Manchester’s interim superintendent, Kevin Upton, also works with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District and Ypsilanti Schools.

As of January 6, Manchester has a new interim Superintendent, Kevin Upton. Upton, who is also a WISD employee, will be spending approximately half-time with Manchester Community Schools through June 30, to help with the transition to a new, permanent superintendent.

According to a draft timeline provided by the Board of Education, the Superintendent job posting will be released on Feb. 21, with all applications due by March 31. A special board meeting has been tentatively set for April 13 to select candidates for the first round of interviews, which will take place on April 20. Second round interviews will be held a week later.

Visitations and meetings will take place the week of May 4, with a special board meeting set for May 11 to select its finalist. Formal approval for a new superintendent will take place at the regular meeting on May 25.

Asked about his plan to help Manchester through this transition time, Upton responded, “My first priority in the district as Interim Superintendent is to build healthy relationships with staff that will allow us to collectively focus on the academic and social emotional development of our students. My overarching plan for the next six months is to maintain district operations and refine when necessary, while focusing on the high expectation that we lift each other up to help meet the individual needs of our students.”

Upton says that he’s been warmly and graciously welcomed in the Manchester community and particularly within the district.

“My relatively brief experiences with the people has solidified my preconceived notion that the Manchester community supports one another, especially during times of change,” he said. “I am grateful to be presented with the opportunity to be an educational leader in a dedicated community like Manchester.”

Upton added that there are “three simple things” that he hopes to receive from the district and the wider community over the coming months: “I simply ask for trust, transparency, and communication from all adults who are invested in the best interests of our students,” he said. “I am confident that together, we can accomplish the community’s vision for its schools.”

Upton’s unique skill set–his knowledge and experience in curriculum development combined with his connections at the Intermediate School District level, is part of the reason the board selected him for the interim position at the helm of the Manchester district. He says he has a “steadfast belief” that every decision made in education should be anchored in responding to the unique individual needs of the student populations being served.

“My plan is to live up to that belief each day that I am acting as the educational leader for the Manchester Community Schools,” he said. “I have more than 20 years of experience in public schools and a large professional network of resources that will support me as a leader. For example, by drawing from my experience and resources, I believe that I will be able to support MCS in moving the needle in the areas of educational technology and data dialogues. 

A memo from School Board President Christine Fegan to the members of the Southwest Washtenaw Council of Governments (SWWCOG) noted that the board “hopes to find someone to continue the positive and progressive culture that Mr. (Nick) Steinmetz created. Our students deserve as much and they are watching how we handle this transition,” she stated. “Change makes us grow, and I am counting on the leaders in this community to support us during this stressful time.”

Currently, Upton is engaged in a fact-finding mission to identify the district’s detailed leadership needs, an undertaking which complements the requirements Fegan outlined in her message to SWWCOG members.

“I believe that MCS, and any district for that matter, benefits from stability in leadership,” Upton said. “Ideally, (it would be) a leader who has a clear educational vision. This leader must have integrity as they are faced with making tough decisions–for example, decisions that take into account the decreasing state population. The next superintendent must also be capable of innovating to identify out-of-the-box solutions.”

The board is currently working with recruiters Tony Hollow and Linda Blair, who assisted with the search for Steinmetz, to help identify the candidates who will help fulfill the mission that Upton and the board agree upon.

“As I’ve said already,” Upton concluded, “I believe that a district is most functional and vibrant when all community members, including its leadership, are dedicated to embracing trust, transparency, and communication.”