Superintendent Jeanice Swift’s resignation will become effective Dec. 31 after she announced on Wednesday, Sept. 15, that she will leave the district.
The Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education voted 5-2 to accept her resignation, with the only dissenters being Susan Baskeett and Susan Ward Schmitt. One week later on Wednesday, Sept. 20, board member Jacinda Townshend Gides, a vocal Swift critic, resigned from her position on the board, after voting in support of Swift’s resignation.
In an email to Ann Arbor Public Schools staff members on Sept. 14, the BoE released an official statement on Swift’s departure. “[We are] grateful for Dr. Swift’s time and dedication” the statement said,“and we wish her the best.
A few months before Swift’s resignation, details on a controversial event were released to the public. In 2021, a student aide physically assaulted a disabled student on a school bus. According to the Detroit News, footage of the assault was given to school officials, but they neglected to notify the public or act on it immediately.
Currently, there is a lawsuit against the district for the assault on the disabled student and the aide has gone through court proceedings for assault. For these reasons and others several members of the Board of Education supported asking Swift to resign. Other board members, though, objected to that and cited her long record of excellent evaluations from the board. After growing news reporting of the board’s disagreement, on Aug. 23 a contentious board meeting was held at which more than 60 local people spoke, the vast majority asking Swift to resign. One speaker said, “This lady [Swift] has helped torment, and cover up many things that have happened to children of all races and genders.” Another said, “We demand that there not be one more abused child (and) not one more worried parent ignored…by administration”
That meeting lasted five hours. Swift resigned just two weeks later.
The Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA), the teacher and administrator union for AAPS, was frustrated by the BoE calling for Swift’s firing in the way that it did. “It lacked transparency, process, and just cause.” Fred Klein, the President of the AAEA said. “(This) leaves the district without a leader at the helm.” This union represents over 2,000 AAPS employees across the district.
Klein stated that the AAEA wants to be “closely involved with the process of finding qualified candidates, interviewing them, and selecting the next leader.” The BoE will appoint an interim superintendent while they review and interview applicants for the position.
In an email to staff on Sept. 14, Swift said she has been and will continue to work with the AAPS community. “I will dedicate myself to the diligent work to support our students and this AAPS team,” she said, adding that she will work “in support of an incoming leader so that the significant work in progress may continue to move forward.”
Prior to joining AAPS as superintendent in 2013, Swift worked as the superintendent for instruction curriculum and student services at the Colorado School District 11. She was notably named the 2018 Superintendent of the Year by the Michigan Association of School Administrators, and a 2017 “Superintendent to Watch” by the National School Public Relations Association.
At the time of resignation, the Superintendent will be paid a sum of $345,000, the equivalent of 18 months of work at her yearly $230,000 salary.