Detroit Board of Education appoints William Coleman to a new term as superintendent

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

By an overwhelming majority, the Detroit Board of Education appointed William F. Coleman III to a new term as superintendent Monday night.

The board made the decision at a special meeting that was called to discuss the renewal of Coleman’s contract. At the meeting, many parents, employees and community leaders spoke forcefully in favor of having Coleman’s contract renewed.

“I see this as a vote of confidence by the board,” Coleman said. “I see this as an opportunity to lay the foundation for master plan to return the Detroit Public Schools to its rightful spot as one of the great urban school systems in America.”

Coleman, whose vast experience in public education includes stints in New York, San Francisco and Dallas, has been running the school system since July 1.  The board agreed to extend his contract until June 30, 2007.

Since becoming superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools, has received encomiums from the public for his accessibility to parents and members of the community, his commitment to high standards of ethics, his devotion to academic excellence and his penchant for trying fresh approaches to old problems.

Coleman’s goals as superintendent include improving communication with parents, coming up with creative ways to engage students in order that they stay in school, as well as exposing all high school students to career and technical education options. He also plans to introduce middle college, a partnership with Wayne County Community College enables students to take college classes while still in high school, to all the District’s high schools.

“I am confident that these strategies will reduce our alarming dropout rate,” Coleman said.  

He also plans to restructure the management of the District’s schools by changing how they are supervised. This restructuring will increase the ability of principals to tackle management issues quickly.

The safety and welfare of the District’s students will remain a top priority for Coleman. To this end, he plans to create a senior-level position dedicated to overseeing student safety. This individual would manage relations with local law enforcement agencies, implement our security plan and report directly to the superintendent.

He is also finalizing a plan to improve relations with the District’s unions.