Superintendent Jeanice Swift: Trustees govern the district; work together to make the best decisions they can for students

In a message to the Ann Arbor School District community, Superintendent Jeanice Swift writes:

Each January, we pause to express our appreciation for an incredibly committed group of volunteers: public school board members.

We may not always consider school board members as school volunteers, but they do in fact volunteer to serve, and they give literally hundreds of hours each year in support of our students, staff, schools, and our Ann Arbor community.

School board members take their responsibility seriously, and give their time, energy, and counsel to the school district—without pay. They take on the job of governing the district—they think deeply about the work of the district and they work together as a team to make the best decisions they can for our children—with the full understanding that they will receive only the satisfaction of their contribution.

That contribution, however, should not be understated. The volunteer efforts of the school board members have the potential to benefit the lives of our students individually, our school campuses, and their work adds direct value to the Ann Arbor District and to our community as a whole. By serving the district in this important governance role, school board members build on the work that came before, and they lay a strong foundation for our collective future as a community.

The men and women who make the time to generously provide this important public service do so because they care. They regularly sacrifice time with their own children in order to care for our community’s children. They care about education, and they care about the schools becoming the very best that they can be. They care about the next generation and the future of the community and the state. These people roll up their sleeves and get involved to improve things.

Today, I encourage our Ann Arbor community to join me in celebrating January as School Board Recognition Month, and to take a moment to express your appreciation for the volunteer efforts of the Trustees of the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Our children, staff, and schools benefit greatly from their service.