Dear Friends,

I am humbled by the decision of so many dedicated local organizations and elected officials to support my candidacy for Ann Arbor School Board. The breadth and depth of these organizations and elected officials shows just how united the people of the Ann Arbor Public Schools community are in fighting for the district we deserve.

Thank you to the Washtenaw County Democratic Party, Ann Arbor Education Association, Huron Valley Area Labor Federation, Real Safety PAC, College Democrats at the University of Michigan, College Democrats at Eastern Michigan University, and the Human Rights Party at the University of Michigan for your continued support. Among these organizations are labor unions, campus organizations, and locally-focused political groups who have all come together to support a candidate who knows just how important a good school system was in his own development as a human being. I look forward to working not just with these groups but with anyone and everyone to ensure that our kids get the world-class education they are owed.

Thank you to U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, State Senator Sue Shink, Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia M. Dyer, Washtenaw County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi, Washtenaw County Commissioner Annie Somerville, Ann Arbor Mayor Pro Tem Travis Radina, Ann Arbor City Councilmember Jenn Cornell, Ann Arbor City Councilmember Jen Eyer, and Ann Arbor District Library Board President Aidan Sova for getting behind this wide-eyed kid with a dream of a better school district for everyone. I am deeply humbled by the support of these individuals who have been excellent role models in public service and I look forward – win or lose – to working with these fine individuals to fight for policies that benefit our school district.

Yet, the support I am most proud of is that of the everyday Ann Arbor parents, students, teachers, and community members who have given time and money in order to help me get elected.> I am not in this race to further a prospective political career, I’m in this because I believe that our kids and our community deserve better. I’m in this race for the teacher working two extra jobs to make ends meet. I’m in this race for the paraprofessional driven to homelessness due to the criminally low pay they endure in order to serve our kids. I’m in this for the students who in my 13 years in the Ann Arbor schools never felt like central administration was really looking out for them. I’m in this for the special education parent who will stop at nothing to ensure that their kids get the education the law guarantees them.

I make this pledge to all of you – the folks at home – that my time in public life, no matter how long or short, will be dedicated to ensuring that this great Ann Arbor community will be left better off than when I found it.

Sincerely,
Aaron J. Puno
Democratic-Endorsed Candidate for Ann Arbor School Board

Dear Friends,

I am humbled by the decision of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party to endorse me for Ann Arbor School Board. I thank Washtenaw County Democrats for giving me the privilege of their endorsement. I would also like to thank all those who didn’t vote for me because you still showed up, made your voice heard, and took part in the crucial decision of who should be allowed to help lead our district into the 2030s.

Congratulations to my fellow Ann Arbor Education Association-endorsed candidates for winning every endorsement spot for Ann Arbor School Board. John Benson, Becca Hogan, Rima Mohammad, and Brandon Smith are all dedicated community members who care deeply about the success of our school district. I look forward to presenting a united front for better schools in November and hopefully beyond then.

Thank you to everyone who supported me in this effort. Thank you to Sheriff Alyshia Dyer and Real Safety PAC, Mayor Pro Tem Travis Radina, Councilmember Jenn Cornell, and College Democrats from Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan; I am honored to receive their support. Thank you to everyone who came out to the convention to support me, especially my fellow young people. Thank you to my campaign manager Abby Goggins, your help has been paramount. Thank you to my wonderful family for your continuous support and your unconditional love and affection.

And of course – thank you to the Ann Arbor Education Association for getting behind the wide-eyed son of Filipino immigrants who once lobbied to fly the Filipino flag alongside the flags of many other nations in the cafeteria at Pattengill Elementary School. Thank you all for putting your trust in me. It’s on to November now, so let’s win there!

Sincerely,
Aaron J. Puno
Democratic-Endorsed Candidate for Ann Arbor School Board

Dear Friends,

I am profoundly honored by the decision of the Ann Arbor Education Association to endorse me as a candidate for Ann Arbor Public Schools Trustee. I thank the AAEA not just for this endorsement but for their continued advocacy for Ann Arbor’s teachers, students, and community members. I particularly want to highlight the work of President Fred Klein, Vice-President Tamala Bell, and PAC Chair Nathan Smead; their leadership in this time of crisis serves as an inspiration.

I’m in this race because it’s about time someone had the backs of the most vulnerable people in our district. From the teacher paid $45,000 a year living in a shack in Belleville to the kid in the self-contained classroom at Pioneer — these people have endured enough hardship and been denied respect for too long. As a candidate and as a trustee, I will do my utmost to ensure that their district sees them not as plotted points on a graph or as commodified talking points but as real, hard-working constituents.

I bring to this race the values and perspective of a thirteen year AAPS student. I bring to this race the values of someone who lived through the budget cuts and Kleenex drives of the Snyder Years and the chaotic frenzy of the COVID Pandemic. I bring to this race the values of the son of immigrants, of someone who suffers from a disability, of someone who has witnessed the countless sacrifices of the everyday heroes we call teachers.

I know that these values and perspectives are shared between myself and many members of the AAEA. I intend to deliver not just for them, but for every student, every teacher, every staff member, every parent, and for every shareholder and community member who wills this district to be the destination district it once was. With the help of all of you, we can once again be a district that truly leads, cares, and inspires.

Sincerely,
Aaron J. Puno
Candidate for Ann Arbor School Board