GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.-- In a series of community input meetings for choosing the new superintendent of Grand Rapids Public Schools, leaders of Kent ISD says the most common request from the public is that its new leader be collaborative.
The search for a new superintendent comes after Teresa Weatherall Neal announced her retirement for the end of June 2019.
Kent ISD, a regional educational agency, is conducting the input meetings.
“We’ve been hearing that people want a visionary and collaborative leader," says Ron Koehler, an assistant superintendent with Kent ISD. "Somebody who can communicate very well and really possess all the qualities necessary to lead a district that serves nearly 200,000 people in a core city."
Koehler says finding a collaborative person for the job is crucial to the smooth runnings of Kent ISD.
“Grand Rapids being the largest, you know and we like to see our districts work together because when you have trust, you can accomplish more together than you can when you don’t," says Koehler.
Koehler says there will be candidates from across the state and possibly candidates from inside GRPS.
Kent ISD will present their findings from the input meetings to the GRPS School Board in January.
To contribute your input to the search, click here for a survey.
