19 Interview for Vacancy on Grosse Pointe School Board

Nineteen Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods residents interviewed Tuesday for the opportunity to fulfill a vacancy on the Grosse Pointe Public School board. The final decision about which of those candidates will be selected is scheduled to happen during a special meeting Wednesday, April 24, 2013. 

The interviews were conducted in a small groups and moderated by the League of Women Voters Grosse Pointe. The group format was decided upon as a result of . 

Of those 22, one person formally withdrew, one person was unable to attend Tuesday night and another person did not show up for the interview. 

School Board President Joan Dindoffer said afterward the decision will be challenging given the "phenominal field" of candidates. Dindoffer said she was pleased with the forum style interviews and felt the moderation by League of Women Voters helped make the process more efficient while still allowing the board members ample opportunity to get to know the candidates. 

The candidates were asked a series of questions formulated by current board members, who are the people that will make the ultimate decision about who fills the seat vacated by Brendan Walsh. 

Walsh resigned with immediate notice in late March due to new professional responsibilities. His resignation requires the board to replace him within 30 days. If the decision surpasses the 30 day window, the intermediate school district, or Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency, or RESA, must make the decision. 

Each board member submitted a list of questions to the League of Women Voters Grosse Pointe and moderators helped ensure the questions were not repetitive, meaning some board members second choice question was used. Dindoffer said she was "pleasantly surprised" by board member questions, which touched on a variety of topics. 

The questions asked of the candidates included: 

1. What are the biggest problems facing the school district now? What can be solved in the next 18 months while you are on the board?
2. What is a recent board decision with which you disagreed and why? 
3. How would you "challenge each and every student each and every day?"--a phrase the district uses as a tagline about its overall goal
4. What do you know about the current employee contract?
5. What experience do you have with state legislators?
6. What do you want to work on as a board member that would have an immediate impact?
7. Are you able to accept and begin as a board member by April 29?

Most of the candidates with few exceptions are parents in the school district. Their children span the spectrum of the district--some have their first child entering kindergarten next school year while others have their last child graduating from one of the high schools this year.

All of the candidates highlighted their professional experience, which included attorneys, educators, realtors and others. Their reasons for running varied slightly but all want to help improve the district related to curriculum, finances, community relations and more. 

The district's television production staff live-streamed the interviews Tuesday. The recording can be replayed.  

The following people interviewed Tuesday (click on name to view candidate's application):

The first group to interview:

• Derek Adams
• Allison Baker
• Christopher Cornwall
• Anne Marie Harris
• Diane Karabetsos

The second group included: 

• Kimberly Clexton
• Cheryl Ann Costantino
• John Gillooly
• Robin Hartnett
• James Hill
• Norma Huizar
• Peter Kotula

The final group included: 

• William Broman
• Jennifer Neumann
• William Roche
• William Shield
• Brian Clark Summerfield
• Chace Wakefield
• Sandra Lynn Yarema