Elizabeth Jensen was recently named the new superintendent in Fitzgerald Public Schools.
By: Maria Allard | Warren Weekly | Published August 13, 2025
WARREN — Throughout her career in education, Elizabeth Jensen has worked in various capacities including classroom teacher, Title I specialist, principal, curriculum director, and director of academic services.
She is now stepping into a new role: Fitzgerald Public Schools superintendent. At the district’s Aug. 11 Board of Education meeting, the school board voted 7-0 to approve a one-year contract for Jensen. Her first official day was Aug. 12.
“We’re excited. We have a new chapter. Glad to have her stepping right in as the school year starts,” Board President Julia Yokel said. “She’s been phenomenal in her role as director of academic services, building that department and helping us to move forward, looking at data and making sure students have everything they need.”
The 2025-2026 school year is scheduled to begin with a half day Aug. 25. The district has been without a permanent superintendent since December 2024. Jensen, 42, already has several goals to accomplish, including “creating some great citizens to send out into the universe upon graduation.”
“I really want to start by listening to hear what everyone wants. What are their hopes and dreams for all the kids who are going here,” Jensen said. “We have a really collaborative team here and it’s really great to work with teachers who help our schools function. We have really hard-working staff members. A lot of people take pride in their work here, which is nice to see.
“There’s a community-oriented and family-oriented feel. The community believes in the district. They love the district. Often, you’re hear people say, ‘I went there, or my uncle went there.’ There are a lot of connections through Fitz,” Jensen said. “We have some great athletics. We have a lot of great systems in place. Every time we have a new staff member come in, we get a lot of compliments from them of all the things we have in the district, so they feel really supported.”
As superintendent, Jensen wants to keep the bar high to stay focused on instruction.
“I would love to continue to spread the message of what a great school district this is because sometimes we get a bad rap,” she said.
While growing up in St. John’s, Michigan, Jensen thought about either going into the medical field or being an educator.
“It felt like more of a calling wanting to work with kids all the time,” Jensen said. “My grandmother was a principal for a center-based special education school in Lansing, and there are various educators in our family. My mom was always one that pushed my brother and I to go to college and pursue our passions. She’s always been my biggest advocate and cheerleader.”
Jensen has two young children: a son in the second grade and a daughter in the first grade. Jensen’s contract is for one year. She’ll negotiate a new contract next year.
“We started a practice a few years ago where anyone moving into a new position here would be on a one-year contract for any of our nonaffiliated staff members,” Jensen said.
Early in her career, Jensen taught third grade in Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland, where she also became an assistant principal. In 2015, she moved back to Michigan and took a position in Mount Clemens Community Schools, where she was the principal at the Seminole Academy and also became curriculum director. While in Mount Clemens, a colleague and mentor encouraged her to apply for the director of academic services at Fitzgerald Public Schools. She did and was hired in 2020, “right in the midst of COVID.”
Retired Fitzgerald Public Schools Superintendent Laurie Fournier served as interim superintendent since December. At last Monday’s meeting, Jensen thanked Fournier with a gift, flowers and kind words. Fournier wiped back tears as the school board and central administrators gave her a standing ovation.
With Jensen settling into the superintendent role, the school board voted 7-0 on Aug. 11 to appoint Heather Klos as the district’s new director of academic services.
Hal Heard III, executive director of high school education, Plymouth-Canton Schools; Susan File, executive director of human resources, Waterford School District; Kellie Finnie, director of curriculum and state/federal programs, Dearborn Heights School District; Amy Nelson, superintendent, Capac Community Schools; and Major Mickens, director of student support services and community education, L’Anse Creuse Public Schools, were the five other candidates who interviewed for the superintendent position.