I want all teaching to end the message to kids, that we live in a horrible, racist country. 1. 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. She grew up in Kentucky before earning a bachelors degree from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor degree from Duke University. Through my service on the AAPS board I want to continue to advocate for students, families and those that educate our children. Having watched my father prepare for board meetings so many times over the years, I know that serving on the AAPS board will take a lot of work. 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. We expect them to be adults at 18 and we have done nothing to help them in adulting. This will also positively impact student achievement. MLive/The Ann Arbor News partnered with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information for readers. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Lets ensure teachers love being at AAPS and want to stay. Wilkins has degrees in both music and psychology from the University of Michigan. I want schools to stop grooming kids to become dependable Democratic voters by age 18. Re-establishing relationships with other key stakeholders in the community. 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) Paulette Metoyer is on Facebook. Other districts are offering not only signing bonuses but retention bonuses. See school board candidates for Washtenaw Countys main school districts, including Ann Arbor Public Schools, here. Privacy Policy | Equitable access to high-quality affordable education is essential to addressing inequality in our communities and to close the opportunity gap. Were finally recognizing the importance of having mental health resources available for our teenagers, but I want to work on ways to increase those resources at the elementary level now, too. 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. Im worried that the teachers will be blamed (rather than the pandemic) and Im concerned that this will be added to teacher performance measures that are already inaccurate and ineffective. Social and political messages have no place in our classrooms. 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. Mike Merrick. Why/how did this happen? The challenges facing Ann Arbor Public Schools are around issues surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism, transparency and community engagement, opportunity gaps, and learning and curriculum assessment. Overcoming its own dysfunction. Further progress for our district on reducing the number of days our students miss school for any reason. Join Facebook to connect with Paulette Metoyer and others you may know. Analyzing DEIA needs and implementing sustainable interventions to ensure these needs are addressed. Stop confusing our kids. ask force on sustainable housing; the Adoptive and Foster Parents Support Group; the Government Finance Officers Association (former member of its executive board); the Michigan Government Finance Officer Association (former board member); and the Michigan Association of County Treasurers (former board member). This means that the majority of next years school board will have served less than one term. Find creative ways to make PTO and PTO-like funding more equitable across our district. We need to retain the teachers we do have through continuing competitive salaries, and we need to stop underresourcing them. I want to keep public schools in-person, address the harms to learning outcomes many students experienced during virtual school, and improve clear and transparent communication about district decisions. As a single mom with a full-time job outside the home, Ive experienced firsthand the frustration of not having the time or resources that other families have to be the squeaky wheel to get their students needs met. Join Now Donate Calendar. After this election, the newly elected trustees will be inexperienced to the actual work (vs. campaign promises) and to working together as a team. 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. She has been a manager in marketing for 13 years. ANN ARBOR, MI Voters across Washtenaw County have a long list of local and state-level races and ballot proposals to decide in the general election Tuesday, Nov. 8. My experiences and expertise will be an asset to the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education. (The county board had been reconfigured into new districts following the 1980 census.). There is no one main issue on which Im running, but I believe public schools are critically important to education, democracy, and building community. She also has served as president of the Head Start Parent committee, as a room and band parent and has completed Diversity and Inclusion training including Unconscious Bias and You. We need to look at our budget in a way that prioritizes the social emotional well being of student; that is the balance that our budget needs to meet the needs of our children. She received her medical degree from University of California (San Francisco) School of Medicine and has been in practice for more. Academics should be no different. As a parent, she has volunteered in her childrens schools and served as a board member at their Montessori school before being elected as a trustee of the Monroe County Community School Corporation in Indiana. The newness of the Board itself. I will request for more support for teachers and staff which includes increased salaries, more manageable workloads, increased resources, and dedicated time for other activities, such as committee involvement. Treasurer Vote for not more than 1 Nanette L. Havens Trustee Vote for not more than 2 Dale Luick DEIA -I plan to analyze DEIA needs and implement sustainable interventions to ensure these needs are addressed. Addressing inflation and staffing shortages -- which includes addressing teacher pay, satisfaction and well-being -- must be a priority. She said her perspective as a refugee, person of color and growing up in poverty and her experience as a scientist, educator and healthcare worker qualifies her for the board. Public school administrators are acting out of their realm of expertise in issuing such mandates and they are physically and emotionally harming children. 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. One thing that contributes to that is representation especially for BIPOC students, students in the LGBTQ community, and students with special needs. AAPS is one of those rare school districts that has community support enough to pass a billion dollar capital bond to improve facilities and sustainability, which assists us in allocating other budget money towards student and educator needs. Metoyer is a physician with 20 years of formal classroom education. I am the only incumbent running for re-election. We need to evaluate student learning and learning loss, teacher resources and development, student resources and support, and other factors such as the inequities, especially in people of color, refugees, students with disabilities and other underserved populations. 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 board of education needs to get back to business at meetings, not promotional videos, and keep the community informed about progress on these challenges every step of the way. Start Date Candidate Category Ad Tone Lng Title Run Time Contributor My priorities are aligned with hers: Long-term planning with short term flexibility. 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 . Public school as an institution is under threat. Public education should stick within budgetary limits. 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. 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. Kids first, politics last. Im especially concerned about incidents where the district wasnt listening or taking action when racially hostile experiences were brought up. Detroit, Michigan. My goals are to address these key areas: 1. How have we as a society, become ok on any level with the removal of 13 year old girls breasts, or castrating a 13 year old boy in the name of gender transition? She had run unopposed in the Aug. 3, 2004 Democratic primary. I want to make sure that ALL students, ALL families, and ALL communities are considered and consulted when policy decisions are made. If more children of a particular group end up being chosen then so be it. If not, you are nothing more than a hypocrite. 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. Address Opportunity Gaps in Education. Predicting the future is tough. Nov. 2, 1982: Defeats Republican Karl J. Edelmann to win re-election to her another two-year term on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, representing District 9 in Ann Arbor. It means that we properly screen and support learners that struggle or learn differently. As a veteran board member, my primary commitments have been preserving academic excellence and increasing equity between schools: while others see these goals as incompatible, I see them as necessary synergy. It is also wonderful to see strong advocates for our children, who are the teachers. I also want to foster more transparency and stronger communication between the Community, Staff, Administrators and Board Trustees. It does not mean another $10 million in technology funding on more apps and devices, some of which are hardly used and parents dont want. In order to achieve an equitable public-school system the district ought to implement a comprehensive DEI strategy with quantitative measures of equity. 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. We are a progressive county, a blue dot in the state of Michigan, and we need to do better. 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). 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. One day a week on virtual school especially disadvantages kids without adults at home during the day to assist them, kids with unreliable housing, and kids that need the support of the school community. A self-described queer, Puerto Rican Jew, Wood said her life experiences have shown her the ways the districts public commitment to equity and belonging falls short in practice for marginalized families. The challenges that will face the Board of Education, then, are challenges of building the future while shoring up the present. Im running for this position because I want to help all kids thrive. It takes highly qualified staff to motivate, nurture, and educate each child so they can thrive and reach their potential academically, socially and emotionally. 1/5 (2) 250 E Michigan Ave Saline MI, 48176 Show map . I think its time to take a step back and ensure that we are looking at the whole child, improving material conditions and removing proven sources of stress will have a dramatic effect on the quality of education our children receive. We focus on what is best for the students so that teaching and learning is fully supported. 6. I recognize the complexity of the budget, and that the bond funds in particular can only be allocated for certain types of expenses. (1) Decreasing Teacher Morale Our teachers and staff arent getting the support they need to ensure that every student is thriving. Also, Governor Whitmers recently approved budget will give Michigan districts $9,000 per pupil, which is the highest amount in state history. I plan to analyze and address opportunity gaps in education to ensure consistency throughout the district. 2. Her current four-year term runs through 2016. I want schools to stop pulling kids away from their parents influence. For example, students at Pathways get the old Chromebooks while students at Skyline get newer ones. Van Havermaat to win re-election to another two-year term on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, representing District 9 in Ann Arbor. Rima Mohammad. The board will also be challenged to improve transparency and two-way communication with the entire community related to bond expenditures, policy decisions and issues that our learning community cares about. We as a country seem to have given up on school integration--it peaked in 1987 and is now at Brown vs. Board of Education levels. She has been a communications professional in health care for nearly two decades. My priorities in general for our district will be teacher compensation, high-impact use of the 2019 Bond for upgrading school facilities, finding more equitable ways to ensure our PTO and PTO-like organizations are adequately funded across the district, and activities that enhance our students experience in our schools. Nov. 6, 2012: Wins re-election for a fifth four-year term as Washtenaw County treasurer, defeating Republican Marlene Chockley. I will advocate for high-quality research into the issues facing public education, and ensure that the voices of Michigans rank-and-file educators are part of any proposals to help our students succeed.Make Schools Community Centers Again. Please do not place tax payments into the green Clerk's Office mailbox located directly outside the front entrance. 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. Our kids are our future. 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. Washtenaw County, Michigan Lima Township, Precinct 1 Read Both Sides of the Ballot Judicial . Some children have no choice about the hard realities they face. We can never let this happen again, yet some talk about introducing zoom days back into public schools as a way to address staffing shortages and budget limitations. McClary gets 59,342 votes (54.19%) compared to 50,162 votes (45.81%) for Gass. We live in Anns Arbor. Theyll also decide 12 local ballot proposals. Learn more | Catherine McClary is the Washtenaw County treasurer, a full-time elected position. Students thrive when they are safe, healthy, free from harassment and can see themselves reflected in the curriculum. Metoyer lost in the general election on November 8, 2022. An unwillingness to set down the ego in order to actively listen and to find out of the box solutions to real ongoing problems. (Photo from The Ann Arbor Chronicle.). Terms of Use | McClary had run unopposed in the Aug. 8, 2000 Democratic primary.