Ann Arbor schools' work toward redistricting, building closures at standstill
The Ann Arbor Public Schools is waiting to move forward with exploring building closures and redistricting in order to consider a possible partnership with the University of Michigan.
Steve Pepple photo | AnnArbor.com
Previous coverage:
Ann Arbor Public Schools' work toward redistricting is stalled while officials wait for a partnership opportunity with the University of Michigan and for their new superintendent to arrive.
But the amount of work that actually has been done since the school board and central administration first discussed the task of assessing and preparing to consider school closures for next year appears to have been minimal.
Former Superintendent Patricia Green told trustees at a board meeting in December that rerouting and redistricting cannot not be ignored. She recommended AAPS hire a third-party organization to conduct demographic and feasibility studies throughout the next 18 months prior to approving any steps toward redistricting.
Officials completed reports to the school board on enrollment trends, capacity trends and facility replacement costs in January and February and they issued two back-to-back requests for proposals in April and May for a consulting firm to head up its redistricting analyses. However, neither RFP resulted in the type of response that AAPS officials desired, until a research division for the University of Michigan saw the bid advertisement, contacted the district and offered to do the work for free.
District spokeswoman Liz Margolis said no details about the research division or the possible partnership could be shared at this time.
Ann Arbor Public Schools Communications Director Liz Margolis
Danielle Arndt | AnnArbor.com
Margolis said the research division is faculty-run with some graduate students on staff. She said the group has experience in analyzing the type of data that would be necessary for completing a redistricting study.
Ann Arbor school officials told AnnArbor.com in May that the district hoped to hire a consulting firm to prepare a variety of possible school closure scenarios for the board's consideration by late fall — October or November — of the 2013-14 academic year. Margolis in May said this timeline would allow AAPS ample time to engage the community and to extensively vet the different redistricting scenarios in the public, prior to possibly implementing one or more before the 2014-15 school year.
However, Margolis said Thursday because AAPS has been in "a little bit of a holding pattern" since February, the scenarios for the board to begin weighing will not be ready this fall and the likelihood of being able to implement any building closures in 2014-15 is "up in the air," despite the Board of Education's hope.
"We're waiting to hear from (U-M)," Margolis said. "We're basically on track to start when we do … but also, the board sets their timelines, but really the best thing right now is for us to have Dr. (Jeanice Kerr) Swift get involved."
Swift, the candidate chosen to be the next Ann Arbor Public Schools superintendent, currently is negotiating an employment contract and start date with the district. The board voted 4-3 on July 31 to offer Swift, an assistant superintendent from Colorado Springs, the vacant superintendency. Green left AAPS after two years in July to retire.
Swift has experience with closing buildings at her current district in Colorado. She has gone through the emotionally charged process twice in the past five years. The most recent round of building closures — two elementary schools and one comprehensive high school — is wrapping up now.
"It sounds like there is at least a lot of good preliminary thinking on the table (in Ann Arbor) and I would want to get there and really work with the staff and with the board to see what the possibilities are," Swift said of the district's plans around weighing building use.
Swift told AnnArbor.com in an interview Friday that as of right now, she does feel making any major changes in time for 2014-15 would be ambitious. But she sees three options to be considered.
The first option is utilizing U-M's offer to assist with redistricting and moving forward with the plans that AAPS already has on the table, just "not on quite as rapid of a timeline," she said.
The second option, Swift said, would be turning down the university's offer and heading up the redistricting studies with an internal team of staff and volunteers. She said this also would require a slightly modified timeframe.
Swift said she has experience with both hiring an external consulting firm and using an internal team to lead the building reutilization projects that she aided in Colorado Springs. She said it can go well either way.
"The one (project) with the district leadership, from my sense, I think people tended to trust that more," Swift said. "But the consulting firm we had was from out of town, and so perhaps, with the university folks that would be a really great possibility because they are local. But it's something to think about."
Jeanice Kerr Swift speaks at a community question-and-answer session at Skyline High School in July.
Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com
"I appreciate the administration wanting to regroup after I get in there. I think that is an excellent idea and I will also want to get input from the board on the direction they're providing and from what we can find out about if the university folks are available," Swift said, adding that she feels if all parties can get in "some really deep discussions, we can still get to a plan yet this year that moves us forward.
"… It's going to be a little tricky to follow their original plan, … but I know we can make progress if we do it in multiple phases and are very careful to be methodical about this."
She said even with multi-year plans, there are steps in the redistricting or building-reutilization process that can be completed without a terribly long lead-time. She said moving classroom wings around or adding a grade level or two from one building to another building is not that complicated and can help with a gradual, smooth transition.
AAPS has been criticized by various community contingents in recent years for not seriously considering school closures. The Ann Arbor Administrators Association this budget cycle issued a public statement, a rarity for the group, asking central office staff to created grade-level target schools at the elementary level, among other reconfigurations.
Instead, the district has cut teachers, transportation, music and arts programming and extracurricular activities in piecemeal fashion to reduce its budget, when district documents show closing three elementary schools could save $1.5 million (15 teachers), closing a middle school could save $1 million (10 teachers), closing Community High School could save $1.4 million (14 teachers) and closing a comprehensive high school could save $3 million (30 teachers).
"While we have short-term needs and urgencies — and in my mind, certainly the budget situation is that — mid-range and long-range planning for the district is more important than getting something done tomorrow," she said. "I share the urgency. … This is a priority … and can and will be done quickly. But having balance is important."
Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.
Comments
snapshot
Wed, Aug 14, 2013 : 9:37 p.m.
All the advanced degrees held by our distinguished members of the school board, the administrators, the teachers, and the parents in Ann Arbor with access to one of the most prestigious universities in the nation, along with EMU and strategic management ability and decision making seem to be as elusive as the tooth fairy. Kids educated in one room school houses by teachers without a college degree made this country what it is. Educators with inflated egos, unnecessary degrees, and public unions have made public education unmanageable and unaffordable. It reminds me of bush's response to Katrina, "Good Job, Brownie".
nickcarraweigh
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 9:27 p.m.
Folks, UM needs an IRB number because it's an experiment they are proposing to conduct on Ann Arbor's schoolchildren. The feds want it at least cursorily perused ahead of time, to insure it contains nothing dangerous or harmful to your little ones down the road. This is much the same procedure followed in the development of prescription drugs. No dangerous drugs ever enter the market, of course, and the process has paved the way for any number of tort attorneys to own picturesque islands. It's probably a good bet your children have never read "Lord of The Flies", so don't worry.
Mike
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 8:49 p.m.
Redistricting and building closures are difficult and require intestinal fortitude; partnering with the university of Michigan is easy..............next.
Greg
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 2:48 p.m.
These school "leaders" seem to still think they can get tax increases thru and not have to make the needed cuts, despite failure to get the increases thru the last several tries. Way past time these folks learned to live within a budget like the rest of us have to. Reality does bite at times, but ignoring it ends up being even more painful.
Andrew Smith
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 1:17 p.m.
If it's too late to close some schools for 2013/2014, let's start working now to ensure that we can close several of them for 2014/2015.
davecj
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 4:11 a.m.
You can add Pittsfield, Mitchell, Angell or Abbott to the mix. Pittsfield and Mitchell have significantly less than 300 students, and Abbott and Angell hover at the 300 student mark. We need our elementary schools to enroll 400 students or more to be cost effective. Just think, some elementary schools have 450 students, and 1 principal, librarian, janitor, etc, and then there are schools with only 230 students with the same staffing of principals, librarians, etc. That's double the cost to provide the same education!
DonBee
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 12:17 p.m.
timjbd - Your questions are impossible for someone who does not work for AAPS to answer, the last building by building data released by the district is 3 rounds of teacher reductions ago. Only the people in those specific buildings and the AAPS HR department have the real numbers.
timjbd
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 12:01 p.m.
How many teachers per student do those schools have vs, the ones you want to close? More students equals more per-student payments from the state. Your math is fuzzy.
JRW
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 1:45 a.m.
Close Northside, close Clemente, and close Community. Add Community and Clemente students to the other high schools as in-house programs. Northside students can attend other elementary schools on the north side of town (Logan, Thurston, etc). These changes would save bundles of $$.
a2mom
Tue, Aug 13, 2013 : 9:08 p.m.
Go elsewhere then.
J. A. Pieper
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 11:59 p.m.
Unless there are administrative changes at Northside, the population will not increase, no matter what is done to make the school seem more attractive.
TryingToBeObjective
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 3:15 a.m.
JRW, the students from CHS can't be crammed into another school. Since you obviously don't have a clue as to why CHS excels where it is, leave it alone. CHS is fully enrolled every year. Closing CHS would send us elsewhere- not in the district. Speak about the schools you have a kid attending.
kuriooo
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 2:39 a.m.
How about making Northside an elementary Math/Science magnet?
15crown00
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 8:39 p.m.
AABOE should redistrict itself.
Joel A. Levitt
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 6:54 p.m.
I don't like closing schools, because of the negative effect it has on parental participation and on local communities, but I don't understand the Board's hesitation about accepting the UM's offer.
Indymama
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 10:50 p.m.
Because they want someone else to blame if the community isn't happy with the results!!
matt1027
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 4:48 p.m.
Doesn't help that we've been paying the teacher harassing principal at Carpenter for the last six months while he's suspended.
matt1027
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 4:47 p.m.
Our school's pools are closing, but at least we have a state of the art skate park for the youths who don't attend school in the first place. New venue to buy weed....great priorities A2.
Roger Kuhlman
Thu, Aug 15, 2013 : 2:39 a.m.
Why did our schools ever need pools to begin with? I thought the central priority of schools was providing an education to children. Pools in schools are luxury items there to provide prestige.
A2workinmom
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 4:37 p.m.
Nice stereotyping!
TryingToBeObjective
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 3:09 a.m.
Kids in AA may drown due to lack of swimming skills, but at least they will learn the life skill of skateboarding. Priorities are really screwed up in AA.
JRW
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 1:46 a.m.
How long before the new skate park is "decorated' with black spray paint?
YouSaidWhat?
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 2:30 p.m.
Why does AAPS need a communications director in Margolis making over $100K?
J. A. Pieper
Tue, Aug 13, 2013 : 12:05 a.m.
@the compound - to answer your question about referring potential families to AAPS, the answer is NO. I work for AAPS, my kids went to AAPS, and I totally do not want any grand children attending this school system. There is no trust any more in what they do for students, especially related to behaviors that are interfering with learning in the classroom environment. When students have to put up with physical threats, intimidation, and sexual harassment, no, this is not where I want any one I know to be!
Mike
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 8:51 p.m.
That's a question that only she can answer, so you'll have to ask her to get the answer.............
thecompound
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 11:27 a.m.
Agree, with Voice. That newsletter is a waste, unless someone is doing it entirely for free. If they want to increase new attendance they need to clean house first. If someone asked you if it was worth moving to AA for their public schools, would you unequivocally be able to say 'yes'? I'm not sure I could.
A Voice of Reason
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 3:54 a.m.
This does not include the 2 person staff and budget she has too. I think the staff and budget are around $600,000-$700,000 to supposedly draw new students to the district and to communicate with our families. Does anyone actually read the AAPS News--no! Our schools do a great job of communicating with us and use free volunteers to do so! Most of us care more about educating out kids. AAPS Please just tell us when there is a snow day and if there is an emergency lock down. Send us a free email. Number of new students in 2012-2013 school year -3 and Liz deliberately did not present this information when all schools in Washtenaw provided their facts to Ann Arbor.com after count day. AAPS numbers were really not ready?
SonnyDog09
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 8:07 p.m.
Somebody needs to be the one to tell us that we'll need to submit a foia request if we want that information. It takes a trained professional to stonewall the public like that.
drewk
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 4:19 p.m.
croanieism
towncryer
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 2:23 p.m.
UM helping to redistrict for free....why does that have an "Aesop's fable" feel to it....?
thecompound
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 11:29 a.m.
Yes Laura, what could the U possibly want with that crummy old high school anyway? Sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm!!!!
Laura J
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 2:42 p.m.
They are going to redistrict in exchange for Pioneer. Seems like an even trade. Sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm!!!
Susie Q
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 2:20 p.m.
Another idea that I haven't seen discussed is to offer the elementary program in the same format as the "super-pair, Bryant and Pattengill"; one building would offer K-2 grades and the other would run 3-5. Of course to achieve savings, some buildings would still need to be closed and the remainder would need to be populated at close to capacity. Chelsea nad Dexter schools have done this for about ten years at least. Perhaps this is what Quad A meant when they suggested "grade-level target schools".
kuriooo
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 2:38 a.m.
I haven't heard a lot of positive parent feedback from people I know about the Bryant - Pattengill split.
CLX
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 8:54 p.m.
I would strongly advise that the district assess how well parents like that option -- from those I know, they pretty much loathe that system. because all parents want to run their 2nd grade kid to one school and their 4th grade to another...
annarboral
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 1:56 p.m.
It's simple. Every time they want to hire yet another consultant the costs should be taken from the administrative staffs personnel budget. Why would we have so many admins and then need so many consultants?
MixedStock
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 1:22 a.m.
Hey, that makes a lot of sense. (Which means it hasn't a snowball's chance in hell of getting any support from the powers that be.)
golfer
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 1:52 p.m.
sell pioneer to the uofm. they would like to use it for parking. not a popular choice but just a thought?
TryingToBeObjective
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 3:07 a.m.
CLX, look up the word Community in the dictionary. I guarantee it does not say "out in the middle of nowhere" like Skyline. Since you obviously don't have a kid at Community, you don't know what you're talking about.
MixedStock
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 1:13 a.m.
Never happen. Rich kids go to pioneer. They might consider Huron though. That might be sellable. CLX, read my comments under the original comment by Concerned above. Fight for your local school, we sure did back in the 90s and parents before us did in the 80s. But your school is a dead duck unless you have wealthy, politically connected members who can "convince" the school board to screw other kids so yours get what you want.
CLX
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 8:53 p.m.
Not a popular choice, because you're talking about the lives of a huge number of students, and a neighborhood school. People will and frankly should fight for their neighborhood schools. Community is a popular educational choice, so move it to Skyline and rescue that sinking ship with a proven and well-regarded program. Prove that the draw of Community is its educational concept and not its location and open-campus. Community is valuable property as well.
Jim Mulchay
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 1:31 p.m.
As an amateur in school planning I'd suggest that (in general) save money at the top (district, high school) as opposed to the elementary level; * Maximize local elementary schools - even if this means partially filled buildings - to (a) minimize the distance youngsters have to walk; (b) try to promote or expand local (neighborhood) involvement in the elementary education years; (c) minimize the time youngsters spend on buses; * Make sure we invest in making the weaker students better - we are already renowned for our successes with the elite students - we need more successes with the middle and the bottom; * This is not all a function of the schools - this also means maximizing support at home and in the local community - which could include local religious and community groups for after-school and summer programs. * It seems to me that school teachers have a MAXIMUM of seven hours (8am-3pm? - probably less) a school day to influence youngsters. Then it is time for the family and community to support, reinforce, encourage our youngsters.
a2mom
Tue, Aug 13, 2013 : 9:03 p.m.
Ann Arbor seems to ONLY focus on the weaker student. How about the average student (the majority) for a change!!?
aamom
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 2:16 a.m.
At our elementary they already invest heavily in making the weaker students better. I can list off several programs to help struggling kids and zero programs to help high achieving kids. Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting to end any of these programs. I just want it made clear that Ann Arbor has many elite students but it's not because the district spent money on any special programs for them. They come from families committed to education and therefore would be elite students no matter where they went to school.
Indymama
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 10:44 p.m.
Jim M, Your last paragraph "hits the real nail on the head"!! Parents need to spend more time with their children and this includes time between the ages of 0 to 6 years old or whatever age the child enters school. If this means more pre-school schools, then so be it, but parents need to take the responsibility of ensuring their little ones are truly ready for school. This means reading to them at home, spending play time with them....drawing, coloring, reading, learning to write their names, etc.
Roger Kuhlman
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 1:30 p.m.
If you have declining enrollments and continual budgeting problems, you have to close unnecessary facilities including schools. That is simple business sense and financial responsibility. Why can't the BOE operate with an ounce on intelligence?
Goober
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 10:50 p.m.
Because they are inept, clueless and lost. Arrogant too.
heisenberg
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 1:28 p.m.
Let's just move forward with this ASAP. The district needs to STOP cutting teachers and critical programs and close some buildings. It won't be easy, but it's necessity for goodness sake.
DonBee
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 1:06 p.m.
Wow! Just Wow! The district counts closing costs as teacher reductions, not building staff, not administrators, not heating and cooling, not other utilities, not building maintenance. This hints at a huge problem in perception by the administration and probably the board. That problem is they only see teachers as expendable. I suspect that when they close schools, they will board them up and not sell them or lease them. Administrators will go to Balas? Staff to other schools? They will continue to heat, cool, and maintain the buildings? According to AAPS own numbers (now badly out of date) an elementary school has between 21 and 35 staff members, including a minimum of 1 Principal, 1 Office professional, 2 Custodians and 10 to 40 teachers union members. Each building spends between $50,000 and $350,000 on supplies and utilities per elementary. Each elementary school costs between $2 million and $5 million to operate. The middle schools are $4.8 and $6.0 million to operate and the high schools between 2.2 (AATech) and $18 million to operate. Again these numbers are out of date, but they are the LAST PUBLIC numbers that the district has released with building by building break outs. In the year the data is from $137 million went into the buildings and another $60 million did not - of the total general fund monies. Including sinking fund, bond fund, tech bond, Etc. adds more than $40 million more to the totals in the year these numbers come from. So the non-classroom spending exceeded $100 million (including administration, maintenance of buildings, buying buses and computers, paying the Skyline bonds, etc.) Since the tech fund passed since then and no millage has ended, the numbers should be slightly higher now, but there are no detailed public numbers to do a current year comparison to. I am sorry I don't have current year numbers to work from.
timjbd
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 11:58 a.m.
"Wow! Just Wow! (...) I am sorry I don't have current year numbers to work from." That's about the size of it. You realize this is a news blurb and not a compendium of all that is known about Ann Arbor Public Schools, right?
sweetdaddy1963
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:28 p.m.
Redistricting simple go to school where you live! No if ands or buts no more transfer in district go to school where you live period.....
Unknown
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 2:31 a.m.
I tend to agree. Heck, we were looking to buy a new home but now we will wait until they figure this out and buy according to what decisions are made. Don't most people buy a house while considering which school their child will attend? Maybe I'm just old school..
Jack Panitch
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:24 p.m.
Two questions: 1) What's the potential total revenue loss if the effort goes Sourth? For wxample, If the District contracts by three elementary schools and 75% of the students leave the system entirely, do we really save $1.5 million? 2) At whose feet are we most likely to lay the blame for the above if it happens? The third question potentially posed by the answers to the first two, is do we charge ahead like a bull in a china shop to make it look like we are at least doing something, but thereby potentially hamstringing the person who would otherwise provide us a huge amount of expertise and be most accountable; or do we wait until she's in place and ready to guide the process.
Goober
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 7:20 p.m.
Jack: I guess, if we want to allow the superintendent to be the fall person, should something go wrong with a redistricting plan, then we can allow her to work in a vacuum. The way I have seen communities grapple with this task is to partner with their BOE, educators, community leaders, their system leadership – all of them responsible for developing and approving a redistricting plan for their school system. The BOE is responsible to insure that the plans are carried out. If they wish to delegate their authority to the superintendent, that is fine. But, the community and the BOE should own a redistricting plan. If the BOE decides to go it alone without community input – then they own it. If the BOE decides to let the superintendent go it alone – then the BOE & the superintendent own it. I would hope that the BOE knows that any redistricting plans must include heavy community input and involvement.
DonBee
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 6:10 p.m.
Mr. Panitch - Agreed.
Jack Panitch
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 5:11 p.m.
I asked for quantification of the total revenue loss, not the total savings. You have gone one step further and quantified the savings. That quantification takes us into Swiftian Modest Proposal territory. Neither you nor I meant to take us there. Losing 500+ students and the associated revenue and teachers is not in the best interests of the students of the Ann Arbor Public Schools. The point is that this study/proposal has to be handled delicately by the new superintendent if it has any hope of succeeding, and it makes most sense to have her involved and learn from each others' experience from the very start.
DonBee
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 4:21 p.m.
Mr. Panitch - I thought your questions were to the community, not to me specifically. If the redistricting goes south and 3 elementary schools are closed (say the 3 smallest) then the total savings based on the data I have would be about $7 million (assuming that the district sells the buildings as land - and I am not counting those sales in that $7 million annual number). Loss of 75% of the roughly 750 children in those schools would be 560 roughly - or $5 million. Teachers to cover the roughly 190 remaining students would be roughly $800,000. Since the bond fund, sinking fund, WISD millage, tech bond, etc would not change - there would be more non-general fund (non-salary) money to spend on each student remaining and each remaining building. So in general if it goes south, and the costs of the 3 buildings are eliminated the net result is positive. Is that the answer you were looking for?
Beth
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 4 p.m.
@DonBee - as always, excellent points. Your suggestion that 6th grade go back to the elementaries makes a lot of sense for many reasons. I wonder if this scenario will actually be considered by Dr. Swift and the BOE? I hope that you will come to the proposed community forums on redistricting and share your thoughts!
Jack Panitch
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 2:57 p.m.
Goober: What's your notion of a superintendent's role? No question, the effort has to involve the entire community with the BOE making final decisions based on the Superintendent's recommendations. But there's also no question that the first person this community will blame if the process goes badly -- really whether the process goes badly or not, because it will be subjective -- is the superintendent. So, if the superintendent is the key player in the process, and the superintendent resigns in April, does it make sense to act on the recommendations of the outgoing superintendent or does it make sense to get a new superintendent in place, so that person will be invested in the process up front?
Goober
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 2:38 p.m.
The AA BOE owns the redistricting. The new superintendent is only one member of the team that will help formulate and act on plans. The community will also need to be a large part of the process with other involved parties - like parents, key educational professionals, etc. I did not realize Swift was a redistributing expert. Nor did I realize that the BOE was going to saddle only Swift with this community wide and important effort. Go figure!
Jack Panitch
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 2:11 p.m.
DonBee: All you did was give us the "flip side of the question." You did not answer the question. I did not mean to suggest that there were no benefits, if the process went well. How far out in front of a new superintendent should we be getting, if we want that person to take ownership?
aaparent
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 1:25 p.m.
@Donbee- I agree with your comments. I think that I have heard the rumor enough that it should be something that is either confirmed or dismissed as something the AAPS is considering. Your suggestions about moving the 6th grade back to elementary buildings was a main point of contention in 1987. The shift then in middle schools from 7-9 to 6-8 was spearheaded by a pet interest of a school board member who was either on the school of ed faculty or affiliated and was contested by people who had data to show the change was short sighted. There was much talk about how 6th grade kids were more like 7th grade kids and should be pushed up to middle schools and out of the elementary schools. That change was made based on emotion, theory and beliefs and not on data that educational outcomes would improve. Coupled with the introduction of the much-hated Everyday Math at that time, it was a big mistake by the BOE at that time that should be overturned in this next round of redistricting.
DonBee
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 1:17 p.m.
aaparent - As interesting as that sounds, it would be a huge problem. Pioneer and Huron between them have roughly 3600 students, neither could absorb the other building's numbers, and no building could absorb either Community or Skyline. With the change in population (within the AAPS school students - not the number in the district) going back to one of the proposals from before Skyline may be the way to deal with closing a High School. This will get serious push back from within the District, it did when it was proposed during the Skyline discussions: 1) Move sixth grade back to the elementary schools, this will fill the buildings up, and reduce the number of students who are not ready to deal with moving between classes (several studies show that many are not ready in 6th grade - and that the issue is gender based). 2) Move 9th grade into the middle schools, redo the curriculum in the middle schools to put more focus on academics and less on "growing up". Make at least 4 of the required courses for graduation available in 8th grade, reducing the need for 7 classes in grades 9 to 12. Yes, this means that the athletic programs in the high schools lose access to the 9th graders - one of the biggest issues during the Skyline discussion. Not many 9th graders do more than warm the bench anyway, and the Rec&Ed programs are good enough to get them ready for varsity. 3) Make the high schools 10th-12th grade. Now there is room to consolidate a high school, but not either Pioneer or Huron. If the UofM wants the Pioneer site, then they can find a different site for AAPS and build a new building there for the district. But one of the other 4 high schools (or 2) could be folded into other high school buildings. This is the only way that it could work, without a bond to build a new high school.
aaparent
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:50 p.m.
@Jack Panitch, Bob and Donbee -- this is a idea I have heard discussed and it ties some things together. The idea would be that the U-M would use Pioneer in some way, given its perfect location near the stadium for club sports or other athletic programs. I don't know if this idea is rumor or something that has been floated over the years and not materialized. With Rec and Ed stationed over by Pioneer, football parking over there and problems with Skyline, I am very curious whether Pioneer might become the building for online classes or non-traditional programs like Clemente and then also use the site for some academic programs that could be consolidated for cost-savings, such as condensed AP classes that the district won't be able to afford offering at all the high schools or some of the magnet-type programs that are only available to students in some buildings.
DonBee
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:40 p.m.
The flip of the question is how much does the district stand to gain if the realignment results in at least two of the existing under utilized buildings getting a vibrant staff again? Best guess is between 200 and 400 students are elsewhere, instead of AAPS. At roughly $9000 each that is between 1.8 and 3.6 million dollars in additional state funding. If redistricting should not happen until 2015-16 (Dr. Swift hint) then fixing at least two of the buildings that are not doing well now in local attendance might make a huge difference. I suspect that performance improvement plans are already in place for those buildings, and if Dr. Swift hold to those plans, I suspect that she will be able to make changes based on objective metrics before the end of 2013. The question is will she hold to the course set by Dr. Green on administrator performance? Yes, closing buildings can cost students. No question of that Mr. Panitch. But there are also costs to keeping buildings that are not full running. Most of which are not included in the numbers cited.
Basic Bob
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:27 p.m.
Ask yourself which students are most likely to leave, and where would they go. It's probably the same areas which have already defected due to the second-rate delivery of education in certain outlying areas. They are less vulnerable at the high school level since there are fewer choices.
Great Lakes Lady
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:20 p.m.
School board "..in a holding pattern since February"? U.M. offered to do it at no cost to the district? What was the hold up? Sounds like a no brainer to me.
Charles Curtis
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:17 p.m.
Same old same old, just pretend the issue doesn't exist. We need a new BOE. There is no excuse to not be doing the data work needed. I guess this is to be able to do the fear campaign again in fall and spring to get some new tax on the public.
A2comments
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 11:54 a.m.
It seems that since our superintendent resigned little got done. Who was ensuring she was doing her job from then until she left? I do hope our new superintendent decides to speak for herself and not have someone putting double speak out there.
Basic Bob
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 3:25 p.m.
"the shortest window possible for upset parents to react" The administration should ignore the upset parents. This is the root cause of every problem the district faces. Tell them that unfortunately changes had to made, just deal with it.
aaparent
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:44 p.m.
@A2comments- I agree that the voice of the district can not continue to be Liz Margolis, despite the good job she has done at times to provide at least some information, clearly working within big political conflits within the Balas castle during Dr. Green's reign. Margolis has a lot of knowledge about the district, and could possibly shift her experience elsewhere, but I think the main spokesperson for the AAPS going forward will need to be Swift, assuming the final contract issues can be resolved and she will be taking the job. Deputy superintendent's in charge of specific areas, e.g. Flye and curriculum, should comment to the news media too. I think that it has been a bad pattern that Margolis has become the press secretary for too many school news stories. I don't think it is Margolis' fault but the fault of the superintendent and I am hopeful Swift will change this since she seems less afraid of speaking to the public and meeting people.
aaparent
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:40 p.m.
@Basic Bob- I agree. If our attorney interim superintendent is not really doing his $14-plus/hour salary boost extra work to accomplish momentum on getting our recalled teachers back into buildings, we need to give his salary boost to someone else who can get things moving. I am still confused about why the HR people who commenters (laid off teachers) said are on vacation at this critical time. AAPS is famous for playing musical chairs with teachers and principals at the 11th hour before welcome back activities begin for kids to create the shortest window possible for upset parents to react.
Basic Bob
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:24 p.m.
It's as hard to tell when she stopped working as it is to tell when she started. And why are we paying an interim superintendent extra money if he is doing nothing extra? This is just more delaying tactics from the administration. They could have made a decision and started preparing the data. The conclusions can be manipulated later when they get their input from the core constituency.
Maria Huffman
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 11:44 a.m.
Wow, so our redistricting will have to come under IRB approval if AAPS decides to work with the UofM research bid? Why, may I ask, did they offer to do it for free?----Maria Huffman
kuriooo
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 2:23 a.m.
I would happily welcome U of M involvement in the process. I believe they have a vested interest in a great outcome, as the quality of the schools is an important factor to many valued employees. Additionally, I believe they are willing to put their name and reputation on the line. If it turns out to be a great result, that's a bonus for the U and the research department(s) involved. If it's a flop, that's no good for anyone. As an aside, I'm not sure why Burr Oak is taking issue with the Spanish Program. My understanding is that it runs through the school of Ed. Furthermore, the program costs AAPS NOTHING and allows AAPS students to be introduced to Spanish in 3rd grade as opposed to middle school.
Maria Huffman
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 3:59 p.m.
Well, it's research and schools and that means what happens impact kids...Also, maybe they'll do a good job, maybe they won't, nobody knows until they start actually working, but then what? What are the terms of employment when someone is working for free? How long do they work on things, how many scenarios would you want them to run through, after all? But if an IRB is involved, we should know the names of those individuals on that board.
towncryer
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 3:37 p.m.
@Ken, I agree with most of what you say about saving money, etc... However, if the final plan winds up with closing things that are beneficial for UM to purchase, I think that will cause more uproar and perhaps even conflict of interest questions. Not necessarily with the elementary schools, but at least with three of the high schools (although Burns Park is close to campus--fat chance of that--ha!). Hopefully it will work out for all but as others have stated, it will be an uphill climb with the Ann Arbor NIMBY thinking.
Ken
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 3:08 p.m.
Many bloggers in the past have made mention that U-M never contributes to supporting Ann Arbor, we now have a serious offer for a contribution to A2 by U-M, and it is met with suspicion. I understand the concern that Burr Oak is expressing, however; given the fact that U-M is offering free service vs the BIG $$$ that a consulting firm or other "professional" agency would charge; I can not help but consider not only the cost savings that this move would yield, but how would an out of town agency be anymore "truly invested in the success of the results?" I apologize for the long run on sentence.
DonBee
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 1:22 p.m.
Burr Oak - I just worked with a group of graduate students, under direction of a full professor, not only did they do a wonderful job, but they had the time in the data analysis to do more than a dozen scenarios and analyze the impacts of each. A professional firm would have done at most 3 or 4. The results (people/population based) of the study were beyond what I would have expected from a top flight consulting firm and in less time (and money). One scenario that a professional firm will not have the time to look at is the "potential" of a building walk zone, if the building was attractive, this is where the graduate students come in, because they can use new tools, to create overlays to show those potentials, and help the district figure out not only where their students today are, but where they may come from and which locations are not yielding the number of students they should based on the student age population in that area. Done well this is not only a redistricting tool, but a marketing and building change tool.
Burr Oak
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 1:10 p.m.
Not to be negative, but having been a UM graduate student, I don't think we want to put this kind of important issue in the hands of those who are just building their expertise and are not truly invested in the success of the results. Academic decisions are often unsustainable. If you want to look at the differential between the PR and the reality, come visit an elementary 'Spanish' class taught by UM students who are not even in the School of Ed or Spanish majors. I would tread carefully with UM partnerships, which is possibly exactly what the district is doing right now. I know that this comment may draw ire, and it is not a criticism of the UM, but a warning about the particular projects which may develop based on past experience.
aaparent
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 12:37 p.m.
@Maria Huffman-When I read the article, I am not sure the reference to internal review board is the IRB (Institutional Review Board) at the U-M that approves human subjects research. There would not be a human subjects issue unless they plan to do some survey before and after about how children and families adjust, to prove a theory that if parents are positive, the kids will be fine, as long as they have friends and like their teachers, etc. I took it to mean that whatever division (is it the school of urban planning? Is it the school of ed?) has a research committee that would see if grad students could work at the AAPS task as a project, getting work experience relevant to degree completion. It seems like we need more information. When the schools were closed in 1987, there was criticism then that resources from the U-M in population prediction and urban planning were not used for cost savings and that the district instead paid a private firm. Much of the work had to be edited and there was much criticism of the edits to the original draft falling prey to the political or passionate pleas from parent groups wanting their children to stay within in walking distance of a neighborhood school. Whatever process the district uses now, they should talk to the people who were involved the first time around.
belboz
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 11:31 a.m.
Well, our great grandparents could build the district without GIS, technology, or computers. But, we sit on our hands and can't figure out how to redistrict and do the simple math needed to add up the students and divide them among the buildings. I must say, Ypsi and Willow Run acted quickly and proactively. With the fund balance most likely going to zero next year, it is sad AAPS can't do the same. There is no perfect solution for redistricting and shutting down schools. Under no scenario is everyone going to be happy. Someone is going to complain. I get it. But, that does not mean nothing should be done.
Wake Up A2
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 10:34 a.m.
Also swift should look at more cuts at balas which would easily save 3-4 million more.
Resident A2
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 9:17 p.m.
Wake Up A2.......you're kidding, right??
Wake Up A2
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 10:30 a.m.
The district has two teachers with years of GIS experience they should use before outsiders which would cost money. Also the district only quoted staff savings per building not operating costs or the fact they could sell the older non ada compliant buildings.
SonnyDog09
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 8:05 p.m.
I would bet that doing that work would be a violation of work rules in the contract with the teachers union.
Basic Bob
Sun, Aug 11, 2013 : 4:12 p.m.
These two teachers don't have professional liability insurance to defend themselves against federal lawsuits. Any changes which affect racial and socioeconomic balance or opportunities could end up in court. In addition, there are certain internal boundaries in the district which must be maintained for prestige and property value reasons - the most notorious one being Platt/Packard. This can't be placed in the hands of amateurs.