By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — As the search for a new superintendent continues for Dearborn Heights District No. 7, the pool of candidates for interviews were selected Sept. 29.
Five candidates will be interviewed by the D7 Board of Education after being narrowed down from eight. A location for the interviews was not determined by press time.
Former Pennfield School District Supt. Kevin Simmons; former Iosco Regional Educational Service Agency Supt. Stephen Prissel; Farmington Public Schools Director of State & Federal Programs, School Improvements & Title IX Coordinator Ty Weeks; Detroit Public Schools Community District K-8 Principal Jeffery Robinson; and Madison School District Supt. Angel Abdulahad are the candidates for the D7 position.
Simmons and Prissel will interview at 6 p.m. Oct. 11, Weeks and Robinson interviews are set for 6 p.m. Oct. 12; and Abdulahad is scheduled to interview at 6 p.m. Oct. 13.
During a special meeting each board member selected the candidates they wanted to see move on into the first round interview and then unanimously agreed on the five.
A closed session was held prior to the open session where applicants for superintendent for reviewed. The board also picked 24 questions to ask each candidate during the 90-minute interviews.
Each candidate will have the opportunity to make opening remarks, answer questions asked to them, ask the board questions and also make closing remarks.
Questions will come from six categories: district relations, political awareness, leadership attributes, instructional and curriculum, finances, and staff and personnel.
Public comments from community members will be collected through response sheets and shared with the board members to consider.
Once the first interviews are held, the board will deliberate and narrow down the candidates to bring in for a site visit and second round interview.
Currently, Mary Ann Cyr is serving as interim superintendent for the district through Dec. 31 during the search for the permanent superintendent. The change came after former Supt. Jennifer Mast resigned.
To watch the special meeting go to the district’s YouTube page.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)