Calls for Meriweather Continue As Board Nears Decision

Community members say Interim Superintendent should get permanent job.

Courtesy of Detroit Public Schools

The search for a superintendent for Detroit’s schools is expected to end this week but members of the community are still voicing concerns about the choice of finalists.

The field of candidates to run DPSCD is down to two: Derrick Coleman, superintendent of River Rouge Schools, and Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of schools in Duvall County, Florida. But community pressure to add Interim Superintendent Alycia Meriweather to the list of finalists has not let up. The Detroit Association of Black Organizations said the search process that excluded Meriweather is unfair.

Executive Director Reverend Horace Sheffield, III said Meriweather has proven herself.

“People have confidence in her,” Meriweather said. “The unions have confidence in her. The business community has confidence in her. So let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.”

School board members visited several schools in Vitti’s Florida district last week and are scheduled to visit Coleman’s schools in River Rouge this week. The legislation that created DPSCD gives the board 90 days to name a superintendent.

 

More on this:

Detroit Board Visits Florida Superintendent’s Schools

DPSCD Interviews River Rouge Superintendent

Detroit Superintendent Candidate Drops Out

Florida Candidate Bids for DPSCD Superintendent

Detroit Board Interviews Vitti

 

Author

  • Sascha Raiyn
    Sascha Raiyn is Education Reporter at 101.9 WDET. She is a native Detroiter who grew up listening to news and music programming on Detroit Public Radio.