Ombudsmen Suggested For Schools

The creation of grievance officer posts in the Arm Arbor public schools has been proposed by Ann Arbor School Trustee-Elect Paul D. Carrington. In a letter fo School Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. and made public by C a r r i n g t o n , the trustee-elect said he proposes the ombudsman idea as a means of dispelling "the distrust of the schools which contributed to the election returns" of June 8. (All millage and bonding proposals of the Ann Arbor School District were defeated). Speaking of the "harbored grievances and suspicions" against school officials he saw during his campaign for a school board seat, Carrington said it would be "in the interest of everyone to provide a better means of venting these hostilit i e s . They are presently dammed up because one feature of the distrust is to disable the ordinary channels of grievance and redress. Too many citizens fear retaliation or punishment if they involve themselves in our processes of review." Carrington said he had in mind for the posts former school board or city council members, former school board candidates or interested citizens. Names and telephone numbers would be given to each parent at the beginning of the school year with a explana - tion that grievance officers had no power to hire or fire, but would be expected to notify the board if it appeared that the schools or any of its officials were neglecting any responsibility." No recommendation on Carrington's proposal has yet been made by Westerman.