Tag Archives: Superintendent Kevin Polston

Eyeing ‘redesign’ of education, locally led group’s pandemic ‘student recovery’ plan released by state

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Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the background, at a press conference when the formation of the Student Recovery Advisory Council of Michigan was announced early this year. (State of Michigan)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office, today, released the MI Blueprint for Comprehensive Student Recovery plan, which offers “guidance to help districts and schools create recovery plans that provide every Michigan student with the resources they need to thrive post-pandemic.”

The recovery plan is the work of the Student Recovery Advisory Council of Michigan, formed early this year and chaired by Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston, which was tasked to “provide guidance and recommendations to ensure Michigan students have the tools and resources they need to get back on track.”

The council included dozens of school leaders, educators, public health practitioners, pediatricians, school board members, community and philanthropic leaders, legislators, parents, and students.
  

The Blueprint, according to the May 19 statement from the Governor’s office, “provides evidence-based recommendations to address challenges across wellness, academics, school culture and climate, family and community engagement and postsecondary education” across the state.

“Every recommendation is supported by leading research and designed to support Michigan students by those that know them best, leaders in education, health care, and child services from right here in Michigan,” Superintendent Polston said in the statement.

The plan also, according to Superintendent Polston, provides not just a return to normal but the path forward to a new normal for the state’s students.

“We believe recovery does not mean return, we believe recovery means let’s rebuild and redesign toward the reality that we want our children to experience in our schools,’ Polston said about the advisory council in a recent WKTV Journal In Focus interview. “The tremendous infusion of federal funds to support recovery efforts gives us the opportunity to make sure that each and every child has the resources necessary to thrive in our schools.

“We know the some students were not engaged with schools in the past year — some estimates were that 63,000 students were not coming to school or participating in remote learning. … So the guidance that we are providing for school leaders is how to provide this compressive recovery plan, in an equitable way, that the community can trust.”
         

Gov. Whitmer and state legislative leaders — several of which were on the council — will now work to push the recommendations forward.

“The most pressing challenges schools face aren’t new, but they have been exacerbated by the pandemic, resulting economic hardship, and social divisions,” Gov. Whitmer said in supplied material. “That is why I am so proud of the MI Blueprint for Comprehensive Student Recovery that the Advisory Council has created. It will not only help local education leaders comprehensively address immediate challenges, but it will also move us towards an education system that works better for all of our children.”
  

To view the governor’s Blueprint Print for Comprehensive Student Recovery, visit Michigan.gov/studentrecovery.

Technology in schools, specifically Godfrey-Lee Pubic Schools, discussed on WKTV Journal In Focus

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Visiting WKTV Journal In Focus in this segment are district Superintendent Kevin Polston and Director of Technology Adrianne Rose. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In early April, it was announced by AT&T and the nonprofit Connected Nation that Godfrey-Lee Public Schools would be one of 13 schools and nonprofits across Michigan that would receive free mobile hotspots and internet connectivity with the specific goal of serving at-risk students.

That news follows the district last November gaining voter approval of a $17.8 million bonding measure intended for building and infrastructure improvements. So there is big technology news happening in the Godfrey-Lee community.

Adrianne Rose, Director of Technology, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, on WKTV Journal In Focus set. (WKTV)

Visiting WKTV Journal In Focus in this segment are district Superintendent Kevin Polston and Director of Technology Adrianne Rose. And we will not only talk specifically about the technology improvements in-work and planned, but also the status of the all the improvements that $18 million will fund.

Superintendent Polston also talks about his state-wide education work after being appointed early this year by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to lead the Student Recovery Advisory Council of Michigan. The group is looking at educational issues caused by the pandemic and is tasked to “provide guidance and recommendations to ensure Michigan students have the tools and resources they need to get back on track.”

So, coming full circle, the Godfrey-Lee schools leader talks about how technology and connectivity will also be an essential element of getting students back on track.

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Godfrey-Lee superintendent selected as new Kentwood Public Schools leader

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Kevin Polston, selected to be the next Kentwood Public Schools superintendent, on the set of WKMTV Journal In Focus. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

If contract negotiations conclude as anticipated, Kevin Polston will have the same title in local education cycles — Superintendent — it is just that his office will be at Kentwood Public Schools rather than at Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.

Kentwood Public Schools Board of Education announced today that Polston has been selected to become the district’s next superintendent and that it is “engaging in contract negotiations” to finalize the selection. Current KPS superintendent Michael Zoerhoff will be retiring at the completion of this current school year.

“Our candidate pool was exceptionally strong and our internal leadership team is outstanding,” KPS board president Mimi Madden said in supplied material.  “The unanimous vote to offer the position to Superintendent Polston will continue the tradition of leadership excellence that our community has come to expect.”

Madden, in the KPS statement, said the board’s expectation is of a seamless transition.
 

Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff, Kentwood Public schools. (Supplied/KPS)

“Superintendent Zoerhoff has nurtured and developed strong leaders on his administrative team,” Madden said. “These individuals have led their respective areas competently and capably before and during this global pandemic. We are confident that this commitment to the Kentwood mission will continue in the years to come.”

Prior to becoming a superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, in 2017, Polston spent 15 years in the Grand Haven Area Public Schools, first as a teacher and then moving into administrative leadership as an assistant principal, curriculum specialist and finally principal, according to his Linked In page.

As superintendent at Godfrey-Lee, Polston led the largely minority-student district though a difficult transition of educational technology and school community image — including the high school’s sports teams becoming known as “The Legends” — as well as handling a 2019 partial building collapse at a middle and high school complex with some portions nearly 100 years old.

Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston speaks at State Board of Education meeting in 2017. (State Board of Education)

He also, last year, led a community and educational leadership effort to pass a $17.8 million school district bond measure that will modernize the district’s building and infrastructure in nearly every aspect.

He and his team have also worked to make Godfrey-Lee’s heavily Spanish-speaking population an asset to the district and its students.

In the KPS announcement, it as noted that “his experience as the son of a Palestinian immigrant, and first generation college student, is a story that mirrors many Kentwood families. Mr. Polston’s work in West Michigan reflects his passion for the power of education and the importance of strong partnerships between school systems and the communities they serve.”

“I am humbled and honored to serve as the next superintendent of Kentwood Public Schools,” Polston said in supplied material. “My personal vision of ‘changing the world through opportunities for students’ is one Kentwood has carried out through the vision of ‘Excellence and Equity in Education’.

“I look forward to building positive relationships with staff, students, families, and the community of Kentwood as we collaboratively continue the longstanding tradition of excellence.”

Polston holds degrees from Grand Valley State University and from Michigan State University. He was also named by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer early this year to the lead the COVID-19 Return to School Advisory Council, a statewide body of educators and others.

Interview schedule announced for finalists for Kentwood Public Schools new superintendent

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East Kentwood High School. (Supplied/KPS)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Kentwood Public Schools Board of Education will interview six finalists — including two in-house candidates and the current superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools — on April 28-29, to replace Michael Zoerhoff as superintendent, who will leave the position at the end of the school year.

The Board of Education, and the Michigan Association of School Boards, which is assisting the search, announced today, April 20, that the Kentwood Public Schools superintendent posting closed on April 6, “with considerable interest and 31 applicants,” and Board of Education has selected the six candidates for first-round interviews.

Scheduled to be interviewed on Wednesday, April 28, are Tracy Reed, chief academic officer at Fort Wayne (Indiana) Community Schools (at 6 p.m.); Marcus Davenport, Ph.D., superintendent of Beecher Community Schools (7 p.m.), and Kevin Polston, Ed.S., superintendent, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools (8 p.m.)

Scheduled to be interviewed on Thursday, April 29, are Evan Hordyk, executive director of secondary education, Kentwood Public Schools (6 p.m.); Nkenge Bergan, director of student services, Kalamazoo Public Schools (7 p.m.); and Jamie Gordon, executive director of human resources, Kentwood Public Schools (8 p.m.).

According to the announcement, interviews will be held in person, with appropriate social distancing, at the Kentwood Administration Building, 5820 Eastern Ave., in Kentwood. Community members, staff and students are encouraged to watch the interviews online as they take place. The district website (kentwoodps.org) will have viewing instructions and more information.

There will also be an option for limited in-person seating and viewing opportunities at the administration building during the interviews. To accommodate proper social distancing, the Board of Education asks that interested persons RSVP to attend the interviews in person by emailing: interviews@kentwoodps.org.

Godfrey-Lee’s Superintendent Polston named leader of state Student Recovery Council

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In-person education will look a little different than in this 2018 photo from Godfrey-Lee High School, but a new state education council led by the district’s superintendent will guide what it will look like. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced this week the creation of an Student Recovery Advisory Council of Michigan to “provide guidance and recommendations to ensure Michigan students have the tools and resources they need to get back on track,” a local education leader was named to lead the committee.

Kevin Polston, superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, will be the chairperson of the council, established via the governor’s Executive Order 2021-02 and set to include 29 members from diverse backgrounds who are appointed by the governor and will be “housed” within the Department of Technology Management and Budget.

“It’s an honor to serve our students, families, and educators as the chairperson for the Student Recovery Advisory Council and advise Governor Whitmer,” Polston said in supplied material. “I look forward to serving alongside the talented team of engaged citizens as Michigan strategically plans the recovery from the effects of COVID-19.”

  

The council will guide the work for our education system to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 including, among other issues, academic recovery, social-emotional and mental health, and physical health and wellbeing.
   

“The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Michigan hard, and our students, families, teachers, and school staff have all felt the strain,” Gov. Whitmer said in supplied material. “Still, our educators have worked tirelessly to teach our children during this pandemic under the most stressful conditions … (And) it is important to remember that schools also provide other services that students need to succeed including reliable access to the internet, nutritious meals, and mental health supports.”

The newly established committee follows others actions by the governor and state government to support Michigan’s education system.

In summer 2020, the governor launched the Return to School Advisory Council which “developed a framework to inform K-12 districts planning for the 2020-2021 school year,” according to a statement from the governor’s office. This past month, the state prioritized educators for vaccine distribution.

And this week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced plans to offer a voluntary COVID-19 testing program that will provide weekly tests to educators. The MI Safe Schools Testing Program is part of he governor’s goal of having all Michigan school districts offer an in-person learning option for students by March 1.

“COVID-19 has exacerbated inequities in our education system, and we know more work is needed to address the significant impact this pandemic has had on our children,” Gov. Whitmer said. “This Council will be integral to ensuring our students and educators are equipped with everything they need to thrive.”
 

Polston was a member of the earlier Return to School Advisory Council as well.

“Last summer, this collaborative group of engaged citizens developed the MI Safe School Roadmap, which was vital to supporting in-person learning,” Polston said. “We look forward to ‘fixing the road ahead’ for the state of Michigan through a safe, equitable, and high-performance educational system that provides access and opportunity for each child to reach their full potential.”  

Tasks, makeup of the new council

Among the goals of the council are to:
 

Develop and submit recommendations to the governor, state superintendent, and state budget director regarding student recovery.
  

Recommend actions to develop and improve systems for academic support for students who experienced learning loss due to COVID-19; actions to develop and improve systems for mental and physical health for students impacted by COVID-19; recommend actions to develop and improve systems to support high school students transitioning into postsecondary education; and recommend actions to develop and improve out-of-school time supports, including, but not limited to, summer school, before and after school programs, and extended school years.

Other goals are to assemble “critical voices from the education and public health communities to assist in identifying key challenges students face due to the pandemic,” providing other information or advice or take other actions as requested by the governor and report regularly to the governor on its activities and make recommendations on an ongoing basis.

The members of the council reflect “the diverse geographic and demographic composition of this state and representing parents, students, school leaders, educators, individuals with expertise in public health, pediatrics, mental health, and community members,” according to the statement from the governor’s office.

In addition to Polston, other West Michgian members of the group include: Nicholas J. Paradiso, III, of Grand Rapids, vice president of government relations for National Heritage Academies; Lisa M. Peacock, of Traverse City, health officer for the Health Department of Northwest Michigan; Bill Pink, Ph.D., of Ada, president of Grand Rapids Community College.

The council will also include four participating members of the Michigan Legislature: Sen. Wayne Schmidt and Sen. Dayna Polehanki and Rep. Lori Stone and Rep. Brad Paquette.
  

The council will serve until Dec. 31, 2021.

Godfrey-Lee superintendent talks about millage request on latest WKTV Journal: In Focus

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WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

 

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, Kevin Polston, Superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, talks with program host Ken Norris about his school district’s upcoming request for public support of an extension of an existing sinking fund millage — an effort to improve safety, security and technology while allowing more general fund dollars to be spend in the classroom.

 

Also on the episode, State Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, a Republican who currently represents the 26th District, which includes the City of Kentwood, talks on a wide-range of topics, including the opioid crisis and her coming effort to become Michigan’s next Attorney General.

 

 

The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.

 

The episode will continue on WKTV cable channels on Tuesday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m., will again air on Thursday, March 8, also at 6:30 p.m. But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.

 

Godfrey-Lee Schools seek enhanced security, technology with millage request

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Godfrey-Lee Schools will place a new sinking fund millage request before district voters in May. (WKTV)

 

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

Taking advantage of changes in state rules on how schools can spend sinking fund millage requests, and after unanimous approval by the Godfrey-Lee School Board this week, the district will put before voters on the May 8 ballot a 3-mill sinking fund request to address safety, security and technology issues.

 

An 2016 amendment to the state’s School Code allows expenditure of up-to-10-year, 3-mill maximum, sinking fund millage increases for additional school infrastructure uses such as technology and security upgrades in addition to building repairs and renovations.

 

Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston, center, speaks to the State Board of Education recently. (Supplied)

Approval of a new sinking fund would “ease the general fund to allow as many dollars as possible to stay in the classroom,” Superintendent Kevin Polston said to WKTV. “A new eligible area of the sinking fund is technology. We currently use general fund dollars to pay for technology devices.  As we know, general fund dollars fluctuate and there is no guarantee as to what we will get from year to year. Much less keeping up with inflation.  The sinking fund will provide a sustainable means to provide current technology devices for our students across our K-12 system.”

 

The 3 mills would be collected for 10 years — 2019 to 2028 — and generate approximately $315,000 the first year. Polston said 2 mills would go toward maintenance, energy and safety and security, with 1 mill for technology.

 

Polston said a series of community meetings will be scheduled to discuss the tax request with residents.

 

“In regards to maintenance, as stewards of our taxpayers dollars, we need to maintain our buildings to provide the best learning environments we can for our students. If we do not follow a regular maintenance schedule, it will result in higher costs and less dollars going to the classroom,” Polston said.

 

“In addition, there are new technologies that have lower operating costs, but have an initial up front cost.  An example is through the sinking fund we will install LED lighting in all of our buildings. LED lighting provides an enhanced learning environment at a significantly reduced operating costs and longer lifespan.”

 

The district’s previous sinking fund levy, 1.9976-mill, approved by Godfrey-Lee voters in 2009 is expiring.

 

According to the district, the average home value for a residence in the district is $67,169 and a homeowner with a homestead exemption is currently paying $67 per year and with the extra mill requested would see an increase of $34 for a total of $101.