Cheboygan's next superintendent has big plans for the district
CHEBOYGAN — Just a few weeks into his new job and Spencer Byrd is already coming up with big plans.
In fact, even before his formal start date of July 1, 2023, the new Cheboygan Area Schools superintendent started thinking a bit about the district and what he’d like to see from it.
Byrd was chosen to be the man at the district’s helm for the next three years following a candidate search that was launched after Paul Clark announced his retirement last year, effective June 30, 2023.
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The board of education approved Byrd's contract in February, and Byrd said he worked closely with Clark over the past few months to help make the leadership transition smooth.
As he prepared to make the switch to Cheboygan, Byrd continued in his previous role as principal of DeTour Area Schools and the athletic director of a cooperative athletic department with DeTour and Cedarville high schools. In the evenings, Byrd said he would attend meetings in Cheboygan and learn about the district to prepare himself to take over the role.
Byrd will be able to hit the ground running as superintendent, with detailed plans and some new administrators on his team. New positions opened during an administrative restructuring, and some changes include the creation of a role to focus on curriculum direction and implementation and having one principal at Inverness Academy instead of two deans.
A big part of Byrd's plan for the district includes the implementation of a new strategic plan for the district, with the help from a consultant from the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB).
The strategic plan, which is designed to be reviewed annually, will be focused on key pillars in the district, such as curriculum and student safety, that need to be prioritized or improved.
Byrd added that he appreciates the fact that the strategic plan will have outlined goals and expectations with direct timelines, so he can better evaluate and work with other administrators to achieve those goals.
Byrd's background includes a degree in secondary education from Olivet College. After graduating, he coached football at Jackson Northwest before moving to Illinois, where he spent more than 25 years in different roles, from teaching to administration. He worked in nine different school districts during that time. He started his job in DeTour in 2021.
While Byrd said during his interview that he is old enough to retire, he has a passion for education and thinks he has more he can give. His three-year contract in Cheboygan will allow him to stay in the role until his two twin sons graduate.
Cheboygan school board trustee Roger Cronk, the lone board member to vote no to the approval of Byrd’s contract, voiced concerns about Byrd’s short stints in different districts. He also voted no due to the decision to change the contract to be three years long. Cronk said he would rather it be a one-year contract that could then be renewed.
With more than 30 years of experience in education, Byrd said that while a majority of his career has been “extremely positive” there were always challenges, from having to deal with unhappy parents, difficult board members or ineffective teachers, for example.
According to an article from Shaw Local News Network, in 2019, a teacher in the Community Unit School District 2, based in Serena, Illinois, filed a complaint against Byrd, alleging harassment.
In a memo sent to Byrd from the CUSD board president and vice president, and obtained by the Daily Tribune via a records request, it was confirmed that Byrd was accused of engaging in “various acts” that were “harassing in nature.”
“Based upon a review of all relevant facts and circumstances, we have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to establish that you engaged in harassment against (redacted) in violation of district policy,” the email said.
Byrd was still formally reminded that he "shall never be inebriated at any district event or activity, or any professional conference.” He was also formally reminded that he should not be texting other district employees “except in a professional and courteous manner” — though the information “was inconclusive as to what exact text messages you may have sent” during the conferences.
When it came to the allegations in Serena, Byrd denied any harassment and told the Daily Tribune that the investigation found the claims to be unfounded. He said that he believed the allegation was a deflection and retaliatory response from a teacher that he was investigating because the district planned to terminate them.
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The Cheboygan school board worked with the MASB throughout the superintendent search, and they recommended that the board not do background checks with prior school districts, because they said they typically found districts would say the same thing regardless of whether or not they were effective at their jobs in former roles.
Throughout various school board meetings, Cronk said he wished the district had reached out to prior districts anyways to see what districts would say about the candidates.
Board president Amber Hansen told the Daily Tribune that the board was made aware of information regarding Byrd's experiences at previous districts through Google, but that the board “chose not to utilize that source.” She said the formal background check conducted brought up no criminal information.
“In regards to Spencer Byrd, he came to us with very positive recommendations from both current and previous positions. We are very lucky to have him coming to Cheboygan Area Schools,” Hansen said in an email. “The board offered him the position because we felt him to be the most qualified candidate and the best fit for our current district needs. We relied on a formal background check process prior to an official offer being made and were satisfied with the results. I personally look forward to working with him in the near future.”
Byrd said that he thinks he's a good fit for Cheboygan Area Schools because his experiences and backgrounds matched those of the district and he thinks he can be helpful. He also thinks the district having good opportunities for his kids, combined with a general love for the area, helps make him a good fit.
"A lot of things just all seem to align. So I feel that's why I'm a good fit, and I hope I can contribute, I can help and we can move the school district in the direction that everyone desires," he said. "If I can be a part of that process, then I will feel that I've done a good job."
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan's next superintendent has big plans for the district
