Meet the 3 Candidates Running for Grosse Pointe Public School Board

Three residents are vying for two seats on the Board this November. With all of the pending legislation in Lansing related to Michigan schools, there is no shortage of hot topics in this race.

Patch asked candidates to answer a few questions about themselves, their interest in the position and their goals. All three school board candidates are opposed to the pending Schools of Choice mandate currently before Michigan legislators.

Listed alphabetically, the candidates are:

Diane Karabetsos, of Grosse Pointe Woods

According to her campaign page, her five sons attended and graduated from Grosse Pointe Public Schools. Her professional background includes teaching at the high school and university level, coaching children with special needs and she's been a realtor since 1972.

She believes she'll offer "both a maternal and a professional understanding" to the school board. Her intent in seeking a seat is to ensure the children from the community continue receiving a quality academic education as well as growth as a good citizen.

Her goals, if elected, include:

• maximizing funding
• collaboration with universities and local businesses
• financial transparency
• to offer a balanced package
• to bring dialogue between residents and board members
• to bring back informal meetings of the board to enhance members discussion before making important decisions

Daniel H. Roeske, of Grosse Pointe Farms

According to answers to questions posed by Grosse Pointe Patch via email, Roeske is the father of three children who currently attend Grosse Pointe Public Schools--one at each level. He's lived in the Grosse Pointes for more than 20 years and has actively participated in the Parent Teacher Organiztion Council.

He is the manager of training for Ford Motor Credit Company and has taught at the university level. If elected, he wants to bring a respectful, professional demeanor to the board.

His goals for office include:

• to maintain local control over the district
• to recognize and address the changing demographic of students in the district, including those who are at-risk and may be experiencing an achievement gap
• to maintain the excellence in education the district is known for
• to ensure the infusion of technology hardware is being integrated well into the classroom through proper training, software and the sharing of ideas through intradistrict communication
• to meet the above goals while maintaining fiscal responsibility

Roeske has a Facebook page for his campaign--a page he plans to use as one avenue of communication and feedback from parents, teachers and others related to the schools if he is elected.

He believes it is of utmost importance that leaders from all areas of the community--government, realtors, school officials, residents, business owners and homeowners--work together to "shape our district's future rather than simply face the future."

Lois Hindy Valente, of Grosse Pointe Park

According to her campaign page and Facebook campaign page, Valente has lived in Grosse Pointe Park for 20 years. She has three children currently attending Grosse Pointe Public Schools. Valente has been active with the Parent Teacher Organization Council and worked on the committee to hire the Director of Student Services, Deb Jackson.

Professionally, Valente has been in business and education strategic planning for 25 years. She currently works for Wayne State University.

Valente wants to restore the focus of the board, if elected, to students and what decisions are best for their educational needs and goals. If elected, she would work to help the board operate in a more cohesive rather than divided manner as demonstrated this summer on several important decisions.

Her goals for office include:

• maintaining local control over the district and classroom capacity
• ensuring the appropriate professional development for teachers in the ever-changing curriculum and technology fronts
• ensuring that teaching methods and content are meeting evidence-based research standards showing those that work and do not work
• to develop a community-specific strategic plan for the district that would help guide board decisions about what issues/topics/expenses are of the utmost importance as compared to those that should fall lower on the list

None of the candidates are incumbents. Current Board President John Steininger and Board Trustee Fred Minturn have opted to not seek re-election. Although school board candidates will be voted upon in November they take office in January.

Many residents announced their intentions to seek a seat on the board throughout the summer, when the board was making many controversial decisions. Ultimately, however, Karabetsos, Roeske and Valente were the only three who actually filed with the clerk's office.