New Report Reveals Total Compensation for Trenton, Grosse Ile Superintendents

Total compensation for a superintendent in Michigan public schools includes salary, benefits, travel expenses, pension and annuity.

The Macinaw Center for Public Policy released a report Wednesday that allows people to access detailed compensation information for superintendents in Michigan school districts. The online, searchable database lists total compensation information for 606 superintendents including salaries, insurance packages, travel expenses, pensions and annuities. The database also includes a link to individual superintendent contracts. Each district's superintendent is ranked from 1 to 606 for highest to lowest total compensation. Trenton and Grosse Ile superintendents, Rod Wakeham and William Eis, are ranked in the top 160 of highest compensated superintendents in Michigan, but are not the highest compensated Downriver, according to the database. …

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State Supt. Flanagan: Michigan Teachers Should Make $100K

The head of the Michigan Department of Education asserts that higher wages would encourage more people to become teachers.

The key to getting more qualified math and science teachers into Michigan schools is simple, according to state Superintendent Mike Flanagan: pay them more. Flanagan, who heads up the Michigan Department of Education, said Monday at an assembly of scientists at Michigan State University that Michigan schools need more math and science teachers. The problem, he said, is that most scientists and mathamaticians don't consider teaching in public schools to be a viable career option. “We can do all we want with content standards, but the elephant in the room is that it won’t do much good if we don’t have enough math and science teachers in our schools,” Flanagan said while discussing science standards in K-12 shools, according to a release from…

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Superintendent Wakeham Addresses Low Michigan Merit Exam Results

Trenton Patch sat down with new Superintendent Rod Wakeham to see what he has planned for Trenton Public Schools.

Trenton Patch sat down with new Superintendent Rod Wakeham of Trenton Public Schools to find out his ideas for the coming school year and his thoughts on the recent decline in scores on the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). What can parents, students and members of the Trenton community expect from you in the 2012-13 school year? "They can expect that I'm going to be visible in the district. "My main goal is to take a closer look at what each level is doing." What are your thoughts on the recent results of the Michigan Merit Exam for Trenton High School students? "I'm concerned. "I'm not pleased. We all look at student achievement, as our goal in education, and indicators such as the MME and ACT, even for one year, so that if our performance isn'…

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Trenton Superintendent Search Ends

The search for a new superintendent of Trenton Public Schools ended late Monday night.

Trenton Superintendent Search Ends

The search for a new superintendent of Trenton Public Schools ended late Monday night.

After five hours of interviewing and discussion Trenton Board of Education members voted unanimously to select Rodney Wakeham, assistant principal at Trenton High School, as superintendent of Trenton Public Schools Monday night. The decision came after an 18-month selection process in which three district administrators participated in an internship under interim Superintendent Larry Leapley. The interns, Wakeham, Stephanie O'Connor, principal at Arthurs Middle School and Vince Porreca, principal at Hedke Elementary School, fielded a list of identical questions during a special meeting at the Trenton Board of Education building. Board President Mike Hawkins said each candidate was capable of successfully performing the task of …

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Trenton Superintendent Savel Says Farewell

Monday's Trenton Board of Education meeting was Superintendent John Savel's last.

John Savel, superintendent for Trenton Public Schools, read the Superintendent's Report for the last time Monday night at the board of education meeting. Savel's official retire date isn't until June 30, but he will be on vacation for the next board meeting, which made Monday his final meeting. Board members celebrated Savel's long career in education by giving him a plaque. "During the past 38 years I have had two quotes hanging in my classroom and/or office, and I would like to leave the district with those thoughts," Savel said. "First, Will Rogers once said, 'Never let yesterday use up too much of tomorrow.' Second, and I don't know who said this one, 'One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of…

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