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GROSSE POINTES/HARPER WOODS — A little over a month after Grosse Pointe Public School System Superintendent Andrea Tuttle announced her plan to retire at the end of August, the Board of Education has found her successor.
The board voted unanimously March 9 to name Deputy Superintendent of Educational Services Roy Bishop as the new superintendent upon Tuttle’s retirement Aug. 31. It’s a historic moment for the district, as Bishop becomes the district’s first Black superintendent.
“Dr. Bishop is amazing at honoring and respecting various viewpoints in every room,” board President Clint Derringer said at the March 9 meeting. “Not some rooms, not most rooms — every room he is in. … Enhancing the voices in the room — that is his superpower. That is what we need. That is how we are going to lead with transparency.”
Bishop, 42, thanked the board and his family for their support. He said he’s also grateful to Tuttle.
“Dr. Tuttle has been a huge advocate of mine — just her leadership and how she’s helped me grow,” Bishop said after the meeting.
Throughout his 20-year career in education, Bishop said his mission has always been “advocating for every student and building a school system where all learners are empowered, supported and prepared for success in life.”
As deputy superintendent, Bishop has worked under three previous superintendents: Tuttle, interim Superintendent Christian Fenton and Jon Dean. All of them had different leadership styles, and Bishop said he learned key skills from them.
An award-winning educator, Bishop has been with the district for nearly 10 years, starting in GPPSS as the principal at Mason Elementary School in the fall of 2016. Before coming to GPPSS, he spent 10 years with Birmingham Public Schools, where he was an elementary classroom teacher, districtwide curriculum facilitator and assistant principal at elementary and middle schools.
Bishop earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Arts degree in curriculum and instruction from Marygrove College. He holds an education specialist degree in leadership and a doctorate in education from Oakland University.
While Bishop has widespread community support, some residents and board officials disagreed with the decision not to conduct a nationwide superintendent search, as has been done for some past superintendents, including Tuttle.
“I personally could not see any hypothetical candidate that would come forward that would be such a better candidate than Dr. Bishop that it would outweigh his institutional knowledge,” Derringer said by phone after the meeting. “I’m not interested in any additional performative process just to do it.”
While they supported the choice of Bishop, board members Virginia “Ginny” Jeup and Sean Cotton felt that a superintendent search should have been conducted.
“The board chose not to conduct a superintendent search at all,” Jeup said March 9. “No resumes were ever submitted, internally or externally. The decision to move one candidate forward was made behind closed doors. … No other qualified leaders were given the opportunity to apply. The truth is, we’re confirming a decision that was already made before the public ever had a chance to see the process. As one board member stated at this table, the fix was in.”
Derringer said the board considered all its options but decided that not conducting a search when it had such a strong internal candidate was the best move.
“I really believe in my heart an open, drawn-out (search) process would have been detrimental to the district and personnel,” Derringer said.
There’s a national shortage of superintendents, the Michigan Association of School Boards has told GPPSS officials.
There would have been a cost to the district as well — about $7,000 for an internally managed process or $30,000 or more for a nationwide search, Derringer said — but the cost isn’t why the board decided against a search.
Selecting a superintendent now gives Bishop more time to transition with Tuttle.
“Having extra time is extremely valuable to making sure we’re doing the best by our students, staff and teachers,” Bishop said.
That other central office administrators spoke in support of Bishop was encouraging to hear, Derringer said. He said it countered assertions by some that other administrators felt slighted by the process.
During the March 9 board meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning Sara Delgado and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Moussa Hamka both praised Bishop’s leadership.
Delgado said Bishop “has the central office team’s full support as the next superintendent of Grosse Pointe Public Schools.” She said they have “camaraderie and mentorship” among each other.
“One of the things I’ve noticed the most over the years in working with Dr. Bishop … is his integrity,” Delgado said. “And it bears being repeated. I’m honored to continue to serve alongside you in the central office team here in Grosse Pointe. … I walk out of here tonight feeling very hopeful.”
Hamka congratulated Bishop on this “well deserved recognition” and said that he’s the longest-serving person currently in the central administration office.
In the last couple of years, the district saw the departures of almost all its central office administrators.
“You’ve been the steady presence and the glue that’s held so much of our work together over the past several years,” Hamka told Bishop at the meeting. “Your kindness, your thoughtfulness and your deep care for our students, the staff and the community are evident in everything you do. Your unwavering commitment to this district and that consistency has meant a lot to the people who are working under you. On a personal note, I want to thank you for your guidance, for your leadership and your mentorship. You have challenged me to grow, supported me when I needed direction and helped me become a better leader. I’m deeply grateful for the trust and the time you’ve invested in me and everyone else under your tutelage.
“More importantly, Roy, you’re a man of integrity and strong character,” he continued. “You’re guided by a clear moral compass, and that’s evident through our daily work. In a role that often demands difficult decisions, you lead with conviction and humility. One of your most unique and admirable qualities is your ability to push others to be better while being open to being pushed yourself, to have your own thinking challenged and to consider different perspectives and to truly listen.”
Bishop said the district has “an amazing team.”
“We definitely are a team and we definitely support each other,” Bishop said of the central administrators.
Hamka said in the old central office at 389 St. Clair Ave. in Grosse Pointe City, there had been a wall of photos of past superintendents. All were white men, with the exception of one woman, Suzanne Klein. Tuttle became only the second female superintendent in district history.
“Now we have a person of color,” Hamka said. “And that representation and that historic moment isn’t lost on us. There’s so many kids, so many families that now get to look up to you. And I think that says a lot about our community. It says a lot about the ideal vision that we’re always striving to become. We’re not perfect. We’re not a perfect community. But it says a lot about what we’re willing to do to get there.”
Bishop and his wife, Latoya, have three children: London, Leighton and Roy Jr. They’ve lived in Grosse Pointe Woods for the past six years.
When he isn’t working, Bishop loves listening to music — “all types of music,” he said — and he also loves sports, especially basketball.
“I’m a huge March Madness fan,” Bishop said of the college basketball championship tournament.
He’s proud to report that he’s also been on a daily workout streak for more than six months now.
Bishop said one of the first things he will do when he assumes the superintendent role is to hold listening sessions with staff, students, families and community members. He said he welcomes dialogue with everyone.
“The best decisions in education are made when we listen first and lead together,” Bishop said March 9. “I believe deeply in this district, in this community and in the potential of our students. And I also believe the strongest message we can send tonight is one of unity. When leadership is unified, the district moves forward with confidence. I am ready to continue the work. I am ready to listen. And I am ready to lead alongside this board and this community.”
