Principal leaving local elementary school for new job

The resignation of Edward Manuszak as principal of Patterson and Herrick Park Elementary Schools was announced at the Monday, Oct. 22, Tecumseh School Board meeting. Manuszak has accepted the position of assistant superintendent of Bedford Public Schools. His last day with Tecumseh Public Schools will be Friday, Nov. 2, and he will begin his new duties in Bedford on Monday, Nov. 5.Tecumseh Supt. Mike McAran, who announced Manuszak’s resignation to the board, made no mention of a replacement as principal at Patterson.Manuszak has been with Tecumseh Public Schools for ten years, first as principal at Patterson and briefly as principal of both Patterson and Herrick Park before returning full-time to Patterson this year. “It’s been a great run here, and my leaving is bittersweet,” he said after the board meeting. “I’m going to miss the students and staff in Tecumseh, but I’m looking forward to the challenge of becoming assistant superintendent in Bedford. I know a lot of people there, also.”He said that he and his family will maintain residency here. His wife, Corey, whom he met in high school, works for the Lenawee Intermediate School District, and their two children attend Tecumseh Middle School.Manuszak graduated from Bedford High School in 1991 and attended Butler University for his bachelor’s degree with highest honors before receiving his master’s degree in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University. He taught in Bliss-field schools for six years before coming to Tecumseh to assume his principal position.During his tenure here, he completed a course offered by the Michigan Leader-ship Institute titled “Superintendent Academy Preparation” and served as an adjunct professor at Siena Heights University.At Bedford, Manuszak will be serving under interim Supt. John White. “Bedford will be going through the same process as we are currently, as they search for a new superintendent,” he said. He also said that he does not have aspirations to become superintendent, at least in the immediate future. “I need to get some experience, but I’m looking forward to taking part in the process of the search. Tecumseh is a fabulous community and I’m telling everyone that they will still be seeing me around, just not everyday,” he said.In other board business:Trustees heard an update on the search for a new superintendent from Michigan Association of School Boards facilitator Richard Dunham. He reported that he had conducted 19 meetings with local groups including with the public, city officials, clubs and organizations, and school staff. He had also instituted an online survey for anyone who had not been able to attend a meeting in person. All meetings were to obtain input on the traits on which the attendees would base the hiring of a new superintendent. Current Supt. McAran will be retiring June 30, 2013.Dunham said that 280 individual surveys had been received, along with personal comments from those at meetings.“I’m totally comfortable with the depth of the data we have collected,” Dunham said. “The stakeholders disagree with the board on a few points, but most of the time the board and stakeholders have very few disagreements.”He told the board that the superintendent position would be posted by Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 8:30 a.m. to a pool of 550 possible candidates nationwide.Trustee Matt Oren questioned the need for such an early posting, and Dunham explained that deferring the notice until later would put it at a time when competition for qualified applicants would be much more intense.The board also heard from French teacher Daniel Noel who, along with fellow French teacher Janice Wilson, was at the meeting to petition the board for permission for a six-day trip to Quebec to immerse the students in the French language among the Canadian province’s native speakers. The trip would be for six days in June and early July, and will include stops in Montreal, Quebec City and other points of interest. The trip would be in conjunction with advanced French students and their teachers from Saline High School. Students will be paying their own way.The board will place the request for permission on the agenda for the next meeting, Monday, Nov. 5.