Rochester Community Schools Board of Education President Barbara Anness and new trustee Sherry Wynn Perdue pose for a photo.
By: Mary Beth Almond | Rochester Post | Published April 7, 2026
ROCHESTER/ROCHESTER HILLS/OAKLAND TOWNSHIP — The Rochester Community Schools Board of Education has selected Sherry Wynn Perdue as its new trustee.
Wynn Perdue was one of seven candidates — including Nicholas Blaszczyk, Dana Cadman, Laurin Gracey-Parker, Kristen Hall, Lawrence Halushka and Jamie Rawcliffe — selected by the board to be interviewed for the appointment March 23.
As an educational administrator and faculty member at Oakland University with a Ph.D. in educational leadership, Wynn Perdue said she feels called to “play a more active role in supporting Rochester’s students and strengthening the district’s future.”
“My background in educational leadership, policy development and emerging technologies positions me to contribute thoughtfully,” she said.
As a leader, Wynn Perdue said she likes to understand why people take different perspectives.
“As I tell my students all the time, ‘every day in life you’re confronted with issues and challenges for which there isn’t a perfect answer. You’re going to have incomplete information. The key is to use what you can gather, and at some point you’ll have to make a decision, and you have to be prepared to see how it gets operationalized, and if there is a problem, be ready to redirect,’” Wynn Perdue said. “That’s been my approach to leadership.”
For 15 years, Wynn Perdue has served as the director of the Oakland University Writing Center, serving students, faculty and community partners. Through her role on Oakland University’s Academic Council, district officials say, she has reviewed and evaluated policy and is knowledgeable about how governance decisions shape practice. She also served as president of the International Writing Centers Association and currently contributes to national and university-level artificial intelligence literacy initiatives promoting ethical, critical engagement with generative AI.
“I am researching generative AI, which is an issue that is increasingly confronting K-12 educators. I have figured out ways to use it effectively with my students and teach generative AI literacy, which isn’t so much how to use it, but how to understand the things you need to ask before you use it and why you can’t outsource your thinking to it,” she said.
Wynn Perdue was approved by the school board in a 4-2 vote to fill the trustee position vacated by Jessica Gupta, who resigned from her position effective March 1. Trustees Carol Beth Litkouhi and Shelley Lauzon dissented.
Wynn Perdue will serve on the board until the November election.
In appointing Wynn Perdue, the majority of the board members cited her professional knowledge of what students need for success in higher education and future careers, a data-informed approach to meeting students’ needs, support for educators and public education, an appreciation for strategic planning, a reciprocal understanding of K-12 and collegiate education, and a commitment to ensuring that every child has a sense of belonging.
“I appreciated the experience she has and seeing where our students are going to be, so that reciprocity between the K-12 and the college years,” said board Secretary Michelle Bueltel.
New board President Barbara Anness said Wynn Perdue said some things during her interview that really resonated with her. Anness liked her background in education leadership and that she is researching generative AI.
“Some other things that she brought up that I would agree with, when I started serving on this board, is there is a challenge in how we communicate and being able to honestly think about how we do that and being thoughtful about it. Having someone with fresh eyes come and share their perspective, I think, would be a good thing to have,” she said. “The other thing she said that I thought was key was she doesn’t want to do what’s right, she wants to do what’s right for kids. I heard her talk a lot about kids in her interview, and she focused and centered around kids, which is important to me. She also talked about our strategic plan a lot. She was the only candidate that talked about our strategic plan.”
Blake said he was looking for a candidate who has the heart and head for the job and is a good collaborator. He said Wynn Perdue’s answers were “thorough, thoughtful and knowledgeable.”
Lauzon said her top choice was candidate Nicholas Blaszczyk, a parent of three young children in the district she said is running for a seat on the RCS Board of Education in November 2026. Lauzon liked that Blaszczyk is a business owner with strong skills in budgeting, planning and responsible decision making, and he said he “understands what is at stake” and “would take his role very responsibly.”
Litkouhi preferred Lawrence Halushka, who she noted is also running for school board in November 2026. She said she was impressed with his “calm, friendly and funny demeanor,” and was hopeful he had “the sort of personality that could bring this board together.”
Following the appointment of Wynn Perdue, the board majority elected Barbara Anness to serve as president with another 4-2 vote. Trustee Carol Beth Litkouhi and Shelley Lauzon dissented, while Wynn Perdue abstained.
Before voting against Anness, Litkouhi offered an explanation. She initially nominated Lauzon for the position, but failed to gain enough votes for her colleague to secure the role.
“The power of the board president has grown well beyond being one of seven equals,” Litkouhi said. “The role has increasingly been used to control board processes, whether it’s the board applicant process, whether it’s complaints or communication with lawyers or deciding what does or does not make it onto our agenda. So I think we should think carefully before handing that power to the board member who is most recently known for calling the question, which shuts down debate, and not standing for the Pledge of Allegiance, which I’m not sure why the board would want to reward that kind of leadership.”
Following the vote, Anness thanked the board for their “vote of confidence” in the appointment.
“I recognize that not everyone supported my selection and I recognize the diversity of perspectives at this table. As president, I am committed to being fair and impartial and to ensuring that ‘Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised’ edition are followed with integrity so that every trustee is treated equally. In return, I ask for your grace and cooperation in upholding these standards, and I will extend that same respect and fairness to each of you,” Anness said.
The RCS Board member’s positions and terms of service include: President Barbara Anness (2026), Vice President Jayson Blake (2030), Secretary Michelle Bueltel (2026), Treasurer Julie Alspach (2030), Trustee Carol Beth Litkouhi (2028), Trustee Shelley Lauzon (2030) and Trustee Sherry Wynn Perdue (2026).