Dexter Community Schools

Superintendent Search Update

The Board of Education would like to share current information about the superintendent search process. If you have any questions, feel free to ask a member of the School Board, or you may ask one of the building principals or union leaders who will contact us to get an answer.

1. Why do we only have one candidate?

Prescreening narrowed the large group of candidates down to six. Informal discussions and resumes closed the gap to three candidates. One withdrew their application, and of the final two, Dr. Timmis was so far ahead of the other choice that the Board made the decision to name him as the only candidate.

The details: Last fall, the Board hired Michigan Leadership Institute to help the district find a new superintendent. From meetings with stakeholders and surveys, a list of characteristics the district is looking for in a superintendent emerged. Here are some of the major points.

• A visionary leader focused on student achievement
• Dedicated to educational excellence and the success of all students
• An ability to engage all stakeholders and build strong teams
• Effective communicator with public relations and marketing skills
• Knowledgeable about curriculum, instruction, and professional development and assessment
• Data driven research based decision maker who sets high expectations for self and others and holds staff accountable
• Creative, out-of-the-box thinking
• Knowledgeable about public school finances and fiscal management
• Actively engaged and visible throughout the district
• Proven leadership with skills in collaborative decision making, creative problem solving, and intelligent risk taking
• A desire to live and work in the Dexter Community School District and willingness to make a long-term commitment to the district

The Board search committee was able to speak informally with six candidates who asked to know more about Dexter. The committee met with both sitting superintendents and assistant superintendents. From this group, three candidates were identified for further consideration. One of the three withdrew their application, which left two candidates. Although the goal was to have at least two or three candidates, the search committee and our search consultant, Michigan Leadership Institute's Dr. Mike Wilmot, reviewed the meeting results and resumes with the full Board, Dr. Chris Timmis was so far ahead of the other candidate that we decided to pursue only one candidate with the understanding that if it didn’t work out, we would need to start over again.

2. What specifically made Chris Timmis stand out from the crowd?

Dr. Timmis embodies most of the characteristics the district and community identified as important for our next superintendent. He is a visionary leader who has shown the ability to solve existing problems and to be an innovative leader by thinking outside the box for meaningful improvements. As superintendent of Adrian Public Schools for the last five years, Dr. Timmis took his district from a low-performing, financially distressed district to one that has become a model in the state for rising student performance. Although the issues in Dexter are different from what Adrian Public Schools has faced, we see in him the ability to help Dexter move from good to great, and expand the opportunities for success of all our students.

The details: At the last school board meeting, Board members took the opportunity to share their impressions of the candidate. Here are some highlights from the meeting and from his resume.

• Dr. Timmis raised a million dollars of private funding to convert an antiquated middle school pool into a space for after school programs. The program is run by the Boys and Girls Club of Lenawee County and serves 150 children daily at no cost to parents or taxpayers.
• He has created other meaningful partnerships such as a preschool program with Adrian College.
• MEAP and MME scores have shown double-digit improvements in all grade levels.
• In the midst of these financially trying times for Michigan's public schools, he brought the Adrian district from the point of insolvency to stability.
• While a math teacher at Southgate, he increased AP Calculus test participation and enrollment by 300%. He also developed a think-tank for school improvement programs.
• As a high school principal in Adrian, Dr. Timmis created an alternative education program and a credit recovery system. He also secured a scholarship agreement and partnership with Siena Heights University.
• The IB Diploma Programme at Adrian High School, added in 2010-11, has 121 students taking 273 courses.
• Adrian Schools is one of four IB Open World Schools in the world providing on-line courses to students anywhere in the world.
• Dr. Timmis worked closely with the Educational Foundation on a $1.5 million endowment campaign which has raised $900,000 to date.
• Not only would he move his family to Dexter, but also his son would be enrolling in Young Fives and his family would plan to stay for several years developing a lasting relationship with the community.

Dr. Timmis has demonstrated an ability to increase achievement and challenge students to excel. He is a problem solver. In Adrian, he tackled serious issues and made remarkable progress toward improvement. Dexter is a different district with its own unique challenges, and the Board believes Dr. Timmis will be able to offer creative and unique solutions for those challenges.

3. What is the status of the search process and where does it go from here?

Dr. Timmis met with district staff and community members on May 15th and May 17th. The Board encourages those who met Dr. Timmis to share your feedback either by sending us your written feedback, contacting a Board member, or sharing with a building principal or union leader.

A Superintendent Search Advisory Committee is being formed to provide input to the Board in developing interview questions for Dr. Timmis, conducting a site visit to Adrian Schools, and soliciting feedback from the community. The committee will include a broad cross section of district administrators, staff and community members.

The Board will interview Dr. Timmis at a public meeting on June 4th at 7:00 PM at Creekside Intermediate School Media Center. If the Board decides to continue the process, a site visit to Adrian Schools will take place the week of June 10th to talk with Adrian Schools staff, Board members, and the community. Following the site visit, a date will be set for the Board to vote on whether to hire Dr. Timmis as our superintendent.

Larry Cobler
President, Dexter Board of Education
May 23, 2013

Everyday Math

We are excited to announce that the Board of Education unanimously approved the adoption of Everyday Mathematics at the May 6th Board meeting. We believe that this adoption is an important next step in increasing student achievement and expanding instructional support for our teachers.

We want to optimize the success of our implementation of Everyday Math and will be working to facilitate a smooth transition with support for teachers and parents throughout the year.

If you have any questions, contact Linda Kuzon (kuzonl@dexterschools.org) or Jeff Dagg (daggj@dexterschools.org), at the Curriculum Office.