Hazel Park Names Dr. Amy Kruppe New Superintendent
(Hazel Park Schools Press Release, May 26, 2015)
Hazel Park Schools Board of Education has announced that Dr. Amy Kruppe (pronounced Kroup-E), from the Niles (IL) Elementary School District 71 (a northwest Chicago suburb), has been selected and is expected to be named Superintendent of Hazel Park Schools.
A Holt, Michigan native, Dr. Kruppe has served students and schools in Illinois for the past 24 years. Her most recent assignment has been at Niles, a small elementary district of 500 students. Dr. Kruppe operated a bare-bones central office where she acted as superintendent as well as director of business, human resources, special education, and technology.
In addition to her extensive central office experience, Dr. Kruppe impressed the Hazel Park board by stressing, “All students deserve the appropriate programs and services to ensure a high quality education.”
Dr. Kruppe has been leading cutting edge educational practices in Niles for seven years. She helped define and implement improvement strategies in the fields of technology, curriculum, community connections, strategic planning, building operations and data analysis.
Financially, Dr Kruppe guided Niles to its highest state financial rating (4.0) in recent history. The district is debt free in spite of a difficult economy and recent state funding cuts. Academically, the Niles staff worked with Dr. Kruppe to review and rewrite curriculum in all areas. With that underway, teachers are now adding common assessments.
Dr. Kruppe facilitated the ability for all students to have 1-to-1 devices in their hands from kindergarten through 8th grade and raised the expectation of all students academically. The result was higher ISAT (similar to Michigan’s MEAP) scores.
Dr. Kruppe’s attention to student achievement guided her visits to Hazel Park Schools. She notes, “I was impressed with Hazel Park’s teachers. Their dedication to the students and their achievement was evident. I look forward to being a part of this emphasis on academic progress.”
Dr. Kruppe recently presented “Best Practices for Dealing with School-Related Bullying” with Hon. Darlene Ruscitti and Brooke R. Whitted at the Illinois School Board Association Law Series. She has served on the Illinois Special Education Advisory Council where she has presented on student discipline and special education issues.
Considered a strong relationships person Dr. Kruppe says, “I look forward to serving the students, parents, community, board and teachers of Hazel Park while we add to the strong traditions of the school. I look forward to being part of the Hazel Park financial turnaround and working with staff to sustain their culture of providing the learning needed to give Hazel Park students the best opportunities to be college and career ready.”
Commenting on behalf of the Hazel Park Board of Education, president Rachel Noth notes, “The board and I are very excited to work with Dr. Kruppe. We are encouraged by Amy’s enthusiasm to join the team here at Hazel Park. She brings an array of knowledge about finance, education and leadership. We are expecting wonderful things to come from Dr. Kruppe and Hazel Park Schools.”
Pending successful negotiations, Dr. Kruppe’s contract will become effective on July1. For more information on Hazel Park Schools see http://www.hazelpark.k12.mi.us/.
For previous stories see:
http://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/05/11/hazel-park-superintendent-search-narrows-next-round-this-week/
http://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/05/05/superintendent-interviews-begin-thursday-for-hazel-park-schools/
http://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/04/28/32-choices-for-hazel-park-superintendent-process-continues-april-29/
http://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/04/11/questions-answered-on-hazel-park-schools-challenges-and-changes/
http://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/03/31/169-positions-eliminated-as-hazel-park-schools-approves-5-year-deficit-elimination-plan/
http://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/03/22/hazel-park-interim-superintendent-gives-turnaround-update/
http://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/03/17/hazel-park-school-administrators-resign-oakland-schools-steps-in/