Wilkins, Leslie - Ann Arbor Public Schools
Are you an incumbent?
No
Brief Intro of Candidate
I’m a qualified, calm, compassionate, and thoughtful long-term Ann Arbor Public School parent. Serving on the Ann Arbor School Board has been on my heart for a long time now. Ten years ago, I attended an informational session; and afterward a good friend pulled me aside to question my sanity of considering this position with two small kids, and suggested that if I really wanted to make a difference in school-related issues, I should get involved with my kids’ school PTO. That’s exactly what I did, volunteering with the Elementary School PTO for two years, and then the Scarlett Middle School PTO for five years, serving as Vice President of the board for three years. I really enjoyed the work I did on the PTO boards of those Title One schools, advocating for students and teachers, and now I’m excited to take the next step to serve in a way that impacts students district-wide. I have bachelor degrees in music and psychology from U of M, along with an MBA, and I’ve been a marketing executive at the same company for 16 years. Along with my work with school PTOs, I’ve served on other nonprofit boards for the past 11 years. I was a candidate for AAPS school board in 2022 and though I wasn’t elected, I’ve continued to be engaged with school board meetings, and worked with the Parent Teacher Organization Council’s Equity Committee.
Endorsements
Yes, I'm proud to be endorsed by the AAEA (Ann Arbor Teachers Union) and the Washtenaw County Democratic Party. I am seeking the endorsement of the Huron Valley Area Labor Federation. I also have a number of personal endorsements on my website.
Top financials Contributors
Website and social media links
I ran for school board in 2022 and raised just over $4,200 in a completely grassroots effort. I expect to fund this campaign in much the same way, with lots of personal donations from individuals whose only interest is a better education for all students.
How would you engage and include parents, caregivers, community members and students in decision-making in your district around things like curriculum, budgeting and district policy?
I want to make sure that ALL students, ALL families, and ALL communities are considered and consulted when important policy decisions are made. And I want to see the Board spend its valuable time on the issues that affect students district-wide, versus the more specific issues that just happen to have the loudest supporters.
I think AAPS needs an intentional, structured method of seeking out those issues, dealing with them, and then following up. The district needs to demonstrate that they are actually listening to what families are telling them, in order to rebuild trust with the community.
And we need to make sure that families who are most impacted by inequities are consulted. We know there has been a disproportionately large increase in Black families changing to home-schooling since the pandemic. And even before that, there was a proportionately significant percentage of Black families leaving AAPS. I think we need to do what we call in the corporate world exit interviews. We need to be asking the families who left WHY they left.
What are your thoughts on school discipline and the way it is exercised in your school district? What are your thoughts on restorative practices?
My lived experiences, including serving on school PTOs, have shown me that systemic racism is still harming Ann Arbor students. Systemic racism results in unjust discipline practices and disproportionate disciplinary consequences, which lead to a greater academic opportunity gap. As a board member, I will work to ensure that administration is well-trained on the lesser interventions and restorative practices, as well as holding administration accountable for using those measures, including keeping track of the numbers, data, and circumstances related to any suspensions and expulsions.
What are your thoughts on how to improve student mental health
Social-emotional learning needs to be a top priority for all grade levels, and mental health resources need to be more readily available to students. We’re finally recognizing the importance of having mental health resources available for our teenagers, but I want to work on ways to increase those resources at the elementary level now, too.
One thing that reinforces positive mental health is representation: Students need to see aspects of themselves celebrated and reflected in curriculum materials and in classroom and extracurricular activities. This is especially crucial to the mental health of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students. Also, access to the arts reinforces positive mental health. In the past, AAPS has always been known for its robust arts programs and I will fight to restore and preserve those programs.
What are your thoughts on ways to improve Black student achievement in your district and in Michigan schools overall?
In order to improve Black student achievement, we need to make sure Black students feel valued, feel safe, and feel confident that they can perform as well as or better than their white peers. I know of many instances where Black students were steered toward less rigorous academic tracks, not because of past academic performance, but because the people doing the steering made incorrect assumptions about those students’ capabilities. The schools need to do better. We also need to end unjust disciplinary actions, which disproportionately affect our Black students, and we need to increase Black representation in staff and curriculum.
What are your thoughts on how to ensure that all students and their families, regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, religion, income status, etc., feel safe and included in your district?
Students will succeed when they feel valued and important. All students need to feel welcome and included as they are, without expectation that they need to change to fit some kind of mold. One thing that contributes to that is representation. Students need to see aspects of themselves and others celebrated and reflected in curriculum materials and in classroom and extracurricular activities. I think school board members need to do a better job of reaching out to historically marginalized groups directly to get their input on what would help them feel safe and included.
What are your thoughts on how to recruit and retain staff, particularly staff of color, in your district with regard to pay, benefits, and working conditions?
AAPS needs to be competitive; other districts are offering not only signing bonuses but retention bonuses. Also, our top-notch educators need to be trusted to do their job in ways they know are best for students. And they need a more structured way to communicate their needs to the board. As for staff of color, it’s a catch-22 type of challenge, because the more staff of color we have, the more safe and valued new potential staff of color will feel. I would like to see the district act with more intention regarding recruiting staff of color, including targeted marketing campaigns to colleges and communities with a high percentage of people of color.