By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — Candidates for the Crestwood School District superintendent position were narrowed down from four to two, with Youssef Mosallam and Patrick Adams chosen for final interviews and site visits.
The next step is meetings with stakeholders at 2 p.m. Oct. 2 and 3 with final interviews the same days at 7 p.m., all to be held at Crestwood High School, 1501 N. Beech Daly Road.
Interviews are scheduled to last one hour and are open to the public who will be able to provide feedback to the school board.
From Sept. 23 to 25, Mosallam and Adams along with Taylor School District Assistant Supt. Mary Ann Cyr and Lakeview School District Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources James Baker were interviewed by the board for 90 minutes.
Mosallam holds the title of Dearborn Public Schools Community Partnerships, Career and College Readiness Achievement executive director, and Adams is Roseville High School Principal. Adams was the De Le Salle Collegiate High School Principal from 2005 to 2016; Mosallam served as the DPS executive director of Student Achievement from 2015 to 2018.
Adams has a bachelor’s degree in English from University of Detroit Mercy, a master’s in education leadership from Wayne State University, an education specialist degree in educational leadership from WSU, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Oakland University, according to his resume.
Mosallam has a bachelor’s in education from WSU, a master’s in public administration from University of Michigan-Dearborn, education specialist certification from WSU, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from WSU, according to his resume.
Following the final interview, the board looked at materials from the candidates submitted through the application process in addition to extra materials from candidates, and the audience provided feedback during the open deliberation session.
Board members were asked about each of the four candidates and were given the opportunity to provide what they liked, interview highlights and any other thoughts they had.
“You know when you’re in church and you feel like the preacher is talking right to you? That’s the way I felt with Mr. Mosallam,” Board Vice President Colleen Krizanic said. “He hit me between the eyes so many times, he talked about the boy who was being expelled and he was the one against it. I just went through that with this board. I was the only dissenting vote and he got very emotional with that, I felt his pain and love for the student. So, I think there’s a time when the community needs someone that is going to make everyone feel inclusive and this is the time and Mr. Mosallam I think is one of the men that can do that.”
“I liked his opinion on discipline,” Krizanic said. “There are too many kids that are getting away with too much and I think he’s going to take ahold of that, and he’s going to change things. Through his community involvement he will be able to reach out to parents and help them to know why things are happening and how we do things. That’s integral in this district. I was very impressed.”
The board gave their opinions on Adams, citing aspects of the interview, resume and experience that stood out to them.
“I liked how he kept emphasizing transparency and trust,” Trustee Nadia Berry said. “That’s huge for me with my experience being on this board, so those were things I was really impressed by.”
“I liked that he comes from a smaller district,” Trustee Ed Garcia said. “This would be a considerably large district compared to where he’s at, but he is definitely very genuine and modest. When I addressed him in regards to his credentials, of the doctor, he said, ‘It’s just “Mr. Adams.”’ Very genuine, very modest and again another individual that impressed me with his interview because — with the words that he chose with how important that it’s everyone’s effort and it’s not the superintendent, it’s not the board, it’s not the teachers, it’s everyone working together collectively for the best interest of the student. Very, very impressed.”
Following the second round interviews and stakeholders meetings, board members will visit the finalists’ work sites the week of Oct. 7.
The next week is when a finalist is scheduled to be selected, an agreement negotiated and board action to hire the new superintendent with a target date of Nov. 4 to have a new superintendent hired and working his first official day.
The search for a new superintendent began when former Supt. Laurine VanValkenburg retired in July. Crestwood Director of Curriculum & Instruction Richard Klee has been serving as interim superintendent during the three-month search process, while also holding his current position.
The school board hired the Michigan Leadership Institute to conduct the search for a new superintendent with Regional President for Southeast Michigan John Silveri spearheading.
Meetings for parents, staff and community members were held in August to generate feedback and build a candidate profile. The board then received a list of skills, qualities and characteristics to the board and create a job posting.
For more information on the search and resumes of each candidate go to www.csdm.k12.mi.us.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])