Board of Education

Superintendent Jeanice Swift says a key purpose of the report was to answer one question, “Are the individuals on our AAPS staff mirroring the student composition?”

While the stronger economy has made it more challenging for school systems across the country to find enough substitute teachers, there is also a challenge unique to Michigan. A 2010 change in state law eliminated one of the best pools of candidates for substitute teachers, recently retired teachers.

“By almost every measure including the top to bottom list, Ann Arbor was achieving especially for our underrepresented minority students, especially for those who are socio-economically challenged that was being recognized by state and national organizations and state and national governments,” School Board President Deb Mexicotte explains.

“This report is critical to staff, as soon as the survey closes we start to get questions from them about when they will get the data,” says Executive Director of Elementary Education Dawn Linden.

“When that bullying enters the school environment as a disruption, that’s when we are able to take actions, up to and including police involvement,” says School Board President Deb Mexicotte.