The Ombuds Blog: Detroit Public Schools Appoints First Ombuds

February 12, 2014

Detroit Public Schools Appoints First Ombuds

The school district that enrolls all of the city of Detroit has named former school board member Carol Banks as its first-ever Ombudsperson. The position will work to resolve parental concerns as part of a new "new Customer Service System," and will maintain confidentiality whenever possible. Few other details about the DPS Ombuds office have been made public.

Prior to her stint as on the DPS school board, Banks was a mathematics teacher. She earned her MA from Wayne State University. (DPS News.)

Related post: Job Posting.

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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February 12, 2014

Detroit Public Schools Appoints First Ombuds

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