Grosse Pointe School District Now Searching for 4 Top Administrators

Following the quick exit by two former administrators May 21 and the retirements of the principal and the district superintendent, officials are preparing to find their replacements. 

The district has already posted the Maire Elementary vacancy and received applications. The deadline for applications for that job has already passed and candidates are being interviewed, district spokeswoman Rebecca Fannon said. 

The vacancies created by the weekend departures of Allan Diver and Brandon Slone—former principal and assistant principal of Grosse Pointe South—have not yet been posted on the district's website. 

Both men resigned following an investigation that revealed inappropriate adult images on their school-issued computers and BlackBerrys. Their sudden departure has caused the district to shuffle roles within the school to finish out the remaining weeks of the year. Remaining Assistant Principal Joan Murphy has been named the interim principal of South for the rest of the school year. 

As with any vacancy, the positions will be posted within the district as well as through the Michigan Association of School Administrators, Fannon said. All employees within the district also receive notification of the vacancies, she said.

In addition to searching for two new principals and one assistant principal, the district is also looking for a new superintendent, as C. Suzanne Klein is set to retire in December following what will be 15 years in the position and 41 years in the district. 

This week, representatives from Hazard and Young, , updated the school board. Thus far they have 12 applications and they anticipate a few dozen more before the application deadline June 10. Often many applicants file close to the deadline because of the busy nature of the end of the school year, the representatives said.

As part of that search, the district posted an online survey asking for community feedback about what they wish to see in the next superintendent. A total of 780 responses were given, including 285 from parents, the representatives said.

Patch is awaiting additional information from Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Thomas Harwood about when the South vacancies will be posted and the search will begin. 

Meanwhile the police investigation concerning inappropriate adult images on school computers continues, Public Safety Director Dan Jensen said.

and turned over to police, Harwood previously told Patch. One from each Diver and Slone and a third from another location other than South, which has not been identified.

Those are being analyzed by officers from the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, who specialize in crimes concerning data on computers, Jensen said.