Grosse Pointes

North Principal search under way again

By April Lehmbeck
C & G Staff Writer

GROSSE POINTES — Last summer, the Grosse Pointe Public School District decided to wait for prime hiring season to select a new principal for Grosse Pointe North.

Prime hiring season has begun for school administrators, so the district has launched its search and is looking for community input.

“Stakeholder input and participation is a key factor in a successful selection process,” Deputy Superintendent of Educational Services Jon Dean stated in a community letter, prior to the initial search for a new principal last summer.

Last summer, the district advertised and interviewed for the position, which was left vacant when Principal Tim Bearden left to take an administrative post at Detroit Country Day School.

Instead of choosing a permanent candidate, the district chose to appoint Tom Tobe, a retired school administrator who had previously worked in Troy and Livonia schools, as an interim principal for the 2012-13 school year.

The district conducted a community survey last summer to see what attributes community members wanted to see in a new principal. They have posted a survey again for the new search, which can be accessed on the district’s website.

The district posted an advertisement for the position last month with an interim closing date for applications of Jan. 23. However, applicants will be accepted until a candidate is selected, according to the posting.

The district is planning to conduct screening interviews, starting Feb. 1. They are looking at getting a candidate in front of the school board at the Feb. 23 board meeting, according to the job posting.

The district is looking for a candidate who has experience in a number of areas; they are seeking someone with at least a master’s degree and five years of administrative experience.

“In terms of our next principal, we are searching for a person who is a strong instructional leader with excellent interpersonal skills that can work effectively with staff, students and parents,” Dean said in an email. 

Among several leadership qualities, they want “excellent communication skills, a strong sense of honesty and integrity (and) strong problem-solving skills.”

The job posting names a number of strengths they are looking for, when it comes to the applicant’s abilities to work with staff and students to create a quality academic environment.

It also states that they are looking for someone with a strong commitment “to the belief that each stakeholder in the school community deserves to be given individual attention and to be treated with dignity and respect.”

You can reach C & G Staff Writer April Lehmbeck at alehmbeck@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1043.