After lacking permanent leadership since July 2009, Lake Orion High School appears to have its new principal.
Superintendent Ken Gutman announced he will recommend Sophia Lafayette to the school board for the position at their Jan. 13 meeting. A board vote will end the lengthy interview process, which included first and second round interviews with a 14-member committee, a site visit and meetings with parents, staff and administrators.
Should the board not approve Lafayette, the search starts over, according to Executive Director of Human Resources Margaret Hazlett.
The public had a chance to meet the final candidate in the high school last Thursday, where Lafayette, an Oakland County resident and mother of three, introduced herself. After the ‘meet and greet,? Lafayette left the room and the public was able to ask questions to administrators and voice concerns.
Lafayette received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and African American studies, earned a master’s in education, with an emphasis on library media studies, has an education specialist degree in educational leadership, and earned central office administration and building principal administration certificates for all levels. She is currently working on her doctorate.
Lafayette was also a classroom teacher for five years, and served as a library media specialist, an effective instruction coordinator and a supervisor of technology. She currently works as chief of staff in Detroit Public Schools (DPS).
‘I have zero experience as principal at a secondary school. But I have experienced doing everything that’s required of a high school principal,? she said to community members gathered in the high school media center during the meeting.
In response to a parent’s question on Lafayette’s greatest assets, the candidate said ‘I really ‘get? instruction and what it takes to meet the needs of the child. I’m also really good at bringing people together to solve problems, to create a vision ? whatever it is that we need to do.?
Lafayette also spoke about her personal life and philosophies on education and instruction.
‘I really want to focus on three areas that are about who I am: I’m a daughter, I’m a mother and I’m an educator,? she said.
Lafayette went on to say parents are the first teachers, noting ‘That is core to what the relationship is between parents and school. ‘As an educator, I continue to make decisions based on what I think I’d want for my children.?
After the candidate left the meeting, several parents voiced concerns about Lafayette’s lack of experience as a principal.
‘She seems like a really nice person but I think she lacks experience,? said one parent.
‘She has all the concepts down ? I’d like to see her be the principal of an elementary school for awhile or a middle school,? said another.
‘We are a large school and we’re bringing in somebody who’s very ‘green,?? said a third.
Other community members, however, put a positive spin on her lack of experience.
‘Another way to look at that is she doesn’t have any preconceived ‘principal? ways of doing things. And maybe with the assistance from Ken Gutman and associate principals, we can mould her into the type of principal we would like to have because she doesn’t come with those preconceived ideas,? said one.
A question asked by one parent and reiterated by several others was, ‘What did the 14 people [on the committee] see that overcame her never having been a principal before??
Hazlett declined to give specifics on the committee’s feedback. Instead, she answered: ‘areas of concern were pretty thoroughly explored. It was a lengthy and in-depth process.?
She added, ‘It really goes back to the rubric in which we were looking at leadership, managerial, knowledge and personal traits.?