Rochester Superintendent Finalist Gary Richards Outlines Vision for Learning

Members of the public and the Rochester Board of Education got a closer look Tuesday night at the first of three finalists for the superintendent position. , took center stage at and answered questions from both groups.

Audience Q & A

Local residents had about one hour to question Richards before the board interview began.

• Doug Hill, president of the Rochester Education Association, asked how Richards would make the transition from a small district to a larger one. Imlay City is a school district of 2,300 students; Rochester has about 15,000. Richards called himself a collaborative leader who would steadily push ahead. He said he intends to begin by identifying the needs of the district, then he would set clear goals and look for strategies to reach those goals while continuing to measure to make sure the goals are being met. "The process is the same, the needs might be different," he said.
• Lori Ekelman, former director of human resources for the district* and a former elementary school principal, asked Richards what he anticipates would be his greatest challenge. "I want to ensure the greatness that you have achieved," he said. "There are growing achievement gaps ... finding ways to close the gap is a significant challenge in coming to Rochester." Richards said maintaining high standards for all students and including both ends of the spectrum is important in the process.
• The Rochester school district is . One potential cut would be media center staffing. "What importance do you place on media center staffing?" one audience member asked Richards. "They are actually critical ... they are very important," said Richards, who then added, "I am a realist and we have to make cuts."
• Two kindergarten teachers asked the candidate how he feels . "I am convinced if we don't get it right at the front end, we won't catch up in the regular school day," Richards said, adding that he supports the concept but would need to look at the district's data regarding the issue.
• In closing the Q&A portion of the interview, Richards told the audience he intends to be a visible leader if offered the position."I don't want to be the person who lives in the ivory tower," he said, stressing the importance of connecting directly with teachers, students and the community.

Board of Education interview

Before the interviews this week, the board asked each of the finalists to outline in writing their vision for the Rochester district and what they would implement if money were no object. Each candidate then submitted a memo to the Board of Education in response. On Tuesday night, the board asked questions stemming from this memo.

"Who are you and how would you lead the district? What would you implement if funding was no object?" asked Barb Cenko, board president.

Richards' memo recommended the implementation of what he called a "Blueprint of Enduring Success Together" (BEST). Specific components of this plan would include:

• Implementation of a common curriculum. It's "the Bible of public education that we all embrace," he said.
• Improving instruction. "We must invest in well-trained teachers and keep our teachers on the cutting edge of best practices," Richards said. He suggested using the same classroom teacher for kindergarten through fifth grade to enhance the learning in the classroom. Richards said this model would offer more ownership for the teacher. "You are responsible for those students," he said. "It would keep things fresh."
• Improving literacy. "I would love to develop a center for early literacy," Richards said, adding that the economically disadvantaged are a full year behind their peers by age 3. Richards cited a study that stated the mature reader knows 50,000 words. He wants to develop a guide to inform parents what their children should know before entering school. 
• Ideally, Rochester would offer full-day childcare and preschool at no charge to parents, Richards said. 
• His plan would also offer free foreign language instruction after school if funding were not an issue.
• Richards' plan outlined a model that would have a  "cluster of work stations." He envisions students working together in small groups like you might find in a business model for a common good. Technology can be a part of that model.
• Richards also talked about creating a learning hub — resources for parents and the community to gather information to help their students.

Board member Marty Sibert noted in discussion that music, theater, arts and sports were absent from Richards' "blueprint." Richards said that was not an intentional omission.

Board member Beth Talbert asked for clarification regarding Richards' intention to avoid what he called "artificiality" in the curriculum. He explained that he looks for ways to engage students and link information to the real world. He suggested the possibility that students could teach a unit in the classroom as a method of engaging and realizing leadership potential.

Board member Lisa Nowak discussed the global need for math and science, asking how Richards would nudge kids in that direction.* He suggested bringing in guest speakers to help them visualize this area as a career.

When asked what qualities constitute an excellent teacher, Richards replied that an "immediate connection with the learner" along with respect and trust are the ingredients of an effective teacher. "It is very obvious. In some cases it can be enhanced," said Richards, who added that he knows a great teacher when he sees one.

Richard summed up his plan by saying there are many of the same issues in a small district that exist in a large one. 

"I believe I bring a great deal of integrity, high morals," he said. "I have a relentless work ethic. I understand the process in getting from point A to point B ... We want to develop the whole student and the whole child."

What's next

• 6 p.m. Thursday: Geraldine Moore, an assistant superintendent for Rochester Community Schools
• 6 p.m. Friday: Frederick Clarke, superintendent of Albion Public Schools

Both interviews are to take place at Stoney Creek High School. Board members will likely select a superintendent after Friday night's interview.

Corrections: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect title for Lori Ekelman. She is the former director of human resources for the school. Also, an earlier version of the story had the incorrect identification of board member Lisa Nowak. Rochester Patch regrets the errors.