Grosse Pointe South Principal Community Receptions Draw 40

A to meet the two finalists for principal of attracted about 40 guests Tuesday, many of them district and school staffers.

The consensus among the parents in attendance, several among the district's most involved, seemed to be that either candidate would be a good choice.

Several students, including writers and editors of The Tower, the school newspaper, also attended the reception inside South's Student Commons area.

Matt Outlaw, one of the two candidates to lead the 1,700-member student body and its dozens of staff members, comes from within the district and is an assistant principal at and former assistant principal and athletic director at South.

He has overseen the district's summer learning program and has a background in foreign language. Outlaw was a teacher and dean of students at Novi High School as well as a baseball coach.

The other candidate, Cathryn Armstrong, is an assistant principal and athletic director at Farmington Hills Harrison High School and was a middle school assistant principal for Farmington Public Schools before that.

She also was director of Fine Arts for Farmington Public Schools and started out as a instrumental teacher. 

One of the two candidates will replace former Principal Allan Diver, who , along with Assistant Principal Brandon Slone, in connection with being shared on school computers and Blackberries. 

Both candidates have similar qualifications and educations, including doctorate degrees, and outgoing personalities and athletic interests.

During two separate hourlong receptions Tuesday, their personalities were magnetic and they showed powerful communication skills and high enthusiasm for the school and for education.

The main difference between the two--and possibly a basis for a decision on who gets the job--comes down to a choice between a good fit from within the district or a breath of fresh air from outside the district.

"It's really a win-win," said Allison Baker, a parent and member of the 20-member interview committee that narrowed the finalists to two and who attended the receptions. "We'll be in good hands with either of them."

Out of 100 applicants for the job, the committee narrowed the pool to six and then to the final two. At the receptions, attendees were offered forms for their feedback on the candidates. The forms were collected and are expected to be reviewed by district officials.

With tempers still flaring about the school board's decision to name insider Tom Harwood as superintendent, some parents talked about whether the decision on the principal hiring has already been made and whether their input and opinions would carry any weight.

Many parents at the reception said they were looking for a new style of principal, one who would be out among the students, getting to know them, one that would mete out discipline fairly and equally without fears of repercussions and one that would take a hard look about what's working and what's not at the school.

"One of the things that touched me very deeply is the commitment you have to your school," Armstrong told the crowd as her reception wound down. She got laughs when she said her daughter was 12 going on 35. She said after having picked her daughter up from cheerleader camp Monday that she "is pumped up and I'm pooped."

During the reception she was very sociable, animated and friendly. As she mingled with the crowd, the topics discussed included special education, which she has a love and understanding of, the importance of electives, her style of discipline, a style honed at a diverse school with problems not unlike some at South. She also small-talked about her experience as a marathoner, including the Boston Marathon, and her upcoming and first triathlon this weekend.

Outlaw, who followed Armstrong during a separate reception, told those in attendance that this is a job he's dreamed of. He joked about his true school allegiance being to South. "I was here first," he said. 

He traveled table to table during the reception seeking questions and concerns. He talked about having integrated South's Booster Club with more mothers.

He also talked about his philosophy on discipline, primarily that the same offense can lead to different punishments, depending on how the situation played out and how the students responded to being disciplined. At North, his job involves disciplining rule-breakers, and he shared a story about suspending one student while sending another to community service for the same offense due to different reactions from the students and their families.

Outlaw prepared a 90-day transition plan he plans to implement if he gets the job--a position he said feels like the right fit.

"I know what South is all about," he said. "I need to learn the nuances and how things work here, but I understand what parents want and …I have so much respect for the teaching staff."

Earlier, before leaving, Armstrong, thanked the parents and district officials who had welcomed her and asked her questions and answered hers.

"Whatever the outcome you'll be fine" she said.

The district will seek to fill the assistant principal position after a principal has been selected so that person can be a part of the interview process. The district intends to present the final selected candidate during its next board meeting Monday July 25.