This Week
In the Ann Arbor Public Schools

September 25, 2007

To: The Staff of the Ann Arbor Public Schools
From: Todd Roberts, Superintendent

This Week’s Good News!

  • I want to acknowledge and thank you, our staff members at every level, for your patience and care in orienting your students and parents to a new school year. I have heard some great beginning of the year stories. It seems like we are all making the adjustments nicely. I have received wonderful feedback from parents throughout the district about their school’s curriculum night.
  • On September 17, students from Mitchell Elementary had the opportunity to speak with astronauts on the International Space Station. This communication was made possible through “old technology,” a ham radio set. Mitchell and Scarlett are both in their third year as NASA Explorer Schools.
  • Bach Elementary fourth grade teacher, Robin Frisch-Gleason, is one of eight educators from around the world selected to join a team of scientists in Antarctica to study global climate change. The educators will assist the scientists and communicate with their schools and communities about the work being done. Robin will post a blog and keep in touch, via email, with her students as well as other classrooms throughout the district. She leaves on October 1, and will return in mid-December. We look forward to hearing about Robin’s Adventures in Antarctica. 
  • Marj Hyde and the First Steps of Washtenaw County Program were awarded a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan to support the early childhood learning program.
  • The Operations division, headed by Deputy Superintendent Robert Allen, was awarded a grant for $244,624 from the United States Department of Education for Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools. Thanks to Henry Caudle for coordinating the application and proposal.
  • I hope that you are enjoying the “Board Notes,” a summary of each Board of Education meeting that President Cross posts on the Board of Education page of the AAPS website.
  • We are continuing our district’s Strategic Planning which began last March. A group of forty staff, students and community members came together to determine the future direction of our district. From their work, eight strategies were identified and Action Teams were formed to define how those strategies could be implemented. Throughout the spring and summer over 150 staff and community members worked to develop recommendations as to how their strategic objective could be achieved. These recommendations will be presented to the original Strategic Planning committee in early November.
  • Dicken Principal Michael Madison sends accolades to the ITD people, “I would like to publicly acknowledge the ITD department. I was at first, hesitant, with the "ticket" process, for getting help with technology. I had imagined that my request was going to go into a black hole without ever receiving a response. But when you use the ticket process, you get an automated response acknowledging receipt of the request. Then within 48 hours the problem is resolved.
    Then ITD instituted the AAPS service desk hotline for anyone to call to receive immediate help. I have to say that with this addition, I have been extremely satisfied with the service that has been provided. I want to especially thank Michael Hogue, who was at the service desk at the time that I called. He walked me through my problem, educated me along the way, and fixed my computer, all at the same time. The time that he spent with was very appreciated and he deserves a "BIG THANKS". I don't know what I would have done without his help!”
Todd Roberts, Ed.D.
Superintendent