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State Board advances seven semifinalists for state superintendent interviews
Summary
The State Board voted to advance seven applicants — identified by number and then named publicly — to first-round interviews scheduled Aug. 18–19, after debating whether to disclose names in the motion and failing an amendment to add one additional applicant.
The State Board of Education voted to advance seven semifinalists for interviews in its search for the next state superintendent of public instruction, agreeing to interview applicants numbered 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 22 and then publicly reading the candidates’ names.
Board members moved and seconded a motion to proceed using applicant numbers during the vote, a practice the board said preserves confidentiality until semifinalists are confirmed. A motion to amend the list to add applicant 19 failed on a roll call vote. After the main motion carried, the board read the names associated with the approved numbers and described each candidate’s current role.
The board identified the seven semifinalists as Chris Timmis (superintendent, Dexter Community Schools), Glenn (Malayko/Malaco) (superintendent, Dearborn), John Severson (executive director, Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators), Judy Walton (combined superintendent and curriculum director, Harrison Community Schools), Lisa Koons (former state superintendent in Virginia), Paul Sala (superintendent, Huron Valley Schools), and Thomas Ahehart (consultant coach and former Des Moines superintendent). Dr. Max McGee of HYA, the search consultant, said the firm received 33 applications, conducted more than 250 stakeholder interviews and collected nearly 1,600 survey responses to build the leadership profile used to screen applicants.
HYA and board staff said first-round interviews will be held Aug. 18–19 (four interviews Aug. 18 and three Aug. 19) with deliberations the week of Aug. 25. The firm offered a rubric for board members to use in evaluating candidates; interviews may be in person or virtual and will be publicly noticed consistent with the Open Meetings Act. Board members asked for clarity about whether questions would be shared in advance and discussed procedures intended to limit any advantage from watching other interviews.
The board’s chair defended the search process after at least one board member implied the process had been predetermined. “The process we are following was discussed and adopted by the full board in open session,” the chair said, calling allegations that the outcome was fixed “unfounded and harmful.”
Next steps: staff and HYA will contact candidates to schedule interview times, post public notice and agendas, and facilitate first-round interviews and subsequent deliberations.
