Retain power at all costs. We must lower the non-proficiency levels in math (50%) and reading (30%). Public schools have overstepped their bounds. McClary was elected as Washtenaw County commissioner in 1974, serving one of the districts in Ann Arbor. Nov. 7, 2000: Wins re-election for a second four-year term as Washtenaw County treasurer, defeating Republican Kimberly Cashman. 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. Baskett is the longest serving AAPS trustee, joining the board in 2003. Paulette Metoyer ran for election for an at-large seat of the Ann Arbor Board of Education in Michigan. The process of transitioning AAPS to a green infrastructure will also afford students opportunities to learn and experience green technologies. The best way to keep our budget balanced going forward is to get back to a growth-based mindset where we once again become a district families want their children enrolled in and teachers want to work at. Stop confusing our kids. School segregation. Spencer attended public school, was raised by two public school teachers and is a parent of public school students. The general fund, the majority of which covers teacher salaries, has limited flexibility is rightly spent cautiously on District priorities. An organizational budget is, effectively, a statement of values- we spend money on the things that are important to us. Technology that gives schools more data on which students need additional support is obviously something that the AAPS will pursue. AAPSs decision to ignore the CDC and NEA guidance on continuing protections for those at highest risk for Covid is a huge concern for me. Address Opportunity Gaps in Education. McClary gets 4,085 votes (76.03%) compared to 1,285 votes (23.92%) for Edelmann. yes, the mishandling of the school closing in the height of the COVID crisis. I recognize the complexity of the budget, and that the bond funds in particular can only be allocated for certain types of expenses. For example, in order to know what is needed, each student must be fairly assessed. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. Im an advocate for students of color, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, and students with special education needs. I believe we have some solutions in our community for the childcare and labor issues. Retain our top professional teachers, and make sure they feel good about their futures. She had run unopposed in the Aug. 3, 2004 Democratic primary. McClary receives 118,889 votes, or 99.14%. We lost students during the pandemic as many families left for private and charter schools that were in person and with school-based childcare. He is a scientist trained in biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics who has been working in health care research and development to discover new medicines for patients. The district needs to find ways to retain the amazing teachers we have, and keep them from burning out or going elsewhere. Additionally, it is crucial that we ensure equitable funding throughout the district schools.Some of my priorities include: 1. Why/how did this happen? Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Learn more | How long will it take to reduce tensions and increase trust amongst ourselves? Mott Childrens Hospital that are AAPS students. School Boards cannot solve issues related to poverty, non-supportive parents or student motivation to achieve. The Ann Arbor Public School system seems to have no problem with the over representation of certain groups in sports teams, why is there a problem for academic achievement? Ward Schmidt has more than 35 years of experience as a teacher in rural, urban and suburban schools in five states, including AAPS Scarlett Middle School. These problems reflect a changing and chaotic society. We need to retain the teachers we do have through continuing competitive salaries, and we need to stop underresourcing them. 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. Do you agree with opening the Ann Arbor School system, or not? Brian Ebon Jones-Chance (independent write-in), Bradley Joseph Manley (independent write-in), More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. What are your goals should you be elected and how will you work to accomplish them? 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. 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. The Board of Education must have the sustained political will to address the achievement of ALL students. Giving each child access to a free high quality public education is a human endeavor. Before and after school care need to be a priority for our districts working families. Information on other state, county and local primary races can be found at Vote411.org. School boards cant and shouldnt micromanage education, but they should set clear priorities and demand year-over-year improvement in outcomes. Some of these will be both critical and urgent in terms of needing to be solved. Addressing the labor shortage which has been a national problem for a long time. Feb. 5, 1975: At a county board meeting, county clerk Robert Harrison acting as the board's parliamentarian refuses to recognize McClary in the roll call, charging that she "violated her oath of office" by participating in a local lottery that had a pound of "Colombian Gold" marijuana as its grand prize. The newness of the Board itself. Mohammad has experience as a clinician, educator and researcher. Motto: If the mall is open, schools are open. 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. We have to give them every opportunity to succeed academically, and in life. Also, our top-notch educators need to be trusted to do their job in ways they know are best for students. I am motivated by the encroachment of the public school systems into the practice of medicine and psychiatry, and the failure of the current leaders to appreciate this. We expect them to be adults at 18 and we have done nothing to help them in adulting. My experiences and expertise will be an asset to the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education. This can be difficult to do when loud privileged people are working against this. Paulette Metoyer is on Facebook. Further progress for our district on reducing the number of days our students miss school for any reason. It means that we properly screen and support learners that struggle or learn differently. Establish a merit based program and abandon the focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, which rewards those who have not achieved and punishes those who have by denying them the fruits of their labor. James is a child advocate and nurse, with two children who have gone through AAPS and another still attending. Im especially concerned about incidents where the district wasnt listening or taking action when racially hostile experiences were brought up. 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. I also have a goal of advocating for an updated curriculum that includes Social Emotional Learning as well as Restorative Justice . Paulette Metoyer commented on Contact 2020-06-22 11:50:16 -0700. . She was in her early 20s at the time, and served in that part-time role through 1988. But that doesnt mean that we here in Washtenaw County need to give up on it. 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. Paulette Metoyer Water Resources Commissioner Vote for not more than 1 County Commissioner . Heres whos running in the Nov. 8 election. I am not a one-issue candidate. For a district that very vocally prides itself on equity, choosing to allow the federal program to expire with no backup plan, giving families only a few days notice that school would start without the meals theyd relied on for 2 years was a shocking choice. The Board will need to think ahead on processes to enable rapid shared understanding of challenges and how to move forward. -Are we fairly compensating those that interface with our children to deliver services? Per law, our budgets are audited and always available to the public. Teachers and Staff -I plan to assess and address burnout in our teachers and staff. Im running for this position because I want to help all kids thrive. School must be safe, and all our students deserve to feel like they belong, full stop. Social and political messages have no place in our classrooms. WHEREAS Governors, mayors and county sheriffs across the nation are declaring states of emergency under the guise of protecting the public from the coronavirus, 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. https://www.communitycenteredcandidatesforaaps.com/. If not, you are nothing more than a hypocrite. 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. 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. Its time our spending aligns with the districts stated values of equity and belonging. (Photo from The Ann Arbor Chronicle.). Literacy equity means that ALL children have the right to receive effective instruction grounded in educational research so they develop strong foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Public school as an institution is under threat. Successful organizations have good sustainable leadership with consistent goals. My goals are to 1) do all that I can to keep the public school system focused upon educating children in the skills of reading, writing (including script), mathematics, history, geography; and 2) to see that public education stays within its lane and that a clear line is drawn in delineating what the public school and its agents are and are NOT allowed to do under the auspices of education.. Ensuring open communication, transparency and inclusiveness of the schools to provide social, emotional and educational support to all members of our community. 4. We need to ensure that staff positions (e.g., the senior high school counselor) are paid competitively to similar positions at UM so that we retain our paraprofessionals. As I said in the last question, improving air quality and ensuring students are fed has been proven to show increases in positive educational outcomes. What are your priorities in balancing the budget? First, I want the school district to make it very explicit that it has learned from its recent mistakes and will assure parents that there will be no COVID related school closings unless urged by public health officials. Terms of Use | We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties. By virtue of her role as treasurer, McClary also serves on the county's election commission. 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. We cant say we care about equity if we also choose to create an unsafe environment for our most at-risk families and staff. Also, Governor Whitmers recently approved budget will give Michigan districts $9,000 per pupil, which is the highest amount in state history. Ann Arbor, like many districts, will continue to face the challenge of staffing their schools with highly qualified teachers and support staff. 3. The treasurer's primary responsibilities are to safeguard public funds and to collect and account for the revenue used to operate programs for county residents. For our students, we need an all-hands-on-deck approach that invites the community to be a part of reducing disparities in learning outcomes and restoring much needed public school services to families, such as before-and-after school-based childcare. 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. Nov. 5, 1996: Wins first election as Washtenaw County treasurer for a four-year term, after defeating Republican Lawrence Gass. Elections 2022 See also: Ann Arbor Public Schools, Michigan, elections (2022) General election General election for Ann Arbor Board of Education At-large (4 seats) 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. In order to achieve an equitable public-school system the district ought to implement a comprehensive DEI strategy with quantitative measures of equity. This is best for the safety and success of all of our students. 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. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Her age is 74. After this election, the newly elected trustees will be inexperienced to the actual work (vs. campaign promises) and to working together as a team. I am the only incumbent running for re-election. My goals are to address these key areas: 1. Gets 3,731 votes (76.56%) compared to 1,141 votes (23.41%) for Van Havermaat. Lets remember that the ultimate responsibility of schools is to create adults who are literate in reading, math and sciences, and who can critically think, enabling them to be part of our great American civilization. Baskett is joined on the ballot by Kai Cortina, Jacinda Townsend Gides, Jamila James, Lena Kauffman, Jeremy Lapham, Paulette Metoyer, Rima Mohammad, Susan Ward Schmidt, Barry Schumer, Andrew Spencer, Leslie Wilkins and Alex Wood. Keep our kids in school whenever possible so they are engaged with educators and peers. The AAPS BOE has put a lot of time into developing an Equity Plan, and Im looking forward to diving in to that work, ensuring there are performance measures in place, and then getting the plan implemented. 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. In addition, I predict over the coming year the Board will become aware of challenges (some pandemic related, some not) that are currently hidden or havent been brought to the Boards attention. Start Date Candidate Category Ad Tone Lng Title Run Time Contributor Baskett is the owner/operator of a licensed day care home, specializing in caring for children with special needs. Please do not place tax payments into the green Clerk's Office mailbox located directly outside the front entrance. Ensure we optimize the opportunities provided by the 2019 bond that our community provided to our schools.I believe the above goals are backed by common sense and hard data proving their importance. We focus on what is best for the students so that teaching and learning is fully supported. 4. Nov. 6, 1984: Is unopposed and wins re-election to another two-year term on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, representing District 9 in Ann Arbor. This influenced my choice to become a teacher to make sure every child has access to a quality public education. He said he wants to work on solving the districts hard problems, aiming to find solutions that work for the entire community. 467 Dhu Varren Rd, Ann Arbor, MI is the residential address for Paulette. 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. I would like to see a strong free tutoring system in place for eligible students, i.e. I care about keeping the momentum of success. I believe that we are not preparing our children for adulthood and the world that is so different from the one we grew up in. Most importantly, a learning environment must be created that values each child and their needs. (1) Decreasing Teacher Morale Our teachers and staff arent getting the support they need to ensure that every student is thriving. An unwillingness to be uncomfortable for change to occur. All rights reserved (About Us). LaphamI would pursue a balanced approach that would include more equitably rethinking existing resources, identifying and eliminating structural inefficiencies, and securing and prioritizing equitable distribution of new revenue. She is unopposed in the general election and had also run unopposed in the August Democratic primary. The issues I care about especially is Social Emotional Learning, Restorative Justice- which teaches children yes, we make mistakes, we all do. One issue I particularly care about is literacy equity. LocalWiki is a grassroots effort to collect, share and open the worlds local knowledge. I will push the school district to doing more to help all those students who have fallen behind in their learning due to zoom school. Though the district incurred an unanticipated $5.9 million in staffing costs during the COVID school closure, its likely those costs will recede. I am a first generation, refugee Palestinian American who moved to the US at a young age hoping for the American dream and a better life. I want to make sure that ALL students, ALL families, and ALL communities are considered and consulted when policy decisions are made. As a psychotherapist, he said he is very aware of the mental health challenges of children today, post-COVID.. Van Havermaat to win re-election to another two-year term on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, representing District 9 in Ann Arbor. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Kids first, politics last. As long as these inequities are allowed to persist, well have weaker student achievement than we should have in this district. She also has served on other nonprofit boards for the last nine years. Public school administrators are acting out of their realm of expertise in issuing such mandates and they are physically and emotionally harming children. See Copyrights. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I and the district have suffered through several iterations of school boards. It is also wonderful to see strong advocates for our children, who are the teachers. I will accomplish this by being vocal about the needs of the most vulnerable and encouraging my fellow trustees to support my goals while engaging our Superintendent. Nov. 6, 2012: Wins re-election for a fifth four-year term as Washtenaw County treasurer, defeating Republican Marlene Chockley. A commitment to equity, making sure the children who need the resources, such as tutors, reading specialist, mental health support, get the help they needed to enable them to feel that school is a safe place to make mistakes and learn from them. Check out the leagues voter guide at Vote411.org/ballot to find information about candidates and issues on the ballot. It is the perfect place to build community, compassion and empathy for ourselves and each other. 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. Aug. 10, 1982: Defeats Gerald Faye in the Democratic primary for District 9 on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, representing Ann Arbor. Each candidate was asked to outline their stances on a variety of public policy issues listed below. Townsend Gides is a former journalist and lawyer who is now a novelist, teaching in the MFA program at the University of Michigan. McClary gets 1,031 votes compared to 395 votes for Faye. She had also run unopposed in the August Democratic primary. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. McClary had run unopposed in the Aug. 8, 2000 Democratic primary. 1/5 (2) 250 E Michigan Ave Saline MI, 48176 Show map . 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). Election results and vote counts for candidates for office, ballot questions, and party enrollment and voter registration and turnout statistics. 3. For one thing, Im excited to be in a position to directly impact equity-focused decisions, and make sure people from historically excluded backgrounds have a voice in those decisions. Internist. 7th Congressional District representative, 12th Congressional District representative, University of Michigan regents (two seats), Michigan State University trustees (two seats), Wayne State University governors (two seats), Dexter City Council (three seats, nonpartisan), Saline City Council (three seats, nonpartisan), Ann Arbor Township Board of Trustees (four seats), Augusta Township Board of Trustees (four seats), Dexter Township Board of Trustees (four seats), Lima Township Board of Trustees (two seats), Northfield Township Board of Trustees (four seats), Pittsfield Township Park Commission (five seats), Scio Township Board of Trustees (four seats), Superior Township Board of Trustees (four seats), Sylvan Township Board of Trustees (two seats), Webster Township Board of Trustees (four seats), York Township Board of Trustees (four seats), Michigan Supreme Court justice (two seats). The alteration in body chemistry from CO2 (the same CO2 that the environmentalists abhor) that results from these masks is extensive but the long term consequences are currently unknown, as this has never been done in the history of the world. Financially, AAPS is on very solid footing thanks to the stewardship of the superintendent over the last 9 years.