Friday, September 19, 2008
News
Corunna narrows search to two
By NATHAN BRUTTELL Argus-Press Staff Writer
CORUNNA - After three days of interviewing the top five candidates for superintendent, the Corunna Public Schools Board of Education narrowed its list to two candidates.
Former Byron Area Schools Superintendent and Corunna administrator Mark Miller and Wyoming Public Schools elementary principal Kevin Murphy made the final cut. The board will conduct follow-up interviews with the candidates at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The board interviewed Miller and Marion Public Schools Superintendent Charles Chase Thursday night. Following the interviews, Michigan Association of School Boards Executive Director Carl Hartman led the board in narrowing its decision.
Each member of the board was asked to write down a number from zero to five - along with names - indicating how many candidates they would like to see for a follow-up interview.
Miller, Murphy and Chase were the only candidates to receive votes - however none was unanimous and all received an equal number of votes.
The board discussed the three candidates in attempts to narrow its decision. Chase's name was eliminated when no board members indicated they wanted him for a follow-up interview - citing his seeming lack of interest in the position.
Board members discussed what they did and did not like about the top candidates.
“I thought Murphy was entirely textbook,” board member Jim Lockwood said, adding the answers seemed to tell them “what we wanted to hear.”
Other board members were nervous about hiring someone with no superintendent experience.
“He showed an interest in family dynamics, but I'm nervous about the experience factor with him,” board member Maureen Stanley said.
Board member Tom Terry agreed.
“I'm concerned about his experience too, but we all started somewhere,” he said. “It may have been on a lower scale...but he did have some experience.”
Board members also had mixed feelings on Miller.
“He seemed to be everything we initially said we were looking for,” member Tom Lockwood said. “He could hit the ground running.”
Stanley said she had previous experience working with and for Miller.
“Everybody we interviewed had some of the good, bad and the ugly about them,” she said. “He had a solid history and turned (Byron Area Schools) around.”
Board member Brenda Walworth did not like the responses to phone calls she had made asking about Miller.
“I like him as a person,” she said. “The people I talked to from Byron...I had heard about a lot of staff morale issues.”
Terry didn't think Miller held student achievement high enough.
“It worries me that his No. 1 priority is the budget,” Terry said. “I talked to teachers and staff and parents who felt the kids were not given the education they deserved because of the budget.”
After the decision to bring Miller and Murphy back, the board asked for citizen comments.
Resident Sharon Morehouse said she was very much in favor of Miller.
“If we cannot bring in someone from our own community, what hope do we give people at Corunna Public Schools from advancing within?” Morehouse said. “Let's consider what the public is thinking.”
After Miller's interview, the audience gave applause, the only time any of the candidates interviewed received applause.
Miller had more than 50 residents in attendance during his interview, nearly twice the amount for any other candidate.
Retired Corunna Public Schools teacher Lois Whalen came to support Miller.
“His expertise is marvelous,” she said. “He is looked up to at the schools as a father figure. And he remembers the names of every student he's ever had.”
- Contact Nathan Bruttell at 725-5136 extension 231 or nbruttellarguspress@gmail.com.
Former Byron Area Schools Superintendent and Corunna administrator Mark Miller and Wyoming Public Schools elementary principal Kevin Murphy made the final cut. The board will conduct follow-up interviews with the candidates at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The board interviewed Miller and Marion Public Schools Superintendent Charles Chase Thursday night. Following the interviews, Michigan Association of School Boards Executive Director Carl Hartman led the board in narrowing its decision.
Each member of the board was asked to write down a number from zero to five - along with names - indicating how many candidates they would like to see for a follow-up interview.
Miller, Murphy and Chase were the only candidates to receive votes - however none was unanimous and all received an equal number of votes.
The board discussed the three candidates in attempts to narrow its decision. Chase's name was eliminated when no board members indicated they wanted him for a follow-up interview - citing his seeming lack of interest in the position.
Board members discussed what they did and did not like about the top candidates.
“I thought Murphy was entirely textbook,” board member Jim Lockwood said, adding the answers seemed to tell them “what we wanted to hear.”
Other board members were nervous about hiring someone with no superintendent experience.
“He showed an interest in family dynamics, but I'm nervous about the experience factor with him,” board member Maureen Stanley said.
Board member Tom Terry agreed.
“I'm concerned about his experience too, but we all started somewhere,” he said. “It may have been on a lower scale...but he did have some experience.”
Board members also had mixed feelings on Miller.
“He seemed to be everything we initially said we were looking for,” member Tom Lockwood said. “He could hit the ground running.”
Stanley said she had previous experience working with and for Miller.
“Everybody we interviewed had some of the good, bad and the ugly about them,” she said. “He had a solid history and turned (Byron Area Schools) around.”
Board member Brenda Walworth did not like the responses to phone calls she had made asking about Miller.
“I like him as a person,” she said. “The people I talked to from Byron...I had heard about a lot of staff morale issues.”
Terry didn't think Miller held student achievement high enough.
“It worries me that his No. 1 priority is the budget,” Terry said. “I talked to teachers and staff and parents who felt the kids were not given the education they deserved because of the budget.”
After the decision to bring Miller and Murphy back, the board asked for citizen comments.
Resident Sharon Morehouse said she was very much in favor of Miller.
“If we cannot bring in someone from our own community, what hope do we give people at Corunna Public Schools from advancing within?” Morehouse said. “Let's consider what the public is thinking.”
After Miller's interview, the audience gave applause, the only time any of the candidates interviewed received applause.
Miller had more than 50 residents in attendance during his interview, nearly twice the amount for any other candidate.
Retired Corunna Public Schools teacher Lois Whalen came to support Miller.
“His expertise is marvelous,” she said. “He is looked up to at the schools as a father figure. And he remembers the names of every student he's ever had.”
- Contact Nathan Bruttell at 725-5136 extension 231 or nbruttellarguspress@gmail.com.