KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo Public Schools could have a new superintendent selected by the end of next week.
The Board of Education will hold second interviews with their three finalists for the position Monday, May 8.
Dr. Ty Weeks will be interviewed at 6:00 p.m., followed by Dr. Stephanie Jones at 7:00 p.m., and Dr. Darrin Slade at 8:00 p.m. The finalists’ resumes can be found on the Kalamazoo Public Schools website.
The interviews will be held in the KPS Administration Building at 1220 Howard Street. The meeting is open to the public and will be live streamed through Public Media Network on the Live TV Channel PMN 5: https://www.publicmedianet.org/pmn-five-live.
Following the last interview, feedback links (one for each candidate) will be available on the KPS website for attendees and viewers. The feedback link will remain active through noon Tuesday, May 9. The information in the feedback surveys will be provided to board members before they make their final decision.
Tuesday, May 9 the three finalists will tour the district and some of its facilities. Staff and students will have the opportunity to meet the three finalists. There will also be candidate response sessions for both families and staff. These sessions will require pre-registration and have a limited capacity.
The KPS Board of Education will meet Thursday, May 11 to decide who will be the new superintendent.
Finalist profiles provided by the Kalamazoo Public Schools:
Dr. Stephanie Jones is the chief officer for the Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services for Chicago Public Schools, where she provides strategic direction to district leaders, administrators, and staff to ensure high quality, grade-level instruction and equitable services for students. She began her career as a special education teacher with CPS and served as director of special services for an Illinois school district. She is a data-driven leader with knowledge of academic reform strategies. She holds a bachelor’s in psychology, a master’s in special education, and a doctorate in leadership in educational administration from Capella University.
Dr. Darrin Slade is the deputy superintendent of the Hazelwood Public School District in Missouri. He previously served as the assistant superintendent of Instructional Leadership for Kansas City Public Schools, where he supervised principals, instructional programming, school climate and strategic planning. He has 16 years of experience as an elementary, middle, and high school principal for the District of Columbia Public Schools. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Towson University, a master’s degree in teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Maryland.
Dr. Ty Weeks is superintendent of schools for Dearborn Heights School District No. 7. A Detroit native, he has worked as a teacher, advocate mentor, professor, principal, Title IX compliance coordinator, and program developer for youth in the tri-county metropolitan Detroit area for two decades. He is a member of the Michigan Association of School Administrators and the American Association of School Administrators. He earned a bachelor’s in secondary education, master’s in K-12 administration, and doctorate in educational studies all from Eastern Michigan University, which also awarded him an honorary doctorate in public service in 2022.
