This was a consequence of each member of my family spending their entire work/school day in public schools. Retain power at all costs. This, in the same school district, is unacceptable. Education. Students need to see these aspects of themselves celebrated and reflected in curriculum materials and in classroom and extracurricular activities. I also have a goal of advocating for an updated curriculum that includes Social Emotional Learning as well as Restorative Justice . It is the perfect place to build community, compassion and empathy for ourselves and each other. One area to look at is the way we implement Schools of Choice. Successful organizations have good sustainable leadership with consistent goals. see prior response: We need a flexible intensive tutoring system free of charge for low achieving students. What are the greatest challenges that will face the Board of Education in the coming year? Preparing AAPS students for a modern global workforce by engaging stakeholders to craft, high-quality, student-centered systems for AAPS. Please do not place tax payments into the green Clerk's Office mailbox located directly outside the front entrance. He is concerned about AAPS decisions and policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an over-reliance on Zoom-school instead of in-person classes creating what he said are substantial learning deficits in reading, math and social learning. Social and political messages have no place in our classrooms. Candidates in this contest and votes received: Catherine McClary (72.6%), Paulette Metoyer (27.4%), Rejected write-ins (0.1%), Unassigned write-ins (0.0%), Undervotes (6.6%), Overvotes (0.0%), Invalid Votes (0.0%), Total Votes Cast (0.0%), and Total Ballots Cast (0.0%). Would encourage investments that will introduce AAPS children to a variety of post-high school options.Ensure AAPS adheres to evidence-based improvement to curriculum, systems, and services. 5. The district needs to find ways to be more competitive, to retain the amazing teachers we have, and keep them from burning out or going elsewhere. I believe there are some local viable long-term solutions. She previously served on the East Lansing School Board and other governing boards, which she said helped her develop collaborative skills to be able to understand complex issues, and diverse viewpoints to get things done. She also has done educational policy work in the Michigan House of Representatives. An efficient and effective way to deliver individualized learning is via digital technology. We have parents fighting this, insisting on a gifted and talented program instead. Aug. 10, 1982: Defeats Gerald Faye in the Democratic primary for District 9 on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, representing Ann Arbor. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. An unwillingness to set down the ego in order to actively listen and to find out of the box solutions to real ongoing problems. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Through my service on the AAPS board I want to continue to advocate for students, families and those that educate our children. Metoyer is a physician with 20 years of formal classroom education. We must do all we can so children reach their full potential so they can attain their academic and personal goals. I want schools to stop grooming kids to become dependable Democratic voters by age 18. Also, Governor Whitmers recently approved budget will give Michigan districts $9,000 per pupil, which is the highest amount in state history. This is one major reason I want to give back to the public schools and serve our community, especially those that are struggling.Community centered schools can provide the support and guidance for people of color, underrepresented and marginalized religious groups. As a board member I pushed to disarm the SROs in the Monroe County schools, and when the Indiana state legislature passed a bill allowing school districts to join social justice education with curricula, I very quickly wrote and passed our districts resolution to do so. The current plan is unsustainable. Start Date: End Date: Type: Title: Contributor: NEWS: Date: Category: Headline: Article: Contributor I believe we have some solutions in our community for the childcare and labor issues. How can one of the best school systems in the State of Michigan, have such a shockingly high percentage of students non-proficient in math and reading? The overview and 2022-2023 goals can be found here. -Are the materials or training being purchased evidence-based and grounded in peer-reviewed research? My family struggled and we have lived through tough financial, social and emotional struggles, including racism and poverty. Before making cuts to the budget, we focus on generating revenue instead of making cuts, i.e. I will work with administrators and principle to increase access to our schools to civic organizations, leaders in business, education, labor, and parents to ensure high quality offerings to AAPSs students. I love the city of Ann Arbor, and want to give back. Re-establishing relationships with other key stakeholders in the community. The district needs to find ways to retain the amazing teachers we have, and keep them from burning out or going elsewhere. What are your priorities in balancing the budget? Schumer worked in public schools for 23 years as a clinical social worker, working with children with emotional and behavioral problems, as well as students with educational disabilities. Meet the candidates running for the Dexter School Board in November, Ann Arbor Democrat faces Ypsilanti-area Republican in Michigan Senate race, Saline has 5 choices for 3 City Council seats. One important challenge right in front of us is keeping our district staffed to serve our community to the level of excellence we all expect. More information about me and my platform can be found here: www.jeremylapham.info. I would pursue a revenue strategy focused on providing student-centered funding, with specific emphases on improving outcomes for students experiencing poverty, geographic isolation, English language learners, special education, and career and technical education. We live in Anns Arbor. The savings in energy bills along will result in millions in the operations budget. Gets 3,731 votes (76.56%) compared to 1,141 votes (23.41%) for Van Havermaat. I know the board will face a lot of push-back reversing course on its abandonment of covid safety from those whod rather sacrifice the safety of others for their own comfort, but its the only right choice. (Photo from The Ann Arbor Chronicle.). We have an opportunity to used the $1Bn AAPS infrastructure bond to invest to invest in: improving building efficiency using LEED green standards; renewable energy sources like solar and geothermal; and to transition the transportation fleet to electric. The Board of Education must sustain a political will to allocate the necessary resources so that each child may learn in the best proven way. DATE? Check out the leagues voter guide at Vote411.org/ballot to find information about candidates and issues on the ballot. Giving each child access to a free high quality public education is a human endeavor. For example, in order to know what is needed, each student must be fairly assessed. We focus on what is best for the students so that teaching and learning is fully supported. Note: Supreme Court elections are nonpartisan and candidates party affiliation will not appear on the ballot, though they are nominated by political parties to run. The pandemic did not bring out the best in people or organizations. Board chair Meri Lou Murray removes Harrison as parliamentarian and replaces him with Robert Guenzel, who served as the county's corporation counsel at the time. The first four goals are: 1) to hear from our community 2) Enhance our work on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility 3) Continue to enhance academic, social, emotional and mental health. Further progress for our district on reducing the number of days our students miss school for any reason. ANN ARBOR, MI In addition to helping decide the nations president for the next four years, Washtenaw County voters will decide dozens of contested races for local, state and federal offices in the Nov. 3 election. I am passionate about addressing the issues facing our city and public schools, especially surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism (DEIA), transparency, community engagement and curriculum assessment. Allowing uncontrolled spread will take us right back to classrooms without teachers, or school days and buses canceled from staff illness. If we are serious about improving academic achievement, we must broaden our scope to include the ways we are inadvertently damaging student capacity for achievement through our inaction on social issues like racism, queerphobia and ableism. Per the AAPS Covid dashboard, Aug and Sept of 21/22 (with masking) reported 56 Covid cases; in only the first 3 weeks of 22/23 (no masking) there are already 516. Second, I want to help the Ann Arbor Schools move towards an open school system. Terms of Use | Setting this foundation starts with clarifying current goals already in progress and what a school board trustee can and cannot do per state law and work that has already been done. Paulette Metoyer's activity stream. My biggest priority will be to rearrange funding to reinstate universal school meals. Public education should stick within budgetary limits. It takes highly qualified staff to motivate, nurture, and educate each child so they can thrive and reach their potential academically, socially and emotionally. I will advocate for implementing high-quality research from orgs like: Lauch Michigan, The Skillman foundation, and National Center for Educational ExcellenceLet educators educate. Students thrive when they are safe, healthy, free from harassment and can see themselves reflected in the curriculum. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In my personal anti-racism work, Ive learned that the best way to fight this racism is to get involved at the local policy level. While there has been a lot of great work on behalf of students, families, teachers, educators and communities across Michigan there is still much that remains to be done, and I am up for the challenge! If it was not for the public schools, especially the teachers, I would not be where I am today. Polls will be open from 7. And we need to trust our teachers to do their jobs, while giving them the autonomy to deliver an outstanding education in the way that they know best. She was one of the founders of Ann Arbor Reasonable Return - a grassroots advocacy group that describes itself as dedicated to an evidence-based approach to pandemic school reopening.. Van Havermaat to win re-election to another two-year term on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, representing District 9 in Ann Arbor. MLive has partnered with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide information to voters. With board members Rebecca Lazarus, Jessica Kelly and Bryan Johnson opting not to run again, trustee Susan Baskett is the only incumbent with an expiring term to file for re-election for another four-year term. As the pandemic recedes, we still see students who still have needs related to crises that were exacerbated during the worst of the COVID outbreak. Facebook gives people the power to share and. 1/5 (2) 250 E Michigan Ave Saline MI, 48176 Show map . Equity, equity, equity. (1) Decreasing Teacher Morale Our teachers and staff arent getting the support they need to ensure that every student is thriving. Tax Payment Options 4. Cortina is an educational researcher, immigrant and father of two AAPS children. For the 2020 election in Michigan, the primary is Aug. 4 and the general election is Nov. 3.Milt Klingensmith | MLive.com. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). These two goals will provide immediate improvements for both quality of education, and quality of life for our school community. Why should we continue to benefit from our white privilege, while so many brown and black children who live just outside our school district, remain trapped in failing schools? To do this, we need to be wise with funding. If elected, my process for building consensus on the Board will include evidence-based justification for why to tackle an issue and how the issue can best be solved or improved. I would also engage the educators, parents, the business community students, and everyone with a stake in public education to collectively determine a plan for funding and implementing the strategies from the Launch Michigan Framework (www.launchmichigan.org; the National Center of Educational Excellence and the Economy (www.ncee.org); Detroit Disability Power (https://www.detroitdisabilitypower.org); Center for Disability Justice (www.disabilityjustice.org) and the Therapist Neurodiversity Collaborative (www.therapistndc.org).Detailed policy proposals including how to develop Effective Teachers, Principles, and Administrators are available at: www.jeremylapham.info. McClary gets 91,178 votes (86.5%) compared to 14,235 votes (13.5%) for Cashman. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Re-electing me will provide for proven leadership and institutional knowledge providing stability and continuity. Catherine McClary walking in the Ann Arbor July 4, 2012 parade. I want schools to stop teaching critical race theory, and start teaching kids how to critically think. As a researcher, clinician and educator, I have strong critical thinking and analytical skills that can help assess opportunity gaps in education and factors associated with these gaps. Based on the data, I plan to implement interventions and initiatives that can address these gaps and provide increased resources and support, such as dedicated time for teachers for development/training and extra tutoring for struggling students. While in high school, she volunteered to tutor elementary school children who were behind in their classwork. As the school board is changing so is the leadership at the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor City Council. Candidates for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education include: (top row, left to right) Barry Schumer, Jacinda Townsend Gides, Alex Wood, Paulette Metoyer, Jamila James, Leslie Wilkins and Andrew Spencer; (bottom row, left to right) Jeremy Lapham, Rima Mohammad, Kai Cortina, Susan Baskett, Lena Kauffman and Susan Ward Schmidt.Photos provided. And they need a more structured way to communicate their needs to the board. To be clear, this doesnt mean Im trying to speak on behalf of BIPOC families; I plan to intentionally listen to their voices, and bring their issues, opinions, and suggestions to the board. Find creative ways to make PTO and PTO-like funding more equitable across our district. We are also trying to increase student achievement, to bring it back to pre-pandemic levels. I plan to analyze and address opportunity gaps in education to ensure consistency throughout the district. Even before the pandemic, they were being asked to do more and more work, while not getting the step increases they were promised. 1. The first four goals are: 1) to hear from our community 2) Enhance our work on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility 3) Continue to enhance academic, social, emotional and mental health supports and 4) Remain committed to providing and expanding before and after-school care. School boards cant and shouldnt micromanage education, but they should set clear priorities and demand year-over-year improvement in outcomes. Think about these terms: puberty blockers, gender fluidity, minor attracted persons, institutional racism, equity (equal outcomes), equality (equal opportunities), diversity, redistribution of wealth, marginalized, and misinformation. Lets ensure teachers love being at AAPS and want to stay. The expected price of renting a two bedrooms in the 48105 zip code is $1,480/month. Its heartbreaking to see how many people do not feel any obligation to keep our children safe and thriving. She is a graduate of Bach Elementary, Slauson Middle School and Pioneer High School, while earning a bachelors degree in sociology from the University of Michigan and an MBA in marketing from Duke University. School Boards cannot solve issues related to poverty, non-supportive parents or student motivation to achieve. That would have included me as a child as I was an English language learner and had a single mom who worded outside the home. I know if we elect enough people brave enough to make the hard right choice, we can make a real difference this year. As a child of refugees whose family struggled, Mohammad said she has been dedicated to addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, including opportunity gaps and curriculum assessments. I am surprised at how many people are eager to fight against keeping children safe, learning actual history, or reading diverse books because they personally find the safety plan or lessons uncomfortable. The public schools, under no circumstances should feel that they have the right to interfere with anothers respiratory function by mandating the use of unhygienic masks that forces the wearer to violate OSHA clean air standards, and place others at risk of becoming ill. A students ability to learn is determined by a number of factors outside of the classroom (e.g., hunger, homelessness, poverty, violence, mental health, and unsafe environmental conditions); therefore we need a comprehensive approach to ensure that students have access to high-quality health care, financial support, and out-of school opportunities that support their success. Our staff needs to be compensated justly, as they provide the social emotional and mental health support that our babies need. Stalin! Keeping our public schools in person will require continued investment in smart approaches to public health and addressing staffing shortages by truly listening to our AAPS employees about what they need. For example, students at Pathways get the old Chromebooks while students at Skyline get newer ones. Paulette Metoyer commented on Contact 2020-06-22 11:50:16 -0700. . The Board of Education will need to prioritize recruitment and retention of high quality educators and continue their work to create a professional learning environment where these educators can grow and develop. Too many schools and teachers have supported the use of a new language with the goal of weakening boundaries, and weakening parents influence over their children. I am passionate about addressing the issues facing our city and public schools, especially surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism, transparency, community engagement and curriculum assessment. $25,000 in Housing Assistance Available Additional Info. Treasurer/Washtenaw County Paulette Metoyer Clerk & Register of Deeds Gary Greiner Washtenaw County Commissioner/1st District Rod Anderson Washtenaw County Commissioner/2nd District Scott Inman Washtenaw County Commissioner/3rd District Ken Seiler Washtenaw . Her current four-year term runs through 2016. We must lower the non-proficiency levels in math (50%) and reading (30%). McClary gets 5,335 votes (53.01%) compared to 4,729 votes (46.99%) for Byrnes. renting district land for UM parking and cell towers We also practice good stewardship by constantly reviewing how we may utilize the funds as we use them in alignment with our communitys values. Academics should be no different. McClary had run unopposed in the Aug. 5, 1986 Democratic primary. In AAPS, we have a district where one elementary school has a 61% free and reduced lunch population, while another has an 11% frl population. As a psychotherapist, he said he is very aware of the mental health challenges of children today, post-COVID.. She was 22 years old at the time. She has been a communications professional in health care for nearly two decades. Ann Arbor Public Schools also has room to grow and progress to an improved and new level of education. Short and long term health consequences, and the financial stress of taking time off work to care for a sick child are disproportionately affecting BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled communities and working class families. Some of these will be both critical and urgent in terms of needing to be solved. DATE? She has spent time volunteering on school PTO boards, serving as vice president of the Scarlett Middle School PTO board for three years.