Superintendent Mark Greathead officially announced his retirement, and now the School Board must find a replacement. This development is new for our district; the last time a new superintendent was selected was over a decade ago, in 2011. According to Mr. Rod Green from the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB), the average career for this position is only about 5 years, making the Woodhaven-Brownstown School District an impressive outlier. The MASB will help find candidates for this position who will then be interviewed by the WBSD School Board.
When asked about this shift, Mr. Greathead responded, “During this transition, my focus will remain on supporting our schools, ensuring stability, and helping position the next superintendent and our students for success.” On the topic of his retirement, he stated, “This decision comes at a natural point in my career and allows the District more time to plan thoughtfully for the future.”
30 randomly selected students received an email from Assistant Principal Mrs. Heather Fondaw in January regarding this transition. The message stated: “Good afternoon, you have been selected to participate in a student meeting with the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) as they assist in our search for the next superintendent of the Woodhaven-Brownstown School District.”
This meeting of students was with Mr. Rod Green from the MASB, who Principal Mr. Jay Vesperman described as someone who has “a lot of experience/expertise in helping districts find the best person to be our next superintendent.” Students were asked to describe what qualities we wanted to see in a replacement for Mr. Greathead. The majority of the represented student body believed the candidate should be a good communicator, empathetic to calling snow days, and preferably familiar with our district. Despite the students’ curiosity, Mr. Green gave no details as to whom the School Board was already considering for the position.
The MASB released an official timeline for the search for a new superintendent, beginning in January and concluding in April/May. On February 3rd, the School Board reviewed stakeholder input from January (e.g. students, admins, teachers, parents) and developed candidate profiles. On March 4th, the application to apply for this position closes, and 12 days later the Board is set to review such applications. Interviews for the next superintendent will be public, beginning on March 21st and lasting for 8 hours. Final candidates will be selected and interviewed again on March 24th. The final choice to fill the position vacated by Mr. Greathead will be selected in the coming months, with an official selection to be publicized before the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year.
In response to this process, Mr. Vesperman said, “I am confident and trust those in the decision-making process that we will continue to have an amazing superintendent. Go Warriors!” Similarly, Mr. Greathead stated, “I am proud of our students, staff, and community, and I believe the WBSD is strong and well-positioned for continued success.”
