Tag Archives: superintendent

Incoming Superintendent Green has great expectations for the future

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Below: About the new superintendent

Dr. Patricia Green

Dr. Patricia Green starts as Ann Arbor's new superintendent on July 1.

Following is a letter to the AAPS community from Dr. Patricia Green, who starts as the district’s new superintendent on July 1:

Dear Ann Arbor Public Schools Staff, Families and Community Members,

Shortly, I will be joining the Ann Arbor Public Schools, a district that has demonstrated its ability to inspire the imagination of young minds and to open young eyes to the world beyond their normal, everyday experience. Ann Arbor is a district that enables children of all ages to develop curiosity and resourcefulness, to care for others and to create their place in a world of tremendous, global change.

Ann Arbor is a special community and I am enormously proud to join its heritage of excellence. Throughout my career, I have always believed in the concept of “Great Expectations … The Best Is Yet To Come!” in which all community members join together with the highest of expectations and strive to create the best world in which our children can learn and grow.

As educators, our children sense our expectations intuitively. A knowing glance, a raised eyebrow, a smile of encouragement, all bring meaning to a child no matter what their age. Each of us in a school community plays a dynamic role, whether we actively realize it or not, in helping our children develop the critical skills needed to create and achieve a vision for their lives. The skillful balance between academics, the arts, athletics as well as social and emotional learning help our children become caring, scholarly individuals today and in their future years.

As I prepare to join the district in July, it is clear to me that Ann Arbor Public Schools is bound together by its educational workforce and its committed and dedicated community in a constant quest for excellence. When a school district and a school community embrace great expectations together, we all help our children construct meaning from the world they inhabit today, as well as help them dream of the possibilities for the future world that they will create.

There will always be challenges, but when we join together to help children create a portrait of their possibilities from a productive, school-community experience, we enable young minds to capture the spirit of who they are and what they can achieve.

As we look toward the 2011-12 school year, let’s unleash the power of “possibility thinking” for our children, because to see a child is to see the possibilities of the future. With great expectations, the best is yet to come for all of them.

I am looking forward to being a part of this exceptional school district.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patricia P. Green

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New superintendent arrives from similar role in Pennsylvania

From AAPSNews Service

Dr. Patricia Pataky Green will join the Ann Arbor Public Schools on July 1 as the district’s new Superintendent of Schools.

Green has a five-year contract with the district, giving her the responsibilities for overseeing all education programs in the district. She is charged with maintaining and improving the quality of education and operations of the district. The school board selected her in March.

Green most recently served as superintendent of North Allegheny School District in Pennsylvania and also served as Acting Deputy Superintendent for Instruction for the Prince George’s County Public Schools, a large district in Maryland.

Before coming to Ann Arbor, she spoke about parent involvement, leadership, diversity and her philosophy on education.

Green said she advocates strong parent involvement and said that in her current role, she hosts a series of superintendent-parent committee meetings. “They set the agenda,” she said. “We’ve changed things based on the passion of the community. Sometimes as leaders we have to sit down and listen.”

She notes that a good superintendent needs input from a variety of sources to be successful. “You don’t do things in isolation,” she added. “You reach out for partnerships.” Green said in her current role, she has a variety of advisory committees in place, including ones with local police and ministerial groups. She also hosts a regular dinner for student leaders.

In the area of equity, diversity and global awareness, Green said a school district must celebrate each student and community member and what they bring to the system and must prepare students to be citizens of the world. “It has to come from the leadership of the school district and it has to be valued,” she said. “We must celebrate what you are, what you bring to the table. And we have to prepare students for their world of the future – not our world of the past.”

She said good leaders should have “kaleidoscopic vision,” including many opinions and viewpoints. A good leader also needs to know when to step forward and when to step back and allow others to take the lead, she said. “Some pieces look different depending on how you turn the lens,” Green said of her philosophy. “It looks different with new information.”

When asked for her definition of an exemplary school, Green said it is one that is “child-centered and has a high expectation for success” and one that brings arts, athletics and academics together for a well-rounded experience. “I’ve always focused on what’s best for the child with academics to match,” she said.

In terms of budget issues, she said those are the toughest things for a superintendent to tackle. “It’s a challenge across America,” she said. Green noted that she always puts academics and children first and advocates “using a scalpel, not a machete” in making cuts. She also said she advocates cutting, not eliminating programs, because “once you eliminate good programs, they rarely, if ever, come back.”

Green has served in her current post in the North Allegheny School District since May 2002. She has experience on national, state and local levels in the areas of instructional leadership, administrative and organizational management, labor management, instructional improvement and issues of diversity and multiculturalism. A main focus under her leadership in North Allegheny has been work on the district’s Strategic Plan – something that the Ann Arbor Public Schools community has used in operating the district since 2007.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland, a Master of Education degree in Human Development Education from the University of Maryland’s Institute for Child Study, and a doctorate in Education Policy, Planning, and Administration from the University of Maryland.

Prior to her superintendent positions, she has worked as a teacher, principal, elementary administrator, assistant superintendent and served an administrative role in special education and pupil services.

Green has been married for 35 years to Dr. Stephen I. Green, a periodontist.

During a visit to the Ann Arbor schools last spring, Green said she enjoyed meeting staff and students. “The best part of today was talking to the kids,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about, folks. It’s about the kids. They have so much to offer … having their voice spoken often.”

The new superintendent replaces Interim Superintendent Robert Allen, who has served in the post since fall; he is the district’s operations and finance chief.  Previous Superintendent Todd Roberts left his Ann Arbor post last fall for an executive education position in North Carolina.

WISD board to interview candidates for superintendent’s post

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UPDATE, March 21, 2011: The pool of candidates for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District Board of Education superintendent was reduced by one today, when Big Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Thomas M. Langdon withdrew from the running and accepted the superintendent’s job in the Sturgis Public Schools. The interview scheduled has also been revised as noted below.

From the Washtenaw Intermediate School District

At a special meeting on March 15, the Washtenaw Intermediate Board of Education selected six candidates to interview for the position of superintendent.

The candidates are:

  • Christine Beardsley – She is in her 10th year as superintendent of the Oscoda Area Schools.  She received her bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University in business administration, her master’s degree in educational administration from Central Michigan University and is scheduled to receive her doctorate in educational leadership in May, also from Central Michigan.
  • David J. Campbell – He is in his eleventh year as superintendent of the Olivet Community Schools.  He received his undergraduate degree in education at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater and his master’s degree in educational administration at Illinois State University.
  • Thomas L. Goodney – He is in his sixth year as deputy superintendent and chief of staff at the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio  in Columbus, Ohio.  He received his bachelor’s degree in mass communications at Northern Michigan University, his master’s degree in speech at Miami University and his doctorate in educational leadership, also at Miami University.
  • Beverly A. Knox-Pipes – She is in her ninth year as assistant superintendent for Technology and Media Services at the Genesee Intermediate School District.  She received her undergraduate degree in elementary education at the University of Texas at El Paso, her master’s degree at Lesley College  in Cambridge, Mass. focusing on computers in education and is currently completing requirements for her doctorate in instructional technology and distance education from Nova Southeastern University in Miami, Fla.
  • Thomas M. Langdon – He is in his seventh year as superintendent of the Big Rapids Public Schools.  He received a bachelor’s degree from Cornerstone University in biology and physical science and a second bachelor’s degree from Calvin College in education.  His master’s in educational leadership is from Western Michigan University and his doctorate in educational leadership is from Central Michigan University.
  • Scott A. Menzel – He is in his fourth year as superintendent of the Livingston Educational Service Agency.  He received his bachelor’s degree in religion from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif., his master’s degree in philosophy and social policy from the American University  in Washington, D.C. and is completing work on his doctorate from Eastern Michigan University.

Interviews are scheduled is as follows:
Monday, March 21, 2011
6:30 p.m. – Scott Menzel
8 p.m. –  Beverly Knox-Pipes
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
6:30 p.m. – David Campbell
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
6:30 p.m. –   Thomas Langdon
6:30 p.m.  –  Christine Beardsley
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
6:30 p.m. – Thomas Goodney

All interviews will be held at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, 1819 S. Wagner Road, Scio Township and are open to the public.

The Board is selecting a new superintendent to succeed Dr. William C. Miller who retired in December 2010. The WISD board is being assisted in the search by the Michigan Association of School Boards. The WISD is the intermediate district serving 10 public school districts in Washtenaw County, including Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor physician pleased to see ‘favorite teacher’ get top post

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From AAPSNews Service

Dr. Eric Straka

Dr. Eric Straka – Pleased to see his former teacher come to Ann Arbor.

Dr. Patricia Green

Dr. Patricia Green – New superintendent recalls her former student and his fine work.

It is a small world, indeed, for Ann Arbor physician Dr. Eric Straka.

Straka was pleased to hear the news about Dr. Patricia Green, the newly selected superintendent for the Ann Arbor Public Schools, as he was a sixth-grade student of Green’s in Maryland – and she was his favorite teacher.

“She was the best teacher I ever had,” said Straka, an internal medicine physician who practices in Washtenaw and western Wayne counties. “She was really serious about teaching and really cared about the students’ learning. I still have vivid memories of her class.”

Green was hired by the district on Saturday, March 5, following finalist interviews by the Ann Arbor Board of Education. The community was also able to hear the incoming superintendent and another finalist candidate at a Friday night forum the evening before the decision.

After Green’s appointment was announced and reported upon through local media, Straka posted in a thread after an AnnArbor.com story, sending along a brief note of welcome, and noting the teacher-student connection: “… I think the board made a GREAT decision to hire you and I hope you enjoy living here. I look forward to seeing you around town,” he said in part of his post.

Straka was in Green’s class at Buckingham Elementary School in Bowie, Maryland during the 1977-78 school year, where he recalls astronomy and space as a big focus of her science teaching. He recalls “a lot of reading, book reports and quite a bit of artwork. She was such an energetic teacher.”

Straka is with the primary care physicians practice, Partners in Internal Medicine. He has been practicing medicine since 1996 and is a clinical instructor at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and an adjunct clinical associate at the University of Michigan.

Green said she remembers Straka well and did not realize that he had landed in Ann Arbor and was practicing medicine here.

“Eric was such a terrific student who always wanted to do his best … I knew he had a tremendous future ahead of him,” Green said.  She recalled the sixth-grade space science projects the year when Straka and his classmates incorporated research, scientific theories and artistic expression.

“Eric’s work stood out and was so excellent that I asked him if I could keep some of it as a ‘sample’ to share with future 6th grade classes and with other teachers during professional development days,” she said.

Fifteen years after having Green as a teacher, Straka was doing his residency at the University of California, San Francisco when his mother saw an item in The Washington Post about one of Green’s career promotions and sent it to her son. He sent Green a note of congratulations and within two weeks “I got this huge package in the mail with all of my old artwork in it – and it was in pristine condition.”

Green recalled the time equally well.

“Eric sent me an announcement that he had graduated medical school and told me that his love of science went all the way back to our sixth-grade class,” Green said. “For a teacher, there is nothing better than that kind of compliment. I was so excited, I packed up all the projects he had made and shipped them off to him as I felt it was time they were reunited with their creator.

“Little did I know our paths would cross again someday here in Ann Arbor. I am thrilled,” she added.

Straka said this special teacher touched his life. “She made me a better student,” he recalled. “She was challenging and tough, but she really cared about the kids. I think Ann Arbor is lucky to have her.”

Straka is married to Gianna Lete and they have three children in the Ann Arbor Public Schools: one attends Tappan Middle School and two got to Burns Park Elementary School.

Pennsylvania’s Patricia Green chosen as new Ann Arbor superintendent

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From AAPSNews Service

Patricia Green, superintendent of North Allegheny School District in Pennsylvania, has been selected to lead the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Ann Arbor Board of Education trustees met on Saturday following final interviews that morning and a community forum on Friday evening, during which the community was able to hear the candidates and submit questions to hear their responses. Following several hours of afternoon deliberation, the board voted 6-1 to offer the superintendent’s position to Green and enter into negotiations with her; Trustee Susan Baskett voted no on the measure.

Patricia Green

Patricia Green, selected as the new Ann Arbor superintendent on March 5, 2011.

The other finalist considered during the final two-day process was Michael Muñoz, chief academic officer of Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa. Another finalist, Shelley Redinger, withdrew as a candidate earlier this week after accepting another position.

During Friday’s session, Green answered submitted questions from the public, which were asked by officials from Ray & Associates, the firm that assisted the board in its search and selection process.  She spoke about parent involvement, leadership, diversity and her philosophy on education.

Green said she advocates strong parent involvement and said that in her current role, she hosts a series of superintendent-parent committee meetings. “They set the agenda,” she said. “We’ve changed things based on the passion of the community. Sometimes as leaders we have to sit down and listen.”

She notes that a good superintendent needs input from a variety of sources to be successful. “You don’t do things in isolation,” she added. “You reach out for partnerships.” Green said in her current role, she has a variety of advisory committees in place, including ones with local police and ministerial groups. She also hosts a regular dinner for student leaders.

In the area of equity, diversity and global awareness, Green said a school district must celebrate each student and community member and what they bring to the system and must prepare students to be citizens of the world. “It has to come from the leadership of the school district and it has to be valued,” she said. “We must celebrate what you are, what you bring to the table. And we have to prepare students for their world of the future – not our world of the past.”

She said good leaders should have “kaleidoscopic vision,” including many opinions and viewpoints. A good leader also needs to know when to step forward and when to step back and allow others to take the lead, she said. “Some pieces look different depending on how you turn the lens,” Green said of her philosophy. “It looks different with new information.”

When asked for her definition of an exemplary school, Green said it is one that is “child-centered and has a high expectation for success” and one that brings arts, athletics and academics together for a well-rounded experience. “I’ve always focused on what’s best for the child with academics to match,” she said.

In terms of budget issues, she said those are the toughest things for a superintendent to tackle. “It’s a challenge across America,” she said. Green noted that she always puts academics and children first and advocates “using a scalpel, not a machete” in making cuts. She also said she advocates cutting, not eliminating programs, because “once you eliminate good programs, they rarely, if ever, come back.”

Green has served in her current post in the North Allegheny School District since May 2002. She has experience on national, state and local levels in the areas of instructional leadership, administrative and organizational management, labor management,  instructional improvement and issues of diversity and multiculturalism. A main focus in North Allegheny under her leadership has been work on the district’s Strategic Plan.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland, a Master of Education degree in Human Development Education from the University of Maryland’s Institute for Child Study, and a doctorate in Education Policy, Planning, and Administration from the University of Maryland.

Prior to her time in North Allegheny, she served as Acting Deputy Superintendent for Instruction for the Prince George’s County Public Schools, a large district in Maryland. She has worked as a teacher, principal, elementary administrator, assistant superintendent and served an administrative role in special education and pupil services during her educational career.

Green has been married for 35 years to Dr. Stephen I. Green, a periodontist.

She said she enjoyed her visits to some of the Ann Arbor schools during a district tour on Friday. “The best part of today was talking to the kids,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about, folks. It’s about the kids. They have so much to offer … having their voice spoken often.”

The new superintendent will replace Todd Roberts, who resigned his post last fall for an executive education position in North Carolina. Robert Allen, the district’s Deputy Superintendent for Operations, has served as interim superintendent since Roberts departed and was not a candidate for the position.

Community forum set for March 4 to introduce superintendent candidates

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From AAPSNews Service

A public forum and interviews with candidate finalists for Ann Arbor Public Schools superintendent post are scheduled from 6-8:30 p.m., Friday, March 4 at Pioneer High School’s cafeteria annex. Pioneer High School is at 601 W. Stadium Blvd. at the corner of Main Street.

Dr. Shelley Redinger has withdrawn from consideration; candidates are Patricia Green and Michael Muñoz.

The Ann Arbor Board of Education will conduct final candidate interviews beginning at at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, March 5, in the main conference room at the Balas Administration Building, 2555 S. State St. The board will begin deliberating at noon to consider appointment of a new superintendent.

Biographies of the candidates are posted on the school district website under the “Board” section. PDFs of finalists’ resumés may also be downloaded there and the most up-to-date information about the search process is also posted here.

The chosen candidate will replace Todd Roberts, who resigned last fall. Robert Allen, the district’s Deputy Superintendent for Operations, has served as interim superintendent since Roberts departed and was not a candidate for the position. The board was assisted in its search by Ray & Associates, the consulting firm hired to take applications and guide the process.

3 chosen as AAPS superintendent finalists

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UPDATE: Times are being scheduled for a public forum, allowing residents to meet finalist candidates. The date/time of board final interviews and deliberation on a new school chief has not bee finalized.

The Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education has selected three finalists for the post of superintendent and is expected to choose a candidate  on March 6. sometime this weekend.

Following interviews this week with six semi-finalists, the following three finalists were chosen to return for interviews in the district:

Patricia Green

Patricia Green

Shelley Redinger

Shelley Redinger

Michael Muñoz

Michael Muñoz

  • Patricia Green – superintendent of North Allegheny School District;, a Pennsylvania district with 8,100 students.
  • Michael Muñoz –  chief academic officer of Des Moines Public Schools, an Iowa district with approximately 31,900 students.
  • Shelley Redinger –  superintendent of the Oregon Trail School District, an Oregon district with approximately 3,900 students.

Full biographies can be found on the Board of Education page on the district’s website and resumés of the finalists can be downloaded at the site.

A board committee comprised of trustees Susan Baskett, Glenn Nelson and Christine Stead are assigned to conduct site visits to the home communities of the finalists the week of Feb. 21. The public is being invited to submit questions for the team to ask during their site visits. Send those suggestions to Amy Osinski at osinski@aaps.k12.mi.us.

Final interviews at community forums are being scheduled for early March with times and place to be determined. The board is tentatively scheduled to make a decision about a new superintendent shortly after the forums, at a yet-to-be-determined time and place. On Sunday, March 6, the Board is scheduled to conduct a final interview, review surveys from the forums and select a candidate.

The chosen candidate will replace Todd Roberts, who resigned last fall. Interim Superintendent Robert Allen, the district’s Deputy Superintendent for Operations, has served in the lead role since Roberts departed and was not a candidate for the post.

The board has been assisted in the search by Ray & Associates, the consulting firm hired to take applications and guide the process.

Superintendent Todd Roberts announces resignation

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Superintendent Todd Roberts announced today (Aug 13) that he is resigning from the Ann Arbor Public Schools as the district’s top administrator. He said he would stay through late fall to help the district transition to new leadership.

Roberts told staff and families in letters via e-mail that this was a difficult decision and was based on the needs of family living in North Carolina. He has accepted the position as Chancellor of the North Carolina School of Science and Math.

He said in his statement: “As Superintendent I play a very small part in the success of the school district; it is the work of our excellent staff, the leadership and the support of the Board of Education and the support and involvement of families and the community that makes the Ann Arbor Public Schools exceptional.”

Board of Education President Deb Mexicotte also issued a statement, saying: “On behalf of the trustees we are both saddened for the district and pleased for Dr. Roberts and his family. We are happy that Dr. Roberts and his family have the opportunity to move closer to their families in North Carolina. But we are sad that this district will lose a leader who we have appreciated and respected during his tenure with us. We want to wish him and his family the very best and we appreciate that he will work with the district through the transition”.

The Board of Education will announce a transition plan in the coming weeks.

Community input sought on budget

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Dear Readers,

I want to thank the many staff, student and community members who took the time  during the recent millage election to become more knowledgeable about education funding in our district and in the state.

Todd Roberts, Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent

Todd Roberts, Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent

It is important that everyone stays engaged in the conversation about school funding as we work to address budget issues we face in The Ann Arbor Public Schools over the next few months.  I believe that it is also imperative to make sure our voices continue to be heard in Lansing when it comes to providing adequate funding for education in our state.

At this point we are still waiting to hear from Lansing what our actual per pupil funding will be for this current school year. As you recall, AAPS was looking at a $525 per pupil loss in funding (approximately $8.7 million) this year.  The state House then put forward a plan to restore $117 per pupil and half of the 20j funds (which is about $116 per pupil for AAPS) that were cut.

If the state Senate approves the House plan we would lose $292 per pupil in funding (approximately $4.8 million) for this school year.  The governor has said that she will sign the House plan if approved by the Senate.  At this point the Senate seems unlikely to support the House plan.

I expect that we will have a better idea of what our funding will be by next Friday (Nov. 20) when the full funding proration order is supposed to go into effect.

The next steps in our budget process will take careful and thoughtful planning that will include input from parents, staff and the AAPS community. We are faced with some difficult, but not insurmountable, challenges and decisions.  We will host a series of meetings in December for staff and in January for parents and the community where we will discuss our financial situation and present options for reducing costs and enhancing revenues. During these meetings we will gather feedback about possible options in order to complete our draft budget plan for 2010-11 in February.

We also need to address the reduction in state funding this school year. Over the coming weeks we will take steps to address the loss in funding for the current fiscal year. Our goal in addressing the loss of funding for this school year is to reduce costs through means that will be least disruptive to our students and educational programs.  We will discuss our options for cost reduction this year at a study session with the Board of Education on Dec. 3.

I know that we will continue working together collaboratively to ensure that our students receive an outstanding education despite the challenges we face.

I look forward to working with you in the coming months.

Todd Roberts, Superintendent
The Ann Arbor Public Schools