Andy Thomas selected to fill open Ann Arbor school board seat
The third time is the charm.
Andy Thomas - who has three times applied for open school board vacancies in recent months - was chosen Wednesday evening to join the board.
Thomas, a district parent, will fill the seat vacated by Randy Friedman last month.
He received four votes from the board in the second round of balloting. Voting for him were Deb Mexicotte, Irene Patalan, Glenn Nelson and Christine Stead. School board Trustees Susan Baskett and Simone Lightfoot voted for Victoria Haviland.
In the first round, Mexicotte, Patalan and Nelson voted for Thomas. Baskett and Lightfoot voted for Haviland in the first round, and Stead voted for Jack Panitch.
Also applying for the open seat were James Corey and Noah Hurwitz.
Thomas will serve through the end of the year. His seat will be up for election in November.
Thomas is the third person recently appointed by the board. Appointed earlier were Lightfoot and Stead. Lightfoot and Stead’s seats will also be up for election in November, along with Mexicotte and Baskett’s seats.
David Jesse covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2534.
Comments
DonBee
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 7:51 a.m.
There will be 5 seats (maybe more if someone else quits) of 7 up for election this fall. If you don't like the way things are going, this is the chance to get on the ballot and run. It is also the chance to make wholesale changes to the board, if you are unhappy with the board or the district. We probably will not see this kind of turnover again in a decade or more. Become informed and vote. It is your right as a citizen to have a voice in who sits on the board or even to sit on the board. AAPS needs active leadership.
greymom
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 5:50 a.m.
Both Baskett and Lightfoot are wonderful!!! They were the only ones to stand by AFSCME Local 1182 and even though it appears we are the group to be giving up more then any other, they continued to stand up for what was right, not bringing just anyone in with your kids!!! They are the ones to questions what is really going on in Ann Arbor Public Schools. Zulu look at your own motives before casting a dark cloud over others. People can and do think outside the box and sad to say A2 Schools is stuck in the box!! We need change and it starts at the top.
KeepingItReal
Sun, May 16, 2010 : 6:03 a.m.
Andy Thomas should have been selected the first time around. It's too bad that Baskett and Lightfoot choose not support his selection. It appears those two will be voting as a mini block and I would strongly encourage the voters to keep an eye on them especially as we approach the November elections.