Meet Novi Middle School’s New Principal

NOVI, MI — The Novi Community School District Board of Education this month approved Robert Baker as the new principal of Novi Middle School. He will take over July 1 from Stephanie Schriner, who is retiring after seven years as the principal.

“The Novi Community School District is excited that Mr. Baker will become the next principal at Novi Middle School,” said Dr. Steve Matthews, Superintendent of Novi Schools. “Mr. Baker has served the Novi Community School District well and I anticipate that he will continue to serve our district well in his new role.”

Baker has been the Assistant Principal at Novi High School since 2011. Before that, he taught for six years at Novi High School in the social studies and foreign language departments.

“Mr. Baker demonstrated, through our hiring process, that he has a deep understanding of building leadership and classroom instruction,” Matthews said. “Mr. Baker spoke passionately about building a strong team to support the students and families at Novi Middle School. He has proven himself to be a strong leader and he has a deep understanding of the school improvement process. Most importantly, he relates well to and has a strong desire to provide great educational environments for our students.”

Baker attended the University of Michigan and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with majors in Spanish and Organizational Studies. From there, he attended the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs and earned a Master of Arts Degree in International Affairs. He returned to the University of Michigan to complete his teaching certification in 2004. In 2015, Baker earned his Education Specialist degree from Eastern Michigan University.

The Novi Community School District hired Baker in 2005 to teach Spanish and social studies at Novi High School. He became a Content Area leader in the social studies department, taught the International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge course, and chaperoned student trips to Costa Rica, Spain, and Mexico. Baker was also a class sponsor and Quiz Bowl coach at Novi High School.

Baker has been an assistant principal at Novi High School since 2011. During that time, Baker has been active with student council, school improvement, and student testing and assessment. He has served on four school improvement external review panels and co-coordinated the school improvement review for the Novi Community School District in 2013.

“It is both an honor and a privilege to serve the students, parents, staff, and the Novi community as the principal of Novi Middle School,” Baker said. “I have a passion for Novi. I look forward to collaborating with the Novi Middle School staff as we work to provide great opportunities for our learners, a safe learning environment for all, high-quality instruction, and a fun learning environment for our students.”

Baker is married and has two young daughters.

Photo courtesy Novi Community School District