” between students of different races. This topic may be addressed by The Chronicle in a separate article, and is thus mentioned only briefly in this meeting report.

Custodial and Maintenance Jobs Remain in AAPS

Dave Comsa, assistant superintendent for human resources and legal services, and Shonta Langford-Green, assistant director of compensation/benefits administration, presented as a special briefing the tentative agreement approved by AFSCME Local 1182, the union which represents the district’s custodial and maintenance workers. According to Comsa, the contract will save the district $1.8 million, which was short of the original target of $2.5 million in the budget reduction plan.

DeAngelo Malcolm, a staff representative from AFSCME Michigan Council 25, was thanked by multiple members of AAPS administration for the hard work and creative ideas he brought to the bargaining table.

Custodians who attended the meeting expressed relief when the vote passed, but after the meeting they described making their decision to vote yes on the agreement as “being between a rock and a hard place … We had no choice.”

The board had been briefed in closed session about the details of the contract negotiations, and Wednesday’s meeting offered only a summary of the agreement. All employees will receive an 8% decrease, with higher-paid employees accepting the loss of an additional $0.46 an hour. The contract requires AAPS and AFSCME to renegotiate wages and benefits for the 2011-12 school year if the district’s non-designated fund balance increases by more than 20% of the total budget, and if the total student count from 2010-11 to 2011-12 increases by 100 or more, not including schools-of-choice students.

The current benefit package for custodial and maintenance workers offers them a PPO family health insurance plan for $560 per year. In July, when the new contract goes into effect, workers will be offered an HMO from Priority Health as a base plan, at a cost of $1,000 year. If they choose, workers can pay more to “buy up” into a health insurance plan from Blue Care Network or Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, which are more similar to what they have now.

Allowable vacation time was reduced from a range of two to five weeks to a range of two to three weeks. As with wages, those workers at the higher end of the wage and benefit scale will experience the highest reductions in vacation time. Twelve days of “paid time off,” which the district says can be used for “personal business or sick time,” will also be offered to all custodial and maintenance workers. That will replace the current system, which offers all workers two personal business days, and a range of 10-12 sick days, based on years of service.

And finally, the new contract refines the parameters by which an employee can be disciplined, adding a section on “unprofessional conduct,” and relaxing somewhat the “progressive discipline” structure by counting absences of five days or longer as a one-day occurrence, if certified by a health care provider. The process the district must follow regarding such discipline was also amended to require giving and documenting verbal warnings.

After the administration’s brief presentation, board president Deb Mexicotte opened the floor to questions or comments from the trustees.

Trustee Susan Baskett asked if there would be compensation for employees who have more vacation days saved than they could use under the new contract, and expressed concern that there would be a rash of month-long vacations being taken over the summer. Comsa confirmed that those days would be paid out whenever the employee ended their tenure with AAPS, so employees would not be required to use up the banked time. Baskett added that she appreciated that “folks would not be unemployed or underemployed,” but acknowledged that “this was a sacrifice for a lot of folks.”

Board secretary Glenn Nelson thanked everyone involved in the negotiations, particularly the employee group involved. Referencing the decrease in per capita income nationally, Nelson argued that sharing the cost is the only way to make this work, and commended the custodians and maintenance workers for their “sense of community.”

AAPS superintendent Todd Roberts thanked his staff for their work on the contract, and also named Malcolm as a useful contributor to the process, saying, “I think it’s in the best interest of the district that this is the way things worked out.” Board treasurer Christine Stead reflected on the embedded wage negotiation re-opener and its possible effects, saying that she hoped the sacrifice being asked of these workers would be “short-lived.”

Board vice president Irene Patalan said, “When this community can come together and do a win-win piece, I’m proud of us.”

Mexicotte also thanked administrators, and asked if there was a motion to ratify the contract. Stead moved it, and Baskett seconded.

Outcome: The tentative agreement between AAPS and AFSCME was approved unanimously by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Stead and Baskett.

Countywide Transportation Consolidation

The effort to consolidate transportation services has been spearheaded by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, and aided by outside consultants from Xavier Leadership Center, and Transportation Strategies. Currently, the Ann Arbor, Lincoln, Whitmore Lake, Willow Run, and Ypsilanti school districts have expressed strong interest in consolidating services. But the April 28 presentation made it clear that Ann Arbor’s central location and large number of bussed students makes its participation essential to the program’s success.

Superintendent Todd Roberts introduced the proposed consolidation, saying it is the most sustainable way to maintain transportation services at a price AAPS can afford, and mentioned the program would bring many efficiencies to the districts that they could not create on their own.

Transportation Consolidation: Plan, Process

Bill Miller, superintendent of the WISD, then came to the podium to begin the presentation. He gave some history, saying that this idea first came up in 2007. On the three different planning teams from AAPS are: Pam Hanson, director of routing; John Nikolich, head of bus maintenance; and Brad Mellor, AAPS director of transportation. Miller described the effort as “really fast track.”

Next up were Len Brzozowski of the Xavier Leadership Center, and Jim Regan of Transportation Strategies, outside consultants hired by WISD for this effort. Brzozowski described how he’d analyzed the privatization bids in order to determine exactly where private companies were saving money – the idea was to help school districts avoid having to privatize transportation. The main cost savings, he determined, was increased efficiency and economies of scale. Brzozowski asked, “Why are there 13 different fuel vendors across the county?” He pointed out that 40% of the miles driven by local school busses were with empty busses. These “deadhead miles” cost the schools $1.4 million per year.

At the podium: William Miller, superintendent of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, with Robert Allen, AAPS deputy superintendent for operations.

Regan described the process of crafting a countywide transportation program as it has unfolded so far. First, the teams met with superintendents from each of the county’s districts, who outlined 30 specifications that the program must meet – such as maximum wait time, maximum ride time, required wage range, and at least 25% savings from current program costs. Then, Regan explained, he and Brzozowski “started packaging ideas, and the teams down-selected.” A consensus quickly grew among districts, Regan said, to consolidate at least special education services, as well as to coordinate common procurement of materials.

Regan suggested case studies have shown that by consolidating services, districts could save in the following ways, with the percentage of savings listed after each item:

• Remote parking leads to fewer “deadhead miles” (4%);
• Reduction of hours and miles driven through the creation of better routes (2%);
• Stratifying wage systems (3%);
• Optimizing special education transportation (4%);
• Lowering hourly wages and worker benefits (5%);
• Using common vendors (1%);
• Having a common fleet and bus specification (1.5%);
• Maintaining common policies and standards (0.5%); and
• Centralizing management (2%).

In total, these savings could reach 23%, Regan said, depending on the number of districts that join the consolidation effort. If all 10 districts joined, projected savings would be $5.9 million, or 25% of the current total cost.

Regan then highlighted some key milestones of the effort thus far, saying the teams have analyzed the options and made recommendations. Common routing software has been chosen, and a decision has been made to move to the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) preventative maintenance standards. Those standards are not as stringent as those currently used by AAPS.

Currently, the headcount for all transportation workers throughout the county totals 573 people – 21 administrators/supervisors, 525 drivers/aides, and 27 mechanics. If only five districts committed to the effort, it would require a staff of 18 administrators/supervisors, 310 drivers/aides, and 13 mechanics. If all 10 districts consolidated, the effort would result in a total staff reduction of 12%, requiring 24 administrators/supervisors, 466 drivers/aides, and 17 mechanics.

Robert Allen, AAPS deputy superintendent of operations, added some local perspective to the presentation by comparing financial savings for AAPS from privatizing transportation services versus participating in the WISD consolidation. As he often does, Allen pointed out that his calculations were conservative, and assumed the participation of only five of the 10 Washtenaw County districts.

Overall, the WISD consolidation would save more money for AAPS than the privatization bids that AAPS had received, Allen said – even with only five districts participating in the consolidation. AAPS currently spends $8.7 million annually on transportation. The best privatization bid (from Durham) came in at $7 million, saving the district $1.7 million. The WISD plan, said Allen, would currently cost just under $6.6 million, saving AAPS an additional $400,000 more than privatization.

Allen acknowledged that a large part of the savings in the WISD plan comes from reducing employee wages and pension costs. Currently AAPS transportation mechanics are paid from $20.36 to $21.30 per hour, and would make the same average pay with WISD. Bus aides’ pay would also be similar – now they make an average of $11.78 per hour, and with WISD, they would make $11.46. The largest wage differential would be for bus drivers on the top end of their pay scale, which is currently from $13.96 to $18.09 per hour. On average, bus drivers under the WISD plan would make $14.70 per hour. Allen pointed out that the elimination of transportation positions in AAPS would save the district $238,806 annually in reduced pension costs.

Allen assessed the consolidation this way: “The big item is always the pension cost … It’s ‘Do I want lower wages and higher health care costs, or save my pension.’” Benefit plans under WISD’s plan are still being determined. Allen pointed out that there is a lot of variation in benefits countywide.

Lastly, Allen reviewed the pros and cons of the transportation options for the board, with his remarks suggesting he was leaning towards the WISD plan. Among the WISD plan’s strengths, he listed: lowest cost; pension retention for employees; cost efficiency gleaned from using economies of scale; AAPS maintaining a voice in management; meeting taxpayer requirements; and being adaptable in future years. Allen also named negative public perception as a risk of privatizing, and expressed confidence that the WISD teams would be able to meet the challenging timeline before them. The teams have done an excellent job so far, he said, and they are confident, but “talk is cheap – you have to make it happen.”

Transportation Consolidation: Board Response, Questions

Trustees Glenn Nelson and Susan Baskett asked Allen to clarify the process and outcome of employees moving from AAPS to WISD. Allen stated the details are not worked out yet, but that employees would fully sever employment with AAPS and have to apply to WISD – “it’s not a transfer.” WISD employees are public employees, so those workers who were hired by WISD would retain their state retirement pension.

Baskett continued that line of questioning. asking the following:  When would AAPS have to give lay-off notices to staff if they chose consolidation? When would employees know if they would be hired by WISD? Would former AAPS employees be eligible for unemployment benefits if they were not hired? When does AAPS need to commit to the WISD plan? And, what would happen with AAPS summer school busing if staff changes had to be made by July?

Miller, of the WISD, said the timeline was uncertain, but confirmed that in order to make the transition in September, everything would need to happen by July. AAPS, he said, would need to be fully on board within the next month. Roberts answered that yes, any laid-off employees not hired by WISD would be eligible for unemployment benefits, and Miller added that there is also some variation in labor contracts among the districts considering consolidation. For example, Miller said, in some districts with multi-unit contracts, bus drivers could move to food service rather than be laid off.

Regan then jumped in to respond to Baskett’s question about summer school, pointing out that the WISD program would not begin until the fall – summer school busing in AAPS would be the same as usual. Brad Mellor, AAPS director of transportation, added that summer school ran about 15 routes last year, employing roughly 30 of the district’s 150 drivers to some extent, though many had only minimal routes.

Baskett and Irene Patalan asked what effect, if any, joining the WISD consolidation would have on routes, walk zones, and start times for the 2010-11 school year. Roberts answered that the routes won’t change much for next year, but that each year, the WISD would look for improved efficiency, and things could change in the future. He also mentioned again that AAPS is currently in discussion with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) to look at contracting for some high school busing. Miller clarified that special education routes will change in the fall.

Patalan asked whether AAPS would retain ownership of its fleet. Miller answered that each district would keep its bus ownership, except for special education busses. To get cost savings, WISD will need to maintain the special ed busses. Allen gave as an example that perhaps AAPS would sell four busses to the WISD, adding that the team will be able to give more definitive numbers by the second briefing.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot asked how many of the 150 AAPS drivers would be needed under a consolidated plan, how they would be chosen, and if they would be unionized.

Allen reiterated that if the plan goes through with five districts, 310 drivers would be needed, compared to the 525 currently employed countywide. He added that they could vote to join a union, but they would have to decide which entity would best represent them. Miller picked up the thread, mentioning that to be hired, drivers would need to pass personality tests as well as prove their technical competency, and asserted, “We would select the 310 best drivers in the county.”

Trustee Deb Mexicotte asked about the plan’s weaknesses, including whether the quality of benefits would decrease, and whether AAPS employees are currently higher paid than other transportation workers across the district. Miller responded that the benefits package will be decided within the next two weeks. Allen added that AAPS employees are not at the top of the pay scale, and that adjustments will be made across the county.

Mexicotte continued two tough lines of questioning about possible negatives of the plan. First, she expressed frustration that AAPS would not be able to set its own maintenance standards, since the WISD plan calls for a relaxation of AAPS standards for preventative maintenance to the slightly lower standards set by the MAPT. “We have excellent maintenance – the top in the nation … [WISD's plan] is not as good as our current one.”

Regan addressed her concern by arguing that doing preventative maintenance every 2,500 miles, which AAPS does, is “way, way up there from a safety standpoint,” similar to having “extra insurance.” To offer a comparison, he pointed out that the MAPT standard was to do preventative maintenance at 3,500 miles, but that one of the privatization bids AAPS had been considering suggested doing it at 8,000 miles. Mexicotte replied that she was not sure why WISD would not want to do the most it could to ensure student safety.

Regan said that the planning group felt moving preventative maintenance from every 2,500 miles to every 3,500 miles would result in cost savings without decreasing safety. He reminded the board that this was not an “outside recommendation” and that AAPS maintenance staff were part of the decision-making team. Regan did add that upping the maintenance standard could be priced out, should the board decide to make AAPS’ participation contingent on it.

Mexicotte’s next concern was about the added time that consolidation could bring to special education routes. She noted that already there were some pick-ups at 6:30 a.m. for a program beginning at 8:30 a.m. She cautioned that in the past it has seemed to be more important to get general education busses to arrive on time, but not necessarily for special education busses to do so. Mexicotte said she was picturing additional stops adding time, not reducing time, and asked the presenters to speak to her concerns.

Regan answered that the target time for special education routes was no longer than 75 minutes. He gave an example of busses bringing in special education students from Chelsea – they could stop and pick up Ann Arbor special education students since they are driving right through Ann Arbor on the way to the same program.

Mexicotte asked what would happen if AAPS did deed the busses over the WISD, but then decided later that it wanted to move in a different direction – “Would it be reversible?” Similarly, Nelson asked what the terms would be in an investment such as this.

Miller noted that any sale price of busses back to AAPS from WISD would be determined by mutual agreement based on amortization. Allen added that it would likely take at least two years to get the program fully running, and four to five years to have time to do an ample analysis. There will also be “out clauses,” he said, such as how to get busses back, in case the district chooses to leave the initiative early.

Lightfoot asked what the AAPS’ role would be in overall maintenance of the WISD fleet. Allen responded that AAPS mechanics will be kept, as other mechanics in the district “are not at the same level.” Overall, he said, the WISD teams will determine which facilities will be kept across the district. For example, Allen offered, Lincoln does welding and metal repair well, so they might do all of that work for the whole group of consolidated districts.

Lightfoot followed up by asking whether or not maintaining the AAPS maintenance facility could be used to create additional revenue opportunities for the district. Allen agreed that it could be part of the plan to have districts outside of the consolidation use AAPS facilities. However, the focus now, he said, is “getting the core program in place.”

Allen noted that the board asked some good questions at the meeting, and reiterated that one of the strengths of the WISD program would be that AAPS would have a voice in its management.

Despite her pointed questions, Mexicotte asserted, “I’m very pleased with what I’ve heard so far.” Patalan agreed, saying she “really like[d] that superintendents were asked to come up with the specifications – they know us.” She also expressed approval of the “retained retirement, … the savings, … [and] the ecological part of this – using fuel and routes more efficiently.”

Elementary Sexual Health Education Materials

Jenni Lane, a parent on the district’s sexual health education advisory committee (SHEAC), came before the board and offered to answer any questions or field comments from trustees on the sexual health and education materials being recommended. The material had been presented at first briefing at the board’s April 21, 2010 meeting.

Lane reviewed with the board that the materials are for kindergarten through fifth grade, and include videos, lesson plans, and HIV units from the Michigan Model for Comprehensive School Health Education. In addition, Lane mentioned that a “body safety” unit on sexual abuse prevention from the Washtenaw Area Council for Children would be taught in elementary grades.

The only comments came from Simone Lightfoot and Deb Mexicotte, who questioned and problem-solved around the issue of the videos being outdated, which had been discussed during the first briefing as well.

Lightfoot asked if any community members had submitted updated videos for consideration since the invitation had gone out to the community to send suggestions in to the Balas administration building. Lane answered that no one had, and added that the SHEAC had followed up the meeting by casting an even wider net to find updated materials – to no avail.

Noting that the committee had contacted multiple community resource centers, including the Washtenaw Area Council for Children, and sexual abuse centers, Lane expressed surprise at the lack of updated resources: “Everyone [in these videos] has the same outdated style of clothing, the same haircuts … We would like to see more updated materials … [The videos] lose credibility a little bit if students think the message isn’t the same.”

Mexicotte suggested developing updated materials could be a guided project for high school students, considering the multimedia abilities of the district’s youth and available teacher grants. Lane called the suggestion a “logical fit,” and thanked Mexicotte for the idea.

Board staff secretary Amy Osinski opened the floor for the second public hearing on the proposed materials, but no one spoke. Mexicotte then thanked the SHEAC for their work, and said the board looked forward to hearing from them again in the future.

Outcome: The adoption of the sexual health and education materials was moved to the consent agenda and was approved along with the other items on that agenda.

Consent Agenda

The lengthy update and discussion on student achievement, the presentation and discussion on the custodial and maintenance contract, and the first briefing of the transportation consolidation plan pushed consideration of the consent agenda until after midnight.

Instead of reviewing each second briefing item individually, each of which was listed on the consent agenda for approval at this meeting, board president Deb Mexicotte simply asked if the trustees had any comments of questions on any second briefing items. These items were each described in more depth by The Chronicle at their first briefing on April 14. Those items included: the personal curriculum and associated update of Policy 5050; the Pioneer High School summer construction projects; a roofing supplier recommendation; a DTE easement; and a set of policy updates brought by the performance committee.

Seeing no comments or questions, Mexicotte confirmed that the board was comfortable with the removal of item 10-005, the bid to outsource custodial and maintenance services, which had been stricken from the agenda after eleventh-hour negotiations had resulted in a tentative labor agreement.

After the board secretary corrected the consent agenda to include the approval of the recommendations of the Sexual Health Education Advisory Committee, Christine Stead moved to approve it, and Irene Patalan seconded. The only comment was from Patalan, who pointed out Paul Roller of Granger Construction sitting in the back of the room, and noted that he had cheerfully “sat through five hours of this board meeting in case we had questions on our summer construction.” With no further comments, and no questions for Roller, the consent agenda moved to a vote.

Outcome: The consent agenda, including the above-mentioned items along with meeting minutes and gift offers, was unanimously approved by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Stead and Baskett.

Grant Awards Presented at First Briefing

The only first briefing item other than the transportation consolidation working plan was a description of the spring 2009-10 grant awards, totaling $18.8 million. Linda Doernte, director of purchasing & business support services/grants, briefly presented her recommendation for board approval of the grants, and highlighted the three grants that were new:

• $5,000 from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers to Community High School in support of the Options Magnet program;
• $2,000 from the Japan Business Society of Detroit Foundation to Clague Middle School to fund academic support/tutoring for ESL students at lunchtime, and in-class support to the ESL teacher; and,
• $1,499 from the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning to fund digital cameras, printers, and toner for elementary schools.

Doernte also mentioned that over $14 million of federal grant funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that had been held up in the approval process had now arrived in the district.

Restatement of 401a Retirement Plan

The very last business of the meeting was a board action item brought to the board by AAPS director of finance, Nancy Hoover. She explained that in order to comply with new Internal Revenue Service laws, the district needed to change the wording in one of the retirement plans it sponsors. Hoover added that the wording changes were very minor, and have “no effect on the plan or member balances.”

The board had no discussion, and the item moved to a vote.

Outcome: The restatement was unanimously approved by trustees Nelson, Mexicotte, Lightfoot, Patalan, Stead and Baskett.

Association Reports

The board invites the Youth Senate, the Black Parents Student Support Group (BPSSG), the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee on Special Education (AAPAC), the Parent-Teacher-Organization Council (PTOC), the Ann Arbor Administrators Association (AAAA), and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA) to offer regular reports at its meetings. All associations except for the BPSSG sent representatives to this meeting.

Youth Senate Report

Nikila Lakshmanan reported for the Youth Senate for the first time at this board meeting. She mentioned an ongoing data evaluation being spearheaded by students in order to best utilize Achievement Solutions Teams to reduce class failure rates at the high school level. Lakshmanan also mentioned students’ ongoing concerns about the AAPS budget, particularly as they are currently working on choosing programs and classes for next year, and are unsure what will be available.

As an example, Lakshmanan mentioned the possible lack of bus service between Community High and the three comprehensive high schools. She argued, “the withdrawal of the privilege [of split enrollment] will be a great blow to students across the district who have been willing to venture out of their comfort zones.”

Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee Report

Mary Dooley spoke on behalf of the AAPAC. The AAPAC, she said, is very pleased about the move to using positive behavior support (PBS) in AAPS schools. She described PBS in some detail, mentioning that it is a proactive, positive, skill-building approach to kids managing their own behavior that is research-based, and supports pro-social behavior. Dooley said that AAPAC is looking forward to being part of a district-wide committee coordinating the implementation of PBS.

Dooley also described and expressed excitement about the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES), a program being implemented now at the three comprehensive high schools as well as some middle schools that teaches students work skills, proper work behavior, and money management. PAES offers vocational career development, which she pointed out is particularly of interest to parents of children with different abilities, as one of the central concerns of these parents is preparing children for “life after school.”

PTO Council Report

Rebecca Wan, the corresponding secretary of the PTOC, gave its report, sharing the annual milestones and future goals of the group. She mentioned that the PTOC is dedicated to the mission of excellence in AAPS schools, and is focused on maintaining communication with the board, with AAPS administration, and among schools. To that end, it is striving for 100% participation from AAPS schools next school year on the PTOC. This year, 89% of AAPS schools are represented, which is up from 49% just two years ago.

Wan also noted that the PTOC itself will have three vacant seats on its executive board, and that elections were coming up in May.

Lastly, Wan reported on the work on the PTOC advocacy committee, which is working to secure stable school funding, beginning with educating parents and meeting with elected representatives.

Ann Arbor Administrators Association Report

Joan Fitzgibbon, principal at Allen Elementary School, deferred her AAAA report since she would be speaking during the Achievement Update presentation. [The Achievement Update is not included in this meeting report, but may eventually be wrapped into future Chronicle coverage.]

Ann Arbor Education Association Report

Brit Satchwell reported that the teachers’ union is making progress at the bargaining table with the district, and asserted that they would end up with a “win-win” situation. He applauded the administration for offering some very creative ideas that “got us unstuck.”

Satchwell also appealed to the community to support the new campaign of the AAPS Educational Foundation, “One Million Reasons.” Saying “it’s not too late to vote with your wallet,” he asked those who had supported last year’s failed millage to “pay what you would have paid in taxes if the millage had passed.”

Lastly, to those who may have been nay-saying the contract negotiations, Satchwell quipped, “If you’re out there being very loud with your cynicism, you might want to quiet down or you may need to issue a retraction … Have faith. Hold your fire … We’re going to do everything we can to get these people back.”

Board Committee Reports

The board has two standing committees – performance and planning – through which many items on the board’s agenda get a first look. Each board member except for the president is assigned to one or the other – Baskett and Nelson sit on the performance committee, and Patalan, Stead, and Lightfoot sit on the planning committee. All performance and planning committee meetings are open to the public.

Performance Committee Activities

Baskett reported that it has been interesting to get students’ perspectives on the budget cuts and achievement numbers. She also mentioned that a student had suggested to the performance committee that teachers’ salaries should be posted online by name.

Planning Committee Activities

Board vice president Irene Patalan reported that the planning committee had not met since the last regular board meeting, but would meet on Friday, May 7 to review summer bids.

Awards and Accolades

The board devotes time at each meeting to reflect on positive accomplishments in the district, and honor those people who go above and beyond their calls of duty.

Celebration of Excellence

Courtney Crowley, a special education teacher at Clague Middle School, was honored for her compassion and empathy in her work with autistic students. She was nominated by Gundy Sweet, a parent of one of the students she has assisted. Crowley responded by saying, “It feels good to get recognized for doing something that I love and that I feel like I was meant to do.” She thanked Sweet for nominating her, and noticing that she was able to see the world through the eyes of her students.

Volunteer Appreciation

As part of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, Norma McCuiston, AAPS community partnerships and projects coordinator, recognized and thanked the many volunteers who enrich the learning of countless students throughout the district. She enumerated many partnerships with area businesses, hospitals, and other academic institutions, and said AAPS is “lucky to have local businesses that support education.”

McCuiston mentioned that the 250 regular weekly volunteers in the district aid in many varied tasks. They many offer language translation, academic support, or simply an extra set of hands. McCuiston calculated the in-kind contribution of the district’s volunteers to be $116,000 annually, if volunteers were paid $10 an hour.

Two of the volunteers who work with McCuiston spoke on her behalf at the meeting, one saying, “I didn’t come here for the recognition. I came here to support Norma,” and the other agreeing cheerfully that, “Norma is hard to say no to!”

Nelson and Mexicotte expressed appreciation for the volunteers, calling their work evidence of a “community effort” to educate kids, and thanking them for bringing their professional expertise into the classroom.

State Champions

Lorin Cartwright, athletic director of Pioneer High School, and Dottie Davis, athletic director of Huron High School, were both on hand to congratulate publicly teams from their schools that won state championships this year – the Pioneer synchronized swimming team, and the Huron figure skating team. Cartwright pointed out that for years Ann Arbor’s synchronized swimming team was second only to Monroe’s team, and joked, “So if you can’t beat ‘em … ,” and introduced the team’s coaches, both recruited from Monroe.

Both Cartwright and Davis pointed out the high GPAs of the athletes being honored that evening, Davis saying, “We have zero eligibility problems!” Davis also exclaimed, “Ann Arbor rules!” and pointed out that Huron came in second in the state synchronized swimming championship won by Pioneer, and Pioneer came in second in the state figure skating championship won by Huron.

Superintendent’s Report

Todd Roberts thanked the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation‘s Youth Council for its support of AAPS, and for modeling to students the importance of giving back to one’s community.

He also mentioned numerous awards and honors earned by individual AAPS students and teachers, as well as by whole schools and programs. For more detail on these successes, check out “This Week,” a column Roberts writes each week which is accessible on the district’s website.

Mexicotte closed the meeting by inviting the public to attend the next board candidate interview. [It was held on Thursday, May 6 at the Balas administration main conference room.] She also mentioned that the board would select its newest trustee (to replace Randy Friedman, who resigned in April) at the next regular meeting. The meeting was then adjourned.

Present: President Deb Mexicotte, vice president Irene Patalan, secretary Glenn Nelson, trustee Susan Baskett, trustee Simone Lightfoot, and trustee Christine Stead. Also present (at 7:15 p.m.) as a non-voting member was Dr. Todd Roberts, superintendent of AAPS.

Next Regular Meeting: May 12, 2010, 7 p.m., at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 4th floor board room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]