Clarkston Community Schools Board Members Honored

Members of the Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education recently earned awards from the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) and Oakland County School Board Association (OCSBA) for their efforts to improve their leadership skills, demonstrating their commitment to student achievement and their own continuous improvement. Awards are earned for years of service, classes completed in MASB’s leadership training program, as well as for conference attendance, years of service and leadership activities. Whole boards that achieve and maintain certification status are also recognized.

MASB Honors

• CCS Board of Education: Standard of Excellence Award, given when all board members have achieved the Award of Merit, the second level of certification.
• President Kelli Horst: Master Diamond Award (certification level five, awarded upon completion of certification of levels one through four; 14 200- or 300-level classes; and a minimum of 528 education credits); and Advocacy Skills Specialty
• Vice President Greg Need: Award of Distinction (certification level three, awarded upon completion of certification levels one and two; four 200- or 300-level classes; and a minimum of 208 education credits)

OCSBA Honors

• Secretary Steve Hyer: 20 years of board service
• Trustee Cheryl McGinnis: Special recognition upon her retirement from the OCSBA Board of Directors, which she has served since 2008.

The training and professional development helps board members to keep pace with the fast-moving and complex changes in public education. Last year, more than 1,300 school board members statewide participated in MASB’s professional development program for elected school leaders. The hours devoted to this training are above and beyond the time members spend at their local meetings, events, and reviewing policies and board packets.

Clarkston Community Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Shawn Ryan said, “There is no doubt that we absolutely have the finest, most professional and knowledgeable school board in the state of Michigan. These seven individuals are Clarkston residents, parents, and servant leaders who represent the views and priorities of their community in the complex system of managing public schools.” 

The school board supports well-being and achievement for all students, Dr. Ryan added. To achieve that goal, the board focuses on the following needs:

• Creating a vision for what parents and citizens want their school district to become.
• Approving standards for what students must learn and be able to do.
• Assessing whether schools achieve their goals and whether students are learning.
• Accounting for the outcomes of decisions and by tracking progress and reporting results.
• Aligning the use of the district’s human and financial resources.
• Creating a safe and orderly climate where students can learn and teachers can teach.
• Collaborating to solve common problems and to support common successes.
• Focusing on continuous improvement by questioning, examining, revising, refining and revisiting issues related to the student experience.

Clarkston School Board President Kelli Horst said, “The seven members of the Board are deeply committed to continuous learning in order to do this job well for our community and the families we serve. I’m very appreciative of the time each board member invests in professional learning, above and beyond the demands of board service.”

The Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education includes President Kelli Horst, Vice President Gregory Need, Treasurer Elizabeth Egan, Secretary Stephen J. Hyer, Trustee Andrea Catalina, Trustee Stefanie Crane, and Trustee Cheryl McGinnis.

About Clarkston Community Schools: Clarkston is a highly regarded school district with an enrollment of nearly 7,100 students. We have seven elementary schools (K-5), one middle school serving grades 6-7, one junior high for grades 8-9, and Clarkston High School, which serves students in grades 10-12. We also have a virtual academy, an Early Childhood Center serving children ages 3-5, and an alternative high school/community education facility. Clarkston Community Schools students are well-prepared for a future that excites them, and believe that they can achieve their dreams. The mission of Clarkston Community Schools is to create a learning environment where students, staff, and families are challenged, healthy, engaged, safe, and supported.

---

Read more Clarkston Community Schools News at www.clarkston.k12.mi.us/news.

Questions or Feedback? Email feedback@clarkston.k12.mi.us

Media Contact: Mary Ellen Rowe, Director of Marketing and Community Relations (248) 623-5460.

---