The Michigan State Board of Education has chosen a search firm to help find its next state superintendent.
The board voted to hire education recruitment firm Ray and Associates based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Michigan Department of Education has been operating under an interim head since the death of superintendent Brian Whiston last May.
Board member Eileen Weiser says choosing an out of state company will help Michigan educators find evidence-based solutions for improving student performance.
“The hope is that with a firm like this, which has seen some states aggressively choosing reform, others holding back…that they will be able to come up with candidates that can give us a choice for that,” says Weiser.
Weiser says Ray and Associates has a strong record of placing qualified superintendents in other states.
The board is expected to hire a permanent superintendent early next year.