• From: Ahmed Ismail <ismaila@gpschools.org>
    Date: Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 2:13 PM
    Subject: GPPSS - Sara Scott Email re: Blue Ribbon Committee


    Cc: School Board (GPPSS) <schoolboard@gpschools.org>



    Hello, Ms. Scott,

     

    I apologize for this second email, but there was a statement that you made in the first paragraph of your email (below) that is untrue and also a favor I would like to ask.

     

    The first paragraph of your email states, "....Some of these arguments he made during Board debate, other are his "interpretation" of the facts, and yet others are pure fabrication, especially around the almost two years of work by a Blue Ribbon Committee...."  The Blue Ribbon Committee was in function for I believe seven evening meetings over a three month period (about 21 hours) from mid September to mid December 2017, not two years.

     

    With regard to your other statements in this same paragraph prior to your request that I be censured, please be so kind as to let me know:

    1. What did I say that was untrue during the debate on the bond language?
    2. What are there statements you refer to as "his interpretation of the facts" that you feel are not backed up by evidence?
    3. What are the items you refer to as "pure fabrication"?
    4. You feature a snippet from my email that states, "...When I asked that the words "construction additions" be removed there was no support from the Board...", saying that "..this admission is important and is the basis of my letter to you...".  Are you saying that my asking that the words be removed was a violation of policy and the reason I should be recused or that I never said them?  If policy, which policy did any statement I made during this debate violate?

     

    Thank you in advance for providing clarity to your email for me.

     

    Ahmed Ismail

     

     

    Ahmed Ismail, Trustee

    Grosse Pointe Public School System

    313-343-9060 (work phone - 8am - 5pm)

    313-969-1541 (cell phone - 6pm - 10pm)

    ahmed.ismail@comcast.net (personal email address)

     

    Note:  The opinions expressed in this email are those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the balance of the Board of Trustees and/or the administration of the Grosse Pointe Public School System. Emails sent to or from this email address are accessible by the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).



    ---------- Forwarded message ---------

    Date: Wed, Oct 24, 2018 at 8:23 PM
    Subject: Bond Concerns
    To: <summerfieldbc@yahoo.com>, <schoolboard@gpschools.org>
    Cc: <dwotruba@masb.org>



    Brian Summerfield, GPPSS BOE President

     

     

     

    There is an email that is going around the community from Mr. Ismail. In the email, he offers arguments against the proposed school bond that is on the ballot November 6th. Some of these arguments he made during Board debate, others are his “interpretation” of the facts, and yet others are pure fabrication, especially around the almost two years of work by a Blue Ribbon Committee. In fact, Mr. Ismail says:

     

    “When I asked that the words “construction additions” be removed, there was no support from the Board.  The bond language was approved as above, with Mrs. Pangborn and I being the dissenting votes.”

     

    This admission is important and is the basis of my letter to you.

     

    With his statement, and his behind the scenes work to sabotage a voted on decision of the Board, Mr. Ismail is in violation of both Board By-Law 143.1 Public Expression of Board Members and the Board of Education Governance Standards endorsed by the Michigan State Board of Education and adopted by the GPPSS Board. These standards say that once a vote is taken, Board members must support that action, whether they voted for or against the action.

     

    No matter how the bond vote ends up, I believe that the Board should publicly censure Mr. Ismail for his actions against a legal vote of the Board.

     

    I have attached a copy of Mr. Ismail’s email.

     

    Respectfully,

     

    Sara Scott

     

     

    CC:       Don Wotruba, CE, Executive Director

    Michigan Association of School Boards

    dwotruba@masb.org