Royal Oak Schools Narrows Superintendent Search to Two

The Royal Oak Board of Education narrowed the search for its next superintendent to two candidates Tuesday night: and .

Dean is assistant superintendent/executive director for human resources of Birmingham Public Schools, and Lewis-Lakin is superintendent of the Manchester Community School District.

“Both of the candidates are well-liked,” said Marie Miller, adjunct consultant for the Michigan Association of School Boards. Miller, who was hired by the board to conduct the search, said she heard positive feedback when checking both candidates’ references.

Miller was to notify the two candidates Tuesday night or Wednesday morning that they were finalists and ask them to come in for a second interview, beginning at 7 p.m. April 20.

Dean, 38, and Lewis-Lakin, 51, were unanimously chosen as the top two contenders.

“For me, they just both stood out pretty quickly out of the five (original candidates),” said Gary Briggs, school board president.

The other candidates interviewing for the position were , assistant superintendent of instructional services for Farmington Public Schools; , superintendent of Romulus Community Schools; and , superintendent of New Lothrop Area Public Schools.

“We had five very good candidates,” said Deborah Anderson, school board vice president.

During the final interviews April 20, the candidates will be asked to go more in depth with their answers, including providing supporting documents, on the following topics:

• Student achievement
• Fund equity
• Technology
• Community involvement
• Changing cultures

Miller said the two finalists would also be offered the opportunity to tour the district. The board could either make a decision following the final interviews or schedule another meeting to discuss and announce its choice. The new superintendent will begin work July 1.

Tuesday's decision came after two job candidates, Strycker and Lewis-Larkin, interviewed for the position Tuesday in front of the board and about 11 audience members inside the board offices. The other three candidates, Cost, Dean and Weiss, interviewed Monday night.

Board of Education members agreed on the five finalists during a special meeting March 31 after reviewing 32 applications for the position currently held by Superintendent Thomas Moline, who plans to retire in June after five years with the district.