Kalamazoo Public Schools Names Dr. Darrin Slade As New Superintendent

In a special meeting on May 11, the Kalamazoo Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to hire Dr. Darrin Slade as the new superintendent for Kalamazoo Public Schools. “The Board understood how important hiring the right person for our next superintendent was for KPS. We valued collaboration with our stakeholders as we made a decision of this magnitude. On behalf of all trustees, I’d like to thank everyone who applied to be the leader of KPS as well as everyone who attended the interviews in person, viewed them online, or attended candidate response sessions. The feedback was very helpful. We are confident that Dr. Slade is the right person to take KPS to the next level and to help all of our students fulfill their promise” said Board President TiAnna Harrison. 

Dr. Slade is the deputy superintendent of the Hazelwood Public School District in Missouri. He brings 30 years of experience in education. He previously served as the assistant superintendent of Instructional Leadership for Kansas City Public Schools, where he supervised principals, instructional programming, school climate and strategic planning. He has 16 years of experience as an elementary, middle, and high school principal for the District of Columbia Public Schools. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Towson University, a master’s degree in teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Maryland. 

“My duty in this life is to provide support to and bring compassion for the needs of students. That’s what drives me. I look at all students like they are my own” said Dr. Slade during his interview on May 8. 

Ray & Associates was hired in February to assist the board with the superintendent search. Six candidates were selected for semi-finalist interviews, which were held on April 24 and 27. The field was narrowed to three finalists who were interviewed in person on May 8. On May 9, the finalists toured the district and some of its facilities. Staff, students, parents, and community members had the opportunity to meet the three finalists and share their impressions with the board. 

The board will now enter into contract negotiations with Dr. Slade. The board will vote on a contract at a public meeting, which could be done as early as the next regular school board meeting on May 18.