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Candidates stress communication, teamwork
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:47 AM EDT
CORUNNA - The school board's search for a new superintendent continued Tuesday night at a special board meeting with two interviews.
A couple dozen community members listened to the public interviews of Rogers Lane Elementary School principal Kevin Murphy and Genesee High School principal Richard Carsten.
Russel Ringle, a former educator and former Caledonia Township supervisor, was in attendance.
“I've been in education a long time and my kids went to Corunna,” Ringle said. “I want to see we get the best superintendent we can.”
Owosso resident Sharon Morehouse also wanted to witness the interviews.
“I want to understand why the board chooses who they choose,” Morehouse said, adding the new superintendent would have a tough road ahead. “There are things in this district that need changing...The new superintendent has got to bring the board together.”
Murphy, a Durand High School graduate, was up first for the board.
After giving a brief summary of his background, which includes a master's degree from Grand Valley State University and more than eight years as a principal of elementary and middle schools, Murphy was asked how he would balance his time.
“It's a 24-hour job, that's how I look at it,” he said. “I know it's important to not be worried about just one building and to be visible at after school activities and during the day.”
Murphy was also asked how he would prioritize after a decline in revenue.
“I don't think it's a one person decision,” he said. “But I would start with the farthest removed from student achievement.”
Another question asked Murphy how he would handle disagreements with the board.
“Well, first off, I work for you,” he said. “I would look to see where we are going. I know communication is the key to everything. I don't think micromanaging comes up if there is good communication.”
A board member asked Murphy about his personality.
“I think I'm a great listener,” Murphy said. “I also love life to its fullest. Relationship building with people is also a strength of mine.”
Murphy also listed his highest priorities were student achievement, growing the fund equity and managing the school fund.
One audience member asked Murphy what fellow colleagues would say about him.
“They'd definitely say I have a heck of a sense of humor,” he said. “That I have fun but I also have integrity, I am a good listener and that I make quality decisions. Parents of my students would probably tell you that I treat every kid like they're my own.”
Another question from the audience asked what he would do if board members became split in their votes.
“I would first see if it's just the issues or if they are voting 4 to 3 just because,” he said. “I know that evaluation moves both ways so if it's just because then we might have to address it and move on from there.”
After Murphy came Richard Carsten, Genesee High's principal for eight years. Carsten also detailed his experience as a special education director, athletic director and his experience at the middle school and high school levels.
The first question Carsten was asked was why he applied for the position.
“I have been working my entire career to be sitting before you tonight,” he said. “My goal for a long time was to be a superintendent before I turned 40.”
Carsten said being in Genesee for the last eight years he had heard great things about Corunna and had to apply.
Like the other candidates, Carsten was also asked how he would budget his time between superintendent work and student activities.
“I would do that by being a part of the community with my family, not just the after school activities,” Carsten said, adding that he attended the Corunna Founders Day weekend with his family and wanted the schools to be a part of it.
Carsten was then asked ofhow he would handle the budget and a possible decline in revenue.
“I never want to cut programming,” he said. “I would rather take a 2 to 3 percent hit across the board. I know that trust is a vital aspect when going through the process.”
Another question asked Carsten how he would handle collective bargaining agreements.
“I expect the superintendent to be the lead negotiator at the table,” he said. “I would also say the board would have to work with the superintendent in advance of the negotiations.”
To promote student achievement, Carsten said he wanted to be the biggest coach and biggest mentor at the schools.
Carsten was then asked how he would handle a staff development day and how he would evaluate it.
“I would say as long as it touches the hearts of the teachers it was effective,” he said. “If they tell you a speaker introduced concepts then it was a success. I would also do follow up training to find out if teachers are actually implementing the ideas into the classrooms.”
One question asked Carsten how he would react if the board did not accept some of his techniques.
“I would make sure to bring people in to look at the plan,” he said adding that “as long as we have good trust” the issue could be solved. “If I can't implement it through training or planning then I could be wrong.”
Carsten was also asked about his personality.
“I am good at collaborating with other people,” he said. “If you look at my resume, there is not one accomplishment that is not a group effort.”
When Carsten was asked about his plan for his first 100 days, he stood up to present packets to the board members detailing his projections.
When asked the audience member's question on split votes among the board, Carsten said he would ask his colleagues and mentors.
“I may not have the answers, but I know where to go to get the information,” he said.
For his closing remarks, Carsten said he understood the importance of the superintendent position. When he was preparing, he said his wife expressed it best.
“She said to me, ‘You know this is the interview of your life, right?,'” he said.