Two candidates withdraw from Albion interim superintendent search

The search for an interim superintendent in Albion is thinning out but will take a few weeks longer than planned.

On Monday, school board President Dan Skean announced Paula Steele and Daniel Heckman had removed themselves as candidates for the one-year position for personal reasons.

Skean said Heckman, a retired superintendent from Plainwell Community Schools, emailed him Sunday to inform him he would not be interviewing Thursday.

Steele, the principal at East Lansing High School, emailed and called Skean on Monday afternoon — the same day she was scheduled to interview.

“I understand that in these tight economic times people are keeping their options open and there is flexibility at both ends,” Skean said. “I would have appreciated a longer notice.”

The three remaining finalists include: Richard Ames, a retired superintendent of Hillsdale Community Schools and Springport Public Schools; Maurice Ware, the executive director of Educational Support Services for Battle Creek Public Schools; and Bobbi Morehead, most recently the principal at W.K. Kellogg Middle School in Battle Creek.

On Tuesday, the board decided to move the special meeting to select its superintendent from next Monday to July 1.

The rationale was to allow newly elected school board members Shawnette Spicer and Sonya Brown to be sworn in and vote on the hire.

“I feel like I want everyone on the board to say, ‘We made this decision together’ … and to not be able to opt out of this process,” said board member Don Phillips.

That meeting will take place at noon in the boardroom at Crowell School.
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As published in the Jackson Citizen Patriot on June 15, 2011