Valuing Every Child

School climate is high on the list of priorities
for Bloomfield Hills' new superintendent.

education to everyone of appropriate age who
moves into their mandated service area. And
Bloomfield Hills, which serves some of the wealth-
iest neighborhoods in Michigan and has the high-
n June, Newsweek magazine ran a cover story
est per-pupil allotment of any district in the state,
listing America's top public high schools. All
has its share of students who have neither the
three high schools in Bloomfield Hills were
interest nor the capability of taking Advanced
ranked in the top 300. Among them, the
Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate
International Academy, located in the district but
(IB) tests.
serving high-schoolers from throughout Oakland
"Twenty or 30 years ago, if you were a square
County, took the coveted national first place ranking.
peg in a round hole, you dropped out," Gaynor
"There almost isn't a week that goes by when you
says. "You could work on the farm, or get a job at
don't hear about the Bloomfield Hills schools," says
`Ford's.' Now those opportunities have
Dr. Steve Gaynor, who took over as
c,
largely disappeared."
superintendent of the 6,000-student dis-
The school climate must be one that
trict in October 2002.
values every child for his or her intrinsic
However, he cautions, the Newsweek
„..7 strengths, he says.
study — which ranked each school by
counting how many Advanced
m . "We've always done a good job of pro-
viding co-curricular activities," he says,
Placement (AP) or International
mentioning the district's prize-winning
Baccalaureate (IB) tests its student took
musical ensembles, tennis and other
and then dividing that sum by the num-
teams.
bers of seniors in the graduating class —
The way young people are treated by
tells only part of the story.
teachers and their peers is an important
"We know we have high-achieving
indicator of success in school and in
students academically, thanks to our
later
life, he says.
highly qualified teaching staff and con-
"In
order for kids to do well, they
cerned, involved parents," he says.
must also have positive relationships
But there are so many opportunities
with each other and with the school
for kids to be successful outside the
staff. They must feel safe intellectually,
classroom. One way or another, we hope
emotionally, physically."
to have excellence in all our programs."
And these positive relationships must
Bloomfield Hills superintendent Steve Gaynor joins Max Gordon, 12,
be developed beginning in preschool,
of West Bloomfield and other middle-school students as they analyze
Varied Background
Gaynor says, right along with exposure
to words and number concepts.
Gaynor, 51, came to the Bloomfield Hills water quality in the Rouge River.
"Eighty-five percent of a child's capac-
School District with a background in spe-
ity to learn develops from birth to 5 years of age,"
Troy, have two college-age sons, who, like their
cial education, social sciences and administration.
he says. "These are the kinds of things we didn't
father, attend Michigan colleges. Joel, 22, is
Earlier in his career, he taught in Madison
know 10 years ago.
majoring in management information at Central
Heights, Livonia and Walled Lake before spending
"Are there pockets of failure, areas where we still
Michigan
University.
Patrick,
18,
will
be
a
fresh-
12 years with the Holly Area School District, where
need
to improve? Of course. It would be silly to
man
music
major
at
MSU,
heading
for
a
career
as
he served as high school social studies teacher, spe-
),
say there are no problems.
a high school band director.
cial education director, elementary principal and
But Gaynor is willing to stack the Bloomfield
Gaynor feels he isn't viewed as a Jewish superin-
high school principal.
Hills schools up against any private schools.
tendent as such, but as the leader of the entire dis-
He spent four years as superintendent of the Royal
"Many young people who live in our district
trict.
Oak School District before coming to Bloomfield Hills.
attend
private or parochial schools. We'd like those
"Being Jewish, I naturally have the best under-
The superintendent search had gone on all year,
parents
whose children attend private or parochial
standing
of
Jewish
religion,"
he
says.
"But,
as
an
after the retirement of Gary Doyle. Gaynor didn't
schools
to visit our schools.
educator,
you
have
a
responsibility
to
understand
apply at first.
"We want them to compare what they are get-
and keep an open door to all ethnic groups, so
"There were things going on in Royal Oak I didn't
ting now, paying hefty fees, when they can get the
you're not fighting every battle as it comes along
want to leave unattended," he said. "All that came to
same or better free. Compare class size, teacher
but being proactive."
a closure in June of last year. The Bloomfield Hills
qualifications, where our kids go to college after
school board voted to hire me in mid-August, 2002."
they graduate."
He didn't start until October. "I wanted to allow
Each
Child
Matters
And there's one more important difference
whoever succeeded me enough time for an easy,
between
his district and the private schools that
Nobody
argues
about
the
academic
prowess
of
effective transition."
dot Oakland County.
Bloomfield Schools graduates.
From his days in Royal Oak, Gaynor was one of
"In our schools, they will learn to live with, and
But Gaynor sees the district as excelling in some
only two Jewish school superintendents in Oakland
to celebrate, the diversity they'll see in the work-
less-easily measured areas as well.
County — and one of a handful in the state of
force," Gaynor says. fl
Public school districts must, by law, provide an
Michigan.

DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer

I

A Henry Ford High School graduate, he grew
up in the Eight Mile-Evergreen area of Detroit,
and celebrated his bar mitzvah at Congregation
Beth Aaron on Wyoming.
He went on to earn his bachelor's degree at the
University of Michigan; a master's degree (MAT)
in special education from Oakland University; a
specialist degree from Eastern Michigan University
and a doctorate in K-12 school administration
from Michigan State University.
His wife, Kathy, teaches fifth grade in the
Chippewa Valley schools. The couple, who live in

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8/15
2003

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