“It is a thankless job. It is a hard job. I hope the next Superintendent, he or she, knows about how demanding this community is.” According to Liz Margolis, Director of Communications for the Ann Arbor Public Schools, the next Superintendent better be ready.

The Ann Arbor Public Schools and Board of Education are currently in the process of selecting the new Superintendent for the school district. On February 9th the Board of Education announced the semi-finalists for the Superintendent position. These six semi-finalists were chosen out of forty-five applicants after numerous public meetings discussing what the community wanted to see in their new leader.

There are countless qualities that the board and public looked for in the applicants. The new superintendent needs to be trustworthy, honest and a good delegate. He or she needs to understand budgets and the importance of community. The six semi-finalists showed in their resumes that they had the necessary skills and qualifications to run the public schools.

All six of the semi-finalists selected had prior superintendent experience, had achieved the highest ethical records and have improved student achievement in their respective school districts.

Interviews with the semi-finalists took place this week to determine the two finalists for the superintendent position. During  the upcoming mid-winter break, members from the Board of Education will take onsite visits to the finalists’ own towns to talk to the community of their current district and get a better understanding of their acheivements. The finalists will return the week of February 28 for public interviews and by mid-March, the Board of Education will select the new superintendent and begin salary negotiations.

Every one of the semi-finalists has a family, and five of the six do not live in the state of Michigan.  This means that the new Superintendent will not take their position until July as he or she must finish out the school year in his or her current district and make arrangements to move.

Looking down the road, the President of the Board of Education, Deb Mexicotte, would like to see three things out of the new Superintendent. “Within the first 5 years I would like to see a substantial change of all of our major achievement gaps. Such that you can make no prediction what a student’s GPA is based on their sex, race or ethnicity. [I would like to see us] continue to have a balanced budget, not just by conserving and saving, but [by raising] revenue…. Lastly, I would like to see a superintendent who has the absolute trust of the community when it comes to their kids’ education.”

The task of selecting the new superintendent is a lengthy and rigorous process, as it should be. With all of the change and pressure being put on public education, it will take a special person to lead the Ann Arbor Public School District.