What we stand for
Better Boards Better Schools
Excellent education for all AAPS students
Excellent education for all AAPS students should be the goal of all processes and decisions in the AAPS community.
Two-way communication between the public and AAPS officials
Processes and decisions should be made in the context of two-way communications between the general public and AAPS officials and staff. The bedrock strength of AAPS is the support of the community.
Honesty, transparency, and fairness
Processes and decisions should be guided by honesty and transparency. This builds trust in the wider community and educates young people by example. To achieve fairness in the district, all AAPS staff should have the benefit of evaluations and feedback.
Board professionalism and effectiveness
School Board Trustees should understand their critical role in providing exceptional education for AAPS students. They should respectfully engage with one another and with the public to accomplish the mission of the District. Trustees should set a positive example of professionalism and respect.
Why Our work is important
The current AAPS Board of Education Leadership:
Sets a poor example of professionalism and respect
Since the Board's organization meeting in January of 2023 to the summer of 2023, the AAPS Board of Education Trustees have been primarily focused on personal grievances and wrestling for control. They have shown little understanding of effective meeting procedures and have failed to address critical issues like Special Education or Equity.
Is beholden to personal experiences and special interest groups
Responsible school board trustees make decisions in the best interest of all students in the Ann Arbor Public School District. Some current board members give considerable weight to their personal experiences and to the loud complaints of small interest groups. Trustees use their positions to pressure AAPS staff, influence hiring and firing decisions, and dictate classroom activities. When public officials make decisions based on personal relationships, it creates an advantage for Trustees' family, friends, and associates. This can be detrimental to most students.
Lacks transparency and makes "back room" deals
The leadership of the current board often sets priorities and seeks a majority position in private conversations. Proposals are presented in public at a well-developed stage and with no opportunity for public input. The recent actions toward termination of the superintendent are an example of this lack of transparency. The leadership downplays its use of private conversations and exaggerates community input. The board leadership gives low priority to professionally, carefully done evaluations. Employees are concerned that evaluations will become arbitrary and capricious rather than opportunities for further professional growth. The community is losing trust in the board's leadership.
Fails to engage broad groups of stakeholders in major decisions
The leadership of the current board makes major decisions and develops proposals with little or no interaction with stakeholders outside of their small special interest groups. They openly ignore the direct feedback of teachers and staff and largely ignore family survey data when making decisions. Not surprisingly, their proposals are often viewed as inappropriate and ineffective by district employees and the general public. The support of the community for AAPS is eroding.