RC school board decides on top two superintendent candidates
The Rogers City School Board members are looking to hire a superintendent who has a vision for the future of the Rogers City Area School district. If the quality of the six candidates the board interviewed for the position is any indication of the future educational program, it would be fair to say Rogers City schools will be in good, qualified, and enthusiastic hands once the newly hired superintendent takes the position. From a strong pool of candidates, the RC school board whittled the field down to two top possibilities after conducting the remainder of interviews on Friday and Saturday.
DANIEL BYRNE, who is currently a middle school principal for Carbon County School District in Rawlins, Wyoming, and Jeff Liedel, the superintendent/principal of Vanderbilt Schools, both exhibited the traits of the next Rogers City superintendent. Byrne earned his Bachelor?s Degree in elementary education and his Master?s Degree in educational leadership from Saginaw Valley State University. He taught fifth and eighth grade in Bay City before taking on the position as principal in Pinconning. After three years as principal, Byrne was laid off due to a budget crunch. He and his wife, along with their two children, moved to Wyoming where he took on his current position. Byrne also served on the Pinconning city council for four years, and acted as mayor of Pinconning for one year. Byrne is involved in the Rotary Club of Rawlins in Wyoming. The RC school board members were impressed with Byrne?s strong interviewing skills, and his obvious enthusiasm and confidence in the possible superintendent position.
?I know I?ve got the knowledge and the experience to do this,? said Byrne. ?My job would be to keep the focus and keep the vision while keeping everyone?working toward the same goal. I like to lead by example?and through collaboration ? decisions have to be made by everyone involved.? Byrne said he measures success through growth, and believes it is important for the school board and superintendent to work together, and make decisions together, while understanding each other?s separate role. He also believed it was important to implement literacy across the curriculum. Byrne wrote a grant in Pinconning that brought $80,000 to the district?s literacy program.
Byrne said his ethical responsibility to the students comes first, but he realizes he also has to prove to the taxpayer that he is spending wisely. He also believes the new high school requirements are necessary due to the need for highly qualified employees in today?s workforce. ?If I came here, I?d be here to stay,? said Byrne. ?I can make the tough decisions, and I like working with other people. Hopefully, you can overlook that I haven?t been a superintendent before ? some people think having the experience makes the difference, but I don?t believe that. I believe in being a model for what I expect from other people, while keeping the vision?focused on student achievement.?
JEFF LIEDEL earned his Bachelor?s Degree in business administration, as well as his teaching degree, from Bowling Green University. He taught in Wyoming, Michigan for seven years before branching off into a business career, helping his father keep a struggling business on its feet. Liedel eventually returned to teaching at Vanderbilt schools. He earned his Master?s Degree in educational leadership from Grand Valley State University, and is now the superintendent/principal for Vanderbilt. ?I returned to education because I was interested in helping students grow ? I felt very fulfilled as a teacher,? said Liedel. ?I also wanted to help young teachers be better teachers. I?m looking for more of a challenge, and a community I can immerse myself into. Rogers City would be a wonderful place to live and it fits my personality.?
Not only is Liedel the principal and superintendent of Vanderbilt Schools, he is also the MEAP coordinator, the special education director, and he has even been known to drive the plow truck. Liedel served on the Otsego County Community Foundation, and was a member of the government committee for M-Tech in Gaylord. Liedel said he has helped turn the numbers around at the Vanderbilt School district in the past two years. ?I began a systematic process by simply building the spirit of the students,? said Liedel. ?I like to find the (schools?) niche ? it goes back to my marketing skills. I like to find out what the need is, and attack it.?
Liedel said he was a swimming coach for many years, and has learned to be a team player. ?Collaborative decision making is my leadership style. It?s a matter of sitting down, talking, and making a decision,? said Liedel. ?I?m a good listener, and at the same time, I understand the responsibility of the board, and the buck stops with me.? As a possible superintendent of Rogers City schools, Liedel said he would bring a strong sense of integrity to the position. ?I?m very proud of my integrity,? said Liedel. ?My father always taught me, if you make a promise and can?t keep it ? if you do that even once ? you?re done.?
Liedel said he has budgeting and financial experience from his current position in Vanderbilt, which has had to make tough decisions in its recent past. ?You always do what?s right, and you are going to do your very best for those children every time,? said Liedel. ?At the same time, you have to make sure your spending is?ethically handled. You have to provide the best education you can with the dollars you have available. If I have to beg, borrow, or steal to find grants and (other funding) ? I?ll do it.? The Rogers City School Board members have chosen to visit the districts of Byrne and Liedel in lieu of a second interview. Several members of the board will travel to Pinconning (Byrne?s prior district) and Vanderbilt today (Thursday). They will also conduct a video teleconference with Byrne?s current administration in Wyoming. A possible special meeting could be held on April 2 if a decision can be made. The next regular school board meeting is April 9.
ROGERS CITY principal Deborah Jones interviewed for the position, as well as four other candidates. Jones said that although she enjoy
Although each candidate brought experience and expertise to the table, the seven school board members were looking for ?the right fit? for their district. ?Eliminating four candidates has nothing to do with the quality of the candidate,? said vice-president Scott McLennan. ?It?s tough to eliminate?they are all qualified.?