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WCC Trustees Down to the Wire in Decision Whether to Extend Contract of Embattled Community College President
Since the controversial dismissal of Washtenaw Community College’s VP of Instruction, Dr. Stuart Blacklaw, the college’s president, hired in 2011, has found herself at war with her own faculty over governance, transparency and an…
Two-Thirds of County’s National Merit Scholars Attend AAPS
LAST WEEK THE National Merit Scholar Corporation announced that about 16,000 U.S. high school students had been named semifinalists in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship competition.
In Washtenaw County, 93 students were named…
A2POLITICO: Biting the Hand That’s Under the Impression It’s Feeding You
By P.D. Lesko
THE EMAILS WERE clear: the PR rep. at Washtenaw Community College was not amused that The Ann Arbor Independent published an article about Dr. Gus Demas, a $500/day consultant hired by the college’s president. The college’s…
Almost One-Third of AAPS Students Chronically Absent, According to CEPI Data
THE NATIONAL GROUP Attendance Works released state-by-state school attendance data and data for the nation’s 21 large, urban districts. In the report issued last week, the authors say school absenteeism is a national challenge.
Almost a…
While Serving as Brown U Provost, U-M President Schlissel Did Little to Stem Campus “Rape Culture,” Critics Claim
by Donna Iadipaolo
“Dr. Schlissel was negligent in taking a leadership role on these issues, being proactive to combat a rape culture, as well as investigating student complaints, according to Carty. When some administrators did act, it…
AAPS Superintendent Tells Crowd at Rally: State K-12 Funding Cuts Causing a “downward spiral into mediocrity”
by David Alexander
During her comments, AAPS Superintendent Dr. Jeanice Kerr Swift continually referred to a “downward spiral into mediocrity” caused by reduced money, saying “Shame on our legislators if they don’t figure this out, and…
A2POLITICO: U-M and FOIA—the $96,000 Question
by P.D. Lesko
THE U-M FOIA official sent a letter requesting $60 to examine one month of that institution’s FOIA log. This was after I received a handwritten list of FOIAs submitted to U-M that covered a two week period and a letter…
Former Ward 2 Council Member Tony Derezinski Runs for WCC Board of Trustees
FORMER ANN ARBOR City Council member Tony Derezinski (D-Ward 2) is launching a bid for a spot on the Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees. Derezinki, who once batted around the idea of running for mayor, was defeated in the 2012…
EDITORIAL: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green: Student Success in Ann Arbor
ANN ARBOR PUBLIC Schools recently received a poor rating from the Michigan Department of Education on that district’s school reportcard. Local officials argued that the district’s “high diversity” makes it difficult to meet the state’s high…
Critics Say WCC Prez’s Belt-Tightening Not Evident in Her Pay, Perks or P-Card Statements
A new budgeting strategy which Dr. Bellanca says aligns spending with the college’s strategic priorities has faculty up in arms. The college’s latest budget ups funding for instruction and instructional support by 1.4 percent while funding…

