It may be the lazy days of summer for some people, but not in the Grosse Pointe Public School System. This summer in particular has been incredibly busy and productive.
At our Board meeting last night we made even more progress:
- We welcomed Jeremy Hawkins, who will be the new Athletic Director at South High School, replacing Brandon Slone who is moving into the Assistant Principal position at South vacated by the retiring Michelle Yanke. Jeremy comes very highly recommended. In meeting him last night, his upbeat attitude and pleasant disposition were very noticeable characteristics. Jeremy also has great experience in Special Education services and we look forward to his contribution in both academic and athletic areas.
- We also welcomed Deborah Kay Jackson as our new Director of Special Education Services. Deborah joins us from Bloomfield Hills Schools. 10% of our student population receives special education services. This is not only extremely important work, but highly detailed and requiring great people and administrative skills. We’re excited to have Deborah and from my conversation with her last night, she is eager to get going.
- We approved another agreement with another employee bargaining unit, this time the Office Worker’s union, mostly populated by secretarial and clerical staff. This contract has essentially the same characteristics as the same agreements with the teachers and administrators. It adjusts the salary grid (reducing entry level pay, increasing top level pay), increases health care contributions, and ultimately ties total compensation to fund equity levels. I am excited that we continue to make his progress with our employees.
- We also approved the hiring of another nine teachers as we backfill the retirements brought about by the state and local retirement incentives. At a time when many districts are laying staff off, Grosse Pointe Schools is hiring and avoiding $700,000 in wasteful unemployment benefits costs.
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| From Defer Construction_Summer 2010 |
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| From Defer Construction_Summer 2010 |
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| From Defer Construction_Summer 2010 |
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| From Defer Construction_Summer 2010 |
Just as we are bringing on new staff, we’re also keeping our facilities up to date to provide the best learning environment for our children. I took the pictures above at my children’s elementary school Defer, in Grosse Pointe Park. The amount of construction going on in the lower levels was amazing. I went in to vote there last Tuesday and our wonderful custodial, Mr. Alan pulled me aside eager to share the stories. You’ll see new base floors in all the classrooms as well as smart board technology. The rooms looked great.
What struck me more was the pride Mr. Alan showed in the schools. This was very personal to him and he shared a great deal of history about Defer and the building that I never knew. We’re lucky to have people like Mr. Alan at Defer – and all the schools. They have pride in their work and are personally invested for everyone’s well-being.
Lots of great things going on as we gear up for the start of school. We are in great shape with a wonderful, experienced staff, some fresh and excited new faces, and buildings that despite their age evolve with the times.
Brendan