Wayland Union Schools Superintendent Dr. Christina Hinds announced her resignation, effective June 30, 2022 to the Wayland Union Schools staff and community today.
Dr. Hinds has served as the superintendent since July 2020. She was recruited to become the next deputy superintendent of Northview Public Schools.
“Although I was not looking for a new job, I was recruited with an opportunity I could not resist,” Hinds said. “As the next deputy superintendent of Northview Public Schools, I believe I will have an opportunity to fully explore my passion for the whole child, belonging, equity and access.”
Dr. Hinds’ letter to the community stated:
“Mattie J.T. Stepanek stated, “Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” It is my hope that you will keep this quote in mind as the school district experiences another change and transition. When we keep our eyes fixed upon our students, we are united with a common purpose. Please keep the momentum going for our students… our strategic plan is in place, we are planning for our bond project in August, and we are continuously moving forward. I encourage you to warmly prepare to welcome in the next leader. Let your Wildcat Pride shine for all to see. This is Wayland UNION.”
Wayland Board of Education President Dan Cassini said, “Dr. Hinds has been a joy to work with and a great fit for navigating the pandemic for our district. I will always consider her a cherished colleague because of the professional relationship we forged through adverse times. It’s selfishly difficult to see Dr. Hinds depart our district, but I know it’s an opportunity for her that I could in no way stand in the way of. We are a better district because of her fingerprints that will remain. I wish her and her family nothing but the best now and beyond. I hope she will remain in contact as she transitions into her new position.”
The school board will begin its search soon for the next superintendent with hopes of having the district’s next leader in place by July 1. The Superintendent Search meetings will be announced on the Wayland Union Schools website at www.waylandunion.org
It would be nice to see a Superintendent hired from someone who is local and has their roots in Wayland instead of some outside person with no connection to our community.
Tom,
Great point! They had the chance last time, look where it got them……..Within the first year she was applying elsewhere.
I hope they (WUS Board) don’t embarrass themselves again and ask Velie to throw her hat in the ring…..If they do have the audacity to ask her I hope that she tells them to go fly a kite 🙂
Cheers!!
They should tell her she has the job and give her as much as the present superintendent gets plus $5,000. She’s worth it!
Ms. Velie has proven her mettle over the years. Great administrator of funds and gets the most for taxpayer dollars. I’ve never heard a complaint about her, just praise. There should be no selection process that wastes time and money…. we have the right person!
DTOM,
100% spot on, the wasted $$ last time, never seems to change.
Cheers!!
I can only laugh. Well…laugh heavily.
Lets not cut Dr. Hinds short. I believe she was a qualified option at the time. She took a lot of heat during a difficult time. Kids safety or people with no health care sense to fight against. The City of Wayland does the same thing hire someone from far away to only last a short time.
Some 15-20 years ago, being a public school superintendent in MI was often a destination job and the next stop was retirement. No longer. Dr. Hinds was approached by a search committee member or a headhunter and she was interested enough to listen, have some interviews and now become a Deputy Superintendent at Northview.
Northview has one more building, about 200 more students. Not a stark difference from Wayland. However, Northview is part of the Kent Intermeadiate School District and because its 3,300 students live in a much smaller footprint than Wayland Union students, transportation costs take a smaller slice of its budget. What Northview doesn’t have is regular checks from the Gun Lake Casino to boost its budget.
Maybe Wayland has an up and coming principal in house who has sights on becoming a superintendent. If home grown is what’s wanted, the board is getting a very small candidate pool even if the board expands to look at teachers who left Wayland for administrator opportunities in the last decade.
Assistant Supt. Patricia Velie who is around 60 and left Wayland to become supervisor of accounting for Hingham Public School in Hingham, MA. Don’t think a $5000 bump (less than $500 per month) would be a significant inducement for anyone.
Hingham Public Schools in the Boston suburb of Hingham that’s part the South Shore in a state where the legislature hasn’t framed public school employees as enemies. Hingham Public Schools’ has 4,100 students where 100% have internet access and a 15-1 student teacher ratio. In 2020 the average teacher’s salary was $92,100/yr. The average household income is $142,000 and average housing value is $770,000. A much different financial landscape than Patricia Velie is seeing around here.
I don’t envy the board members who need to find then interview qualified candidates knowing how fluid the public school administrator job market has become.
2030,
What’s your point?
Cheers!!
Mr. Wilkins, Mr Couchman is saying in cloaked language is:
Wayland is a country school, and the populace paying the freight should play nice and not question how those dollars are spent.
He knows so much about Hingham, MA schools you’d think he was once on staff there! Or maybe he’s an active or retired disgruntled teacher or administrator the way he compares the ave. teacher salary to local residents.
It always amazes me young folks want to teach and attend college amassing large loans to get a teaching certificate. Then are shocked when they see what salaries are being offered for first year teachers. Don’t they know nobody in any profession starts at top salary?
He cites age as a reason Ms. Velie should not be offered the job. That, my friends is discrimination. That is the problem with most HR people, they will interview an older person saying great things about experience and work ethic and never call for another interview or job offer.
I hope the board finds the cahones to offer the job to Ms. Velie and not spend precious tax dollars on headhunting.
And Mr. Couchman, there are stipulations about the Casino funds given to the school. From my understanding, they cannot be spent on operations/salaries but on those things outside of the general budget.
I’m presuming our present superintendent makes a higher salary than Ms. Velie. She has already proven herself and the present superintendent’s salary plus $5,000 would sweeten the deal. Maybe more, if the board feels it is appropriate. Whatever Ms. Velie’s age is no business of ours. She is definitely qualified, knows the district intimately, and lives in the district and is a taxpayer. I can’t think of a more qualified candidate and I’m sure other taxpayers feel the same. We don’t need to spend money on a headhunter to give us another candidate who will jump at a new opportunity at the drop of a hat. We need Velie. I hope she would accept an offer after the raw deal a few years ago.
Evidently Coachman doesn’t realize she moved to MA because her husband accepted an opportunity there. They returned when he had another opportunity in West Michigan.
If Patricia Velie is interested in becoming Wayland Union Schools next superintendent and she would accept an offer it’s a win because she knows the district and knows a lot of the personnel.
Age was mentioned because it’s a factor in how long a candidate might stay prior to retirement. I’ve hired people in their late 50’s and older. Never a question about qualifications
Its rare that public school superintendents stick around to retire at 65 or 67. In the last few years several school superintendents in West MI who I’ve known have retired. Two were 55. One was 56, another 58, one was 60 and one made it 62. None left their superintendent’s job hopping to another district. All were people who had 30+ years in education and moved up from classroom teaching to building principals and a couple were assistant superintendents before becoming a district superintendents.
School district superintendents don’t have 7:30 am to 3:30 hours. They need to make appearances at events ranging from athletics to concerts and school plays. They are the ones often driving bus routes in the wee hours of the morning before calling a snow day or weather related delayed start. There is hiring new teachers, telling newer teachers they could lose their position if the state monies are changed then hope those teachers don’t leave the district causing a last minute hire. Then the budget but budget is never the only thing. Other than that it’s a pretty easy unless something like COVID appears and changes everything.
Sounds like the same decisions most of us have to make everyday. Age cannot be a factor because of discrimination. If you don’t hire an experienced person, you are the fool.
It might be worth mentioning that when any board has to hire a new administrator, it wants to cover all bases to eliminate the perception that they were not pursuing all possibilities for the position. As in “shopping” for any commodity, it is important to look at all that is available before making the final purchase.
Ms. Velie has a sterling reputation and credentials. If she chooses to place her hat in the ring again, the board will be “covering its ass,” so to speak, by opening the search to any and all interested candidates.
They did that last time and they received a fresh doctorate graduate with no superintendent experience. Everyone has to start someplace and I understand that. But Ms. Velie was asked, from what I understand, by those on the board to apply.
They chose Dr. Hinds evidently because she had a doctorate degree. Then one year in she applied for another position in another district and was not selected. Then this year she applied for an assistant superintendent at Northview and was offered the job.
I am not denigrating Dr. Hinds time at WUS as she evidently was a good performer. Her dedication to the district is suspect.
It was a difficult time for her with Covid19 to deal with as it was for the students, staff, and entire district.
If it is protocol to always go outside to find a leader or the board would feel due diligence was not done, so be it. I just how many districts go through this dog and pony show just to placate the public, and how many local qualified people are never given a second look? It always seems like we get someone outside the district and they can’t wait to leave once installed.