"Patrick Leonard is exactly the right perspective to add to the AAPS BOE right now. Patrick represents a bright and successful recent UM and AAPS alum. He's also demonstrated the kind of dedication to our district through his extensive volunteer work in AAPS that backs up his interest, transcending politics. He will bring a fresh perspective and be an excellent team player, a skill he demonstrates each day. We need our best and brightest now more than ever - and Patrick is a fine example of our best and brightest. I look forward to working with Patrick as a colleague."
Christine Stead, AAPS Board of Education Trustee and Chair, Planning Committee.
"I've been tremendously impressed with Mr. Leonard at each opportunity we've had to discuss education in general and AAPS issues in particular. He is pragmatic, solution-oriented, has a personal demeanor that invites collaboration and partnership, has insights that only an AAPS classroom perspective can provide, and is clear in his insightful vision for our students and staff. AAPS Board of Education will benefit greatly from his uncompromising dedication to our community's educational mission for all students."
Brit Satchwell, President, Ann Arbor Education Association
Ann Arbor Community Members, Families, and School Staff,
I am delighted to announce my candidacy for the Ann Arbor School Board. As a lifelong Ann Arbor resident and product of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, I am excited to have this opportunity to serve the Ann Arbor community. I come from a family of educators that work in the Ann Arbor Public Schools - my mother is an art teacher at Lakewood Elementary and Angell Elementary, and my brother is a physical education teacher at Burns Park Elementary. Therefore, I was fortunate to be part of a family and community that embraced public school education and the success of this district.
This past July I graduated from the University of Michigan. As a student at the University of Michigan, I wanted to become more involved in the Ann Arbor School District. From 2008 to 2010, I worked for the Community Education and Recreation Department as a camp director, School Age Child Care assistant, and summer camp counselor; I was a recess supervisor at Lakewood Elementary and volunteered at other schools throughout the district. This year, I had the opportunity to be a mentor at Mitchell Elementary School through the University of Michigan Mentorship Program, a community outreach program designed to provide students with interactive one-on-one support in the classroom.
As a school board member, I will focus on issues that serve the best interest of the students. I want students to exceed international standards in achievement and become leaders in the community after graduating from this school district. I feel it's imperative that we build a strong partnership between the schools and our community to attain these goals. Please visit the page titled, "vision" on my website to learn more about my strategic plan -- a paradigm that I feel will contribute to the district's future success.
Achievement
If much is expected, then much will be achieved.
I have extremely high expectations for student achievement in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. The last three years I have studied the effectiveness of standardized testing, the student achievement gap, and methods schools can use to augment student performance. The three factors that consistently contribute to higher achievement rates are: curriculum, instruction, and the physical condition of the schools. Therefore, it will be my goal to strengthen each of these core educational components.
We Must Start Early...
The Ann Arbor Public Schools will introduce a new computer-based adaptive assessment for K-5 students. This assesment was developed by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). It allows for kid-centric learning; teachers are able to monitor and adjust their instruction around each child's interests. The evaluation is aligned to state standards, however national curriculum standards were used in creating the items for NWEA for Primary Grade's assessments. Why is this important? A report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that the State of Michigan, and seven other states, have below basic assessment standards in mathematics and reading. This new evaluation metric will give the Ann Arbor Schools an enhanced tool, allowing the district to benchmark itself against national and international achievement standards. In addition, it will allow administrators to critically assess the district's strategic plan.
The Achievement Gap
The student achievement gap has shown diminutive improvements from the 2005-2006 to 2009-2010 school years, so there is still much more that needs to be accomplished. I will collaborate with community members, academic institutions, and the state government to promote programs that will aid students' learning. I will focus on school's with long-term patterns of low academic achievement and provide them with more instructional intervention programs to help diminish the achievement gap. In addition, I feel the district should comprehensively evaluate each school, not solely on quantifiable measures (like the MEAP), but by developing an in-depth evaluation process that identifies areas of improvement for each school.
Ways to Improve
- Continue to support summer programs for low achieving students
- Increase the number of mentors, teaching assistants, and aids in the classroom
- Promote additional after-school activities and social events to increase parental involvement
- Set high expectations for all students
Source : Mapping State Proficiency Standards Onto the NAEP Scales (2010)
Fiscal Responsibility
As a school board trustee, I will make sure that community members, families, and school staff are involved in budgetary decisions. I feel it's imperative that we remain transparent and receive feedback from stakeholders in the community before making revisions to the budget.
We must be responsible and trustworthy in handling the budget, and understand that cost reduction CANNOT be the only solution to long-term sustainability for the district. With the reduction in state aid, we will need to find additional revenue sources such as generating support for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Foundation (www.aapsef.org), expanding private funding to the district, and increasing our advocacy efforts in Lansing. In addition, we need to continue to write grant proposals for school projects, which accounted for $12.6 million in the 2010-2011 academic year.
Increasing Student Enrollment
There is an estimated 1,300 K-12 students living in the district who attend non-AAPS schools (AAPSNews, 2011). I would like to focus on ways we can generate revenue by increasing our student base. This year's enrollment is down from the 2006-2007 academic year significantly, which has reduced revenues over the last four years by approximately $10 million. This is due to a reduction in per pupil funding since proposal A, as well as a reduction in the blended head count . Therefore, we must find ways to increase our student base as we try to balance our expected budget deficit. We must develop strategies to attract families to the district, and retain them once they are part of the Ann Arbor Public Schools.
I will also focus on reducing overhead costs and directing funds back into our classrooms. My goal as a board member is to make sure we are being monetarily efficient and I will look at ways we can improve our efficacy by diminishing excess costs.
State of Michigan Funding Allocation
Fiscal Year Per Pupil Allocation $ Incremental Increase
08 - 09 $ 9,723 $56
09 - 10 $ 9,336 $(387)
10 -11 $ 9,490 $ 154
*11 - 12 $ 9,020 $(470)
*Projected
Sources:
Ann Arbor Public Schools Approved Budget (2011) ; AAPSNews (2011) http://news.a2schools.org/?p=4671
Community Relations
We must build a strong partnership between the schools and our community to enrich students' learning. I will collaborate with community members, academic institutions, and organizations to improve our district. The University of Michigan has already contributed to the growth of the district through a variety of programs, such as the Ann Arbor Language Partnership and the Mitchell-Scarlett Teaching and Learning Collaboration (TLC). As a mentor at Mitchell Elementary School, I was able to see at first hand the positive impact these partnerships can have for our community schools.
Below are some of the initiatives that have been implemented in the district:
- Young Peoples Project
- Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools
- Ann Arbor Language Partnership
- Mitchell Scarlett Teaching and Learning Collaboration (TLC)
- Mighty Mustangs Math Program
- University of Michigan Mentorship Program
These programs were developed by means of a partnership between the Ann Arbor Schools, community members, the University of Michigan, and organizations that promote youth literacy. As a school board member, I will evaluate these programs and advocate for instructional intervention to improve students' performance. The Ann Arbor Schools has continued to provide excellent extended learning programs, and I will further pursue intiatives and technologies that provide students with a Twenty-first century education.
I would like to provide students with an education that is rich in academics, the arts, and athletics, and lets students explore their unbounded potential. I believe this can be achieved if we set high expectations for everyone involved in a child's education, and if we come together as a community to enrich the learning environment.
Your Voice Matters
I want you to have a voice in your local school district. Therefore, I have devised a way to increase community involvement, which includes:
Podcasts- All board meetings and important messages from the administration will be available online as an audio and/or video podcast.
Social Media - I will engage the community using social media such as an interactive website, Twitter and Facebook to keep community members informed of any changes within the district.
Public Forum Meetings - I will promote public forum meetings throughout the year, and would like to hold these events at different schools and community centers in the district.
SUPPORTERS
Dianne Brainard
Colleen Creal - Counselor, Pioneer High School
Rick Dekeon - Teacher, Northside Elementary
Neal Elyakin - WISD Special Education, Supervisor-Young Adult/Local Based High School
Carole Fletcher - SACC, Lakewood Elementary
Rich Garay
Brad and Melanie Hamilton
Noah and Lizzy Hurwitz
Shaugn Kalnaraups - Teacher, Haisley Elementary
Karen and Bob Knoeppe
J.R. Leonard - Teacher, Burns Park Elementary
Peggy Leonard - Teacher, Lakewood Elementary
Jerry Leonard
Charles Lewis
Amy Osinski - Executive Assistant - AAPS Board of Education
Donald Osinski
Jack Panitch
Dan and Jane Pasquantonio
Irene Patalan - AAPS Board of Education Trustee and Treasurer
Melissa Pike
Jeff Pike - Teacher, Saline High School
Joanna and Lincoln Poley
Matthew Poley
Zachary Poley
Brit Satchwell - AAEA President
Lloyd Shelton
Christine Stead - AAPS Board of Education Trustee and Chair, Planning Committee
Eric Sturgis
Debbie and Mike Tirico
Yvonne Wade
William Wade - AAPS former Deputy Superintendent for Business Affairs
Rhonda and Alan Warren
Judy and Ed Wier
Contact
Please message me with any questions, concerns, or comments that you have.
