Five Candidates Emerge To Lead Saline SChools

Five candidates emerged from the three hour and twenty minute interview process conducted by the Saline Area Schools Board of Education, Thursday evening. They made their debut introduction to the parents and teachers of the district they were officially in the running to run, dropping all pretense of the confidentiality that previously kept their names out of public view for privacy’s sake.

But the names are out, as are the times for the interviews. Dr. William Patterson, the assistant superintendent of secondary curriculum at Jackson Public Schools, will be the first candidate at 5:30 p.m. on April 26. During each round of interviews, the situation will be the same. The two interviewees will be introduced in front of the board, sit down and answer a set of pre-written questions from the board members.

“I will simply introduce them and they will have a seat,” David Killips said.

In full disclosure, your reporter knows Patterson personally. We’ve met once and he is dating a family member.

Tyronne Weeks, the Director of state and federal programs, school improvement, school safety and the Title IX Coordinator for Farmington Public Schools will be meeting the board at 7 p.m. on the same evening.

Interim Superintendent Steven Laatsch will be the first candidate to meet with the board on April 28, followed by Dundee Community Schools Superintendent Edward Manuszak.

Hazel Park Superintendent Amy Kruppe will be the final superintendent on April 30. The board will then enter deliberations on which candidate is the best case before moving forward.

Candidates will be masked and will not be shaking hands as would be normal, because of Covid-19. These interviews will be a discussion between the candidates and the district. Further interviews regarding the candidates plans for the district in subsequent interviews.

If the deliberation is not strictly remote, the district will have to chose who can be in the room or not, as the capacity in the room is limited to 25 people. Killips suggested that an online drop box for stakeholder questions would be best in that situation; for questions in the second round of interviews.

The goal will be to get down to two candidates in the last round of interviews after this, Killips said, typically after they have spent half a day touring the district.